What is Green Building?
With the economic and environmental impact of buildings becoming more acknowledged, a newer field called Green Building has been a driving force and is gaining momentum.

Green or sustainable building is the practice of creating healthier and more resource-efficient models for the construction, renovation, operation and maintenance of buildings.

This trend is growing rapidly in the construction industry world-wide to address the impact that it has on the environment. What are the environmental advantages of wood products compared to other material? Wood products come from trees, which are a renewable resource. Wood is easily recyclable, biodegradable, and the most energy efficient building material available today. When you compare the total energy cost of different materials, i.e., acquiring the raw material, transportation, processing to create a useful product, etc., wood far outshines its competitors. For example, aluminum siding requires 21 times more energy to produce than does an equivalent amount of wood siding.

The goals for Green Building are diverse. They cover environmental issues such as reducing solid wastes in construction, economic issues such as a reduction in operating costs and community issues such as air quality.

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) offers a community of professionals who share similar goals about advancing more sustainable building practices. Through member committees you can help shape Green Building products and services. With chapters in almost every state, you can find a support group for networking, education and promoting green design at the local and regional level-where it counts most.