About the need of building green

Essay from the year 2015 in the subject Environmental Sciences, grade: MSC, Edinburgh Napier University (Engineering), course: Real estate Management, language: English, abstract: Our way of life is killing us. Our buildings consume over 40% of our energy and resources and their use represents 70% of our total consumption (Rabin 2005). It¿s further stressed that the environmental damage caused in the last hundred years is a direct result from how our buildings are built. Architects, designers, and all building professionals are in a position to affect great change on our environment, more so, than any other group, since our buildings are responsible for most of the damage. ¿Green building"(also known as "sustainable," "ecological," and "eco-designed") is a way of looking at buildings in terms of reducing energy use, conserving water, improving indoor air quality, and reducing dependence on our natural resources. Although the basic concepts for green building have been around for decades, it has only been in the last few years that we have seen this explosive growth in the greening of the construction industry'' (Rabin 2005).Since buildings account for one-sixth of the world's fresh water withdrawals, one-quarter of its wood harvest, and two-fifths of its material and energy flows, (Roodman,& Lenssen,1995).Therefore it's the duty of a reasonable property industry to balance environmental, social and economic issues to ensure a viable and valuable industry for future generations.