Green Statistics

Green Statistics

U.S. demand for green building materials — products that contribute to LEED certification — is expected to reach $70 billion by 2015, according to an updated study by The Fredonia Group. The market is currently at $39 billion, representing a staggering increase of 13% per year during the next five years. This increase will come from green materials taking market share from non-green materials, but the main driver for demand is a rebound from the construction doldrums of recent years.

 DID YOU KNOW?

• For every 2000 sq-ft home constructed, it takes 1 acre of clear cut forest to produce the necessary lumber for that 1 home.

      It takes 30 YEARS to re-generate that 1 acre!

• 83% of the world's land surface is under human influence, leaving only 17% natural environment.
• In the United States, we discard enough paper each year to building a wall 48 feet high around the entire perimeter of the country.
• Even though about 45% of discarded paper in recycled annually, 55% or 48 million tons of paper is thrown away or goes into the landfills. Figuring conservatively, it takes about fifteen trees to make a ton of paper. That means that 720 million trees are used once and then buried in a landfill each year.
• By recycling 1 ton of paper you save:
      - 17 trees
      - 6953 gallons of water
      - 463 gallons of oil
      - 587 pounds of air pollution
      - 3.06 cubic yards of landfill space
      - 4077 kilowatt hours of energy
• Recycling paper saves large amounts of energy and water. Recycled paper requires 64% less energy than making paper from virgin wood pulp, and can save many trees. For example, one Sunday edition of the New York Times consumes about 75,000 trees.

CONCRETE IS GOING GREEN...

Concrete is a friend to the environment throughout its life time, from the raw materials to demolition, making it an ideal choice for sustainable structures. The following are some reasons why, according to the Portland Cement Association and the Environmental Council of Concrete Organizations:

Resource Efficiency. The predominant raw material for the cement in concrete is limestone, the most abundant mineral on earth. Concrete can also be made with fly ash, slag cement, and silica fume, all waste byproducts from power plants, steel mills, and other manufacturing facilities.

Durability. Concrete builds durable, long lasting structures that will not rust, rot, or burn. Life spans for concrete building products can be double or triple those of other common building materials.

Thermal Mass. Homes built with concrete walls, foundations, and floors are highly energy efficient because they take advantage of concrete's inherent thermal mass or ability to absorb and retain heat. This means home owners can significantly cut their heating and cooling bills and install smaller-capacity HVAC equipment.

Reflectivity. Concrete minimizes the effects that produce urban heat islands. Light-colored concrete pavements and roofs absorb less heat and reflect more solar radiation than dark-colored materials, such as asphalt, reducing air conditioning demands in the summer.

Ability to Retain Stormwater. Paved surfaces tend to be impervious and can block natural water infiltration into the soil. This creates an imbalance in the natural ecosystem and leads to problems such as erosion, flash floods, water table depletion, and pollution. Pervious concrete is a special type of structural concrete with a sponge-like network or voids that water passes through readily. When used for driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, and other pavements, pervious concrete can help to retain stormwater runoff and replenish local water supplies.