NEELIN VIEWS: Why people should create eco-friendly houses

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This article was published 29/04/2019 (2401 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

We often hear in the news about climate change and its harmful effects on the environment. Everyone knows about the small ways to reduce their carbon footprints: recycling, composting, biking instead of driving, and turning off our lights are a few examples. But have you ever wondered if your house is factoring into the problem as well? Did you know there are ways to make your house eco-friendlier? If we rethink our building materials, and make some small renovations, creating an eco-friendly home is a realistic possibility to any homeowner.

People should start making eco-friendly houses seeing as it is vital to help our planet reduce pollution. In an article called “Reasons to Build an Eco-Friendly Home,” writer Ellie Maclin says: “Green building alternatives can help you save time and money, protect your health and reduce your impact on the environment.” Eco-friendly homes help minimize global climate change. They improve air quality in your home by using more natural air intake systems. Finally, eco-friendly homes help to decrease the amount of greenhouse gases and pollution. Plus, your overall cost of mechanical systems will diminish.

One of the most important things to consider when building an eco-friendly house is the type of materials you want to use. Megan Wild, a journalist from Mother Earth News, states that using reclaimed wood, recycled steel, bamboo, sheep’s wool, straw bales, precast concrete and dirt are the best materials to use when building an eco-friendly house. Many of these reclaimed materials have already gone through a factory process. When we reuse them we bypass that process, cutting the amount of energy used, fossil fuels burned, and raw materials being harvested. People say that newer products are better than older ones, but these recycled materials are just as good as store bought products. Locally sourced products are more beneficial because you know and trust the manufacturers and their business ethics.

If you are thinking about making your home eco-friendlier, there are some small renovations you can begin with. You can add a layer of insulation around your home, upgrade to triple-pane windows, and seal up any spots where air is leaking into or out of your home. You can use weather stripping to seal up those air leaks. By doing this, your furnace and air conditioning units operate less, which cuts the overall cost of gas and electricity.

If you want more advanced changes, you can upgrade your plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical systems so the air quality is more efficient, and you are saving money in the long run. Solar panels are very efficient since they do not produce any harmful emissions and provide you with free electricity for small appliances: outlets, lights, chargers, etc … The more advanced renovations are definitely costly, but very efficient. You can check out more ways to change your home at green energyfutures.ca.

Greta Thunberg, a 15-year-old Swedish political activist, said in a Ted Talk in 2018: “So instead of looking for hope, look for action.”

We can’t wait for the world to fix itself, we have to be the action that starts today. Let’s make eco-friendlier houses and help save our planet.

» Taylor Cox is a Grade 9 student at École secondaire Neelin High School.