SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Nov. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — According to the American Institute of Architects (AIA), buildings are the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, but in a new poll conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), only 4 percent of U.S. Adults were aware of this fact. Autodesk, a leader of design innovation software and technologies, is one of more than 1,000 companies coming together in Boston at the 2008 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo to raise awareness about this important issue and present solutions to help the building industry decrease carbon emissions.

Here’s an extract from my book Eco Living, published in 2000, on just this subject:

The Energy-Efficient Home

Our buildings are the most wasteful energy users in industrial countries. Turning down the heat and insulating the attic may seem mundane, but these steps are important and there are many others that you can take.
Architects are increasingly conscious of energy efficient design. There are a number of model building projects around the country where energy use is as little as a quarter of that in similar but conventionally built houses, thanks to advance insulation and materials and careful orientation. We can also choose energy efficient appliances and products.

Better home insulation led to awareness of the dangers of combustion by products, which include formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and a host of other vapours and gases, because in a well insulated house they invariably build up more than in a traditional draughty British home. Contrary to expectation, studies have found that colds and ’flu are less likely in draughty buildings. This may be because there is a build up of viruses in well-sealed buildings or because fresh air is needed to keep our immune systems functioning effectively (see also Chapter 4).

A high-tech super insulated building will need mechanical ventilation, and indoor air pollution control will be essential. Be especially careful to ensure that gas appliances have plenty of ventilation – to the outside! – while in operation. They must be correctly adjusted in order to burn efficiently. In the summer, a small ceiling fan helps to keep the place cool and in winter it circulates the warm air which would otherwise rise to the top of the room and stay there.

Tips for Reducing your Carbon Contribution

• Choose the smallest home that is reasonable for you or your family. Consider sharing or renting out excess space.
• Minimise your heating, cooling and hot water costs.
• Maintain efficient lighting and appliances.
• Use non-electrical equipment whenever possible.
• Buy certified organic produce (organic food is grown without energy-intensive chemicals).
• Plant trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetable (plants absorb carbon from the air).
• Use local shops and ask for locally grown products.
  Choose a power company that offer renewable energy – more options are coming and Friends of the Earth can help now with a list of greener electricity companies (see Resources).

Two lessons:
–There is a site called Freecycle.com (dot com not dot org) that tries to pull traffic
–People use sob stories to get free things that they then sell on eBay–I’m now cynical about the notes about “my dear old granddad who’s writing a book,” after being warned by the forum moderator to let him manage the computer giveaway

I’m trying this to get a new refrigerator now: “I’d love to find a home fridge in reasonable condition, left-opening preferred, to replace my leaking contributor to global warming (it’s ancient and you do *not* want it!). I have two smaller fridges I would be happy to exchange: one a dorm-size and the other about twice that big. I have some other things–office furniture, and perennial plants–that might also appeal to you. I’m in Great Barrington. Thanks.” A good experiment, for me and for the planet.

There were some fascinating little asides, too, that weren’t the usual obvious or trivial tips. One referred to research about the environmental effects of divorce, and another explained that human hair is the very best material for cleaning up oil spills–in a completely ecological process, or cycle. The hair is made into mats that mop up the oil, and the oil-soaked mats can in turn be composted. Salons are asked to donate hair to the program. I’ve already written the two salons I use to suggest this, and I hope you’ll do the same.

And here’s a PDF of the research about divorce.

Using the finest Handcrafted Soaps made from natural ingredients, Simmons soaps are handcrafted with care using the traditional cold process method. Carefully cured to perfection, then individually wrapped by hand in beautiful, ecological, handmade Thai papers and labeled with recycled paper, printed with soy-based inks.

We start with the finest natural oils of olive, palm, and coconut for our basic recipe. Organically grown herbs, grains, and pure botanical essences are added to make each variety unique. And we monitor each batch to ensure what we make and sell is the best.

I know that if I run out of their aloe vera with kelp soap (“The best of land and sea. Citrus scented complexion bar with skin softening kelp. Moisturizing.”), I find myself longing for it!

Research in Australia and New Zealand suggests that honey heals because it attacks bacteria in several different ways at once. Because honey is composed of saturated sugars, it sucks up water, depriving bacteria of the liquid they need to survive and multiply. As bees make honey they secrete glucoseoxidase, an enzyme that releases the bleach hydrogen peroxide when it comes into contact with wound liquids. The low-level but frequent release of this chemical ensures regular anti-bacterial washes of the wound.

Although honey is not about to usurp antibiotics, Dr Simon thinks it should be brought back into conventional medicine—and not only to sugar the pill.

This is one example of the kind of plant we need on this crowded planet: producing greens, grain, and flowers that the Victorians called “Love Lies Bleeding.” Here’s an article about amaranth’s value in developing countries.

Just that, using less of every product we buy, will make a bigger difference than switching to different detergents or floor cleaners. An unscientific estimate, based on observation of the people I know and on how I (someone who is supposedly ultraconscious about these things and also quite frugal) use products, is that we could reduce consumption by 25-50% without any effect on results. Think of the dramatic reduction that would make in water and air pollution caused by cleaning products.

I tested this with personal care products recently – which I’m sure we overuse in the same way – on a four-week trip to China. My usual travel containers are fine for a week, but four weeks? I did get something bigger for shampoo, but otherwise figured I’d try to get by, and pick up replacements if I had to. It was amazing, though, to see how knowing I had to make things last made a difference. I did not buy a single replacement, and even arrived home with a little left in some containers. And I wasn’t deprived: I was just using enough and no more.