Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

Think Globally: “Organic buildings are the strength and lightness of the spiders’ spinning, buildings qualified by light, bred by native character to environment, married to the ground” (Frank Lloyd Wright)

Act Locally: Consider Low-impact Materials

“Most-but not all- of the environmental impacts associated with building materials have already occurred by the time the materials are installed. Raw materials have been extracted from the ground or harvested from forests; pollutants have been emitted during manufacture; and energy has been invested throughout production. Some materials, such as those containing ozone-depleting HCFCs and VOCs, continue emitting pollutants during use. And some materials have significant environmental impacts associated with disposal. Sample strategies include: Avoid materials that generate a lot of pollution (VOCs, HCFCs, etc.) during manufacture or use. Specify materials with low energy use in creation. Specify materials from waste or recycled materials. Specify materials salvaged from other uses. Avoid materials that unduly deplete limited natural resources, such as old-growth timber. Avoid materials made from toxic or hazardous constituents (benzene, arsenic, etc.)