| There is a new trend in construction - building with | | | | anyway. In the case of insulation, one good example |
| environmental concerns in mind. In this article, we | | | | is insulation made from recycled cotton. The cotton |
| cover going green with insulation in a structure. | | | | insulation is 100 percent recyclable and it is non-toxic. |
| Insulation is one of the more urgent green issues in | | | | The manufacturing process uses less energy than the |
| construction. Proper insulation can have such an | | | | manufacturing of asbestos products or even fiber |
| important role in the reduction of energy waste in a | | | | glass insulation. |
| home. The well insulated home holds in the heat and | | | | Another alternative insulation is vegetable oil based |
| keeps out the cold. Today, with the wide spread use | | | | polyurethane. It is sprayed into the areas needing |
| of air conditioning, the opposite is just as true and | | | | insulation and when it contacts air it expands filling in |
| just as critical. Asbestos and vermiculite, compound | | | | the space completely. This allows an extra tight fit |
| containing asbestos, have been widely used as | | | | that results in even better insulation than the more |
| insulating materials. It was efficient and easy to install. | | | | toxic insulations that it is designed to replace. These |
| It was flame retardant. There were many reasons | | | | alternative insulations are free of VOC and CFC. |
| that made it the popular choice. It was, however, | | | | These are volatile organic compounds (VOC) and |
| highly toxic. | | | | chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) which are common toxic |
| The story of asbestos insulation is a good example | | | | substances in older types of insulation. |
| of the totality of the green construction movement. | | | | Insulation is a major component of going green in |
| The concept is not about trade offs. We do not | | | | construction. The conservation of heat and the |
| pollute our water in order to have more material | | | | reduction of wasted energy are important standards. |
| goods from our factories. We do not foul our air to | | | | Yet, green construction is not about trading off one |
| have less expensive automobiles. We also do not risk | | | | hazard for another, nor reaching one goal by failing to |
| our health to have an inexpensive insulation, | | | | consider its impact on other environmental areas. So, |
| regardless of how efficient it might be or how well it | | | | even though insulation is an important part of building |
| prevents fires. | | | | green, selecting environmentally safe insulation is just |
| There are alternatives, and when we approach these | | | | as important. The good news is that, as is often the |
| alternatives from the perspective of totality, we | | | | case, the right choice is not only the safer choice, |
| often find they are better and less expensive | | | | but many times the least expensive option as well. |