Gretchen Beilfuss Witt
February 21, 2011


Going Green

Our culture is increasingly aware of the impact our choices make on our environment. Recycling is part of our everyday life, yet when it comes to larger concerns, what can we do? I have a house built in the 1920s which I love; it has character and a coziness which makes it home. Yet it is drafty, hard to heat and it's not getting any younger. As rooms are remodeled and appliances need to be replaced, how can I maintain my cozy cottage and have a healthier, more energy efficient home that is kinder to the environment?

Barry Katz's "Practical Green Remodeling" has some of the answers. This colourful and engaging work clearly explains what the advantages of a green home are from an economic as well as from a philosophical stand. Even small improvements can make a big difference; "If just one quarter of the single-family homes in the United States reduced their energy use by 20%, it would prevent 48 million tons of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere each year." Katz categorizes the fundamentals of green housing into three classifications – "energy efficiency, resource conservation and healthy living environments."

He offers practical advice on finding a green contractor and what questions to ask. Excellent examples and sidebars illustrate how to build or remodel with the least impact to the environment without sacrificing aesthetics or comfort. The book explains R-Values and what can be done to reduce a buildings demand for heat and cooling. Katz discusses the types of appliances, heating units, toilets, faucets and other items that use resources of all types. Energy Policy acts and EPA criteria are addressed as well as how to comply with new equipment requirements. He offers practical advice on how to save water without it costing you a cent. Did you know that by cutting one minute from a daily shower can save 1,000 gallons of water per year per person? Or putting a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank can help you determine if you have a leak.

Katz also discusses types of healthy, sustainable, non-toxic materials to use in construction, interior design and decorating. House plans, air flow illustrations and other helpful diagrams are plentiful and make this a very usable resource. "Toward a Zero Energy Home" by Johnston and Gibson, "A Healthy Home Handbook" by John Warde and "How to Plan, Contract and Build your own Home" by Scutella and Heberle are among the books related to green building, energy efficiency and healthy home environments waiting to be checked out.