Friday, July 2, 2010

Sustainable Materials

Since I was in high school and learned that you could make fuel out of corn, I wondered why more people didn't jump at this idea to improve our environment, our economy and our environment by taking advantage of this technology. I was always passionate about the environment but I felt powerless against the government and big corporations, which I felt would never take me seriously.

Today, I saw a commercial on TV promoting Ethanol (corn produced fuel) use, just as I had envisioned in high school. I think that we can all agree that after the oil spill in the Gulf and the diplomacy problems that have resulted from our dependence on foreign oil, finding a safer and more local solution for our energy needs would be ideal.

However, the point I want to emphasize is that no one should ever feel like they are to small or green (little pun :-) ) to make a difference. Everyone can do little things to help decrease their carbon footprint and live more sustainably. As a landscaping and construction company, I feel that few of our kind really try to promote these values when we could really have a large impact.

Small choices like using hybrid cars to do estimates, using sustainable product choices like low VOC paint, wood with a short harvesting life span, or materials made from recycled goods can all help the environment. Landscape designers can also help by educating consumers on green building techniques and ways to incorporate sustainability into the design.

If you work in the landscaping and construction industry try to educate yourself on the latest technologies and if you are a homeowner in need of services educate yourself or ask your provider what they know.

Empowering yourself with knowledge is the first step to a cleaner, greener earth!

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