Forty years after the first Earth Day, the world is in greater peril than ever. And Americans are a huge part of the problem.
Americans are roughly 5 percent of the world’s population and consume 25 percent of the world’s resources. Almost 50 percent of the energy we produce comes from coal, an energy source that is rapidly depleting. The burning of fossil fuels such as coal has also substantially increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, contributing to the green house effect and global warming.
Our garbage dumps and junkyards are also filling quickly, with goods that might have been reused or recycled. Waste in these landfills leeches toxic chemicals into the ground.
The time to build a clean energy network is now. The time to reduce the amount of waste we produce is now. The time to conserve precious resources is now.
Austin’s population has doubled every twenty years since 1900. As the population grows, so does our footprint. We must find ways of living and growing in harmony with nature and with the earth’s finite resources. Austin Habitat for Humanity has made a commitment to sustainability.
Through our construction program, Austin Habitat builds homes equipped with many green features. In addition to benefiting the entire Austin community by conserving energy and natural resources, these features make the home more affordable by reducing energy and water bills of Habitat homeowners. For more information about our specific green features, see the Austin Habitat for Humanity case study by RESNET:
http://www.baihp.org/habitat/pdf/Casestudy%20_AustinTexas_%20Final.pdf
All of these features usually combine to score five stars under the Austin Green Building Program.
Our deconstruction program is also a viable solution to one of our biggest environmental issues as a society- waste. Our deconstruction team is able to salvage 50-80% of the structures they physically dismantle, keeping these materials out of landfills. One of the materials they salvage in the largest quantities is lumber, which they recycle to prevent the destruction of more forests.
The ReStore also has a powerful effect on the environment. Thanks to the ReStore, tons of reusable building materials are put back to use in the community instead of taking up precious space in our landfills. The ReStore is the winner of the 2007 Keep Austin Beautiful Award for Waste Reduction and Recycling and was chosen as one of Best.com’s Top Ten Places to Go Green in 2009.
Austin Habitat for Humanity is also engaged in advocacy, and educates our homeowners, the community, and other affiliates about our green practices. Our architect helps other Habitat affiliates and non-profits in the hot and humid climate zone build greener homes. Our ReStore was the first of its kind in the nation, and today there are more than 600 others. Our deconstruction program is also a model for other Habitat affiliates.
ReStore employee Kate Hermann represents AHFH at IBM Austin's 2010 Earth Day Exhibit
By supporting Austin Habitat for Humanity, YOU too become a part of the solution to not only our affordable housing crisis, but our environmental crisis. Donate, volunteer, or advocate today!!!
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