Why Go Natural?
Building Green is more expensive
Many green building designs, strategies, materials and practices can and do save money because they generally reduce energy costs, labor costs, and medical costs now and in the future. Green Buildings last a longer time, require fewer resources to develop, consume little energy, and are very cost efficient to heat and cool. Resale values of green buildings are often greater than those that are conventionally built. Green products may cost more initially, but more often than not, if you factor in life-cycle costs as well as human health concerns, building with green materials makes good financial sense.
Green products don't really help the environment
Most building products that are natural and non-toxic are good for the indoor and outdoor environment. It is proven that the use of non-toxic materials reduces or eliminates indoor air pollution. Whether it will reduce outdoor air pollution still remains to be seen. However, as more and more people use green building materials, we will likely some a positive impact on the environment.
Green building is still new and not as efficient as traditional building
The design, methodologies, materials and building procedures of the Green Building movement have been around for thousands of years. Modern technologies have made Green Building materials more available, useful, and reliable than ever before. Green Buildings are far more efficient and technologically advanced than most traditional buildings.
Green label, it must be green
Some manufacturers slightly change the ingredients of their toxic products to comply with government standards or other green standards so they can sell them with a green label. This "greenwashing" erodes the validity of green standards because if toxic products can receive a green label, then the label is rendered meaningless. Many legitimately pure and healthy products do not contain certification or green labeling at all; in fact, adding the green label increases the cost of the product. However, natural products contain information about their contents that clearly indicate the purity of their products. The need for clear definitions of a product's "greenness" is critical to producers and consumers alike.
