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30. What is the difference between GREEN and SUSTAINABILITY?

This is a common question. As our principal often says: “Green is a color and has nothing to do with sustainability.” Green is nothing more than a color, but the word has become a catch phrase for describing everything “good” for the environment. It is important for the public to realize and understand that their are many products being advertised and sold commercially on the market today that claim to be “Green”, but understand that they may not be sustainable or even safe for the environment. Some products on the market such as the structural insulated panels (SIP) are advertised as a “green” product, but they are not a sustainable material. To be sustainable the product must have a life cycle. One that begins, is used and then ends and is recycled; returning back into the environment. Structural insulated panels have been around since the early 70’s. They are made up of either Polystyrene or Polyurethane foam commonly known as Styrofoam. This material can not be safely and efficiently disposed of and its manufacture and use damages the environment and biological organisms including humans. Of all of the building materials and products on the market today this is probably the most dangerous. This danger is magnified when using the product in structural insulated panels (SIP) because when it burns it produces large amounts of Benzene, Dioxin, and many other very dangerous toxins. Many countries of the world have banned its manufacture and use within their borders due to these health risks. To put this in perspective, lets say you live in a subdivision that has 50 homes. The homes are constructed of structural insulated panels (SIP) and one of the homes catches on fire. (The odds of this happening can be as high as 1 in 100 depending on where you live in the United States- so it is fairly probable). The homes structural insulated panels (SIP) will quickly start breaking down the polystyrene material and releasing deadly airborne concentrations of benzene and dioxin. The concentration will be high enough that any human population down wind of this fire will be in danger of exposure and death. The fire will release very high levels of these chemicals and if you are exposed to them, even for a short period, it will have irreversible effects on your body which include permanent brain damage, heart failure, lung damage, and cancer or death (this is why they are banned in many countries). The brave men and women of the fire department will have to fight this fire and they will be at the highest risk from not only physical injury, but from chemical exposure. I have not even discussed the damage it will do to the environment and to the community where this fire took place. The aftermath, will result in the all of the homes down wind being permanently contaminated and will be unsafe for human occupation as conforming to EPA building occupation standards. This can happen and has happened. So you can see that a product that is listed, advertised and sold as a green product is absolutely, without any question not sustainable in any way. It is nothing more than a marketing campaign to sell their product. They had to change the word association to achieve this deception. Don’t be fooled!