Like everything in life, sustainable options have pluses and minuses and you have to make the choices relative to initial cost versus long-term savings, durability versus maintenance expense, energy savings versus recycled or recyclable materials. Green choices are not all black and white.

Your initial response as you jump into the green building mode might be that it is totally overwhelming. Clayton Bennett brings the options down to earth in a practical, well-organized manner. He addresses material options, recent technology and everyday green practices. Each part is divided into ten chapters, addressing a particular characteristic, like the health impact of a material, ventilating your home or financial incentives. He points out potential pitfalls and tradeoffs so that you don’t walk away thinking this could be a perfect world if everyone would just read this book. It can absolutely become a better world, however, and you can make a difference.

A tradeoff example is plastic, a petroleum product. PVC is considered harmful to the environment, but benign plastic, such as polypropylene, does not contain harmful toxins, it has the necessary properties for plumbing and it is recyclable. Polypropylene, therefore, is considered a green alternative to copper water piping.

It may be difficult to give up something that affects your personal life for benefits that you may never see, but Bennett points out that there are many options that can make a noticeably positive effect on your life. Focusing on improving your lifestyle and long-term expenditures may be the place to start. Becoming better informed is definitely a good starting point and Greening Your Home is readable and full of informative tidbits.