The New Ecological Home: A Complete Guide to Building Options. A Chelsea Green Guide for Homeowners. How to make your home earth-friendly, healthy, economical, secure, and beautiful! Shelter, like many elements of human existence, comes at an extraordinary cost to our planet and its inhabitants. Nearly 60% of all timber cut in the United States is used to build 1.2 million new houses per year. Construction wastes - and the staggering amounts of electricity, water, and nonrenewable products consumed in the day-to-day operation of the modern household - add to the massive drain on Earth's natural resource base. In addition to environmental costs, there are personal economic costs - the thousands of dollars homeowners spend each year to heat, cool, and power their homes. Today, a new generation of architects and builders is emerging, intent on constructing homes that cost a fraction of the environmental impact of conventional housing. Green building not only helps heal the planet, but also meets human needs more fully than standard building practices, creating healthier, less costly, more beautiful living spaces. The New Ecological Home contains a wealth of up-to-date, practical information on green building techniques, materials, products, and technologies, including: energy-efficient design, wood-wise construction, passive solar heating and cooling, earth-sheltered architecture, environmental landscaping, and nontoxic and natural building materials. Author Daniel D. Chiras provides an invaluable resource for home buyers, owner-builders, and anyone interested in building for a sustainable future. 10" x 8". 325 page softcover with b&w photos, drawing, charts, and tables. Resource guide, 4 appendices, and a glossary at back of book. Free Shipping! To order by phone call Toll-Free 1 - 866 - 596 - 9982.