I feel a bit like a band wagon jumper writing about the "green revolution" that we have heard so much about over the past few years but understand little about what's really going on with our environment. One major observation that I have had is that "Green" is big business!

From my order of organic fair trade coffee in the morning, to my home baked organic bread, I must admit that I try and go green whenever I can. But what for? I have come to the realization that I try and be "green" just because I can. I mean, why choose to pollute when I can prevent my immediate surroundings from being polluted? Why eat chemically altered food, when I have the choice to do otherwise? Why waste money in my business by throwing out scrap paper when I have the choice to write on the other side of the scrap? The point that I am trying to illustrate is that I choose to be "green" because it's what I "want" to do, not because I expect profits from my customers by being this way.

Where exactly am I going with this? Hang in there.

I own a mortgage brokerage and financial coaching business. We help clients sort through all of the mental "garbage" & obstacles banks will put clients through, get better mortgage deals and options, and try our very best to provide an exceptional level of customer service that our competitors cannot achieve. I tend to really notice all of the "little things that make a BIG difference" when it comes to being a better business each day. I also notice what the banks and other mortgage brokers advertise out to the marketplace.

Everyone is talking about Green Building. Every channel you flip to or page you turn has another reminder that green building is the talk of the nation. The number of contemporary home plans that are built with eco friendly features will rise from 2% in 2005 to an estimated 10% in 2010 according to a study by the NAHB and McGraw-Hill. That is 1 out of 10 homes and a five hundred percent increase over a five year period! I can only make observations and guesses at what market conditions are driving these increases; so instead, I want to talk about why we should build green in the first place.

1. Green Buildings save Energy. Buildings account for 39.4% of the total U.S. energy consumption. That is the TOTAL energy consumption. Every time you fill up with gas, or get a utility bill you are reminded of the ever-increasing demand for energy. Through some relatively simple changes in a building's design and solar orientation, air sealing, high performance windows, efficient HVAC, and increased insulation this demand can be cut in half or even more.

2. Green Buildings save Water. Occupants of Buildings use 12% of the total water consumed in the U.S. per day. Some easy ways to cut our water usage in half is to use low flow faucets and shower heads, low flow or dual-flush toilets, energy star or water sense dish washers and clothes washers, and native and draught resistant landscaping with water sensing or weathermatic irrigation. Every gallon of water that we conserve also means less energy to purify and deliver it to the home, and treat and return it to the environment.