As new information comes in, the global community becomes more and more concerned about the environment and energy conservation. And while America is focusing more on the environment than it used to (with its newly popular green home building initiatives in particular), the U.S. is still behind the times when it comes to conservation. Europe in particular has been leading the way in green home building and especially in energy conservation for many years.
Energy Conservation in Europe
Europe is at the forefront of the green movement, including green home design... and with good reason. In Europe, oil, natural gas, and electricity are more expensive than in the U.S., and have been for decades. And of course this makes Europe more aware of energy and power usage than the U.S.. This instinct for energy conservation is seen in Europe in several key ways.
A big thing that separates Europe from the U.S. in energy conservation is a massive network of railroads and other forms of public transport. Almost every major city in Europe has an efficient public transport system (with underground trains, overground trains, buses, trams, etc.) that is well patronized by residents. And even though there are plenty of individually owned vehicles in European countries, most cities in Europe boast a higher percentage of mass transit users (and bicycle riders) than the United States.
Europeans also build their homes with energy conservation in mind. In large European cities in particular, green home building concepts are widely used. Most city dwellers live in apartments with far less square footage than American homes. In addition, most European houses, apartments, and businesses use simple green home building ideas to keep their spaces cool in summer instead of the air conditioning so common in the U.S. They use simple ideas, such as rolling black out screens, roll out terrace shades, double paned windows, etc., to cool or heat their homes.
The Green Home Building Trend in the U.S.
Essentially, Europeans have been remembering to turn the lights out when they leave a room for years. Americans, who are used to thinking of energy as a cheap and limitless commodity, are just starting to adjust to a "more European" mindset... including remembering to turn out the lights. This is easy to see when you consider how popular green home building and design has become in America during recent years.
Green home building and design uses concepts, such as smaller home size, basic insulation, and position to the sun to conserve energy, as well as alternative energy technology (such as solar power) to provide power to homes. Green home building also incorporates more complex concepts, such as the use of sustainable materials and less harmful products, to protect the environment and conserve energy in the long run. America is a little behind, but with luck will start catching up to the standard set by Europe. Related information Green home building . Green home store . Green home construction . Green home designs .

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by: hugatree
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