Last JanTerm I took an entire class about green design. With my classmates I learned all about what it takes for a building to earn LEED certification and all the different ways people could plan ahead to reduce their impact on the environment. That is why I was so interested to read this article in the Times Herald about all the strides being made towards making home furnishings more environmentally friendly. The article talks about how many carpet scraps are simply discarded in landfills. To combat this issue, there are new floor coverings made of corn-based polymers that use 30% less energy to produce and release 60% fewer emissions during their production. It also mentions paints with few or no VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), which damage the atmosphere and can cause health problems for people exposed to them for long periods of time. Finally, the article looks at lighting. It mentions the fact that beginning on January 1, 2012 light bulbs will have to use 25% less energy. This means that traditional light bulbs will not meet the mark and will have to be replaced by compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs), which are both 75% more efficient. This law will help to increase efficiency and sustainability but will mean that light bulbs will be more expensive and must be recycled, both things that might be seen as inconvenient to consumers. Overall, these improvements in interior design show that America is headed in the right direction concerning the way that we build and furnish our homes.
Unfortunately this week was too hectic for me to get in any dedicated exercise time. Hopefully things will calm down a bit over the next few weeks and I can resume my walks and bike rides.
No comments:
Post a Comment