Green Building is a multifaceted effort and is a collection of different principles, tools and effects that we can apply to desired outcomes. It is a simplification to claim the title of being a Green Builder. Effecting change by changing practices and the decision making process should be the primary goal, but like all things complicated, it is a continuum.

1. Green Building is often associated with reducing our "carbon footprint"*. It is one of the basic tools that help in evaluating impacts.

2. There is the toxicity of products and processes that we use to manufacture them that has direct human impacts in the manufacturing process and then again in how they out-gas in the home 22% of all the energy we consume goes towards residential use.

3. Energy consumption is the most measurable and 19% for industrial-commercial use. 29% goes towards transportation

A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation etc.

The carbon footprint is a measurement of all greenhouse gases we individually produce and has units of tonnes (or kg) of carbon dioxide equivalent.