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The modern buildings we live and work in rival such well-known polluters as cars and manufacturing as sources of harm to the environment, adding greatly to deforestation, the risk of global warming, overuse of water, and acid rain.
A new Worldwatch report, A Building Revolution: How Ecology and Health Concerns Are Transforming Construction, by David Malin Roodman and Nicholas Lenssen, finds that:
55% of the wood cut for non-fuel uses is for construction
40% of the world's materials and energy is used by buildings
30% of newly-built or -renovated buildings suffer from "sick building syndrome," exposing occupants to stale or mold- and chemical-laden air
"As severe as these problems are," says the report, "combinations of ancient techniques and available technologies can eliminate almost all the damage new buildings do--making buildings healthy and reducing utility bills dramatically--while still preserving the amenities people expect."
As an even larger bonus, they create homes and workplaces that are more desirable to live in and more productive to work in. And the high home values and productive offices resulting from "ecological design" are capturing the attention of real estate developers and investors. | 