Sustainability/Green Building & Development:

…the many shades of “green”…

Green building according to The National Association of Home Builders Resource Directory is “the design, construction, and operation of homes according to resource-efficiency standards for energy, water, building design and materials, as well as indoor air quality standards.”

Mary Mike & Associates is accredited by the Missouri Real Estate Commission (School ID # 19300) to offer real estate education in the State of Missouri including education on Green Building. click to see courses being offered

A broader view is that green building is designing and building homes and workplaces to be non-toxic, efficient, healthy and harmonious for the people using them and for the planet.

“Green building is an ‘applied common sense’ … that has its roots based in the wisdom of our forefathers. …thoughtful placement on the land, wise use of water, incorporating natural energy, and building healthy environments…

” This is much more than just adding energy efficient features to a home or building and requires a more integrated design approach to incorporate it into a larger ecosystem. (David Johnston, “Building Green in a Black and White World”)

Most of us understand that “green”, ecological and sustainable living begins in our lives, not just in the process of building as important and basic as that is, but also in how we use resources and dispose of waste.

Sustainability, however, has a larger meaning yet. It means taking a holistic approach to the economic and social as well as the environmental needs of an individual, a family, a community, a nation, a world.