| Every day, it seems like citizens and governments | | | | (especially in larger cities), they use green home |
| all over the world are becoming increasingly aware | | | | building in a very practical, widespread, and |
| of the need to conserve. And while America is | | | | simplistic way. Most people residing in a large |
| focusing more on the environment than it used to | | | | European city live in a much smaller space than |
| (with its newly popular green home building | | | | the average U.S. home. In addition, most European |
| initiatives in particular), the U.S. is still behind the | | | | houses, apartments, and businesses use simple |
| times when it comes to conservation. Europe in | | | | green home building ideas to keep their spaces |
| particular has been leading the way in green home | | | | cool in summer instead of the air conditioning so |
| building and especially in energy conservation for | | | | common in the U.S. These include roll down |
| many years. | | | | screens, patio shading, double windows, and |
| Energy Conservation in Europe | | | | more.Green Home Building in America |
| Europe is at the forefront of the green | | | | To sum it up: in Europe, the people have been |
| movement, including green home design... and with | | | | conscious of the need to switch off the lights |
| good reason. Because on the continent, gasoline, | | | | when they are not using them for decades... |
| natural gases, and energy costs significantly more | | | | because they needed to save money. In the U.S., |
| than it does in America, and it has been that way | | | | people are just getting used to not seeing energy |
| for many years. Because of this, both individual | | | | as something that will always be inexpensive and |
| Europeans and European governments are much | | | | easily available, and are slowly developing a better |
| more energy conscious than Americans. This is | | | | instinct for conservation. This changing mindset is |
| seen in European culture in a lot of ways. | | | | evidenced by the increasing popularity of green |
| A big thing that separates Europe from the U.S. in | | | | home building. |
| energy conservation is a massive network of | | | | The green home building concepts being used in |
| railroads and other forms of public transport. In | | | | America revolve around simple ideas, such as less |
| addition to mass transit in essentially every major | | | | square footage, improved insulation, and smarter |
| European city, the continent also boasts a well | | | | positioning to the sun, as well as the use of |
| utilized long distance passenger rail service. And | | | | alternative energy sources like solar paneling. |
| even though there are plenty of individually owned | | | | Green home building also incorporates more |
| vehicles in European countries, most cities in | | | | complex concepts, such as the use of sustainable |
| Europe boast a higher percentage of mass transit | | | | materials and less harmful products, to protect |
| users (and bicycle riders) than the United States. | | | | the environment and conserve energy in the long |
| European energy consciousness is also visible in | | | | run. America is a little behind, but with luck will |
| the way Europeans build their homes. In Europe | | | | start catching up to the standard set by Europe. |