Green Schools Alliance (GSA) is an initiative started by schools around the world to help solve problems related to climate change and protecting the environment. It works by creating a network where schools work together to lower their greenhouse gas emissions and help schools put eco-friendly solutions into action more quickly. GSA schools share and use the best ways to be eco-friendly, and they help schools, communities, and the natural world work together.
Zero waste, or waste minimization, is a set of rules that aim to stop waste from being created. It encourages changing how products are made and used so that materials are reused or repurposed in new ways. The goal is to keep trash out of landfills, incinerators, oceans, and other places in the environment.
Deconstruction is the careful removal of parts from buildings for reuse, repurposing, recycling, or waste management. It is different from demolition, which is the fastest way to clear a building from a site. Deconstruction is sometimes called “construction in reverse.” It requires more hands-on work than traditional demolition, making it a good way for unskilled or unemployed workers to learn job skills.
Straw-bale construction is a building method that uses straw bales, often made from wheat, as parts of a building’s structure or insulation. This technique is frequently used in natural building projects or “brown” construction efforts. Studies have shown that straw-bale construction is an eco-friendly building method because it uses materials that can be replaced naturally and requires less energy for heating and cooling buildings.
Cob, cobb, or clom (in Wales) is a natural building material made from subsoil, water, fibrous organic material like straw, and sometimes lime. Subsoil can vary, and if it lacks the right mix, sand or clay may be added to adjust it. Cob is fireproof, protects against termites, resists shaking from earthquakes, and uses low-cost materials.
Rammed earth, also known as pisé, is a building method used to create strong foundations, floors, and walls by pressing together natural materials like soil, chalk, lime, or gravel. This technique is very old, but it has become popular again recently because it helps protect the environment. Pisé can also describe a type of sculpture material.
An earth structure is a building or other structure made mostly from soil. Because soil is easy to find, people have used it for building since ancient times. It can be mixed with other materials, pressed together, or baked to make it stronger.
Carbon12 is a wooden building located in the Eliot neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, in the United States. This eight-story structure was built using cross-laminated timber (CLT) made in Oregon. When it was completed, it became the tallest wooden building in the United States.
A Zero-Energy Building (ZEB), also called a Net Zero-Energy (NZE) building, is a building that uses as much energy as it produces in a year. This energy is created on the building’s site or from other places using renewable sources, such as solar panels, heat pumps, energy-efficient windows, and good insulation. The goal of these buildings is to release fewer greenhouse gases into the atmosphere compared to similar buildings that are not NZE.
The 2030 Challenge is a program started by Edward Mazria and Architecture 2030 to make all new buildings and renovations produce no carbon emissions by 2030. This effort aims to prevent the very bad effects of climate change caused by buildings. Buildings, construction, and the way they are used create almost 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions each year.