Houses give off a high percentage of a country's total carbon dioxide emissions. In the United States, the number is close to 38%. Since carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases, houses contribute strongly to global warming.
One way to cut the greenhouse emissions of houses, and therefore help stop global warming, is to minimize the energy use needed to sustain comfortable living in a house. There are several different ways to do this.
One way is to be careful about what building materials are used. Some construction materials can be from quickly renewable sources. These include bamboo and straw. Besides, building materials can be used that originates near the construction situation. This cuts down on transportation, and so cuts down on emissions of greenhouse gases and global warming. One example is stone houses constructed with local stone.
Buildings are also often built using recycled materials. Wood can be used from an older home that has been torn down. This will prevent the need to cut down other trees. Since the deforestation of the land contributes to global warming, this will help the situation.
Heating and Cooling have a heavy effect on the amount of global warming caused by a household. Some ways to help this are very simple. One is to design the house to sit on the lot so that sunlight will come in through the windows and warm the house. It can also be oriented so that breezes will blow through the windows more naturally for cooling.
In this way, passive solar energy can be used to heat and cool the house. This will cut down on the greenhouse emissions from a house. Global warming will be lessened. Insulation is important to maximize on the cool or heat that is in the home. With good insulation, you will need a less intense heat or cooling source.
The main heating and cooling source in most greenhouses will be solar panels, wind power, or hydro power. Any of these sources will power a house with minimal effects on global warming. At the same time, these sources of energy will have a family in a comfortable way.
In that respect are several systems in the US that aid in the cause of halting global warming by promoting green construction. One non-profit organization makes it their job to foster green building methods in both homes and commercial constructions. This group of people from the building industry is a part of the Green Building Initiative.
The state of Washington has required builders of buildings larger than 5000 square feet to utilize green construction practices. Their law was enacted in 2005. It should help to maintain a cap on global heating.
Green building constructions are significant for a number of reasons. One just happens to be that it can bring down the emissions of greenhouse gases. If green building can help end global warming, maybe it is time for everyone to build green.
