Green Buildings and Emission of Carbon Dioxide in the Environment - Essay Example

? Green Buildings Inserts His/Her Inserts Grade Inserts (25, April, Introduction Rapid industrialization and increase in demand of fuels have increase pollution all over the world. The increase in carbon dioxide in the environment is damaging the ozone layer surrounding the earth’s atmosphere. This is damaging the environment and increasing the temperature of the world. Oceans are melting and seal levels are increasing. This phenomenon is known as global warming. The dangerous consequences of such climatic change are forcing the world to come up with techniques that are environmental friendly. Green building is one such technique that preserves our environment. The cost of these buildings far exceeds the benefits of green buildings. It is important to understand the benefits of green buildings and their structure to prove that this technique worth its costs. A cost benefit analysis will show clearly that green buildings should be used more often in order to protect the environment. Benefits of Green Building One of the most significant benefits of green buildings is that they help save energy. These buildings save electricity and in turn decrease our dependent on fuels. Electricity is produced by many ways and oil is also used to produce electricity. Green buildings are designed in such a manner that they allow the residents sunlight and natural air. In this way energy consumption is decreased greatly. Air conditioning and lights use most of the electricity in homes and by reducing this electricity environment can benefit a lot. In green buildings trees and plants are used in order to provide shade and cooling (Simpson, J. 2002). Plants take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen in daytime. This gives freshness and coolness in daytime in the house. Another benefit of green buildings is the increased productivity of the people living in green buildings. People who live in green buildings are found to work long hours. They also have less stress and they can stay fresh for long hours. This is mainly because occupants get exposure to sunlight and fresh air. Air conditioning is no substitute of fresh air. Fresh air soothes residents of green building and this is why they feel less stressed then residents of normal houses and buildings. A study reported that absenteeism was reduced by 40 percent in buildings that were green (Lallanilla, M. 2011). This is the effect of plants and natural air and sunlight. The benefits of green buildings include less sickness as well. This may be because of less pollution and harmful gases. People who live near road sides are exposed to pollution. In green buildings a proper mechanism deals with pollution as discussed before. Also greenery attracts employees to offices. Water efficiency is another benefit of green building. The design of building is such that it allows water to be reused. Water is recycled in greenhouses houses. It is purified and reused in flushes. In this way throughout the life of the green building flush water is not wasted but is used and reused over and over again. This is a great benefit of green buildings because it can save gallons of water. A house has a life of at least 30 to 40 years. Throughout this period all the water used in flush will remain the same. Also water is saved by using low flow of water in flushes and showers. Even this can help reduce water consumption of households greatly. Toilet paper is also not used in washrooms and that protects tress. All in all a simple technique of water recycling a great amount of water can be saved. Also material used in green buildings is environmental friendly. The wood used for making green buildings is made of plants like bamboo that grow faster. Rare plants and trees are not used in the making of green buildings. Industrial goods used in making homes are also recyclable and are environmental friendly. Stones and other materials used in houses can be reused again. Energy costs are decreased as a result of green buildings. As mentioned before less electricity and water is used so it directly affects in savings. It is particularly important for businesses and factories. They can use green buildings as a way to reduce costs. Workers productivity can also increase through green buildings so this can also serve as an added advantage. For retail businesses green buildings can prove beneficial. People all over the world are becoming conscious of their environment. This is why retailers can attract customers by using green buildings. This can be used as a marketing tool for buyers. This can be very useful for a retail business because consumers come and buy things. Consumers may prefer stores that have green buildings. Structure of Green Buildings The structure if green building is such that it allows natural air and sunlight to come in the building. Windows are used that are highly efficient in heating the building and providing sunlight. Walls are also insulated in order to increase energy efficiency. The green building is structured in such a manner that maximum amount of room is made use of. There are very few empty places in a green building. Windows are also placed in a manner that in winter the building is warm and in summer it remains cold. Roof is also made from material that allows natural light to come in the building. The roof is usually covered with green plantation. This saves the building from pollution outside the building. The green plantation also keeps the building cool in hot weather. At the same time it gives a nice look to the building. The roof area also remains clean as a result of plantation. In green building sometimes there is a mechanism of producing energy on site. This is renewable energy generally produced through solar means or through wind. This can give the building its own electricity at a very low cost. Large buildings can significantly reduce their electricity cost if such methods are employed. Buildings that are near seas can easily produce energy through wind. The installation of such a system of producing energy is very expensive but it can be seen as an investment because it can reduce the costs of a house or a factory greatly by lowering its energy costs. The structure of the building also looks into waste management. There are sites on the building that offer bins that recycle wastes. Also waste is not thrown everywhere rather there are specific places to dump waste. This can improve the process of recycling greatly and can reduce waste pollution. Cost Benefit Analysis of Green Buildings A simple cost benefit analysis will reveal that building green workplaces, factories and houses can promote healthy life styles and can protect environment of the world at the same time. The use of energy in buildings in United States alone is 39 percent of all energy used in the country (EPA, 2010). This is alone a big enough reason to look for green buildings. The money spent of fuel and other sources of energy is great. All this can be saved by investing in green buildings. Leave alone the environmental factors green buildings offer economic incentives as well as they reduce energy costs significantly. One can say that investment in green building is expensive but the long term benefit of the green building is greater than the costs. It keeps the resident healthier and saves them from sickness. Sickness constitutes a great cost of household and if this cost is removed then households can benefit a lot. Therefore green buildings should be used as potential investments for future. The social benefit of green buildings is immense. It is important for us that we live and develop in a way that is sustainable so that our children and their generations can also reap the benefits of the world. If we continue to emit chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere then our ozone layer will deplete. This will make our atmosphere susceptible to sun rays that can cause damage to human skin. At the same time dumping wastes in the land and decrease soil fertility and pollution of water is endangering sea life. Human beings are continuing to take out the natural resources from land. This is also hurting the environment. Natural resources should also not be the resources on which we depend because in the long run they will deplete. It is necessary for the world to find ways that are sustainable and are long term. Only this can protect the future of the world and can create a better world for generations to come. The cost of a green building is around 1 to 4 percent higher than a conventional building (Kanver, C. 2009). This is a nominal cost as compared to the benefits green buildings have to offer. The concepts of sustainable growth and protecting environment are more important than additional cost of 4 percent. The benefits that green buildings have to offer far exceed the monetary costs as well. Water and electrical energy is saved throughout the life of the building and health of residents is improved. This can prove vital for any office, factory or house anywhere in the world. The good name and publicity that green buildings can create is also beneficial for businesses. The marketing costs are extremely high today and green building can be used as an attraction for customers and clients. This is another business benefit of green buildings. This also shows that green buildings are worthy investments and extra money paid for green buildings is no match to its benefits. Conclusion Increased pollution has caused many problems for the world. Industries and factories pollute air, sea and land to a great extent. Emission of carbon dioxide in the environment can also prove dangerous for environment because it damages the ozone layer. All this has forced the world to develop environmental friendly techniques and green building is one of them. Green buildings can save energy to a great extent by allowing sunlight and natural air into the house. It can also recycle waste and water inside a building. Green buildings can also be used as a marketing tool for businesses. The costs of green buildings far exceed the benefits it can give to the people in general as well as to residents of the building. Bibliography Kanver, C. 2009. Going Green ~ Cost Benefits of Green Building, Medical Tourism Magazine, Issue 12. Accessed on 25 April 2011. Lallanilla, M. 2011. 8 Benefits of green building. About.com. Accessed on 25 April 2011. Simpson, J. 2002. Improved estimates of tree-shade effects on residential energy use, Energy and Buildings, 34(10): pp. 1067-1076 Why build green building. 2010. Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed on 25 April 2011. < http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/pubs/whybuild.htm> Read More