construction practices to help stop climate change
It has been estimated that 40% of fossil fuel usage in the US and the European Union can be attributed to traditional building and construction practices. The amount of energy used within a building has a lot to do with the way it was originally designed.
By shipping in materials from distant locations, builders cause even more energy to be used. The trucks hauling the materials typically have higher CO2 emissions. They use more gas or diesel and contribute to more pollution.
When finalising your tenders documents specifying green building with recycled materials is a good choice for the environment. Bamboo and some other materials have a lower impact on the environment. The type of paint or glue the contractor chooses to use makes a difference, too. If everyone thought about the little things, the world might stop heating up.
Some climate change is natural. What is currently going on is not natural; it can be traced directly to human activities that began after the industrial revolution. The consequences of the changes are likely to include droughts in some regions and floods in others. We can expect colder winters in some places as the glaciers continue to melt.
Greenhouse Gas Effect
As sea levels rise, coastal areas will be lost to the ocean. There will be less fresh water in coastal areas due to saltwater intrusion. This problem is already being experienced in cities like San Francisco, partly because of greenhouse gas or global warming and partly because of excessive water usage.
Wasting water during the construction process is something that should be considered. Designing buildings to reduce water consumption and even to recycle wastewater is possible. Native drought resistant plants can be used for landscaping to reduce future water usage by the building’s occupants.
CO2 is not the only greenhouse gas. Nitrous oxide accounts for at least 6% of climate change and is a major cause of ozone depletion. The burning of fossil fuels in internal combustion engines produces nitrous oxide. Anything you can do to reduce the use of gasoline-powered equipment on the construction site is helpful.
The production of nylon is one of the main sources of nitrous oxide production. You might also try to avoid carpeting and other building materials made from nylon.
Methane is another greenhouse gas. Anything that ends up in the landfill contributes to methane production. As a builder, you can do your part to stop climate change by recycling and using recycled materials..