Is Europe ahead of the US in green home building?
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by: hugatree
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Word Count: 392
Green home building is all the rage in America today, and many people do not realize that green home building practices have been in play for decades in Europe. We have many technologies that are just emerging in the United States that seem to be new and innovate...they are not. Green home building is usually discussed in such a way that people marvel about these new technologies, but they are really only new to us.
For example, in Europe, a substance called Autoclave Aerated Concentrate, or AAC for short, has been used in constructing buildings for over two decades. GreenHomeBuilding.com says that this substance is popular in Europe because it is completely fire proof, highly insulating, and very lightweight. This means that it can be easily transported in larger quantities, which will consume less fuel. Also, the AAC is made of very simple ingredients: water, sand, cement, lime, and aluminum powder. Eighty percent of the AAC is made up of air, which is the main ingredient. The most important benefit is the fact that its production does not produce any byproducts. Builders have been using this building material in Germany for almost a century; however, it was introduced in the United States in 1996 and still is not widely accepted.
An additional green home building material that is used widely in Europe but not in the United States is the Wood Fiber Board. These boards are made from wood chip waste produced by sawmills. GreenHomeBuilding.com explains the fact that these boards do not emit toxins when manufactured. They are very inexpensive to produce, and they are totally compostable. They are not used much in the United States. We prefer cutting more trees, I guess.. We do not like using what we already have to make something new.
Europe is by far more advanced then we are when it comes to green home building practices. They have been doing these things for about one hundred years, so for Europeans, there is nothing new or innovative about green home building; it is a way of life. We have a long way to go, but we are finally in the right frame of mind here in the United States to begin conserving resources... I just hope it is not too late.
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