Another Blogger posts about green building:
http://blogs.hgtvpro.com/hgtvpro/weblog_marjie/archive/2007/04/
Marjie O’Connor: The Buzz on Green Building
April 30, 2007
Saving trees, saving money
One of the great things about blogs is that they provide a chance to vent pet peeves. So here’s one of mine: developers and builders who bulldoze every tree on the lot(s) before starting construction. I grew up in an older neighborhood with lots of huge trees, and I’ve planted a lot of trees in the yards of various homes I’ve had as an adult. However, those saplings will take years before they’re big enough to do much good.
Trees are part of green building. If the house is sited right on the lot, trees can help enormously in cooling it. Trees are also one of the most visible components of the environment that green building is supposed to protect. So why the clearcutting?
I got some answers when I talked to a couple of the writers who provided articles for our new “Outdoors package.” Turns out that from the builder’s point of view, saving the trees is more expensive than getting rid of them. With the pressure on new-home prices these days, I can’t blame builders for trying to save some money.
But what about looking at the big picture? A wooded lot is much more appealing to most homebuyers than one that has nothing but a house in the middle of it. The value of a mature tree in a yard seems to be hard to pin down, but I’d bet that it’s worth a whole lot more than even 100 newly planted saplings.
Do you try to save trees when you build? Have you found any good ways to protect them during construction? Please share your tips with the rest of us. Thanks in advance.
