What is a green building? Apparently, construction accounts for 54% of greenhouse gas emissions in North America. That’s a lot. So there are groups dedicated to examining how we can “green” our construction industry. From alternative building materials to energy efficient design to vigorous recycling and disposal of construction material there is a veritable revolution in how we plan our buildings. This is quite exciting. Tom Rand’s green hostel plans to place a windmill on its roof. A suburb in New Zealand has designed itself as a communal settlement with rammed earth walls, milk paint interior and pedestrian-friendly design. A straw bale house in downtown Montreal in traditional style? Apparently, all these new materials are easier on the planet because they are locally available, and require less processing than traditional building and insulating materials. A pilot project in Toronto to encourage green roofs – roofs that are covered in vegetation – will hopefully result in more efficient use of all the rooftops in Toronto. Think about that! All those warehouses that you see when you fly into town, imagine them covered in grass, or crops, or solar panels! Harper says that there is no way we can meet our Kyoto requirements. I simply don’t believe him.
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