Green Homes Special Series
Part One: Overview

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The Green Home Special Series This series will look at the exciting and rapidly evolving field of green building and remodeling. Articles will show you how to benefit from green products to seal and insulate your home and to conserve precious water resources in your landscaping. It will include news about high-efficiency plumbing fixtures and information about how to put your home in the best light. You will get the lowdown on eco-friendly basements, slabs and crawlspaces and be amazed at the options in sustainable flooring and furniture. Experts will help you get a handle on the latest in home controls and more. Lastly, you'll learn about the growing excitement in green communities and discover what programs and assistance might help you bring green home. What It Means to be Green The first step in considering going "green" is to know what the term means. To some, it may be familiar as associated with commercial or public buildings in the news that are saving energy and have healthy indoor environments and smaller carbon footprints. But for homes, "green" has long had a loose "environmental" sort of meaning. It conjures up thoughts of something probably expensive, perhaps having to do with recycling and possibly including activities beyond typical comfortable daily habits. Times have changed. The idea of "green" for the home is being reframed. Solid concepts and measurable values are being incorporated. "Green" has gone beyond the idea of just saving energy. It now includes many shades of environmental—and economic—friendliness. The refining of the definition allows "green" to be accessible at every income level and in nearly every age and stage of a home. The increasing interest in offering specificity comes with good reason beyond concerns about climate change. Energy prices are rising. Indoor health, safety and comfort are prominent issues. Awareness of dwindling natural resources is growing. People want to know what to do and what it will mean to them. Guidelines and Standards Many public and private groups are shaping what green building or remodeling is today and what it will be tomorrow. Here's a quick look at some of the players.

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