Environmental Issues

Home heating and cooling
Passive solar heating and cooling technique, which are environmental friendly and
cost effective also are used. Propane furnaces, propane water heaters , oil furnaces and
solar water heaters are the reliable and energy efficient home heating and cooling
systems.

Electric generation
Coal is used as the major source of generation of electricity in Michigan. Wind energy
is also utilized in generating electricity as an efficient renewable source of energy.
Nuclear  energy is yet another source of electricity.

Appliances and lighting
Sky lights and sky roofs bring day light into the interiors of a building. These give
good ventilation also. To avoid the disadvantages of heat gain that comes with the sky
lights, skylights are being manufactured with either manual or electronic controls. An
alternate method to using large glass panes is  to  install a periscopelike device, up
through the roof of a building. This  does not bring in heat but illuminates  well.

Water conservation
Water conservation is done by two methods
i) By restricting the amount of water that can pass through fixtures like shower heads  
 and faucet.
ii)By recycling of water that is used in kitchens or hand washing to toilet flushes.
 Stored rain water may be used for irrigation.

2 .What is meant by a healthy house
A healthy house is a house free from natural or artificial chemicals like carbon
monoxide, Nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide. Carbon monoxide is released from a
running car, a gas stove used for heating a room, to name a few. Use of unvented
gas stoves in kitchen can release these poisonous gases. A house free from these is
best illustration of a healthy house. Proper ventilation to vent the gas outdoors and by
not burning charcoal inside a house is to be done. A healthy house is devoid of
pollutants like lead that come from paints, mercury from thermostats or CFLs. Radon
that seeps from the ground also needs to be controlled.

3. What are some building products used or on display made from recycled
materials. What were the original materials used for
Some of the building products used from recycled materials are  Cellulose which is
used for insulation, Gypsum board sheeting material  or cellulose fiber board , all
made from recycled paper. Recycled  Aluminum is used by Building and
Construction materials industry in the form of weather proof shingles  and as  window
components. In the above products, original materials are paper and
aluminum.

4. Describe Earth Friendly landscaping.   List some techniques used or discussed.  (at least 2)
Earth friendly landscaping is choosing plants that are native to the region, with good
lawn-care practices that do not pollute local lakes or streams and which are not
harmful to ones pets, kids and environment.  For example, Black-eyed Susan, Blue
berry bushes or white pine trees  are native to Michigan .So selecting these in
Michigan will make these plantstrees easily adaptable to its climate. This
helps in reducing the use of fertilizers  and makes them more resistant to diseases.
Useful techniques related to these are i )If the land is mowed  high almost up to 3
inches, itll be easier to maintain and is also a cheaper and better option. ii) Place four
inch thick (or even more) layer of mulch around trees and plants. iii)  The need for
pesticides can be reduced by using a wide variety of plants.

5. What does the Energy Star logo mean  What is a 5 star energy house
 Energy efficient consumer products are labeled using Energy  Star. Environmental
Protection .Agency or the Department of Energy specify the standards required to be
labeled  with the  Star logo. This logo was established to reduce the green house gas
emissions and other pollutants arising out of inefficient energy usage. It helps the
consumers identify and purchase energy efficient products.

6.  What is life cycle costing
Life cycle cost is the environmental impact of a given product or service. Its analysis
is also called eco balance.