Environmentally Responsible Residential Housing – Incentives Plan for Future

By,

Natalie Borecki

Beginning in the 1960s, our society has become increasingly aware of mankind’s negative impact on the earth. We have heard more about topics such as pollution, water contamination, Acid Rain, and Global Warming. All of these environmental concerns have displayed a need for more environmentally sensitive development. Environmentally responsible residential development is defined by Brewster as, "the production of building and communities that conserve resources and reduce waste through more efficient use of materials, energy, and water; that are more durable and useful; and that are designed for adaptive use or the recycling of their materials" (33). By definition alone, this type of development fits the description of sensitive development. I propose that we, as a society, must provide more incentives to encourage development such as environmentally responsible residential houses, because it will help reduce pollution, conserve limited and natural resources, and ensure a sustainable future.

The need for such housing must be established with consumers before more environmentally responsible houses are demanded in the market. One reason for this type of building, would be to properly address the problems of the energy crisis. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the energy crisis as, "a serious shortage of energy-producing fuels" (Simpson 5:241). Today, we are consuming our fossil fuels at ten million times the rate they are produced naturally (Griffin 4). At this rate, we will eventually deplete all of our fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gases. The energy crisis also addresses another reason to build environmentally responsible development, which is to help conserve dwindling natural resources. "Our current why of building is an outgrowth of the industrial age, when we assumed the earth offered an unlimited supply of cheap energy, unlimited natural resources, and an infinite capacity for disposing of waste in the land, the sea, and the air" (Brewster 31). George Brewster is development consultant and a member of the Environmentally Responsible Development Subcommittee. Therefore, his knowledge on the topic is qualified. In today’s society, we recognize that these assumptions are incorrect, but we have not adapted our building styles accordingly. The concern for air, land, and water pollution should also be considered when building homes.

The first reason why we should increase environmentally responsible residential development is because it reduces pollution. One type is air pollution, which is caused by emissions that are produced by the home and by the electric plants. "Traditional energy-inefficient home is responsible for 12.8 tons of air pollution per year" (Pijawka 97). An environmentally responsible home that is energy efficient would cut this figure dramatically by utilizing active and passive solar techniques. A home illustrating this was recently built in Flagstaff Arizona, because of the use of solar energy, there were no utility expenses (Phillips E4).

Another type of pollution that is being reduced by this type of development, is water pollution or contamination. Our rivers and bodies of water are poisoned by the runoff of lawn herbicides and pesticides, gallons of treated waste water, and contamination. Our rivers and bodies of water are poisoned by "runoff of lawn herbicides and pesticides, gallons of treated wastewater, and private septic tanks for systems" (Loeb 39). These are ills of traditional homes and cities. As the waters become more polluted they begin to die, and so does the life that lives within. Environmentally responsible residential development can incorporate many new technologies and innovations to help minimize these strains. The same new "space age" home in Flagstaff utilizes three concepts in minimizing their strain on our environment (Phillips E4). First they have roof collectors to collect rain and snow for household use, which is then filtered for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Next, the house utilizes what is called Grey water, collected drainage water, used to water the landscape. The last item in the home is a compost toilet that converts solid waste into fertilizer (Phillips E4). These concepts help to reduce our negative impacts on our environment.

The last type of pollution reduced by this type of development is land contamination. This can range from landfills to toxic waste dumps, bombing fields, and to chemical use on suburban lawns. Environmentally responsible development can help to reuse and recycle things that would have gone to a landfill. It also helps to use natural fertilizers instead of chemicals on landscapes. The Flagstaff home is composed of "old tires, aluminum cans, glass bottles, and straw bales" (Phillips E1). All of these things might have over wise been shipped to a landfill.

The second reason we should be building more environmentally responsible residential housing is because it conserves natural resources. Natural resources are water, air, land, wood, fossil fuels, and other building materials. The first way these homes conserve natural resources is by utilizing renewable energy. Energy such as wind, water, and the sun can never be depleted. Therefore, they are renewable sources. An environmentally responsible residential home can take advantage of these renewable sources to limit and to supply energy needed. The Flagstaff home utilizes solar power to run everything in the home (Phillips E4). This in turn is a relief on energy producing companies, like electric utilities. Another way to conserve natural resources is to utilize recycling principles. This includes the reuse of natural resources, the house its self, and of salvaged building material. If we build new homes on redevelopment areas or abandoned areas, we can reuse the natural resource of the land itself. Also, homes can be built with "engineered wood, rather than lumber" which cuts down the use of forest harvested wood (Pijawka 96). Engineered wood is simply recycled wood pieces compressed into larger useable wood pieces. Another way to cut down on natural resources is to design the actual home itself to be reused one day. By using recycled materials like engineered wood, glass, newspaper, plastic, and even tires, the entire home can be broken down and used again in the future.

The last way these home conserve natural resources is by recycling water. Uses such as Grey water for outdoor water needs and rain collection for usable indoor water needs, illustrated in the Flagstaff home, are excellent examples of how to recycle water. "The Grey water system can result in total independence from municipal potable water for landscape irrigation" (Pijawka 95). These environmental homes can also include water conserving appliances like toilets, which only use half of the water needed by regular toilet.

The final reason why we should be building more environmentally responsible residential development is because they ensure a sustainable future. It achieves this in three ways. The first is that it promotes and ensures a higher quality of life. By riding our earth of pollutants, we can make it a better world to live in. These homes provide room for homebuyers to directly influence their environment in a positive way. This type of development also ensures future generations resources. If mankind dose not stop the misuse of "resources like land, energy, water, air, and natural materials they will grow more scarce with each generation" (Pijawka 95). The intention of environmentally responsible homes is to take better care of our resources. The last way this development ensures a sustainable future is taking better care of the land. It does this by reducing pollution, conserving natural resources, and planning for the future. If we preserve the earth and its resources by building these types of homes, developers and homebuyer will help to provide a basis for future generations to live from. The Flagstaff home has done a great job at providing "a self-sustained habitat designed to eliminate electricity and utility costs, while at the same time considerably reducing resource depletion" (Phillips E1).

As stated earlier, society should provide incentives to help promote Environmentally responsible residential housing. When I say incentives I mean financial incentives. "The simplest interpretation of a financial incentive is that it lowers or defers the cost of energy efficiency relative to the alternatives" (Panel on Energy Demand Analysis 47). My plan for implementing more incentives must also deal with promoting the various incentives and options available to the public by education. In the Improving Energy Demand Analysis it states that "the most important influence on a program’s effectiveness is the implementation of it" (55). The Improving Energy Demand Analysis is a government study funded by the National Research Council, which is a very reliable source that I will depend on heavily. To really make an impact concerning any new incentives, they must be promoted or sold to households and builders. The limited number of incentives now offered by federal and state governments are not promoted to their full potential, which is why the current incentives are not being used to their full potential.

There are several types of different incentives available for energy efficient investments which include grants, price discounts, rebates, tax credits, and loans (Panel of Energy Demand Analysis 52). Some of these incentives such as grants, price discounts, and rebates appeal more to low income families, because they are more immediate forms of financial assistance. So, when our federal and state governments decided to offer incentives, they must provide an equal amount of incentives that attract both low and high-income families.

Many states fall behind in the incentives they could offer to promote design that is environmentally responsible. Our own state of Arizona, was one of the first states to offer a solar tax credit in May 1974 (Arizona Solar Energy Plan 4). Then in 1979, they commissioned to have the Arizona Solar Energy Plan drawn up. The plan included a wide scale promotion for the use of solar energy in the state. In it, there were objectives for public education and a legislative program. Some of these subprograms included an energy hotline and many environmental publications, which have since been cut. Arizona today, like many other states, may be ahead in environmental research but they are behind in new up to date legislation.

Today, Arizona only offers two environmental tax credits, which include the forms called the 310 Solar Credit, and the 316, a construction materials credit (Arizona Department of Revenue: Tax Forms and Tax Information System). Incentives, including tax breaks, should be expanded to include a wide variety of new alternative ways of being environmentally responsible types of development. For example, there should be incentives for homes that are more ecologically sound than just utilizing solar power. The Flagstaff home mentioned earlier, would qualify for these new types of incentives, because it utilizes Grey water systems, a filter to clean rain water for drinking water, and recycles materials such as tires for insulation (Phillips E2). These are possible types of new incentives to help encourage environmentally responsible development, but there must be regular reviews of new environmental technologies for legislation to be up to date.

Right now there are still those who say, "solar energy development budgets are being cut, the builders are not building, and the customers are not lining up for solar energy equipment. What has gone wrong?" (Commercializing Solar Energy in Arizona Conference 186). These conclusions are based on incentive legislature that is not successful at advertising the various programs. Only when households have "information concerning conservation technologies, and the magnitude of the costs and benefits of using them" will they invest more money into energy efficiency technologies (Panel on Energy Demand Analysis 44).

There are also those who believe "energy efficient technologies are functions of time, with or without a financial incentive" (Panel on Energy Demand Analysis 46). They argue that the incentives are used by only those in the market who would have bought the systems anyway. However, financial incentives do make building or installation costs available to those who ordinarily would not consider installing environmental technologies. Financial incentives for "residential energy efficiency does accelerate the rate of investments" in these technologies (Panel on Energy Demand Analysis 58).

In simplest terms, my plan involves promoting various new types of environmental incentives on a wide scale proportion. This involves state and federal governments to add new environmental incentive legislation, for both high and low-income households. They must then get involved with local governments to help aid in the education and promotion process of this new legislature. Reasons why consumers invest less in energy efficiency, is because they lack information on these technologies, and they are misinformed about the costs associated with them (Panel on Energy Demand Analysis 44). So, my plan is to educate them so that they are able to make sustainable decisions about the environment.

To help lessen human kinds footprints on this planet, we need to promote and build more environmentally responsible residential development. I have stated that this type of development does three things. First, by promoting and building this kind of development we can reduce pollution. This includes pollution of our precious air, water, and land. We can no longer tolerate a throwaway society if we are to provide a future for our children. Secondly, this development conserves our limited resources. We have the knowledge and the know-how to utilize renewable resources, which conserve non-renewable resources. Finally, environmentally responsible residential development ensures future generations and us a sustainable future. It is time to stop giving our children our garbage to clean up, and to start taking more action, which is exactly what my incentive plan calls for. By offering various different types of environmental incentives, and then educating and promoting them, we will begin to make a larger positive impact on our earth. Only by "applying solutions at a local level to this global challenge", will we make any difference at all (Pijawka 95).

Works Cited

Arizona State. Arizona Solar Energy Research Commission. Arizona Solar Energy Plan. Phoenix: Capital Tower, 1979.

Arizona State. Arizona Solar Energy Research Commission. Commercializing Solar Energy in Arizona Conference. Tempe: Arizona State University, 1977.

"Arizona Department of Revenue: Tax Form and Tax Information System." 1998. http://wwww.revenue.state.az.us/ (30 November, 1998).

Brewster, George B. "A Better Way to Build." Urban Land. June 1995: 30-35.

Griffin, C. W., Jr. "Energy Crisis: A Problem in Economics." Energy Conservation in Building: Techniques for Economical Design. Washington D. C.: The Construction Specifications Institute, 1974.

Loeb, Penny. "Very Troubled Waters: Despite the Clean Water Act, the Quality of Rivers Worsens." U.S. News and World Report. 28 Sept. 1998: 39-41.

Phillips, Kristi. "Home Made of Junk Takes Load off Planet." The Arizona Republic 24 Oct. 1998: E1.

Pijawka, K. David, and Kim Shetter. "Sustainable Design." The Environment Comes Home: Arizona Public Service Environmental Showcase Home. Tempe: Herberger Center for Design Excellence, 1995.

Simpson, J. A., and E. S. C. Weiner. The Oxford English Dictionary. 2^nd ed. 5 vols. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989.

United States. Panel on Energy Demand Analysis, Committed on Behavioral and Social Aspects, of Energy Consumption and Production, Commission on Behavioral and Social Science and Education, and the National Research Council. Improving Energy Demand Analysis. Washington D. C.: National Academy Press, 1984.