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EXPLORATIONS - Street-Wise: Building Houses That Are Healthier for People and the PlanetBy Marilyn Christiano

Broadcast: Wednesday, September 13, 2006

VOICE ONE:

I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:


Artist's image of a Glidehouse

And I'm Barbara Klein with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Today we tell about the Green House movement. Its goal is to produce houses that are healthier for people and the environment.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Most people think of a greenhouse1 as a special glass structure used to grow plants all year long. Now there is another definition2. A green house is the result of a movement to produce houses that are less harmful to the environment than other houses.

Recent films, books, magazines and newspapers have reported about serious threats to the environment. Changes in climate, increasing pollution, rising energy demands, and decreasing supplies of water are worldwide problems. Designers and builders around the world are reacting to these environmental concerns.

VOICE TWO:

Green houses are designed to be sustainable. Something that is sustainable provides people today with what they need. But it does not use up or damage the natural resources that people will need in the future.

Green houses use much less fossil3 fuels 鈥?oil, gas and coal 鈥?for energy. The houses
Windows in a Glidehouse provide extra light

are placed on the land so the sun warms them during cold months and is blocked during hot months. The houses have plenty of windows that open to let in cooling air. They have special equipment that uses a lot less water.

Green houses are made of wood from fast-growing trees so old growth forests do not have to be cut. They include recycled materials so something old is re-used, not thrown away as waste. The houses are healthier for people to live in. Materials used in them are not processed with strong chemicals that can produce harmful gases.

Houses that are environmentally friendly are not new. For years, architects in many areas of the world have designed and built them for environmental activists4. But now, rapidly rising energy costs are increasing the demand worldwide for houses that use less energy and other resources.

VOICE ONE:

The National Building Museum is in a large historic5 building near the center of Washington, D.C. It is a private, non-profit museum that educates people about buildings. It has exhibits7 that show how buildings are made, how land is used, how cities expand. The Building Museum has a new major exhibit6, The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture and Design. It demonstrates8 how houses can be designed and built to use less of the Earth's resources.

VOICE TWO:

As visitors enter the exhibit, they are entering a house. It is called the Glidehouse. It was built in a factory in many parts. They were transported to the museum and put together. The Glidehouse has glass walls, recycled materials in its floors and walls and wood from fast-growing trees. It also has equipment that uses much less water and energy.

The house is both environmentally friendly and modern looking. The glass walls on one side can be covered with sliding wood screens to control the amount of natural light and heat that enter the building. Floors are made of bamboo that is sustainable because it grows so rapidly. Furniture is made of interesting materials. Chair seats, for example, are made from recycled seat belt material from cars. A large colorful table is made of unused ends of different kinds of wood.

The Glidehouse costs less to build than the average new American house not made in a factory. And the costs of energy to operate it are a lot less. Glidehouses have been built in different areas of the United States and Canada.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The Green House exhibit at the Building Museum has small models and photographs of twenty other houses. These houses were built in the last five years and follow green design rules.

They have been built in Australia, China, Finland, Mexico, the Bahamas, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and the United States. They are on mountainsides, by oceans, in cities, on deserts and in hot, wet areas of the world.

Martin Moeller is senior vice9 president of the Building Museum. He says the houses shown in the exhibit were chosen to show it is possible to combine excellent design with environmental responsibility. He says the examples are international. Some of the most interesting and technologically10 progressive11 projects are not in the United States. Many countries lack the natural resources 鈥?land, trees, water 鈥?the United States has. So there has been more demand elsewhere12 to find ways to reduce the use of natural resources and energy.

VOICE TWO:

A film in the exhibit shows the growing demand for energy as population and development increase. It says experts believe worldwide energy needs will increase by fifty-seven percent by the year two thousand twenty-five.

The top five energy-using nations now are India, Japan, Russia, China and the United States. The United States has six percent of the world's population and uses twenty-three percent of the world's resources. The green house movement aims to cut this resource use.

Mister13 Moeller says the growing demand for green houses and sustainable building in the United States is based on the rising price of gas and oil. He says Americans realize they can learn about green building from other countries.

One goal of the Green House exhibit, Mister Moeller says, is to show that individuals can make small changes, even if they are not building new houses. The resource area of the exhibit has sixty examples of green building materials. Visitors can see and touch recycled rubber and glass used for walls or bamboo for floors. They can get information about where to find these materials to use when making changes to older homes.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Another part of the Green House exhibit at the Building Museum teaches visitors about five rules of sustainability. The first is to stop depending on energy from fossil fuels that experts expect to last only forty more years. Instead, green buildings use the sun's energy as much as possible for heat and power.

The second rule of sustainability is to make sure the air inside a home is healthy and clean. Improve air quality by using air filters14 to remove pollution and by choosing materials that do not give off harmful gases. The third rule is to use the land responsibly. Build smaller houses and keep as much natural land as possible around them.

The fourth rule is to stop wasteful15 use of energy in a home. Turn off lights and buy household equipment that uses less energy. The fifth rule of sustainability is to wisely use the Earth's natural resources. Choose materials for a house that are re-useable and last a long time.

VOICE TWO:

The Green House exhibit helps visitors realize that they can move toward16 a more sustainable future with the decisions they make about their houses. Next month, the Building Museum will have a weekend of family activities to help people learn how to Go Green. The Green House exhibit will be at the Building Museum until next June. Then it will travel to other American cities. You can learn more about the Green House at www.nbm.org.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

In many American cities, new stores are opening that sell parts of old houses and other buildings that were torn down or remodeled. One such store, called Community Forklift, opened last year near Washington, D.C. Jim Schulman started it.

The Community Forklift store is in a huge old industrial building. There are hundreds of doors, windows, toilets, stoves, cabinets17, refrigerators and big pieces of wood. Mister Schulman says that everything in his huge store would have been thrown away. Instead, the material is sold at low cost to people who re-use it in their homes or businesses.

This helps the environment because something new does not have to be manufactured18 and the old material does not have to buried or destroyed. He says, I believe that re-using materials is the greenest thing you can do.

Mister Schulman says he wants to help start some new kinds of small businesses. He wants to train people to take old building materials that do not sell and turn them into something that will. Providing new jobs for people, and a new life for unwanted used building materials, are further steps in the green house movement.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program was written by Marilyn Christiano. It was produced by Mario Ritter. You can read and download this program at www.unsv.com. I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Steve Ember. Join us again next week for EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 greenhouse 4eJz1     
n.花房,温室,玻璃暖房
参考例句:
  • Behind the green house was a greenhouse.在那所绿房子后面是一个花房。
  • The tomatoes were grown in the greenhouse.这些西红柿是在温室栽培的。
2 definition YxjxE     
n.定义;限定,确定;清晰度
参考例句:
  • The book attempts a definition of his role in world politics.该书要阐明的是他在世界政局中的作用。
  • I made a definition for this word.我给这个字下了定义。
3 fossil ZipxA     
n.化石,食古不化的人,老顽固
参考例句:
  • At this distance of time it is difficult to date the fossil.时间隔得这么久了,很难确定这化石的年代。
  • The man is a fossil.那人是个老顽固。
4 activists 90fd83cc3f53a40df93866d9c91bcca4     
n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
  • Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 historic AcNxw     
adj.历史上著名的,具有历史意义的
参考例句:
  • This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
  • We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。
6 exhibit 2mNxl     
vt.展览,展出,陈列;n.展览品;陈列品
参考例句:
  • Next week those goods will exhibit in that shop. 下个星期,这些货物将在那家商店展出。
  • The economy continued to exhibit signs of decline in September.9月份,经济继续呈现出衰退的迹象。
7 exhibits 49e6a3dcd041283a1d2eff933cee3288     
v.陈列,展览( exhibit的第三人称单数 );表现;显示;[法律]当庭出示(证件、物证等)
参考例句:
  • Many exhibits with characteristics of the Chinese art are on display. 许多具有中国艺术特色的展品陈列出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • One is dazzled by the endless array of beautiful exhibits. 展品琳琅满目,美不胜收。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
8 demonstrates fc1f69bf066ed0d3a77a903b4f6a9916     
举行示威游行(或集会)( demonstrate的第三人称单数 ); 示范。展示; 显示; 论证
参考例句:
  • I hope this message demonstrates my feelings to the students. 我希望这个祝词能表达出我对学生们的感情。
  • I hope this demonstrates to you how I feel. 我希望这能向你表明我的感受。
9 vice NU0zQ     
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的
参考例句:
  • He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
  • They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
10 technologically WqpwY     
ad.技术上地
参考例句:
  • Shanghai is a technologically advanced city. 上海是中国的一个技术先进的城市。
  • Many senior managers are technologically illiterate. 许多高级经理都对技术知之甚少。
11 progressive 3RAxx     
adj.先进的;前进的,渐进的;进行式的
参考例句:
  • There is often a progressive loss of sight in old age.上了年纪的人视力逐步减退。
  • It's a progressive idea.这是一种进步的思想。
12 elsewhere Zq8xS     
adv.在别处,到别处
参考例句:
  • Our favourite restaurant was full so we had to go elsewhere.我们最喜欢去的那家饭店客满了,因此不得不改去别处。
  • I have half a mind to move elsewhere.我有点想搬到别处去。
13 mister rnQzwB     
n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生
参考例句:
  • Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
  • He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。
14 filters 2c9885d2b0c7e26971f60a90f33cf718     
过滤( filter的名词复数 ); 滤光器; (香烟头上的)过滤嘴; 交通红灯指示不得直行的同时
参考例句:
  • Filters do not remove all contaminants from water. 过滤器无法过滤掉水中的所有污染物。
  • A liquid filters through a strainer,into the receptacle beneath. 液体经过过滤器流入下面的容器。
15 wasteful ogdwu     
adj.(造成)浪费的,挥霍的
参考例句:
  • It is a shame to be so wasteful.这样浪费太可惜了。
  • Duties have been reassigned to avoid wasteful duplication of work.为避免重复劳动浪费资源,任务已经重新分派。
16 toward on6we     
prep.对于,关于,接近,将近,向,朝
参考例句:
  • Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
  • Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了,并跑了过去。
17 cabinets e1ab390203b2913d6baf86ae4dfebd78     
n.内阁( cabinet的名词复数 );橱;(有特殊用途的)小房间;展览艺术品的小陈列室
参考例句:
  • Along each wall stretched uniform green metal filing cabinets. 每面墙边都一溜摆着相同的绿色金属档案柜。 来自辞典例句
  • The cabinets display seventeenth-century blue-and-white porcelain. 展柜中陈列着17世纪的青花瓷。 来自辞典例句
18 manufactured doGzaw     
adj.人造的v.(大规模)制造( manufacture的过去式和过去分词 );捏造;加工;粗制滥造(文学作品)
参考例句:
  • a news story manufactured by an unscrupulous journalist 一位不道德的记者编造的一篇报道
  • We want the machine manufactured to our own spec. 我们要求这台机器按我们自己的规格来制造。

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