Chapter 1 WHAT’S GREEN BUILDING ALL ABOUT buildings can come in any color When we call Green Green something green this means it is good for the Earth Recycling is one way to live green and help the environment Green buildings help too They save water and energy They are also built from nontoxic materials that won’t make people sick 4 Green buildings are sometimes called eco houses
Most conventional houses use furnaces to stay warm and air conditioners to keep cool Regular or conventional buildings use a lot of energy People need heaters or air conditioners for comfort Lights use energy too Some conventional buildings don’t have many windows so the lights are on a lot Building materials such as vinyl paint carpet and varnish can outgas toxic compounds This means that tiny amounts of poisonous vapors leak out of them These poisonous vapors are called VOCs volatile organic compounds People might not be able to smell the fumes But the fumes are still not healthy to breathe Some can even cause cancer 5
