Knowing that every act is a political one,
and we invariably vote with daily behavior, I wanted to
include some resources that are local and community-based,
informational, and in a small way proceed with the health
of the planet.
Buying materials is a fact of life in remodeling. Basic
questions that I like to ask are:
Can this material be exchanged for one that is sustainable
i.e. wood that is not old growth and is harvested using
practices that are ecologically sound?
In 1999, the Rainforest Action Network used entertainers
and college students to persuade The Home Depot, the world's
largest lumber retailer, to phase out sales of wood from
endangered old- growth forests by 2002. Lowe's and other
companies followed suit, and today as much as 25 percent
of the U.S. lumber market is demanding that wood sold meet
rigorous environmental standards.
These standards have been set by two groups: the Forest
Stewardship Council, supported by 16 nonprofits including
Environmental Defense and the Sierra Club, and the Sustainable
Forestry Initiative, organized by the timber industry. Both
certify that wood comes from sustainable forests. Neither
goes so far as to ban the harvest of all old-growth trees.
Both require landowners to meet high standards for protecting
soils, wildlife, water quality and other values.
Solar – why not look into it? With the net metering
laws and the state rebate program, the cost is actually
comparable to energy derived from fossil fuel sources. Follow
these links to find out more:
...or ask me! We recently installed a small photovoltaic
system for the College of Marin. |
