It would also be wise to obtain a rating on a house you are thinking of buying. We are about to embark on an environmental renovation of the Eco-Home demonstration home. The focus has been almost exclusively on new building and development. Utility services are already in place in existing buildings and communities. No matter how environmentally new developments are built, they still consume more new land and more resources and generate more traffic than does redevelopment, in which existing structures and services are conserved.
Many more people are financially able to remodel their homes than are able to buy new ones.
In short, an even greater need and opportunity for environmental building exists in the field of building and community renovation than in new development. So I'd like to congratulate everyone here for being willing to meet the challenge of leading the way into an area of sustainable building that is beginning to be recognized as of primary significance. The business of home construction and remodeling has changed dramatically in the last few years. Environmental regulations, awareness and responsibility have introduced myriad new variables into the decision making process, choice of materials, application of materials and procedures, even the handling of demolition and construction waste. So many variables, in fact, that no one person, architect, designer, contractor or engineer can know everything necessary to build in a sustainable manner.