Green Homebuilding on the Rise

With new-home starts on the rise after a 5 year slump, green homebuilding is getting more attention. Builders and consumers alike are embracing new energy-efficient materials and methods of construction and factoring "life-cycle" assessments into the equation.

Green construction has often been victimized by its "high-cost" image, but health and environmental benefits are overcoming this concern. Builders are touting lower annual utility bills, lower accumulations of toxins, dust, and mold, and the benefits of sustainable building products.

Costs have begun to fall, and local building codes have also encouraged the trend to Green homebuilding. The trend in this field is definitely on the upswing.

Green Energy an Election Issue

Green Energy issues have risen in the American presidential race, unfortunately in a negative fashion. While Democrats have attached less that $3 billion in oil company tax breaks, republicans have homed in on the $90 billion in green energy tax breaks, with special attention to the "misses" such as Solyndra and not the "hits."

The fact is that Investment Tax Credits for residential and commercial solar installations, expiring in 2016, has been an engine for job growth. This uncapped credit, coupled with a plunge in solar panel costs, have made solar energy a winner, while wind power, buffeted by natural gas competition, has faltered.

Thus, while grants and guaranteed loans have had limited success, there is no question of the positive impact of the solar tax credits.

How ironic that in a year where energy issues have been a hot topic of political discussion by the chattering classes, American business has seized the initiative in achieving energy independence for the U.S.

U.S. energy companies have led the way in the discovery of vast U.S. fields of shale gas and oil, which most observers consider an economic game-change. However, many of these same experts caution there are obstacles in the way of full energy independence.

First, the U.S. does not currently have an infrastructure in place to handle the glut of new energy supplies. Secondly, there is squabbling at the state and federal level over how to regulate the new energy bonanza. Finally, there is a need to reach a consensus over emission and renewable energy goals. I, for one, have confidence that these challenges will be met.

China's Coming Environmental Crisis

You might ask what the political drama surrounding the selection of the Chinese leader has to do with a future environmental crisis in that country. The answer lies in the character of the two political systems and government's role in the economy, as well as demographic differences.

China is a very large country, with an even larger population compared to the U.S., and certainly India, its Asian rival. However, its fresh water supply is being taxed to the limit and grows more polluted by the day. Even China's tightly controlled media has taken notice of illegal industrial discharges, and "cancer villages" stricken by the aftermath of polluted air and drinking water.

One of the biggest enablers of China's pollution is its municipal and provincial governments, who are under pressure to spur economic growth without regard for future environmental consequences. Even ambitious, well-intentioned projects  such as the Three Gorges dam, have had adverse effects on fish, wildlife, and drinking water.

China's central government, engrossed in the once-every-ten-years selection of leaders, is in no position to exert a firm hand to manage and monitor these local governmental projects. One can only hope that this posture changes quickly, for the sake of both China, and the rest of the planet.

As observed by the English environmentalist Roger Scruton, "America has this wonderful ability to recover from its own mistakes,which is why it's so hugely superior to China...there is no reverse gear in China, there is no corrective procedure... It will always come up against a wall."

Rising Ocean Acidity an Environmental Concern

Many scientists are expressing concern over the increasing acidity of the world's oceans, threatening small shellfish that farm the base of the ocean's food chain. According to these scientists, the seas have absorbed 500 billion tons of carbon dioxide that has accumulated in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels.

The ability of the oceans to absorb this carbon dioxide has buffered the earth from some of the effects of climate change. Because colder water can absorb higher levels of CO2, higher levels of acidity are being measured in northern oceans. Unfortunately, this situation leads to the bottom rung of the food chain, such as small marine snails that salmon and other fish feed on.

Although levels have not yet reached crisis levels, scientists are keeping a watchful eye on materials such as the calcium carbonate found in snails and corals, where high acidity has been shown to dissolve existing organisms.