How we live affects every aspect of the planet. We use fossil fuels at an unsustainable rate, and we’re polluting the rivers and skies with toxins that are produced by our vehicles, homes, and industries. The price of comfort and convenience is the planet itself. Things are not too late, however. Every change we make, such as recycling, driving fuel efficient vehicles, and reducing our usage of resources has a positive effect on the environment.

Alternative vehicles have been become much more accessible over the last few years. Either fuel efficient or battery operated, these vehicles are becoming part of the mainstream. They are attractive and practical, which makes them a viable alternative to traditional vehicles. Environmentally friendly housing options on the other hand, have been slower to catch on. Alternative housing is generally quite unique looking, and therefore intimidating to the average home buyer.

Thanks to their unique design and adaptability to environmentally responsible technologies, dome homes are the next generation of housing. While they may look strange at first, once you spend time in a dome home and see your energy bills drop, you will fall in love with this unique and revolutionary type of property.

Dome homes are a relatively new option on the housing scene. There are very few of these buildings in the country, but they are starting to get the buzz they deserve. They are among the greenest homes available on the market, making them the ideal housing alternative for the future. Dome homes represent a whole new wave in homebuilding.

Because of their arching shape and lack of barrier walls, energy flows throughout the entire space, thus requiring less energy to heat or cool the space.

There are fewer seams on the exterior of the building than in traditional stick-built homes, thereby reducing the amount of heat loss in the building.

Dome homes are made with concrete and steel rebar. This concrete is thoroughly insulated from the inside out, which allows the heat to be stored inside for use at a later date. Dome homes require only about half of the energy use as conventional homes. The isolating shell on the outside of the concrete keeps the temperature steady, which results in less temperature fluctuations inside the home.

Because these homes are built with energy efficiency in mind, many dome homeowners add solar panels and wind generators to their properties in order to cut down on the use of fossil fuels. In fact, many owners of dome homes live completely off the power grid. They have wells and independent power sources, so they are entirely self-sufficient.

We want our children and grandchildren to inherit a healthy world, not a dying one. While the problem may seem overwhelming, small things do make a difference. Switching to an eco-friendly car is one positive change that people can make fairly easily. Switching to an environmentally friendly home is another step that people can take in order to reduce energy use. If you’re on the market for a new home, why not consider choosing a home that is good for the environment? Why not choose a monolithic dome home?

Carol is a professional real estate agent in the Denver Colorado real estate market. Visit http://www.porchlightgroup.com to learn about the wonderful benefits of investing in the Berkeley real estate market.

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Wattle and daub (or wattle-and-daub) is a building material used for making walls, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw. Wattle and daub has been used for at least 6,000 years, and is still an important technique in many parts of the world. Many historic buildings include wattle and daub construction, and the technique is becoming popular again in more developed areas as a sustainable building technique.

Modern construction methods are extremely efficient and safe. Many homeowners and renters enjoy the protection from the weather and the hazards that run through nearly every home, with near complete immunity. The most frequent criticism of modern construction that many people have is that the materials and substances that go into creating the modern home are harmful to the environment, and sometimes the occupants.

There are many ways to limit the risk and harm that people can be exposed to with modern construction methods and one is to use ecologically friendly construction means, as called “green construction”. Green construction is essentially the endeavor to use material that will not emit chemicals or substances that are harmful to the environment or life. One of these green construction methods is called “cord wood” construction or stack wall construction.

Cord wood construction is basically using firewood that is cut to a specified dimension as fill for a mortar supported wall. Think of it like this, instead of using bricks, you use wood. Cord wood walls vary in thickness from 8 to about 16 inches depending on the weather conditions prevalent in the area. In colder areas, a thicker wall helps insulate from the cold, but where the cold is not as big a concern your resources can be used in a more frugal manner by making 8 inch walls.

The biggest benefit of building a home out of cord wood construction is the price. Typically a 2000 square foot home can be built out of about 5 cords of firewood, which may cost less than $1000 depending on your location. When placed inside of a frame of post and beam structure the cord wood wall is one of the most beautiful and rustic looking forms of construction in the world.

The second biggest benefit of cord wood construction is that it is something anyone can do with a little effort. It takes time to build a cord wood wall straight and true, but it is not that hard so any novice builder can have a decent home erected safely. Since the mortar takes time to set up and harden you can only go at a certain pace of construction which allows you to rest and plan before getting too far ahead of yourself.

The most important benefit of cord wood construction is that you are creating a home which does not release toxic chemicals into the home environment. Once the mortar is dried the home is done releasing any gases or chemicals, so you do not have to worry about your kids inhaling formaldehyde for 2 years afterward like you do in new construction. Keep in mind that is does take a deliberate effort on your part not to put in any chemicals as well. This can be avoided by choosing to decorate your home with something other than paint and glue down your rugs with a substance that does not emit formaldehyde.

With a little conscious planning and thought you can use green construction techniques to completely prevent a dangerous environment for your loved ones, and yourself.

Realty In Idaho is a great website that allows users access to search the Boise MLS, find homes in Meridian Idaho and research Boise real estate. Visit us and meet an reo agent in Meridian Idaho now and put to use the information within its pages to help you with your real estate investments!

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On a visit to Tucson in 2003, an old high school friend of mine, Daniel Snyder of Westwind Solar Electric, introduced me to the designer and builder Tom Wuelpern. As the award winning owner of Rammed Earth Development, Wuelpern has built many an adobe house in the Tucson area.

Wuelpern lives and works in the Barrio Santa Rosa district of central Tucson and the 800 block of Meyer Avenue has been a principle focus of his creativity. Here he’s built homes that complement the vintage adobes of that historic district. When he first arrived there wasn’t a single house left on that stretch of Meyer Avenue so Wuelpern had to live out of a trailer while building his first home. He says the neighborhood was “a little rough” and that occasionally he’d sit out in front of the trailer “with a gun over my knees.”

Things have changed since those early days when people said that Wuelpern was crazy to build in a “slum.” Now the original residents share the Barrio Santa Rosa with, artists, architects, symphony musicians, and many other creative types attracted by the rustic character of the adobe house.

Adobe construction was first brought to the southwest by the early Spanish settlers who were originally introduced to it by the Moors from North Africa.

One old adobe after another crowds the Barrio’s dusty avenues, many of them painted in vibrant colors which scintillate in the desert heat. The Barrio Santa Rosa really has the feel of a traditional Mexican town.

I, being a “creative type”, was enchanted by all of this and when Wuelpern offered me the opportunity to have some input on the adobe house that he was about to build, I had to say “yes.”

And it has been a treat to get to know the pleasures of a small Green adobe house.

The walls are 18 inches thick and the floor is poured concrete with a radiant heating system embedded in it. I chose recycled blue jeans insulation which is as effective as fiberglass for temperature but even better for sound, and more green and ecological so that it will never present any hazard to the environment or to anyone’s health.

I get a snug feeling just thinking about my adobe abode.

The paint on the interior walls is uniquely appropriate because it is a non-toxic clay paint composed of earth pigments sourced from the desert landscape itself. All other interior paints are Non-VOC, so they do not pollute the interior space of the house. I am always struck by the yucky smell of toxic chemicals emanating from the paint, carpeting, and other components of newly built or remodeled conventional buildings. It’s the first thing I notice and there is none of that in this Green Living, ecological, adobe house.

In addition to benefiting our health by not out gassing toxins the natural paint allows the thick adobe walls to breathe because it doesn’t form an impermeable skin between the interior air and the walls. These walls can then act as a temperature and humidity reservoir for the house which stabilizes the in door climate through out the day.

Adobe is not a very efficient insulating material so an adobe house is not the best choice for regions with harsh winters but it is an excellent choice for the desert where it gets very hot during the day and can be very cold at night. This is because adobe has a good “thermal mass,” which means that as the suns heat is absorbed by the exterior walls it gradually penetrates through the wall to warm the interior during the night. By the next morning the cold night air has cooled the wall contributing, in turn, to cooler interior temperatures during the day. This allows me to cut back on the air conditioning and the heating.

Since adobe is essentially an inert material, the “toxic” content of the structure is hugely reduced. This makes adobe construction, when feasible, a very attractive Green Living alternative. Adobe construction is a reasonable way to achieve sustainable living spaces appropriate for us and the environment.

This is a very comfortable Green Living and ecological adobe house. It is a beautiful residence which places no demand or burden upon its occupants; it feels neutral and enriches the spirit with its light and benevolent character.

Julian Lange blogs at and can be found at http://www.MeridianHolistic.com

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As the discussion about health, “green” living and “green” housing moves forward, we are discovering that many of the best solutions are actually very old, low-tech ideas. For years, infant formula had been promoted as a “modern” solution; today we know that breast milk is better. After decades of trans-fats, we learn that natural fats are healthier. Electric and gas clothes dryers replaced the clothesline; now we realize that using the wind and sun to dry clothes leaves a smaller carbon footprint. After widespread use of fiberglass insulation in homes, we realize that insulation made from recycled newspaper is not only “green,” it is even more resistant to fire.

As the world’s great forests dwindle, we become concerned about depleting lumber supplies and rising construction costs. Yet the solution is right under our feet. It is eco-friendly and non-toxic. It is as old as dirt. It’s dirt cheap. In fact, it is dirt! What’s more, it’s the oldest and most commonly used building material in the world! Jericho was built out of it. Parts of the great pyramids of Egypt were built out of it.

More specifically, the dirt-wall solution is called “cob.” Cob is a mixture of earth, straw, sand, and water. It’s been around for thousands of years, and is used in New Zealand, Africa, Central America, Europe, Asia, and just about everywhere. Have you seen the photos of those charming little cottages that dot the landscape of Ireland? Most of those are made of cob. They are coated with a white lime mixture to prevent wind erosion. Just scratch the surface of one of those homes and you will soon discover that the walls are really made of dirt. Surprisingly, many have been around for over 500 years, and are still in excellent condition. These homes are fire-resistant, and stand up quite well to damp environments. If the homes have wide roof-eaves and impervious foundations, wet weather is not an issue. Cob proponents claim that they are warm, dry, and durable.

The production method for cob is about as “green” and as low-tech as you can get. The large amount of heat energy required to produce most brick materials is not needed to make cob. Not much energy is required for transporting materials. Frequently, the right kind of earth is found in sufficient amounts right at the construction site. No power machinery is used. All you need is about a dozen of your friends and family. Earth, sand, water and straw are mixed together with bare hands and feet! When the material reaches the right consistency, it is scooped up into balls called “cobs.” Cobs are stacked and packed into walls and shapes like domes, window benches, curved walls, nooks, window openings, or just about anything that the imagination can conjure up. No internal form structures are required, so there are no limits. Wiring and pipes are set into the walls as they are formed. With no hammers or loud power tools, the participants frequently report a peaceful, almost “spiritual” experience. After about a week of partying in mud with friends and family, your cob house is complete. The home may even look like something that your ancient ancestors lived in.

Will cob homes ever dominate the home construction industry in the United States? That notion seems far-fetched. Will the American consumer embrace cob? Cob homes face re-sale issues, appraisal issues, and financing issues. Building code issues with municipal inspectors will arise. Construction-related industries would probably fight it. Interestingly, third world countries don’t have any of these issues with cob. However, as construction costs rise, and the forests disappear, minds and policies may change.

Kermit Johnson is a full service Minneapolis real estate agent with 14 years of experience. Visit http://www.realestatetwincities.net/blog for blog posts about Minneapolis real estate, Twin Cities homes, Minnesota lake shore issues, green home construction, and other Minnesota realty issues.

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Bamboo has inspired human beings for millennia, and has been a benefit to people throughout the world. It has been used as a building material with the strength of steel; for writing and musical instruments, fuel, food, and medicinal products, just to name a few.

1500 varieties of bamboo grow naturally throughout the world’s tropical and temperate climate zones. It is one of the fastest growing plants on earth. It is a giant grass and some species grow four feet in one day. Bamboo can reach full height in one growth spurt in several months. When bamboo is harvested, the root system is unharmed and healthy, ready to produce more shoots. The grass grows buds for three years, and in one tremendous three-month spurt, bamboo shoots reach full diameter and height. Another three years may pass before poles mature from soft starch into hard bamboo. In about 5 to 7 years of growth, when bamboo poles reach their peak strength and hardness, they are harvested before the quality declines.

Harvesting bamboo at maturity is the critical first step to insure strong and durable quality poles. Bamboo produces greater biomass than trees, and generates 30% more oxygen than a hardwood forest of the same size, while improving watersheds, preventing erosion, and removing toxins from contaminated soil. Because of its high nitrogen consumption it is the perfect solution to mitigating waste water from sewage treatment plants, animal farms, and manufacturing.

Bamboo can be selectively harvested annually and is capable of regeneration without the need to replant. Unlike most forestry, proper harvesting does not kill the bamboo plant, so topsoil is held in place. “Timber Bamboo” can grow to 120 feet high, and the stalk can have a wall thickness of three inches. Bamboo poles are two to three times stronger than comparable wood timber. It yields up to twenty times more material than wood and one bamboo clump can produce 200 poles in the five years it takes one tree to reach maturity. Bamboo can be sustainably harvested and replenished with little impact to the environment.

Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on Earth. It grows one third faster than the fastest growing tree. Some species grow as much as four feet a day. Thanks to its rapid growth, the yield is up to 25 times higher than that of timber. It can be used to produce flooring, wall paneling, pulp for paper, fencing, fuel, raw material for housing and more.

This makes bamboo a viable alternative to wood. It has roughly the same strength to weight ratio as steel, and twice the compression strength of concrete. It can withstand up to 52,000 lbs. of pressure per square inch, making it an excellent building material. The hollow tube shape gives a strength factor of 1.9 times more than an equivalent solid wood beam. Thousands of homes and major structures are built with bamboo every year in all parts of the world.

As we move forward into the 21st century and the need for sustainable green living becomes greater, a growing movement is taking place. A consciousness about living in a more earth friendly, environmentally responsible way that includes using products and materials that are really eco-friendly and sustainable. As more people begin taking the steps necessary to reduce our carbon foot print, the need for new eco-friendly products and new green technologies will become a driving economic force throughout the world. And bamboo will be a big part of it because of its multiple uses and its versatility. Live sustainable go bamboo.

Owner: EnerChi Living Spaces & Gallery. We are a unique Home decor ecommerce store. Specializing in Eco-friendly and Sustainable products. Including Fine Bamboo Furniture and Elegant Bamboo Bedding. We provide a Feng Shui design and consultation service,as well as workshops in Feng Shui decorating, and Meditation. We create and hand craft most of our Zafu Meditation Pillows and Zabutons. We offer a variety of products to create a meditation space We carry a line of Zen time clocks for meditation and sleeping. Plus we offer the very best Himalayan Salt Crystal Lamp on the market today.
http://www.enerchilivingspaces.com, http://www.squidoo.com/bamboofurniture-bedding

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A zero energy building (ZEB) or net zero energy building is a general term applied to a building’s use with zero net energy consumption and zero carbon emissions annually. Zero energy buildings can be used autonomous from the energy grid supply – energy can be harvested on-site. The net zero design principle is overlayed on the requested comfort of the building occupant. Generally, the more extreme the exposure to the elements the more energy is needed to achieve a comfortable environment of human use.

Enertia is energy made useful by a shift-in-Time. In the 1980’s Architectural Inventor Michael Sykes coined the term “Enertia” for the useful energy that can be captured from thermal, rotational, or electrical inertia. Using inertia, 80% of world energy needs can be met with a simple shift-in-Time. Summer thermal buildup can be shifted to fill Winter thermal needs. Daytime solar gain to fill night-time needs. Downhill inertial gain to uphill power draw. No fuel or pollution is involved. Devices from flywheels to funicular railroads use “Enertia”. Inertia can multiply the usefulness of solar, geothermal, or even fossil-fuel energy. Enertia is the energy, and inertia is the catalyst for it. Because inertia can move energy from a time when it is “useless” to a time when it is “useful,” the resulting Enertia® is, literally, energy from the fourth dimension – Time.

As more and more buyers are wanting energy-efficient and green homes, builders and sellers are trying to meet this growing demand. In the past few months, the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) has incorporated a green features section on every MLS report where builders and sellers can list whether the home has Energy Star appliances, solar panels, bamboo floors, and rain collection systems already in place.

If you’re looking to buy an environmentally friendly home, the drawback is that most of the homes you’ll find are new construction. This is great if you’re wanting a newer home anyway, but a lot of green buyers don’t want new construction because of the trees that are cut down and the idea that there are already enough homes on the market right now without having to build more!

The best advice for these buyers looking for older homes is to search the MLS using the new green features option. Find a home that already has some of the features you want, and then use the money you’ll save by buying now to go towards other features that you add in either now or along and along. Earth friendly materials are starting to make their way into mainstream stores, like Lowe’s and Home Depot. So, it’s becoming much easier to find these materials. Sure, you won’t find items such as reclaimed wood in a Lowe’s, but you will in specialty stores around the area. So, why not take a home you love and make it as green as you want it to be?

For newer homes in Charleston that are geared to be energy-efficient, you’ll find a few neighborhoods to choose from. All of the homes in Summertrees were built to EarthCraft standards. This neighborhood is on Johns Island, and the builder was Brentwood Homes. EarthCraft is a program with guidelines ensuring that homes reduce energy by using tighter building construction, air sealing, controlled ventilation, as well as more efficient duct work, HVACs, and vents. Water usage is also reduced, which cuts down on utility bills. Last, the interior and exterior paint is low VOC. These homes are also supposed to have better indoor air quality for an overall healthier lifestyle for the owners.

Another builder, David Weekley Homes, is also starting to build green homes. This builder uses a different program called Environments for Living, which is a national program with three levels of green-ness. David Weekley’s new homes are classified in the highest level of requirements, which is the Diamond level. These homes are fifty percent more energy efficient than comparable homes built to the standard codes in 2004. And, for a better comparison, we’ll compare these homes with the Energy Star standards, which people are more familiar with. Energy Star requirements are only fifteen percent better than the standard 2004 building codes. So, these David Weekley homes are significantly better than Energy Star. Buyers are also guaranteed that their new home will not use more than a certain amount of energy from heating and air conditioning. If the buyer finds that the home exceeds this amount, he or she will be reimbursed the difference in cost. Of course, this reimbursement does not account for the energy wasted during that time, but at least builders are trying to hold their homes accountable for energy standards. And, this is a step in the right direction, I think.

For more information about these builders, check out their websites. And, if you want to buy a pre-owned home and green it up yourself, check out the MLS with the new search feature!

Lee Keadle is a Realtor in Charleston South Carolina, and he works for Carolina One Real Estate.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Keadle

Although industrial hemp is very well known all over the world even in the United States where it is banned there are some countries that are starting to utilize the incredible properties of this amazing eco-product. In Spain for example newly built ecological homes are being made from industrial hemp. The outer walls of these eco-homes are being made from a substance called eco-bricks which is also manufactured in a part of Spain under the name Cannabric. The material Cannabric is made from the fibers of industrial plant and the combination of line and mineral materials.

These materials are just as fire resistant as stone bricks but the beauty of this material is that it doesn’t require any added insulation at all on the outside or inside of the walls so it is perfect for keeping the home warm in the winter time as well as cool in the summertime and when the minerals are added they also give the Cannabric it’s extra strength as a material. To finish this off the lime is added in as a binder, and it’s job is to hold these materials together as a brick but the lime also has another function. It is also used as a filler material that basically protects the Cannabric against any entry of water by rain or by any pipes in the wall, plus it also provides an added strength protection for the fibers against the fungal attack or a parasite attack. Industrial hemp was nothing new in this part of Spain as it has been used for many materials dating back to the Franco regime many hundreds of years back. The only negative thing about the industrial hemp being made during this time was that it took a lot of jobs from the agricultural workers in that area of Spain and this resulted in many agricultural workers leaving the country and settling outside of the countryside of Spain and making new lives in the city.

I think that we should put major consideration into looking into this product as a substance that can be used in homes all over the world. Think of the savings that it would bring by not needing to use regular insulation products to keep us warm or to keep us cool. In addition to this certain areas in Canada are starting to wake up to the incredible properties that Cannabric has and are actually using Cannabric as an insulation product for the insides and outsides of old stone homes that cannot do the job that this substance can.

Another pioneer in the production of industrial temp as a building material is a man known as Steve Allin who coincidently has a new book out on this material which is called “building with hemp”. Steve has come out with his own hemp brick but he does not collect Cannabric. The name he gets to it is Hemphab. This incredible material can be changed and molded into many different shapes and finishes. This gives Hemphab a great advantage over other building materials as it is very eclectic in the ways that you can use it around your home.

Cannabric isn’t the only material made from industrial hemp that can be used as a building material. They are also learning how to make paints from industrial hemp. Industrial hemp paint has many superior advantages over regular paint and some of its advantages are that it has a superior coating that is very durable and can keep its coat from eroding over time.

Author has written many articles on the environmental properties of industrial Hemp and how it will make our earth more green friendly.

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