Environmental Science : Working with the Earth (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac) (Environmental Science: Working with the Earth) High energy prices can make an environmentalist out of any homeowner.

As we celebrated Earth Day, April 22, the National Association of Home Builders reported that green building is near a “tipping point.” The green construction industry segment will climb from 2 percent of all residential starts in 2005 to between 5 percent and 10 percent in 2010. “The necessity for more energy-efficiency is driving the trend,” says Matt Belcher, who runs Belcher Homes in St. Louis and who chaired the Green Home Building Conference there. “Consumers are looking for energy savings.”

Many green methods also conserve materials, which appeals to mainstream builders and consumers alike – fewer materials equal lower building costs. Builders of dome homes, for example, use the shape’s inherent strength to “drastically reduce the lumber needed to frame out a building,” says Dennis Johnson, owner of Natural Spaces Domes. “A dome uses about a third or even a quarter of the material a conventionally framed house of equal size requires.” Using longer-lasting materials also means less in repair and replacement costs. David Balas, who designed a green house on Bainbridge Island in Washington, topped it with a steel roof that will last for decades.

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