| The Copenhagen talks last December did not | | | | just past as the warmest decade in recorded history. |
| produce any outstanding results that were legally | | | | Dwindling carbon-based fuels mandate people take |
| binding on all the countries that attended the | | | | conservation seriously and that includes using the |
| conference on climate change. The original BRIC | | | | most environmentally-friendly ways of heating their |
| nations composed of Brazil, Russia, India and China | | | | homes today. |
| which was the new group to contend with in financial | | | | Homebuilders today are now more focused on |
| and banking circles because of their fast-growth | | | | constructing green homes because most potential |
| economies, soon gave way to new grouping called | | | | home buyers are now demanding it. These |
| BASIC which stands for that of Brazil, Africa | | | | construction companies cited lack of viable demand |
| (actually, South Africa the nation and not the | | | | and also increased costs when making homes |
| continent), India and China was a group to reckon | | | | greener but that is no longer the case. The |
| with during the climate talks. These countries had | | | | sustainability of green technology is now assured and |
| their fast-growing economies contributing a lot to | | | | this can be seen in the emphasis on systems when |
| carbon emissions and they were worried putting a | | | | building a home. For example, builders now think of |
| cap on the emissions will compromise their economic | | | | how they can save on electricity, heating and |
| growth. In particular, they wanted the developed, | | | | plumbing installations and pass these to new home |
| richer countries to abide by their twin promises of | | | | owners. |
| complying with the Kyoto Protocol and also deliver on | | | | Other than lighting, heating a home is the largest |
| the technology and funds transfer to help developing | | | | expense. The most obvious solution is to use solar |
| nations combat climate change by reducing carbon | | | | panels to produce electricity during summer and store |
| emissions. | | | | that electricity in batteries to be used during winter. |
| Despite what happened, some countries had | | | | People who use solar energy for heating are often |
| undertaken their own initiatives to slow down the | | | | given incentives in the form of tax rebates and they |
| process of global warming through a series of | | | | can also sell their excess electricity to the power grid |
| measures. Prominent among these governments is | | | | to earn credits. It is part of making people go for |
| the state of California which had mandated a new | | | | green technologies when heating their homes. A |
| green building code statewide. Among these | | | | country that is worth emulating, if natural resources |
| measures are a 20% water usage reduction and that | | | | permit, is Iceland. It has the green homes powered |
| 50% of all construction waste should be recycled and | | | | by clean energies - either from hydro-electric power |
| not sent to a dump site or landfill. Likewise, | | | | stations or coming from a geothermal power plant. If |
| commercial buildings will have their air-conditioning, | | | | one drills deep down enough, geothermal can be |
| heating and mechanical equipment subject to | | | | found anywhere on Earth and this is a more reliable |
| mandatory state inspections. It seems everybody is | | | | power source as the Sun does not come out in |
| talking green these days and rightly so, with the US | | | | winter when its heat rays are needed the most. |
| Meteorological Service declaring the previous decade | | | | |