Green Construction for Healthy living

I am priveleged to introduce "Taylor Dardan", A dedicated green advocate who believes that green living and a healthy lifestyle go hand in hand. He is a recent college graduate and an aspiring writer. Taylor has kindly offered to post an article on the topic. Read on below:

"Green architecture and home designs produce buildings that consume lower energy, water, and limit the use of traditional construction products. Using “green”, eco-friendly reusable materials, these types of designs use long lasting and non-toxic materials as well as promote the recycled use of materials. The “green” building concepts incorporate construction and maintenance with designs that decrease water and energy consumption as well as general cost.

A general focus of green architecture is for the project to work in unison with the surrounding environment, using natural materials that are easily recycled and grown, to maximize the efficiency of the building. This aims to reduce wastes of energy and materials, as well as the dependencies on traditional fuels and energies. The lesser dependency on these traditional resources also helps to reduce the risk of potentially fatal health issues like leukemia, asthma, asbestos exposure, and many forms of cancer. All of these afflictions have been associated with fuel emissions, and can drastically been reduced using newer alternative technologies. Environmental influences are premeditated as well. Buildings themselves are often oriented in a certain direction in order to take advantage of natural resources like sun orientation and wind. When possible, buildings are even built using surrounding materials from the site itself. For instance if a new structure is being constructed in a wooded area, wood used to from the trees that were cut down to make room for the site would be used as part of the building process.

To reduce environmental impacts of green structures, there are several options. Wastewater from dishwashers, washing machines, and other sources can be used for toilet and lawn water. Rainwater collectors are also used for a similar purpose, collecting rain water for many general water uses. A healthy environment often refers to a healthy life. As a vital natural supplement of wellness, clean water is vital in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and having clean air ensures the reduction of pollutant, chemical fumes and vapors, mold, fungus, bacteria, toxic gases, viruses, smoke, and other outdoor pollutions. With the wealth of benefits that come along with having a clean environment, it’s easy to see why green building is such a positive alternative. Consistent with rising energy costs, energy efficient design and engineering makes sense on multiple levels. Coal and oil reserves are depleting fast, and demand has continued to grow. The costs of fuels have increased operation costs worldwide and have led to fragile instability in the economy. As a solution to alleviate this problem, as well as improve general health on personal and environmental levels, “green” technologies, design, and building should be an essential option throughout the future.