RP353 Building a Greener Future

 RP353 Building a Greener Future

Year after year, the earth's precious resources are becoming increasingly scarce. The only resource that isn't becoming scarce is humanity. Still people need materials to build new houses, office buildings, and schools. There's only one solution to this problem: do more with less. That's what sustainable construction is all about.
Advocates of sustainable construction believe the entire building process can be done without harming the environment, and by doing so, the earth is kept sustainable for future generations. To make these green buildings possible, however, the process must be implemented from conception.
Picture a city government that wants to build a green office building. The first thing these city planners would do is select a site with a small environmental impact. Ideally, they would choose a site that had already been developed. Thus keeping the forests and grasslands protected.
Next, city planners would turn their attention toward the construction process. Only green materials could be used to build their office towers. These include wood, steel, and other components that have been recycled from demolished buildings. If possible, they have been manufactured, recovered, or resourced locally. The closer that these green materials are to the construction site, the less energy is wasted getting them to where they' re needed.
Maintenance costs are the next important factors that need to be considered. City planners would design heating and cooling systems that use as little energy as possible. They would install solar roof panels that will absorb the heat from the sun to power the building. Toilets and sinks designed to minimize water waste would be installed throughout the building. These efficiencies don't just help to protect the environment; they can save money over the long run as well.
Finally, city planners would be aware of the fact that their new building may be demolished one day. Therefore, construction materials that can be reused after demolition would be selected. They would also make sure that the building doesn't contain any harmful pollutants that could be released into the air during the demolition process.
After all this was finished, the city planners would relax and maybe even throw a party. They have designed a building that was green at every step— the golden rule of sustainable construction.