The green movement finally seems to be coming back into home-building in a big way. In the early days, folk were smart enough to build the green house where it would get the hottest during the day and the patio in the evening shade so they didn’t have to bother with fans and electricity, and winter insulation was a question of tarring up your windows. And you never ever left a light on in a room where you weren’t. With the advent of modern housing development, these methods went the way of the dinosaur, only to return in full force, as people are more aware of energy efficiency and the need to develop green habits. There’s really no need for all of us to go and fight the “system” and force the so called “red industries” like petroleum corporations and multi-nationals to make an impact on our surroundings. Apparently, the saying about where charity begins rings true more than ever. What we need is a green revolution that starts in each of our homes; that alone is enough to change the face of the earth for the better.

Green construction is on its way to becoming a watch-word in today’s home-building industry, as it has with commercial and public buildings. In terms of legal implications, there are literally dozens if not hundreds of laws and rules and regulations about how to build homes in a way that makes the entire system sustainable. Architects are now being taught all of this in school and a lot of the technology for green buildings is already there, so it’s just a question of implementation and little else. Not only builders, but general contractors too are changing their approach to home improvement projects, and suggesting better alternatives: recycling materials like brick and masonry, waste control and better materials. All that’s required in a minor attitude shift and a little bit of education and the earth can be green again, figuratively speaking.

The industrial revolution that came with mass production capabilities inadvertently (or callously) brought with it not only convenience and affordability, but also detriment and destruction of the worst kind. It’s not too late to try and reverse or at least resolve the effects of that great juggernaut and start using common-sense ideas and green design concepts to our benefit. If every one of us is committed to making our homes as green as we possibly can within reasonable limits, our energy consumption alone will plummet to heart-warming levels instead of the global-warming levels it stands at today. Whether that’s mere wishful thinking, or just “a small step for man” remains to be seen.

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