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Humanity has advanced in stunning ways in the last 100 years from a technology perspective. The advancements, however, have come with drawbacks. Green building is an approach that seeks to address some of those drawbacks. The difference between the average persons life in 1907 and 2007 is laughably huge. Frankly, the century has been unlike any other, but so has our consumption of resources. Only now are we starting to realize the impact on the planet. The idea that our way of life may be bad for both the planet and ourselves is not new. Although climate change is a big issue now, we have been confronted with the problem before. From toxic rivers to overwhelming smog problems, we know of the issues with waste. Such problems, however, pale in comparison to what we are seeing today. Instead of impacting small geographic areas, our entire planet seems to be at risk. The future looks threatening given global change. Global warming is not a disputed issue. The globe is clearly warming. What is disputed is the cause. Simply put, are we the cause of it? Has our consumption and the waste produced by it led us to this? A large part of the cause seems to be the wastes created by our way of life. Confronted with this fact, finding a solution seems the answer. The problem, of course, is the answer is vague and very expensive. Small steps such as green building seem prudent. Green building is a philosophy of building more efficient structures. Tied into this philosophy is the use of materials favorable to the environment. The philosophy is used on structures ranging from homes to skyscrapers in New York City. The idea of efficiency is carried throughout green construction. Structures are built using recyclable materials, saving natural resources. The structures themselves also recycle their moving elements such as water. From a design perspective, green construction philosophy involves incorporating renewable energy platforms. These can include solar panels to provide electricity, strategic plant placement to filter air and the use of opening windows instead of air conditioning. There is little argument that green building is a new concept and thus still struggling to become a standard. That being said, the fact that individual and large businesses are looking to it is a good sign. Perhaps we are turning a corner.
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