ISBN: 9781931498166 Year Added to Catalog: 2004 Book Format: Paperback Book Art: b&w illustrations and photographs, resources, appendices, glossary, index Number of Pages: 8 x 10, 336 pages Book Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing Old ISBN: 1931498164 Release Date: March 1, 2004
Shelter, like many other elements of human existence, comes at an extraordinary cost to our planet and its inhabitants. In the U.S. alone, construction of 1.2 million new homes a year results in a massive drain on Earth's natural resource base. Today, nearly 60 percent of all timber cut in the U.S. is used in building houses, not to mention construction wastes and the huge amounts of resources used in the day-to-day operation of the "modern" household. In addition to environmental costs, there are the personal economic costs—the thousands of dollars each homeowner spends each year to heat, cool, and power our homes.
Today, a new generation of architects and builders is emerging, intent on creating homes that meet human needs for shelter while causing only a fraction of the environmental impact of conventional housing. The New Ecological Home provides an overview of green building techniques, materials, products, and technologies that are either currently available or will be in the near future. Author Daniel Chiras provides a wealth of up-to-date, practical information for home buyers, owner-builders, and anyone interested in building for a sustainable future. Included are chapters on:
The Healthy House
Green Building Materials
Wood-Wise Construction
Energy Efficiency
Earth-Sheltered Architecture
Passive Solar Heating and Passive Cooling
Green Power: Electricity from the Sun and Wind
Water and Waste: Sustainable Approaches
Environmental Landscaping
About the Author
Daniel D. Chiras
Dan Chiras paid his last electric bill in June of 1996. It is not that he has disavowed the use
of electricity and modern conveniences, but rather that he has turned to the sun and wind
to meet his family's needs.
In 1995, Dan, a former full-time college professor with years of experience in sustainable
development, built a state-of-the-art rammed earth tire and straw bale home in
Evergreen, Colorado. He installed solar electric panels on the roof; a year or so later he
installed a small wind generator. Since that time, he ...
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