The Green Economy Initiative

Living in a time where energy conservation and sustainability have become an integral part of living, many cities and states are taking an active approach by updating older homes and buildings to suit the needs of achieving a healthy home and environment.

As a home owner, I have become very conscious about making sure my home is as sustainable and green as possible. Not only has it resulted in a reduction of annual energy costs and healthier living, it increase the value of your property.

Why Green?

The Green Economy Initiative is designed to assist governments in “greening” their economies by reshaping and refocusing policies, investments towards clean/renewable technologies, green transportation, waste management and green architecture.

“Greening the economy refers to the process of reconfiguring businesses and infrastructure to deliver better returns on natural, human and economic capital investments, while at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions, extracting and using less natural resources, creating less waste and reducing social disparities.”

In a recent article published by Reuters, the green building movement has been steadily increasing. However, home owners feeling the financial crunch have been un-decided about going green because of fiscal reasons. It should be known that going green will be good on your wallet!

“The green movement is growing in the real estate world, but not without some growing pains caused by the credit crunch and the recession. The nation has a good opportunity to excel in this, said Vincent Cozzolino, of The Solar Energy Consortium, because it has the chance to build a new industry without repeating the mistakes of earlier players in Germany and China, for example.”

By implementing eco methods of building with green energy solutions, you will play an important role in the transformation to a healthier home and environment. Rather than expensive and mal-treated wood, interior walls can be made from steel and concrete, avoiding many of the problems associated with asbestos and other insulation methods.

The Department of Energy concluded that cooling and heating counts for up to 50-70 percent of all energy used in the average home in the U.S. In today’s state, this philosophy can also save natural resources. Improper and toxic insulation such as asbestos was used in millions of homes and it has lead to thousands developing a rare cancer known as mesothelioma. Many homes that were constructed before 1980 could still contain obsolete forms of insulation and building. This can become a problem for you and your family.

By building green, you will immediately see the multitude of positive health, economic and environmental benefits, such as: conserving natural resources, energy sustainability, increased property value and improve your quality of life.