Sustainable Housing

[DimmedDiamond]

I'm an amateur survivalist that has twinges of post-apocalyptic flights of fancy, so a home that is self sufficient/replenishing (solar powered) sounds appealing to me. But I'm odd like that.

23, and immature.

[funkyfresh42718]

I wouldn't spend very much money at all and still make a home that is environmentally friendly. I would spend the money on a piece of property that has the things I would need. Mature standing timber that can be thinned out responsibly and not clear cut. Maybe a pond or a creek/river, and about 10-20 acres to put some small livestock on. I am 27 and married with 2 kids and my wife and I are looking to do what I just proposed. We want to build a cordwood/cob home on the property.

[microchrome]

I'm 41 I don't see anything wrong with using 2by4 stud construction with T-1-11 ... It's been used for years. The thing is why not build a home 500Sq Ft instead of a 2500 Sq Ft home? Why do you need all that space? The key is making it smaller ... Using passive solar and running lights on solar PV 12 Volt LED to reduce the carbon foot print. Extra money would go into buying low flow toilets and PV/Passive solar. Cheers!

[trybal007]

Personally, i'd build a home made of ICF, using a passive solar corridor with an aquaponics setup. Plus a corrugated polycarbonate insert for the cold cloudy days.

If you want to go off-grid, then you should be growing all of your own food, other than purchasing sugar and flour.

With the way this country (Canada) is going, i would move towards being independent.

BTW, im a single 28 year old male. :)

[RonRay]

I'm 61. If I were to buy and/or build a home now, I would first consider the location, as environment starts with location. I would then focus on energy efficiency and the home's ability to protect me from the elements. I would design it so as to have all the modern and elaborate (yet affordable) comforts, but also be relatively easy to naturally heat and cool if the shit hits the fan (asteroid, war, economy collapse, etc.); central heat & cooling, as well as 'natural' (solar, etc.) heat/cool.

[jannevellamo]

I'm 45 and stingy as hell. Also, I'm broke. If I were to build anything, I would use recycled and natural materials as much as possible. A log house made of timber felled on the lot would be one solution, provided there's enough trees. Also, the insulating properties of water reed seem to be on par with commercial products, so I might just do something with that. A roof? Perhaps even the walls.

[topaze221]

Hi, I am 58 and I learned a lot about energy efficient homes and build it yourself homes and you save money in the long run. The best homes have sourthern exposure and a lot of glass on that side. so yes if I had the money I would spend it on the environmentally friendly one.

[peazythatsmeazy]

I wrote for Green Business Quarterly and have interviewed CEOs for lots of green companies. Long story short: you almost always make up the upfront costs of building green in the long run. It's a shame most people are turned off by bigger upfront costs, especially in the commercial strata, when they are saved in the long run. If you have the $, green is more responsible, environmentally and financially.

Age: 25

[permalove1]

Hi, I'm 35..

(i know this is an old post, but oh well)

You seem to be saying the ecologically superior home costs more.. I am not convinced this is truly the case. Strawbale construction in a place like Canada or the US can be quite inexpensive.

Using materials like cob is an exchange of money for time - you could build a cob walled structure almost for free if you pitched a tepee next to the site and took your time doing it.

[dharmapunk777]

Green roof tops are cool too. And building your house into an ecosystem or planting a mini ecosystem generates its own water filtration system.

[dharmapunk777]

I haven't done a lot of research on materials but most "primitive" building are shaped like domes. This reduces wind drag and promotes air circulation inside using less to heat. Works best in an open concept. Digging into a hill works well too. Ground is a good insulator. I like the idea of building to suit to the environment, as an extension of the landscape.

[gaburley]

Hello young one;

My situation is slightly different, I am a caregiver and only work (MacDonalds) 2 days a week, so I am very poor.

I bought land in New Mexico (1/2 acre, $350), however I will probably be moving to BC one day to look after my fathers sister. My only option will be to find a cheap unserviced lot and build a 99 sq foot house, so my property taxes stay low and grow as much of my own food as possible.

CONTINUED

[gaburley]

I have collected 300 watts of solar panels, am experimenting with in ground solar heating and cooling, and I will be building my first solar water heater (can be adapted to air heating in winter). I will be learning to purify water (rain catchment), and living should be nice and cheap

You can own a home and land, and not only save, but use less; the best of both worlds.

Just be carefull of the two traps of easy credit and the "bigger is better" syndrome.

Glenn, 50, no car, no debt electric bike

[sgtmike74]

The question you asked was, would you buy a environmentally friendly home at a higher cost or a standard home at lower cost. I would go with the standard home at a lower cost, and upgrade the insulation, windows etc to cut down on utilities. Im 34.

[Leandra150585]

Well I'm 24 now and I wouldn't build a house.I would buy an old farm or house with land .Even an abandoned,decaying one that I can bring to life again....that would be interesting.

[Homes11134]

I would put more money into air sealing, insulation, efficient appliances, and durable building products. Assume the life span on the house is 70 years, if it takes 5 years to pay for these upgrades, that makes for 65 years of benefit (ok, the appliances will wearout but they will pay for themselves with the realized saving)

[iwantit162]

then it shall feed the eating plants and fruit and nut trees.i could afford to buy a house build it on the land and take up more space or i could work with the land take up a small space for day lighting and heat from the sun via windows. im going to have my own oil production and alcohol still also for fuel to power a generator and a wood burner to heat water and act as a central heating unit

[iwantit162]

yeah earthship as others have said very good people doing very good things and use the money from the build on helping disaster areas after theyve taken what they need to live on i.e a newish car ect food they grow in their own homes lol.

im 29 in the uk im looking at doing a self build into a hillside using cob walls and natural materials and also a little aquaculture for water and sanitary purposes and it will filter out among reeds and plants in a lower water pool before feeding food plants

[rudyblackbird]

your canadian accent is so darn cute

[zipfizzdave]

Trick Question if you are building in any country other than the US then earthbagging with rice husks is better AND Much cheaper than stick built houses. If you use Grancrete with fiberglass mesh as stucco then its pretty much indestructible. In the US you will have to find an area that has no code enforcement because of the crooks running our politicians. You could build a full structure for as little as 1500 dollars and guaranteed less than 9000 with some friends over a weekend.

[deketeme]

Namdor2012 I saw that earthship film. very good idea =) *thumbsup*

[Namdor2012]

"Earthship" do a search on it..

Independence and off the grid = better self worth and freedom within..

"Earth in the hands of the wise turns to gold" Rumi

[mufc87]

Please love me, i need love to survive..

I feel like a rose in the dessert, alone, dark.

Will you marry me? YOu know where i will be tommorow

[Yewtooberr]

Can you phrase this in the form of a question?

[goobertay]

bitch, you need to shut the fuck up...

no one cares what you think decky

your face was meant to be stuffed with a nice hard cock

i wish i could see what your taint looks like, must be yummy and pink...mmmm

[kakos67]

Engineer

This is a subject that you need a lot of time to talk about you can't write it all.

[cabritorsss]

She gave me a headache 30 seconds into this video.

[leech77]

If you're like most of us I'd do the cheaper of the two. If you're building, depending on how natural you go (ie: obtaining building material from home site etc.) an "eco" house might be the least expensive way to go. I'm building not a house, but a barn for my goats at th moment. By getting the materials from my land, I'm saving about $4,000. This makes the barn virtually free (other than my labour). I'm not saying you can build a house for free, but you may save some cashola. I'm 31 years old.

[Baratgab]

I agree with the previous poster; natural building is not necessarily more expensive. In fact, one of my main reasons for considering natural building (cob) is the cheapness. But I think you already got your answers, since I saw that you subscribed to redpharmacist's videos. :o)

Also, there are many primitive but efficient techniques. For example, about building cooking and heating stoves google "Aprovecho Research Center"; about humanure composting google "Humanure Handbook".

[gafodde]

it needn't be more expensive to build an eco house, the money you save on structural materials will make up for the power sources. in the end, it's cheaper and i'd say a more satisfying option.

[fredianoB]

I'm as old as dirt(53). I built a new home in '93, and did spend extra putting in a closed loop(not pump and dump)ground source heat pump(GSHP). I did it to save money, not the earth, but sometimes that aligns itself. It paid off big time. I am floored that closed loop GSHPs aren't in a lot more homes, it is only short term less expensive to go with std air exchange heat pumps, but GSHPs are always running at near 55 deg F, pay for themselves rapidly, and are not exotic technology. No brainer.

[dust5021]

Sorry, I got lost in your eyes, and lips.

[DetroitLove4U]

Well, you should realize that what you're referring to varies from state to state or county to county. Environmentally safe homes -

I feel safe to assume they would be newer. Quite honestly I'm a little obfuscated by what you are endeavoring to ask. A newer house will tend to be more and more away from well urbanized areas. If it is not it will be cost quite a pretty penny. Older homes that you can afford will be in more older perhaps challenged parts of town. Would you live in the suburbs?

[southmiamiliz]

Buy land,build a 4plex made out of fire adobe brick.Get solar panels.Buy low watt electrical devices.Buy a energy efficient windows.Bammboo furniture.Have your own sustainable organic little backyard farm.And rent the other 3 apt of the 4plex to generate money.And you'll have a income producing home.

[Kosanin]

amen

[goldensea099]

lovely face,if u have little of money buy a small house and if u have got lots of money buy fantastic house,irrespective green friendly or else, important to be happy and stisfied with what u ve got .i hope i did help u in sth.

[Democlitos]

Ela preferi ser ouvida por muitos que não conhece à não ser ouvida por ninguém.

Translate this. ~ por - en

[Russticle]

this is just a fucking dating show for the heart of this ditsy, fat cheeked blond.

[dontyouwannabecool]

.. i think she's pretty. and very smart.

[SubtUtiles]

I'm 33, from Barcelona (Mediterranean), I very definitely think you should put your money on increasing the resilience of your home (self-sufficiency is usually environmentally friendly). and i dont think this has to do with "ethics" or "having a good heart" toward wildlife, it's just a matter of self-preservation. we shouldnt take cheap energy for granted, in 15 years time you'll be glad to have invested your money on insulation, growing some of your own food, and rational use of resources.

[MtnTracker]

My opinion is to just build your own home. It's NOT impossible or difficult to do it alone and then go with solar energy if you can and wind generators if needed. I did. My video called Alpine Acres, what it has become, explains it better but to see the actual building process, see my other video called Building made simple (revised). Environmentally friendly, to me means using new and/or used materials purchased from Homes for Habitat at a fraction of the cost and ending up with NO BILLS.

[dontyouwannabecool]

does environmentally friendly mean... materials that can be decomposed when you aren't living there anymore? why would you worry about something like environmentally friendly when you are using these things in your home everyday?

[dontyouwannabecool]

i think the most environmentally friendly and MOST sustainable homes are made when you+a community of people each pitch in to build shelters for each other, using the resources from their landbase and your community's innovations, not calling for more "green" resources from elsewhere.

[dontyouwannabecool]

i do not think sustainable housing is built simply by promoting more eco-friendly products for your home. i think we have to ask, "where do these things I buy come from? what does it take to get these things i want or need?" i think then we can attempt to tackle the idea of living more sustainably.

[MMAGRO1]

Your right. It is important to know that most 'eco friendly' products require allot of energy to produce them. Thus, it could cancel out the potential energy you are saving in the house. The key is to build with low embodied energy materials (Strawbale, Wood) and also choose materials that are durable and efficent. (A house with no fiberglass insultation and running the heating 24/7 for 20 years uses the same amount of energy as making and using the fiberglass in the house as insulation.)

[HaleyMary]

I would definitely buy a green friendly house some day if they became mainstream on the market and the price range wasn't too extreme. Like, a house that was in a price range of a few thousand dollars rather than a few million dollars. Especially with global warming happening, it's one of those things people have to think about in the future if they want to help sustain life as we know it on this planet. :)

[lilbluehonda24]

check out this web site, or search tiny house on you tube. This is taking it to the extreme, but I love the Idea!! If I did decide to go with one of these I would buy the plans and build it myself to save money.

[lilbluehonda24]

Ask your self this simple question. which is harder to do? build your own house or pay off a 30yr mortgage. I highly recomend a smallercomfortable house house as well. I have found that a 1500 sq ft home w/ front and back yard is way to much work for 1 or even 2 people. In a smaller house you will spend less heating and cooling, cleaning up, filling it w/ junk that you don't need and so on. Trust me a small comfortable house powered by solar and wind, along w/ a garden will improve your life!!!

[lilbluehonda24]

Spending the money on a regular house would be a huge waste of money. Learn from my experience. I bought my house 1500 sq. ft for$295,000 which is basically a box hooked up to a life support system. It was in no way designed to be energy/self sufficient, and by that I mean that I am unable to utalize the wonderfull power source called the sun! I highly recomend you look into earthships, cobb houses, and strawbale building methods.

Say no to a 30 yr mortgage. Find bare land and build your house.

[ambervisions]

I dont even have to think about this one! Most definitely the green house! Because for me and my family.....it is the ONLY alternative! I would go all out to make it as green as possible! For me....that is PRIORITY! Our next home will be an earthdwelling/earthship! We will build ourselves! Im over 35! Di:)

[vprinceii]

P.S. I think you are really beautiful nevermind the Vegetarian lifestyle. I dont eat pork but Ill eat free range meats (farm rased)only.

[vprinceii]

I am 33 and if I could afford a house I would build my own house the way I want it. And it would be a green built home. I love all things alternative energy and wish to start my own store selling and instillation of alternative energy in homes. I am renting an appartment now and it has LEAD thoughout the house. As soon as I get a better job I am moving.

[thrivesurvive]

..building materials that don't off-gas, on well water, solar energy, efficient, natural insulation, and a bit of land for garden. We saw beautiful, huge homes that are pretty much pre-made, slapped together track homes on small bits of land, and who knows what kind of materials were used. They are tempting because they are cheap, glossy and huge, but I would feel better knowing my home breathes, and is sustainable, even if it's less glamorous, smaller, and off the grid.

[thrivesurvive]

I am 33. My husband and I want to buy/build a custom house. We are both artists who work from home and we would rather spend more money on an environmentally friendly home that is smaller and comes with less "stuff. For me, I would rather have an efficient, sustainable home that is healthy and planet friendly. My husband (28) is focused more on saving money in a long run. I am a raw vegan minimalist so I don't need a stove, dishwasher, microwave, etc. I would rather spend the money on quality...

[jcalpito]

i would spend the money to buy a regular home but an energy efficient one, thus, using less energy, saves money and helping the environment too.

i am 37 years of age, i live in Toronto, Canada. And that is what i am slowing doing to my home.

cheers!

[giftraum]

i want to kiss you, you are so cute :)

oh, and u got mail.

[spinners123]

hoouse

[ioport]

Fucking self-absorbed generation. KILL YOUR FUCKING TV AND FUCK THIS REALITY SHIT.

[pea8vey]

here they want the windmills.People actually object to that in the country alabama ny.i think its so good to save energy and to have an energy efficient home in all ways would be great.what other alternatives are there?the roof heaters.the um solar electric.what else?the best insulation.Would it be cheaper to make your own home envromentally friendly.I am so tired of renting from slumlords.How much more is it for enviromentally friendly home

[shelovesbuffett]

Hi, Good luck with your research. I am looking into buying an earth ship or a similar type of home in the next few years. I am 33, already own one home but am looking for a more earth friendly approach to housing. Good luck.

[rodneykingman]

Every year we have a straw bale/corn cob/recycled material master architect come and teach for free a workshop for 10 days. Everyone learns how to and build their own small house in small groups. Then we teach very basic permaculture and photovoltaic and wind turbine generator installation and use. We have a vegan/raw food chef host.

[AdminOnDuty]

A bit late I presume (Uploaded September 24, 2007) but here you go.

Saftey first. I live in Earthquake country and I want a home that will 'sustain' a 10+ Richter. Currently the code is 7.5. Secondly to go sustainable it should be a package deal. House, Cars, Utilities should all be included. Forefeiting one for the other is counter productive. I will wait until the package meets the demand. Most likely, I will have to design and build it myself.

[invadr1]

What is this shit

[yhx1000000]

build a log cabin with a fireplace in the country you should see some of the buildings around fort mcmurray

[whupert]

you should smile more offten...

[zupafasolowa]

Before you buy a hose you should buy a... garden?

23/

[redgiant1]

okay okayyy...k okay OK kkk,,,

Walter Segal

[torshammare74]

Hej from Sweden! My answer is simple: Use traditional building materials, build an air-tight building envelope, reduce transmission and ventilation losses. This way you will improve the indoor comfort and you won't have to care about energy prices or CO2-emissions anymore. Be careful with so called ecological buildings. I have seen too many bad examples when it comes to indoor air quality. Further reading: IEA Task 28, Sustainable Solar Sousing, 2 volumes, published by Earthscan. I'm 33.

[torshammare74]

ouuups... did I write "Sousing"? Should be "Housing" :o)

There are more and more so called passive houses without conventional heating or cooling systems beeing built here in Europe. They need aboot 10% of the energy for space heating compared to conventional houses!!

[AntaresInScorpius]

i am saving for a dome home.

[canada5572]

i want a dome home too

[AdminOnDuty]

Actually these have proven impractical. Much of the interior offers frustration as the curvature is difficult to furnish. You will find that pictures cannot be hung. Furniture will be pushed away from walls and dead space ensues. Extra cost arises as custom cabnitry becomes a necessity. Construction costs are higher as working with angles is more tedious for both framework and interior panels (drywall). Heating and cooling also can be more because of the volumetric nature and open spaces. Shop.

[didididit2]

We built a sustainable home, an earthship designed by Michael Reynolds. It heats and cools itself, catches its own water (much better than putting out $20 - $30,000 for a well that could come up dry), and with solar panels, makes its own electricity. We even grow some of our own food in the gray water treatment planters. I don't see why anyone wouldn't want to live in a sustainable home. It is important to protect the world for those who come after us. I'm 54.

[AdminOnDuty]

Kewl, looking foward to videos of your success. :)

[convexity123]

Buy the cheaper home. Plant a garden and some trees. Recycle. Work to build a park in your community. If you do these things, you will do more to help the environment than if you paid some over-priced contractor to build a home with environmentally friendly products ... that you find out 3 years from now are not environmentally friendly.

[butcher47404]

i'm 38 and i own a icf home and i love it

[facelessone86]

Look up Amory Lovins and your see one on sustainable building.

You can make a house with say +25,000 extra sustainable technolgies like insulation, special windows, super tight wall constuction. That sounds like a lot but then you DO NOT NEED HEATING OR COOLING systems. That takes off about 20-22 thousands of the price and the whole deal pas for it's self in a year or two.

There is no reason not to.

But if you can't build.....ummmm.

[woozlbug]

p.s. Don't listen to fools like Atomescanner. You are beautiful and obviously very intellegent.

[BrightHelmVellas]

Nobody listens to AtomeScanner

[woozlbug]

I would buy land in an area where I could afford about 20 acres. Then I would do the research that would allow me to build a enviromentally sustainable house with only the materials that were available on the land. A log cabin, mud brick, wattle and daub, or stone house with a thatched roof. Dig my own well. Try to harness wind and solar energy, again with available materials. 41yrs.

[AtomeScanner]

I was watching Iranian Hitler's blabla video when I saw your spotty face...

Then I watched your video and now I think you are one of the most stupid chick I have ever seen in my life.

I'm sorry if I hurt you (I hope I didn't) but with all those spots in your face, you're not only stupid but also one of the most nasty idiot I have ever saw.

[RUBINSTEIIN]

this is whats wrong with people! if you buy a house, you dont buy the thing to sell it YOU BUY IT TO LIVE IN IT! investor group and politicaly engineered INFLATION on housing is what cause people TO eventually NOT AFFORD A PLACE TO LIVE OR TO NOT EVEN LIVE TO PAY FOR IT and inflation makes rents go through the fucking roof! housing growth leads to massive homelessness while wallstreet cashes in on your homelessness.

[kipswitch]

I am really into this subject but holy wow, I cant follow you.

step 1. Shave head.

step 2. FOCUS.

[olamapsa]

If I were you, I would spend that extra money on "Express your thoughts clearly" classes.

[HalloweenWeed]

I don't think it is a matter of spending more money on house, but instead getting less house. The truth is people will go get however much house they can afford. Spending more on environmental house is not a possibility for most average people, since they are already spending their limit. So for me, it depends, we need so much space, and what if I have children? So it is not a simple answer. BTW, you're gorgous. I wish my wife was as pretty as you, and weighed less than 300 pounds.

[only1duk]

The messed up thing is Muslims would actually rape her for not wearing something over her beautiful face.

FUCK ISLAM

RESEARCH IT'S LIES AND DECEIT

Wake up world!

[pinochet222]

what does it mean "environmentally friendly"?

I know for example that PVC and asbestos or wtf are dangerous but I think nobody uses it anyway...

So I can't answer this question cause there are too many variables left free:)

Though I'd like to be a "green man", but not at any costs lol

If you really did a research you should make a video about this stuff first: what do we know about this subject, what are the trends, what are the costs and the benefits etc

[darkstar2017]

Greetings. I share your interest in "clean constructions". And there are many factors to consider. Local codes, amount of space, money, etc. But Geodesic domes are a great way to do this. They use 60-75% of the materials than a comperable structure. And are much more efficient with heat, light, sound and so forth. The dome structure is MUCH stronger too, able to resist earthquakes and hurricane winds. Slap some solar panels on there and your "sittin pretty". Umm, I'm 39 BTW. Peace.

[HanzPrague]

Hi Al, I bough new apartment in Prague, thats 40 sq. meters for 89,000 USD and in my age 24 makes me real trouble to get money like that.

[katastrophonic]

i like you, eventhough your videos are silly..you're cute. I have to get myself a video camera i would be so interesting:)

[spunkets]

lame.

cut your damn hair.

also, next time take the time to compose a script before you pose a question that should have taken 30 seconds (instead of 3 minutes) to ask.

[zeno57]

OH miss blue eyed blone cupcake I forgot IM 27,and the reason I cant move my company to can. is they r 3 ice houses we sevice miss. and la. its hot here and ice sells good ,but I dont think ice would sell very well in canada ,LOL

[zeno57]

First Ill buy you any kind of house you want.Second I will cover the roof with solor cells so most of the elec. power comes from the sun. [non poluting ].Third Ill buy you a hybrid car so you can go to the mall and shop all day and pick up our groceries on the way home and not polute the air much.You could live a life of enviromentally friendly bliss ,the only catch is you have to move to the usa cause I cant move my company to canada.

[Normanskie]

Would love everybody to build an environmentally friendly home, but in Britain we do not have the land available and more and more flats and high rise apartments are needed in order to house people, in my district there are 28,000 people on the housing waiting list. A lot of ordinary wage earners have NO chance of getting on the property market, let alone have choices. Age 53.

[GRANDIZER101]

oh im researching if ur single,so answer my question plz with ur phone number and age,are u single?

[GRANDIZER101]

wow ur so hot babe;)

[FartheadOgre]

Damn you are hot! I'd look into buying property instead since you live in Canada. You could have a house built to your specific needs and although it would be costly at first in the long run it would pay off.

[antipovertycultz]

politicians also engineer inflation so that rents and housings gets more expensive and so that no one can afford a home or a place to live democracy is nomadic system that needs the population to be poverty stricken to effectively rule over. Democracy is a slavery system that exploits desperation.

[antipovertycultz]

Politicians use the mobocracy system in housing by charging taxes every year on the property you have already paid the day you cant pay you lose your house, like a mafia movie. By increasing taxes every year there would comes a time

where you cant pay that high. The result would be mass homelessness for the middcle class and rising rents for the poor while wages stay low (below 10$ an hour)

[FartheadOgre]

There is no middle class.

[5199034570]

If I would have enough money for house I will buy a yacht and live there. About enviromental materials > i think recicling shit is just new popular trend, it is scientifically proved to be safe,but the pecentage of the planet's population that uses those materials is so low that it doesn't make a difference in polution rate

[zebidee55]

I think most people mean well and talk big, but when it comes down to it, the bottom line is the motivator. Either that or winning the holier-than-thou pissing contest going green seems to inspire.

The beauty of environmentally friendly stuff is the economics are often built into it. Saving energy means saving money. The person who does the right thing will wind up with a hard cash benefit in the long run. Win-win-win...

36 - Australia

[podojones]

You have to get a job first. Or maybe you think people that have made money should give all the poor people free houses.

[podojones]

What does this have to do with the video I was watching? Go away. You have all the answers at age 21.

[df23c30]

I had the choice last year...I went with a conventional home and used some extra money for insulation etc...From what I found, making a home energy efficient dwarfs anything that can be done with respect to the homes construction.

[InfoJunkieHolland]

Sustainable housing is for a far left, communist fascist conspiracy-nut HIPPIE liberal fringe!

MARXIST islamofascists!!!

[Decky11]

that's me!

[InfoJunkieHolland]

haha classic cool

[BrightHelmVellas]

youtube(dot)com/watch?v=ML8G1Q­e1E8s

I don't normally spam so shamelessly, but anyone interested in this subject should watch ScaryDAve's video. Do it!

[dnHooligan]

my cousin is an architect who designed and built a "green" home for himself and his "life partner" on the cover of indianapolis home monthly (summer 2007) but money was no object for him. it's an awesome home, but i think as long as it is energy efficient, there usually isn't much difference in environmental impact. an earth ship(100% self sustained) would be the way to go if you truly wanted the "green" concept

[argyl300]

I wouldnt want to design and build my own house because i like to move around alot and i could never live in the same house for more than 10 years.

[davea0511]

Depends. Most "environmentally friendly" materials ultimately are just as bad as standard materials for the environment. I would definitely get a geothermal HVAC system, as it pays for itself in 7-10 years and then saves tons of electricity. That's your best bang for buck when it comes to environmentally spent money. No to solar PV - manufacturing is incredibly filthy. Yes to high insulation.

[Shifty567]

21

The environment will not be a deciding factor when it comes picking a home, either way.

[squitmaa]

I am 32 years old and I design houses professionlly. I'm a bit busy right now, but I will do my best to make you a responce video.

[Decky11]

thanks!

[jonesr999]

I'm 60 and env-friendly is mostly baloney. I suggest you buy a small regular house and some good furniture. The house will increase in value over time. Try to find an energy-efficient house.

[ProudToBeAgnostic]

I'm 23 and I'd have as many env-friendly features I could afford; they save you money in the long run due to decreased energy costs. However, this is all irrelevant as I can't even afford a bedsit with the house prices in Britain being so ashamedly high. BTW I love how you say "house" ;)

[LimpLoser]

you are acheingly beautiful and i love you very much.

[schloxic]

im 20 and I would want to live anywhere. I would like to stop using so much water, i'm a dishwasher. I should start scrubbing more and using less water. I don't really care about much though. I would like to care. I want to care

[ryeguy48]

I'm 15.

I think that I would probably try to get the most environmentally safe house possible, while maintaining a comfortable living area. Straw no cuz i'm allergic.

Solar powered, why not, right? I mean it's good for the environment.

it's great that you care for the environment.

[1and2and3and4and]

The next time you ask a good question you'll need to put a bag over your head.

i watched your video 5 or 6 times and the only thing i heard was horses, bells, straw-bale home, you'll hold it against me, and environmentally friendly.

Whatever it was i believe you!

[pyrrho314]

thought I added that video response days ago when I made it... guess not.

[golf4collet]

I am 27 and live in West Virginia, US. I would buy a normal (already existing) house because there are already more houses than there are families to put in them. Thats why the market is terrible right now. With the extra $ saved from buying a pre-existing house, I would convert it to environmentally friendly energy such as Solar.

[tyeporter]

I don't know that I'd care to spend the money on "environmentally friendly" building materials.

But I would use the "extra" money from the "normal build" and invest in alternative energy sources so that I actually send energy back into the power grid rather than feed from it.

Renewables such as wind, solar and hydro rather than coal and nuclear supplied by the infrastructure.

[vesper8]

Of course I would.. as long as I could afford it.. I mean who wouldn't? If, again, they can afford it.. I will live my life trying to be as green and sensible to the environment as I can. Just think of how stupid teachers will sound 300 years from now when they are explaining to their classroom that the reason why the environment has turned to, basically, a wasteland is due to human greed and selfishness in the 20th and 21st century.. That's why today we must do things green or not at all!

[coolstream1]

the only non friendly thing we make our houses out of are metal, which are recyclable and drywall (gypsum) witch i assume is recyclable but im not sure

anywho i think making a house with solar panels are siding and shingles would be a good idea

insulation, low energy light bulbs, refrigerators washer/dryers are all you really need... solar power is just a bonus, pity solar panels are rather terrible...

and im 20

[BloggerMusicMan]

I spend the extra money. Because I actually care about the environment, and don't just look at what has the lower price tag. I'm 15. I want to live in New York, part of the reason is that it's very environmentally friendly. Most people there walk, bike and take public transportation. Therefore, environmentally friendly.

[MultiVitaminsAtoZ]

Living in a cave would have a minimum impact on the landscape and be 100% eviromently friendly, best of all it wouldn't cost anything! You could heat it with a fire in the middle of the cave which could also be used for cooking and you could bathe in a nearby river or stream. Perfect!

[Iceart]

Sorry for the excessive posts

[Iceart]

Also other things like solar hot water (Water heated by solar power) and even solar assisted houses (Houses with solar panels put on it to power a small part of the house) are so effective in cutting LONG TERM costs.

Sadly... everyone nower days would look at the cost of the house and go "Well that one is $50,000 cheaper.. lets buy that" and forget that those extra few thousands could save you cash in the long run.

[Iceart]

For example. Heating. Buying a house using products like Brick is more effective then a house with wood based building materials due to the fact that bricks can retain heat in the winter and stay cooler in the summer alot better then wood does. You expectantly would spend less on trying to heat your house or cool it as the temperature would be more desireable. Same goes for things like double plied (<spelling) windows... house insultation (Roof and walls where applicable).

[Iceart]

I'm Australian. 22.

Its pretty obvious... buy the enviromentially economicial house.

You can buy furniture some time in the future but once you build a house... to change it to a cleaner greener house would cost just about as much as buying another small house.

The fact that if you buy a house that you plan to live for the rest of your life (30 years or so) you will be saving more money over the long term.

[MBRHIndustries]

Ideally, I'd use the earth friendly approach, but even if I had the money to build a house I probably couldn't afford it. (23)

[rustEshakelford]

And even solar panels are getting cheaper.

[rustEshakelford]

Age 34. We have a middle ground! Most building materials today are recycled or composites and are pretty earth friendly. Even lumber is renewable. Not a lot of "old growth" lumber is cut anymore. So as long as you buy things that are Energy Star and as long you properly insulate and seal your home,you'll be as earth friendly as can be.

[meltglass1]

I would do my best to have a earth friendly house.TB

[Brianj1234]

I would buy the environmentally friendly home. I did pay extra for more insulated windows. It helps save on electrical use and so on. I'm 43

[admiralnovia]

I'm 35, and have mostly lived in apartments throughout my adult life. In one apartment I was at, we had an electric clothes dryer. If you live near a hydroelectric dam, electric appliances are cheap. If you live in Philly like I do, gas appliances make a lot more sense.

I'm afraid that buy/renting houses/apartments is just so expensive a thing for most people that it's hard to involve green concerns. One of the unfortunate economic realities of life.

[73Morbidthoughts]

buy an existing home. if you have a concious, upgrade to alternative sources of energy. 34 hvac tech :)

[amigadamn]

You're kinda hot, wanna fuck?

[admiralnovia]

You're kinda sad, wanna grow up?

[myloflex]

I really don't know much about this subject...sorry. You should know how old I am...BTW, check your YT inbox okay?

[dragonflyscalpelroot]

Also, I'm 30, and recently sold my 1st house (it was small) for 200% profit, which will be used on the next house. I think greater positive environmental impact could be achieved elsewhere, i.e. vehicle choice, energy choice, "green" investment, etc.

[dragonflyscalpelroot]

I'd tend to see home-buying as an investment more than a "where do I want to live" scenario. If this is your first home, it's likely that it won't be where you'll spend the rest of your life. I say location is more important than amenities, though I'd also urge you to shop for smaller vs a larger home. Later, when you sell, you reap higher profits, which can then be used to outfit a "green" home (or another house to flip, then again, etc, until you get the green home).

[syntek67]

woah... hard to put answer in 500 chars! :) But in short I'd go sustainable. It doesn't necessarily mean more $, a) if you do some of the work, b) if you use recycled or (rejected? not sure in english) materials, c) if you build to save energy, d) if you are creative (and i know you are)... oh, and i am 39.

[TheRubberDuck77]

Definitely the environmentally friendly house. The biggest thing I would want is the Solar Power. The building materials... hmm Id like to not use wood. Too many trees are cut down already. so yeah I would. and I am 30

[mhatsko]

theotherdayIwasthinkinabtAlGor­eandAfricaodd eh?soIwasthnkngIf they rlly wntd to all the mny tht goes to Africa instd of food drps and all you're prob gnna cll me out on tht hvnt rlly researched deep But anyway build a htl/hsng on the shre of Afrca the bsmnt wld be a dslnztn plnt the east fce of the bldng whre the wndws arnt are all slr pnls on the roof wndmlls no elctrc bll sppls pwr to the twn 3-4 bldngs lke ths one a hsptl/hsng one a wste trtmnt plnt wtr gs out to the irgtn fld for the frms

[admiralnovia]

Er, you might want to invest in a "sustainable" keyboard...

;-)

[mhatsko]

Lol yeah I'm lookin to get one, just too much to say on a broad subject to fit into the '500'

[SmileOnADog]

Are you Canadian?

[mhatsko]

awesome, I was just thinking of this very thing the other day. depending on where I wanted to live and if the house was already built in the past, but if I had the money, I have a whole plan in my head of my enviro house, I've had it since I was about 18 I'm now 28, but missed out on the housing boom, left me behind got caught up in the credit debt debacle. I'm gonna have to post twice about my thoughts of the other day.

[justwatching1980]

i bought my condo a year and a half ago-- it was new construction. don't know if it was completely environmentally friendly, but i was limited by location, availability, and price. environmental friendliness didn't come into the picture because the other three factors were more important. but i do bike to work and buy produce from local farms. there's more to say but hard to say it in a 500-word limited comment! i'm in my 30s

[stevem1264]

Hey Decky11, glad you're still with us!

I'm 29 and looking to buy a home sometime next year. Although I haven't researched this subject I would have to say that I would buy a regular home for a cheaper price and spend the difference on solar panels to supplement my energy needs. That would probably make a bigger impact, in my opinion. Can't say I would want my new house to bio-degrade!!!

Kidding. -Steve

[BrightHelmVellas]

In the UK all new build houses have to fit certain energy conservation requirements. The constuction industry like most trades and industries will take a while do adapt as they have a tried and tested way of doing things which makes it hard for them to change and use more environmentally friendly materials. Where I live, most of the houses are 100+ years old and a lot of them have big sash windows and high ceilings.

[BrightHelmVellas]

These old victorian houses are aethetically pleasing and usually very solidly built, but they are draughty and freezing in winter. I swear one house I lived in was colder inside that it was outside! A lot of new build houses seem really shodily built, ugly and small. Architects should try to find a compromise between aesthetics and energy conservation.

[BrightHelmVellas]

What is sustainable depends on where you are. In Canada you have an abundance of fast-growing softwood timber and plenty of land. The south-east of England is pretty much the opposite - very densely populated with very little sustainable resources. If we housed everyone in low-impact 'earthship' style housing, we'd have no countyside left. Btw I'm 27 and it looks pretty unlikely I'll be able to buy my own place in the near future.

[akscooch]

Depends on what materials you consider environmentally friendly.  Some "green" materials take more energy to produce than older materials. Recently, one of the founders of Greenpeace went on record saying he approved of the wood products industry in the U.S. because they are the #1 tree replanter in the world. You have to carefully research materials to really know if they're just trading carbon credits or what. (I'm an architect.) :)

[SonofNewo]

I've always wanted to have a home that is entirely underground. Have a hatch and some underground steel structure, complete with emergency generators, perishable food, drinking water, etc. You would save on heating and cooling in the interim, and best of all, nobody would even know you were there!.

[kimlea69]

you have olny you think about,....age56 .....KIM

[patient0Studios]

I would buy the Sustainable house.. but it doesnt matter capitalism has ruined our planet anyway.

[savagemike90]

I would definitely spend the extra money for an environmentally friendly house. For sure. It is worth it. You have one life.... might as well do as good for you and the environment as possible right? PLEASE do it if you can. We do NOT need to be burning up so much of our fossil fuels. There are many other things that we are able to use and environment-friendly houses help do that in many ways. I could go on for quite some time talking about it but yeah, it's great! (16)