Thursday, September 2, 2010

Mo' Money Mo' Problems

When you think green what comes to mind? The environment? Money? St. Patrick's Day?
Lately "green" and environmentally friendly have become synonymous with expensive. You see it  everywhere: At the grocery store organic milk costs almost twice as much as regular milk, green cleaning products are sure to cost a pretty penny more than their toxic counterparts and in landscaping and construction green always seems to add a few thousand dollars to the bill.

Today, a man walked into the Discovery Channel Building, appearing to have a bomb strapped to his chest, and taking hostages. The suspect is reported to have a long history of dissatisfaction with the Discovery channel, arguing that it's focus was not on the environment, as it claimed, but instead on products and making money.

It seems like the"green" industry has shifted from environmentalism to capitalist gains, but that is not all bad and consumers can use that to their advantage. The fact that sustainable design has gained awareness and that consumers are more willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products means that investors are more interested in creating these eco-options. The fact that there are so many "eco-options" means more choices for consumers and thus more competitive pricing. Even generic brands have come out with their own sustainable variety of products.

But even if you are not willing to pony up the extra bucks, green options, especially in landscaping can be cost neutral or even save you money. Green solutions especially for storm water management can save a lot of money: planting a rain garden is a relatively low cost option to solve potential flooding and other drainage issues. In addition, french drains can also be used to help solve drainage issues for a low cost.

Another way to help promote a clean environment and reduce the heat island effect is to choose pavement with a high SRI. By choosing hardscaping with a lighter color, you reduce the heat island effect, and help promote the native environment. The lighter color options should not add any costs on to your project. In addition, selecting native plants and local resources helps promote the native environment, and may be less costly, since the shipping costs for materials is not as high. Choosing native plants also reduces the need for irrigation, which can also save money.

In addition to all these low cost options, the government also offers rebates for green construction. In some areas you can pay for permeable pavers, and reduce the costs of solar or green roofing. By taking advantage of these government funded financial aids, consumers can afford construction that will have a more significant impact on reducing damage to the environment.

Although many see "green" as a higher cost alternative, the reality is that there are many low cost or no cost ways to promote sustainability. With the addition of government aid, eco-friendly options are well within budget-conscious consumers' reach.

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