So what exactly is sustainable living? One definition of sustainability is the simultaneous pursuit of social welfare, economic prosperity and environmental stewardship(6). Trying to understand the social, environmental and economic impacts of our everyday lifestyle decisions is no small undertaking. The challenge is looking at how the small things balance out in the big picture. Here are a few significant things to think about when considering a sustainable home and lifestyle.
Energy Use
The energy we use to heat our homes, turn on our lights and power our TV’s needs to come from somewhere. In Alberta, we are fortunate to have abundant energy resources—coal, oil, natural gas, wind, water and the sun are all sources of the energy we use. However, they come with a cost - on our environment and on our bank accounts. As a result, how much energy we use and where our energy comes from are important considerations when thinking about sustainability.
The greenhouse effect occurs when heat from the sun reaches the earth and is trapped in the lower atmosphere – heating things up at the earth’s surface thus driving global weather patterns(7). The gases that trap heat in the atmosphere (carbon dioxide, methane and others) are collectively called greenhouse gases (GHGs). It is the the balance of naturally occurring GHGs that has evolved over the history of the earth that provides the livable climate and temperature range we experience today(7).
There is growing concern that global climate is changing. Greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas contribute significantly to climate change. There is concern among most scientists that climate change could result in far reaching effects not fully understood(8). Higher temperatures overall and severe weather patterns will likely have huge consequences socially, environmentally and economically(8).
These potential risks associated with climate change have prompted our local, provincial and federal governments to initiate strategies to reduce GHGs produced from activities in all communities.
What does all this have to do with our homes? Energy use in the home accounts for nearly 15% of all energy use in Canada(5). As a result, when thinking about sustainable energy use in the home, the first step is simply to use less or conserve! Less energy used means less GHG emissions and fewer impacts on climate change and air quality. There are many ways to conserve energy in your home that reduce emissions and save you money. To find out more, visit our Energy Conservation pages.
Water
A clean and abundant water supply is essential for healthy people and healthy communities. Everyday, we use water to drink, grow food as well as keep our bodies and environment clean and free from disease. Likewise, our environment needs clean water to support the wide variety of life that keeps ecosystems healthy and functioning properly(9).
Canada is fortunate to have a lot of water, but for Calgarians, clean, abundant water is something we can no longer take for granted. Calgary's growing population, the impacts of extensive development within the Bow and Elbow watersheds, recent droughts and large agricultural demands downstream of the city are putting increasing stress on our water supply(10).
As a result, Albertans are working to achieve better water use and watershed management. For the family at home, sustainable water use means conserving water where possible and using it wisely when you have to. Lucky for all of us, conserving water is not as hard as trying to squeeze it from a rock! See our Water Conservation pages for details how.
Indoor Air Quality
Generally, people associate poor air quality with a smog layer hovering over a group of skyscrapers in a large city or smoke belching from car exhausts and buildings. For many Calgarians the clear blue skies we often enjoy relative to more densely populated regions in the world is considered a source of pride. Ironically, in Canada we spend on average of 80% to 90% of our time indoors - and the quality of air inside a building can be worse in quality than the air outside(11). As a result, the connection between indoor air quality and the role it plays on health is still new to many Canadians.
Air quality experts are indicating that issues such as poor ventilation, unchecked moisture build-up and materials that emit harmful chemicals can create air quality conditions in your home that are associated with many health problems(11). As a result, housing and health related organizations are encouraging Canadians to take a second look at their home and learn about the factors that can create poor indoor air quality. Being informed and taking steps to improve air quality at home will benefit your family and reduce the burden on community health care systems treating air quality related health problems(11,12).
When it comes to indoor air quality and health, sustainable living means getting informed and taking advantage of the many ways to improve air quality by reducing or eliminating sources of indoor air pollutants in your home. To find out more, visit the Ecohome website Indoor Air Quality section.
Material and Waste Matters
What does wildlife have to do with hardwood floors and cabinetry in your home? Think of all the wood and lumber that is used (and wasted) in building a home. How and where trees are harvested significantly impacts habitat for a wide variety of animals(13). Similarly, continuously making space to accommodate waste in landfills demand waste can also impact habitat for wildlife and plants(14).
Sustainable living means finding new ways to reduce the amount of materials used or waste created, re-use materials where possible and recycle materials used during construction. In addition, selecting construction materials or products that come from third party certified sustainable sources would improve your sustainability by decreasing your footprint on the environment. To find out how we did it in the Ecohome, and how you can too, see the Ecohome website Waste and Materials sections.
Natural Landscaping
It may surprise many people to find out their green lawn isn’t as “green” as they first thought. Typically, most lush green lawns and gardens require a substantial amount of water, chemicals and maintenance to keep up over our short growing season in Alberta(15). As a result, traditional Canadian gardening habits place a strain on our water supplies and increasingly introduce toxic chemicals into our rivers and lakes causing long-term degradation of water quality for both humans and aquatic species(15).
The solution for more sustainable landscaping is thinking more like Mother Nature by using “water-wise” and pesticide free landscaping approaches(15,16). Not only are they better for the environment, but you’ll also save valuable time in the summer because of the lower amount of maintenance these approaches require. To find out more about simple sustainable landscaping options, see the Natural Landscaping section of the Ecohome website.
Ecological Footprints
Trying to understand or measure the overall ecological impact of a family of four living in a conventional home is a challenging but useful undertaking. The Ecological Footprint Analysis (EFA) is perhaps one of the easier ways to understand the total amount of all resources required to maintain a given lifestyle.
The Ecological Footprint calculates the amount of land required to supply resources for the energy, food, materials and other items used to support your daily activities(2). Although the Ecological Footprint is an estimate, the calculated footprint size provides a general and practical way to draw comparisons when thinking about the “big picture” and sustainability. In general, the larger the ecological footprint - the less sustainable the activity or lifestyle.
To better illustrate the Ecological Footprint, take for example two tomatoes that are identical in their shape, weight, taste and nutritional value sitting on your kitchen table. One of the tomatoes (Tomato “A”) was grown in your small backyard garden using a moderate amount of water, sunlight energy and compost for nutrients and natural methods to minimize insects and pests.
When the tomato is ready to eat, you pick it off the vine and serve it!
The other tomato (Tomato “B”) was grown in another country on a large commercial farm with huge machinery and a lot of workers. To grow Tomato “B”, a large irrigation system was used for water, pesticides and fertilizers that were made and shipped from a third country were used to keep pests away and provide nutrients. To harvest and transport Tomato “B”, the large producer used people and machinery to pick and pack the tomatoes then shipped them on a transport truck to your city with considerable emissions and wear and tear on road infrastructure. They were then picked up by another truck and delivered to the grocery store where they were kept in a cooler for freshness. You then got in your car, drove to the store, purchased the tomato and then drove home to eventually get the tomato to your table.
Even though Tomato “A” and “B” are the same in terms of their size, taste and quality, Tomato “B” required substantially more resources to grow, harvest, ship, store and transport to your table than Tomato “A”. This is an example of “think global, act local.” Choosing food and other products for your home that are produced locally or with minimal environmental impact makes good sense.
When thinking about ecological footprints, it is important to think about the big picture and how the information can affect the choices we make. For instance, although Tomato “B” has a much larger footprint, it may be that tomato A can only be produced during the summer, while Tomato “B” is available all year at the market. So a conclusion to draw is perhaps not to stop eating tomatoes during the winter, but instead purchase tomatoes during the winter and either grow your own or purchase from local growers during the summer.
To gain an idea of the how a home similar to the Ecohome would influence the overall resource consumption of an average family, the Ecological Footprint was used. The footprint of four people living in a conventional home was compared to that in the Ecohome. The calculation indicated that the footprint would decrease by 25% for the family in the Ecohome(17). Nevertheless, the Ecological Footprint of the Ecohome can be further reduced by the family making more sustainable choices like using wind power or eliminating pesticides. In short, the Ecohome is a great springboard towards a smaller Ecological Footprint. |
Ecohome Features
