Kitchen & Bath Sustainable

Lloyd Alter writes on the Planet Green Web site today about the most persistent untruths about green building and remodeling: “No, green building is not about hippies building hobbit houses out of straw.”It isn’t? I hear you cry.  Nope, it’s more like average people taking steps to reduce their carbon footprints incrementally.  But in order to get to a clear understanding of how to do that, all of us in the design community have a lot of misinformation to slog through.  Alter attacks 11 of the biggest misconceptions (he claims to attack ten, but there are actually 11 listed):

1.  Green building is expensive.
2. Traditional products work better than green products.
3. It’s all about saving energy.
4. Changing windows will save a lot of energy.
5. Geoexchange heating systems will save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
6. Photovoltaic solar panels are the most effective form of solar energy production.
7. Green homes are “weird” or “ugly.”
8. Building a green home is too complicated.
9. Getting it certified is expensive.
10. Green building is mostly about using eco-friendly materials.
11. Green building is a fad.

So those are his; what are the misconceptions you see out there?  Read his comments here, and leave your own in our comments section.

Myths are the speed bumps in the green design autobahn.

In an ideal world, a world governed by the USGBC and which can be traversed by solar-powered transportation, a world where formaldehyde is Dr. Jekyll in his off-time and where Greenpeace boats are welcomed with flowers instead of harpoons, your project would always be a new build (because existing structures would stay relevant for generations), and your associates (architect, contractor, builder, plumber, electrician, etc.) would know no other way to operate than under the assumption of environmental practices.

Realistically, you’ll encounter more myth-based resistance to new technology, unusual products and the new set of constraints that building/remodeling environmentally will present. And for the unseasoned, some of these claims and concerns can look pretty real. It’s up to you to get educated and see through the greenwash. Let’s examine some misconceptions.

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