(First in a series)

MANILA, Philippines ? How can we live lightly on the Earth and save money at the same time? Luckily, there are ways as well as products that are now available so we could start living more sustainable.

Most of us are too familiar with roofs that are made of galvanized iron sheets or concrete. While these roofs are practical and economical, they pose a challenge for homebuilders who would want to have a more environment-friendly structure.

During the 17th Construction Show Cebu, one exhibitor intrigued this writer as exhibitors presented a rather new concept in covering the top of our home or any building structure for that matter.

Distributed by Supersonic Manufacturing Inc. (www.supersonic.ph), Elmich brand of green roof converts an otherwise dull conventional concrete or corrugated GI roof into an aesthetically pleasing, functional and environment-friendly roof.

?It?s made from 100 percent recycled plastic structures that are designed to efficiently discharge water not absorbed by the plants, provide an insulating and protective layer above the waterproofing membranes that cover the roof,? said Josephine Muñoz, product manager of Supersonic Manufacturing.

Muñoz explained that Elmich Green Roof could be partially or completely covered with vegetation ranging from lawns, flowering plants and shrubs to small trees.

?This offers tremendous benefits since the vegetation reduces rain water runoff (usually the plants absorb about 60 to 70 percent of the rainfall), cuts energy use (since it?s much cooler inside the structure), minimizes air pollution (the plants collect airborne particulates and store carbon), filters out most of outside noise and shields the roof from the harmful effects of daily sunlight and UV exposure,? Muñoz said.

She added that aside from the Green Roof, her firm also markets Elmich Green Wall, which is comprised of vertical modules assembled from high-strength lightweight structural panels.

?Its front panel has unique grids that allow plants to grow, resulting in a wall that could be planted with herb or vegetables,? Muñoz said.

Like the green roof, the green wall also insulates the house or building structures from outside noise as well as solar heat.

While green building from the point of energy efficiency and occupants? comfort is becoming a commonplace, we also need to consider the issue of building miles, meaning, how far have building materials traveled to reach the building sites?

?We need to consider building miles?or building kilometers?because we rely on transportation that uses oil seen as the major cause behind climate change and global warming,? said Romarico Alvarez, president and CEO of PA Alvarez Properties and Development Corp.

Building materials

His firm, which is behind numerous residential developments around Laguna, Cavite and Metro Manila, uses building materials that are sourced near the building site.

?Transportation of building materials over long distances?by ship, train or trucks?is inherently unsustainable. You?re not only spending more to transport them but you?re also allowing a huge volume of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission to go into the air. Therefore, it makes more sense if you could get your materials within a few kilometers from your project site,? Alvarez explained.

He added that doing such also enables local businesses to prosper.

?It?s true that in today?s globalized economy most of our building materials come from countries that produces them cheaply, in most number and at the quickest time. However, with the rising price of oil, it will eventually make more sense to get most of your building materials from local manufacturers and suppliers,? Alvarez said.

He believes that relying less on imported materials could start the resurgence of local manufacturers.

?The rethinking of how we will house ourselves in an ecologically sustainable way is a huge task, but as with all aspects of rethinking the way we live, it is a great opportunity for us developers to have the power to build new communities that our buyers actually want: one that costs within their means, beautiful to look at, comfortable to live in and doesn?t impact too much on the environment,? he said.

(Next: Using long lasting components)