‘The specitic environmental issues of concern to society will vary with time, the cultural and political context, and the bioregion. The development and application of technology does, and will continue to, have profound influence. A specific disaster, whether natural in origin, such as weather-related, or created by society, such as an oil- spill, can create a “crisis” that may divert or focus specific environmental concerns. In addition, environmental issues tend to be controversial. Economic concerns and per- sonal freedoms will often clash with the environmental perspective. The result is that there are many different ways to study environmental concerns, and the content can vary widely. From the perspective of housing, environmental con- cerns are focused on the provision of a healthy, safe, supportive living environment that is sustainable within the natural environment. There is an emphasis on resource conservation! and pollution prevention, both in providing the built environment of the home and in supporting the way people live within that environment. Increasingly, the housing industry is focusing on the concept of sustainable devel- opment in the design and construction of housing. The term, “green building” is often used to describe housing that is more in balance with the environment. Although green building can take on many different meanings, examples might include: energy-effi- cient construction, water-conserving equipment, native landscape, passive solar de- sign, indigenous building materials, and recycled construction products. In order to better understand the choices and trade-offs that must be made in order to develop sustainable housing, a broad understanding of environmental concerns is needed. Thus, a typical study of environmental issues in housing, in the context of today, might encompass the following content: 1. a global perspective on environmental issues; 2. energy management; . waste management; . Water quality and conservation; . hazardous substances; and . indoor air quality. DAuAPpwUnderstanding major environmental issues is important to provide a context for the environmental concerns that relate to housing. Most environmental problems relate to excessive demand for energy and resource-intensive consumer products, increasing use of disposable products, and a priority on convenience. The environmental cost is high to manufacture, transport, market, use, and dispose of consumer products. The housing industry has a responsibility to critically examine the design and development of housing to use fewer resource-intensive and polluting products, to minimize the resource and energy needs to operate the building, and to foster an environmentally friendly lifestyle for inhabitants. Listed below are seven critical environmental issues facing the world today. Failure to address these issues prohibits the achievement of environmental sustainability. A brief description is included. Acid Rain Air pollutants, particularly sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxides, mix with rain and lower the pH of rain (increase the acidity). The acid rain kills plants and acidifies sur- face water, thus killing aquatic life. The food chain is upset. Atmospheric conditions and weather patterns can mean acid rainfall far from the pollution sources. In addition, acidic water run-off from acid rain is more reactive, and will pick up more pollutants, further threatening our water supply. The primary sources of sulfur dioxide and nitro- gen dioxides are coal-burning power plants and factories, and car and truck engines. Increasing demands for electricity to operate larger and larger homes as well as trans- portation of construction products from manufacturer to building site are examples of contributors to acid rain. Air Pollution A major component of air pollution is ground-level ozone, produced when sunlight interacts with hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. Ozone is an irritant to people and animals, and is toxic to plants. The burning of fossil fuels in manufacturing processes, combustion engines, and power plants is the primary source of ozone-producing hy- drocarbons. In addition, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are widely used hydro- carbon solvents that are easily evaporated and that contribute to the formation of ozone. VOCs include methylene chloride, toluene, methanol, ethanol, acetone, and mineral spirits, and are found in many household and construction products. Examples of house- hold products with VOCs include manufactured wood products such as particleboard, glues, paints, varnishes, strippers, degreasers, and cleaners. VOCs are contributors to air pollution both outside and inside the home.Waste - . Much ot what is thrown out are resources that could be recycled into new products or returned to the soil through composting (de- composing organic waste in a controlled process). Waste-to-energy incineration could be used to burn waste, dramatically reducing the volume of waste for disposal in land- fills and producing useful heat, such as might be used for electricity generation. How- ever, alternative disposal practices may have high initial costs and lack public accep- tance. In addition, 15% or more of waste is hazardous and, if not properly disposed, will threaten plant and animal life as well as our water supply. Water Pollution Acid rain, air pollution, waste disposal, and hazardous waste all threaten our water supply. In addition, rivers and streams are used as dumping grounds for liquid wastes from industry and homes. Run-off from rain ~ “pollutants from roads, parking lots, roofs, gardens, and farms into the water supply. Growing pollution of both surface and ground water leads to the question of the quantity and the quality of our fresh water supply and its distribution in relation to need. Treatment of polluted water can be a major municipal expense yet, housing development is dependent on access to a quality water supply. The need exists to make homes as water-efficient as possible to protect our natural water supplies.