Although day-to-day

lifeis very

cornfortabl, we pay a high price in the long term.

Bu.ilding
by Mary Beth Leatherdale t takes a lot of energy to keep a Another problem

for the

Environment
big environmental the

home running. Energy is needed to run the furnace in the winter, and to boil the at

we face is feeding

to warm the water for your shower in the morning, kettle for your hot chocolate

world's growing population with less and less farmland. Canada is a very large country, but only a very (less than small part of the country

night. Every time you open the fridge to get a snack or throw your favourite pair of jeans in the wash up more energy. you are gobbling

10 per cent) has land that can grow crops. Only about half of that small area has the right temperatures amount of rainfall to grow crops and

In addition, everything inside your home, from the floor under your feet to the plastic glass you drink from, needs electricity, water, or fossil fuels to make it. Although day-to-day life is very comfortable, we pay a high price in the long term. The energy consumed and pollutes the environment. in our homes uses up valuable resources

successfully. And in Canada and the rest of the world, more and more of this good farmland is being used to build houses and highways. Treetop Living Some people choose to live in environmentally that don't friendly homes Like use up valuable

resources and good farmland.

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six hours to put the portable tree house together. The finished tree house is two storeys high, in the shape of a tepee. It has a kitchen on the first floor and sleeping rooms on the second. Geologists, foresters, and rangers use the portable tree house when they're travelling in the wilderness. They can set up camp and then pack up and move on, without having harmed the natural environment III any way. Floating Homes Living high in the trees is not the only way to save land. Some people in Canada are choosing to live in houses that float on lakes and rivers, and in ocean harbours. Not only do floating homes save valuable farmland, but many also make good use of the water where they are anchored. A special pump, called a geothermal heat pump, takes the heat from the water and changes it into a natural gas that heats the house. It also provides warm water in the bathroom and kitchen. The owners of one floating home "run a tight ship." Instead of using new materials to build their

the Swiss Family Robinson, today many people are making their homes in the treetops. They build a small, simple home from recycled material like driftwood. Their water supply comes from rain water they collect. And instead of hooking up to an electrical power grid, they use solar energy for heat and light. Tree-house living is becoming so popular that a company in Victoria, Treecamp Developments, has designed a portable tree house. It is held in place in a single tree with a metal frame. It takes about

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Building for the Environment

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home, they collected used materials from buildings that were being torn down. The floors and tables are made from the wood they saved from an old warehouse. As a special "shipshape" touch, the owners rescued some doors from a wrecked ship and hung them in doorways throughout the house. As well, they made their curtains from old sails. Living in a floating home has many perks besides the environmental benefits. Homeowners can swim from their back porch, dock their canoes in the garage, and be lulled asleep by the sound of waves lapping against the house. As the world becomes more crowded, and resources become scarcer, it's creative solutions like these that will help us save the environment. Features of the Floating Home

4.

The inside walls and floors and some furniture are made of recycled wood. Curtains are made from reused ship sails. The owners have a home office. When they work at home, they don't have to drive their car. This reduces air

5. 6.

1.

The house floats in an ocean harbour. This means that it doesn't take up good farmland. A geothermal heat pump takes warm water from the ocean to heat the house and provide hot water. This saves electricity. The walls have foam insulation to prevent heat loss. 7.

2.

pollution. Sewage is treated on land so that it doesn't pollute the water. The owners grow their own vegetables on land. This means they don't have to drive to the store to buy them. NEL

8.

3.

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