Welcome to the Green Building Concepts Newsletter, a periodic electronic newsletter.

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Index

Products, Technology, Programs, and Key Announcements

• A Case for Wood Products
• Demonstration Homes on the Internet

A Case for Wood Products
Deforestation and harvesting in old growth forests devastate our environmental legacy, wildlife, and wilderness. Thoughtless wood production leads to descent and stales the connection between human activity and nature. One thing is for certain, humans are an integral part in nature and should not be removed from his surroundings. It is possible for human populations to live in concert with nature, but it takes effort and determination.

If you were to ask a forest worker if his lifestyle depended on sustainable forest production, he would most likely say yes and qualify that answer with, "Urban dwellers' lifestyles are also intimately linked through the use of forest products like newspapers, magazines, tissues, and homes." Sustainable development is the key, not a cessation of use of all forest products.

Recycling and reusing paper products is also critical for sustainable use. Recycled products may exist at sometimes the same or higher cost, and it is important that the market grows, else this too will wither away. Wood usage in construction also can help alleviate global climate change by acting as a carbon dioxide reservoir for long term atmospheric removal.

One fascinating development for home construction is structural wood products whose birth is in the mind of an engineer, not nature. Sometimes called an engineered wood product, the material utilized the inherit traits of wood, but uses modern manufacturing techniques to make it better. Such products like oriented strand board (OSB) uses fast growing aspen trees, usually not suitable for building lumber, but when combined with resin and other processing, a suitable wood based panel is made. New floor I-joists using an OSB webbing replace larger members of wood and reduce waste.

• Certified Forest Products Council
• Rainforest Alliance SmartWood Certified Sustainable Forestry
• APA Engineered Wood Association
• Structural Board Association OSB Manufacturing Description

Demonstration Homes on the Internet
New websites have started using virtual tours that feature energy and resource efficient home building. One home sponsored by insurance giant State Farm features ways to better protect your home from natural disaster damage and naturally insurance claims. Another site by Builder Magazine has several offerings from traditional remodeling and construction to model future homes. The future homes use forward looking building techniques that use engineered wood products along with modern energy efficient design. [Editor's Note: Builder Magazine removed their virtual home tours]

• State Farm Good Neighbor Home
• Builder Magazine Virtual Home Tour
• Builder Magazine Engineered Wood Framing Update

All other brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.