22 Important Reasons to Build Naturally
 
 
 
1.  Every material used in a typical modern building is the product of energy intensive processing.  
2.  More than 80% of North American's energy comes from non-renewable fossil fuels, linked to global warming, ozone depletion and acid rain. 
 
 		 3.Cement production is one of the most energy intensive of all industrial manufacturing processes - about 10 times as energy intensive as our economy in general. 

4.  Alone, cement production now accounts for over 8% of total Co2 emissions from all human activities. 

5. Cement kilns in the US are the third largest source of dioxin contamination - in part because kiln operators are allowed to burn toxic wastes as fuel. 
6.  Concrete trucks require 500 gallons a day of highly alkaline washwater which is toxic to fish and other aquatic life.

 7. Steel is made from a non-renewable resource that is mined on a depleting basis. 
8.  Steel production is energy intensive and a major source of CO2 and air pollution.
 
 
9.  Many lumber products are treated with highly poisonous wood preservatives. 
10.  Industrialized forestry uses toxic herbicides.
11.  Deforestation causes soil degradation, water siltation, and loss of plant and 
animal biodiversity. 
 
12. Plastics are made from non-renewable petroleum by-products. 
13.  Plastic production is energy intensive and involves toxic chemicals and toxic waste. 
14.  Plastics don't breath like natural materials (wood, stone, earth, cotton, hemp), and emit toxic fumes. 
15.  In the end plastics never go away, but remain a visual pollutant in urban and rural areas and a hazard in marine environments. 
16.  The PVC plastic used in window blinds and other home furnishings may contain lead, used as a stabilizer in plastic.  This information was released to the public by Health Canada only after PVC blinds were on the market. Sweden, Germany, and Austria have banned the use of PVC in construction and other applications.		 17.  Composite building materials (particleboard, laminates, carpeting, etc.) contain 
toxic compounds that are suspected to cause acquired chemical sensitivities and other environmental illnesses. 
18.  Manufactured building materials burden the environment at all stages of their life cycle. 
19.  Manufacturing pollutes air, water and soil with a long list of toxic substances. 
20.  Long distance transportation of manufactured products to market consumes fuel and produces additional pollution. 
21.  During use, Chemical compounds in modern building materials can give off toxic fumes for months and years. 		 22.  Less is better.  According to the US Census, housing square footage is four times larger today than it was 40 years ago, and nearly half of these homes are occupied by couples living alone!  The most obvious means of cutting consumption of resources and production of waste and pollution is to build smaller, space-efficient and natural buildings!