Perspective: What Makes One Product or Technology Greener?

What makes one product or technology better for the environment than another? How can we be sure it’s really better? The deeper we probe into the environmental impact of different products and technologies, the greater the complexity. An ecology professor of mine in college stated that his field was “the study of the incomprehensible by the incompetent.” That’s how it feels sometimes as we attempt to analyze the impact of our buildings on the environment. We can never fully understand, much less quantify, the many interwoven factors influencing environmental impact.

That said, comparing different building products and technologies relative to the environment is just what we attempt to do with our two in-depth articles in this issue. In the case of sheathing products, we look at a few common materials (plywood, OSB, and boards), several that aren’t as familiar to many architects and builders (fiberboard, Thermo-ply®, and comply), plus the option of no sheathing at all. The other article deals with wood as a heating fuel and why pellet stoves are better for the environment than conventional wood stoves.

While we readily admit that our analysis is incomplete, it is at least a start. By learning as much as we can about how building products are made, evaluating claims, talking to the engineers at manufacturing plants, and sifting through mountains of statistics cranked out by government agencies and trade associations, we try to draw some conclusions that you will find useful in your day-to-day decision-making. This will be a regular aim of EBN. We won’t necessarily tell you which product to buy or which heating fuel to incorporate into a building, but we hope, at least, to help you figure out what questions to ask and how to begin evaluating your options relative to the environment.

More and more clients and consumers are demanding environmental responsibility. Even the corporate giants of the building materials world are responding in various ways to this demand. We builders and designers are the link between manufacturers and consumers. Our actions can speed up the transition to sustainability, or hold it back. Yes, there is still much to be learned about the environmental impact of our building materials and technologies. But enough is known today to begin factoring the environment into all of our decision-making.

— Alex Wilson