Is it possible to "green" a McMansion?

Green building is the buzz these days, from renewable-material flooring to super insulation to solar panels. But is green consumption really better for the environment?

Writing in High Country News, Monique Cole uses a case study of a 6,500 square foot home to question the application of earth-friendly techniques to "humungalows."

...how can size not matter when it comes to green building? The resources required to build and furnish a larger home need to be factored in, as well as the fuel expended and pollution created to transport those resources to the site. Big homes like the Abramsons' often are built far from urban centers. The rulers of these prairie castles must therefore burn fuel to get to work or an airport. Bigger homes also require more upkeep -- think of the landscapers, housekeepers, window cleaners and dog walkers who have to commute to service the home and its occupants. Adding solar panels and cork floors to one of these mansions is a nice touch, but is this going green, or is it green-washing?

The article is worth reading, the author torn between criticizing supersized homes and praising the instinct to build green.

... a small part of me feels bad about criticizing people like the Abramsons. They are, after all, helping to advance the sustainable building movement by paying an 8-to-15 percent premium to make their mansions greener. As in the case of organic foods, as green building materials become commonplace, prices will come down, and the rest of us will be able to afford them.

Still, if they're striving to be the "greenest," I can't understand why the Abramsons couldn't make do with a more modest house, say 3,500 square feet. That would still be twice the size of the median home in America 35 years ago.

I think that the "green" McMansion symbolizes what's wrong with how Americans have faced climate change and resource devastation. Everyone's looking for the silver bullets that will allow us to carry on our consumptive lifestyles just as we always have. But to be truly green, some sacrifices have to be made, such as giving up the home theater or that fourth bay in the garage.

complete article here

Green Your Home for Earth Day

Eco-friendly. Carbon footprint. Global warming. Energy-efficient. These catch phrases have become part of our lexicon as we’ve become more aware of our impact on the environment and our role in protecting it. As a homeowner, there are some simple, inexpensive steps you can take to make your home energy-efficient. Get started on the road to being “green” with these five tips:

Change Your Light Bulbs
By replacing just five incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, you can save $100 per year on electric bills while using up to 75 percent less energy and removing greenhouse gases from the environment.

Buy ENERGY STAR® Appliances
ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances, such as refrigerators, washers and air conditioners, meet a higher level of energy efficiency set by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy than standard models. According to ENERGY STAR, if just one in 10 homes used ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances, the impact could be compared to planting 1.7 million new acres of trees. And, switching to these appliances is not only good for the environment, but easy on your pocketbook. Although these appliances may costs more, you can reduce your energy bill by $80 per year.

Seal Up
Cracks and air leaks represent cash seeping from your doors and windows. Get rid of air leaks in doors, windows and other areas by caulking gaps and cracks. This will help decrease your heating and air conditioning bill. But make sure you use silicone sealants. Acrylic caulk tends to shrink, while silicone sealants are waterproof and won’t shrink or crack, creating less waste.

Use Less Water
Did you know that roughly 60 percent of a home's water consumption takes place in the bathroom, according to the California Urban Water Conservation Council? The largest culprit is the toilet, which accounts for 27 percent of your household supply every year. By installing low-flow toilets, showerheads and faucets, you can save thousands of gallons of water each year. In addition, replace leaky fixtures. That slow-dripping faucet can waste as much as 2,400 gallons of water per year.

Adjust the Thermostat
When adjusting your home’s thermostat, the rule of thumb should be: turn up the dial in the summer and down in the winter. Lowering the temperature by just one degree will reduce your electrical costs. And if you use a programmable thermostat, you can program your air-conditioning and heating systems to reduce output while no one is at home or at night while you sleep. Ceiling fans are also helpful in circulating the air to keep the room cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Going green doesn’t have to be overwhelming or costly. By making just a few small changes within your home, you can help decrease energy consumption and help make the world a “greener” place.

Prudential Olympia, REALTORS is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential Financial company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Is Green Living Stymied by Neighborhood Covenants?

The following are precluded: Outside clotheslines or clothes drying ... window air conditioning units ... vegetable gardens ...

That's an excerpt from the Home Owner Association (HOA) covenants of the Crest Mountain neighborhood of Asheville, N.C. An article published today documents many such HOA covenant restrictions, barring everything from window fans to natural landscaping, running headfirst into a growing movement for homes that reflect owners' ecological ideals.

The clothesline has been touted as one of the "seven wonders" by the Seattle-based Sightline Institute, seven simple things that can make the world a better, healthier place. (The others, since I know you're curious, are the bicycle, the ceiling fan, the condom, pad thai, the public library, and the ladybug.)

The practical effect of the covenants is to force the use of electric/gas clothes dryers instead of clotheslines; the use of utility-provided electricity instead of home-generated solar/wind/geothermal power; the purchase of store produce instead of home-grown; and the pesticide-laden maintenance of lawn instead of greener alternatives.

Eagle Point Golf Community near Medford, Ore.: "Lawns shall be watered,
fertilized and sprayed for weeds and/or insects and diseases as needed to keep
them healthy and green. They shall be mowed on a regular basis."

For more horror stories about homeowners' inability to live their green ideals, read the article: The Property Cops: Homeowner Associations Ban Eco-Friendly Practices

For a partial list of neighborhoods nationwide that ban clotheslines, and some tools for fighting such bans, visit Project Laundry List.