Worldwatch estimated that, worldwide, buildings use 40% of virgin materials. This is associated with landscape destruction, toxic runoff, deforestation and the loss of biological and plant diversity. Further research indicates that our buildings use 15x more operating energy than embodied energy after 40 years in operation. The question I have is why not renovate our current built environment to the same equivalentcy of new construction with equal tax incentives?
3 comments:
Yes, why not renovate our current built environment to the same equivalency of new construction. It makes good sense to live more comfortably by making over our homes, workplaces and commercial structures to be as 'green'and sustainable as possible. Check out www.lifecyclebuilding.org for info.
I found an interesting site: Martin Liefhebber on Embodied Energy of Existing Buildings ...May 31, 2008 ... 'Scarcity is not a result of us not having enough, it is because of the way we use it.' So says Martin Liefhebber, who was doing green ...
www.treehugger.com/files/2008/05/martin-liefhebber-on-scarcity.php - 84k - Cached - Similar pages - What is the process to include a hyperlink?
Renovation is the ultimate form of recycling. Most articles I've read on the subject claim that even inefficient older homes have less embodied energy and will use less combined energy than new construction-- even "green" construction. Many of the new "earth-friendly" products on the market still have a lot of embodied energy (ie--bamboo flooring from China). Tax credits should be given to people who choose to renovate as oppose to build new-- and more incentives should be given to those who choose to renovate to energy efficiency standards, etc. With this being said, I think it's also important to mention that renovation projects are harder to bid and can take longer than new construction projects in many cases-- thus can potentially cost more in labor-- so all the more reason for tax credits and incentives to encourage more recycling of homes and buildings. Optimum Value Engineering and other energy efficient techniques take more effort when remodeling older buildings-- and those that take the extra effort to not only recycle homes, but make them more energy efficient should be considered for they're part in helping combat climate change and the promotion of environmental conservation. One good article on the subject can be found at:
http://retrorenovation.com/2008/05/22/embodied-energy-the-greenest-building-is-one-thats-already-built/
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