GREEN BUILDING AS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE TO AVOID THE LOSS OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Technology has advanced our society in many ways, and the same occurs for construction. Those who work in these fields are always trying to figure out new constructive methods. The concern about energy crisis, water pollution and other troubles related to environment, make people seek for solutions for this issues. For this reason, sustainable programs have been developed around the world in different fields of study to try to minimize pollution progress. 

As most of people know, big buildings have a strong impact in the environment, such as the quantity of energy and water, which they need to work well. Green buildings were developed to have the same efficiency of normal buildings, but the biggest difference is that they do not negatively affect the environment so strong, and that’s why it is the best option for new construction projects. However, green buildings can avoid these negative effects, and, thus, we should focus on sustainable construction in the future.         

To build greener is a trend that is increasing more and more, because the concern about preserving the environment is increasing as well. This concern began when scientists started developing researches about the impacts of human action over the environment. Problems such as rising sea level and global warming made people around the world thinking in action to reverse this situation or just avoid that this problems skyrocketing. 

For theses reasons, to build green and develop different ways to construct with less impact in the environment became an important and relevant issue. According to Braungart, et al (2006), “Eco-effectiveness and cradle-to-cradle design present an alternative design and production concept to the strategies of zero emission and eco-efficiency. Where eco-efficiency and zero emission seek reduce the unintended negative consequences of processes of production and consumption, eco-effectiveness is a positive agenda for the conception and production of goods and services that incorporate social, economic, and environmental benefit, enabling triple top line growth”. 

Civil construction has its share of impact on the environment, and it makes researchers seek for alternatives to help constructions to decrease this impacts. Some of the best aspects that drive the use of such technology are energy, water and material efficiency, which provide great results and low impacts to environment.

Many methods in the construction field were developed to affect the environment less. Solar energy is the most known alternative method that current buildings are increasingly using in their constructions. Besides decrease costs of energy, it is less harmful for the environment, once it just captures the solar energy. This previous method is about energy consume, but there is a lot of others techniques which could be used for avoid these impacts in others fields. 

Shipping container is a good example for reuse and recycling of materials. Sometimes it is cheaper to “throw” the container away than to send it back empty for the origin. In that way, it becomes trash. For this reason, reuse of this material could be a green way to build. Besides that, shipping containers are durables, resistants and weatherproof nature, and their modular shape facilitates the creation process for the architects. According to Smith (2006) “ Containers can provide temporary solutions to a particular shortage, be it housing, office, space or another accommodation need. They could be used in disaster areas of need and for key worker homes or student housing. These temporary solutions may use brown/ green field sites, flood planes, areas earmarked for for the future development or virtually any flat surface with enough ground stability.”

Green roofing is another alternative to regulate the temperature of the building, once it absorbs all the warmth that the sun focus against the wall or roof. According to Kokogiannakis (2013), “The significant direct and indirect benefits from applying green roofs in buildings have been listed within several publications in the literature, amongst them are for example the green roofs positive impact on urban heat island mitigation and, storm water management and the reduction in some cases of the heating and cooling energy requirements in buildings”. This method works as a way to cooling environments, and uses just natural resources, which also will help the city to get greener.

One of the common problems about the use of this sort of technology is about the people’s knowledge about sustainability in constructions. Sometimes it is unknown by some people, and it makes them refuse the use of these new technologies. 

The fear of trying new construction methods occurs usually because people think that it is an expensive method and difficult to perform. But, it only depends on the budget that each building have to be done, because there is a lot sort of ways to build environmentally friendly, and it can be cheap or expensive. According to Vijayalaxmi (2010), “The primary goal of building a green home is to reduce its environmental impact in terms of embodied and operational energy while also creating a healthy environment for its occupants” (p. 245). 

Moreover, it is necessary think about pros and cons about insert this kind of constructive method, analyzing through worksheets if over time it will be profitable. In consequence of the lack of knowledge, many people who have money avoid some of these methods.

If people do not start trying using new alternatives for constructive methods, the environment will increasingly be damaged and the natural resources will go away. According to Jowit (2008), “ The humans are using 30% more resources than the earth can replenish each year, which is leading to deforestation, degraded soils, polluted air and water, and dramatic declines in numbers of fish and other species”. It means that if does not take care, natural resources could over in the next few years, once if the population just use and waste all the non renewable sources that we have, and do not concern and try to minimize this use just when it is necessary, we will not have this resources anymore. Because of this, to find out alternatives for replace these materials which we can not replenish is so important.

Recycling materials could be a good choice for those who do not have or want to spend much money but need effective results. Greats outcomes can be generated if one can combine creativity and some knowledge about recycling. Materials such as shipping containers are a powerful tool in construction if used correctly, may be developed an entire building just using this material. 

On the other hand, for those who have more money, there are materials such as, solar panels which could save the conventional energy source as mentioned before; also it does not prejudice the environment. Moreover reforested wood can be used to spare the deforestation. As you can wonder, the effects to these actions are powerful. Even it could not stopping with destruction of natural resources, it could be minimized.

Green buildings were created to help to preserve the environment. It is important to spread out the information about the benefits of this and show how profitable it could be if used in the correct way. Perhaps, some people think that is not related to technology, but is from researches and studies that this materials alternatives were developed. 

Recycle or find out new uses for materials are a good start for those who want to live in a better place. The environment and natural resources have to be preserved if we want to continue living in this world, otherwise, day after day problems like rising sea levels and global warming will become increasingly worse.