A few of these findings as reported by The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment include:

? About 60 percent of the planet’s “ecosystem services” — uses of the natural environment that benefit people, such as freshwater for irrigation or ocean fishing, are being degraded or used unsustainably.

? Since 1750, atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased about 32 percent primarily because of the burning of fossil fuels and land use changes. About 60 percent of that increase has taken place since 1959.

? Between 10 percent and 30 percent of all mammal, bird, and amphibian species are threatened with extinction.

? More land has been converted to cropland since 1945 than was cultivated in the 18th and 19th centuries combined. About 30 percent of the Earth’s land area is devoted to some kind of agriculture.

The report also states that the “changes stem from attempts to meet growing global demand for food and other natural resources.” We are now realizing that we have to change how we live in order to protect and conserve our environment. One way of reducing our impact on the planet is to use eco-friendly materials. Eco-friendly means engaging in activities that are beneficial for the environment.

Using eco-friendly materials helps the environment in many specific ways that include:

? The use of fossil fuels is a major contributor to global warming. As well, the toxins emitted from manufacture processing plants contaminate the air, soil, and water. Harnessing the power of the wind and sun, and practicing energy conservation techniques such as energy efficient light bulbs, will help lessen the amount of carbon emissions being released into the atmosphere.

? Eco friendly homes and buildings protect natural resources such as forests. Furniture and other products made from trees from sustainable forests help reduce forest depletion. Green buildings also reduce the amount of toxins and biological contaminants being released into the air and water.

? Non toxic and chemical free products made from all natural ingredients are designed to improve the health of the environment and people while reducing the negative impact on environment. Using eco-friendly products such as toiletry products, body and face products, natural cleaners, paints, bath products, and other household products decreases the amount of chemicals that the environment, animals, and people are exposed to. This reduces the risk of many health illnesses such as asthma, headaches, skin conditions, cancers, and many other conditions.

? Buying products made from recycled materials helps reduce the amount of waste going into landfills, thereby decreasing the amount of land that is cleared to build new landfills. As well, there is less carbon emissions being released into the air because less products are being manufactured.

The growing trend of embracing eco-friendly lifestyles is changing how we live and how items are being manufactured. Using environmentally friendly materials improves the health of the environment, humans, plants, and animals. Adopting a lifestyle where we purchase eco-friendly products and materials is something we can all do to ensure a healthy future for everyone.

Bamboo is one eco friendly option. Bamboo is a fast growing grass that can be selectively harvested annually. It is extremely durable and harder than red oak and maple, has 50% less contraction and expansion than wood and is a renewable resource.

However, Asian sources require significant embodied energy for transport so that is something to consider. You should also take care to look for bamboo products that have no formaldehyde added. But bamboo is still a great choice over hardwood flooring and can be stained in darker colors than just the blonde color that comes to mind for more traditional looks.

Cork is another eco friendly renewable resource material made out of the bark of the cork oak tree. Only the bark is used so the tree does not have to be cut down. What’s great about cork is that it often contains recycled content, is easy to clean if properly sealed and gives great foot support.

Just look for products that have no formaldehyde added and avoid cork-vinyl composites. Also consider its origin and remember that transportation requires embodied energy for transport so try to find products sourced as locally as possible.

Rubber is another new flooring material available these days. Virgin rubber is derived from rubber trees, a renewable resource; recycled rubber reduces the environmental burden of discarded tires.

The down side is that almost all rubber, except virgin rubber, has a significant odor from continual off-gassing and has indoor air quality impact so if you use the recycled rubber instead of the virgin rubber it needs to be used in well ventilated areas.

But its benefits are that it uses recycled material, helps reduce landfill, is easy to clean, offers good foot support, is very durable and can be installed without adhesives.

Linoleum uses the same ingredients today as when it was invented in 1863 — linseed oil, cork dust, wood flour, tree resins, ground limestone and pigments, all pressed onto a jute backing. The ingredients are renewable items and often are recycled content, which is good for the planet.

Linoleum is durable, easy to clean and offers good foot support, however, it is most often made in Europe, resulting in significant embodied energy for transport. Make sure to look for “natural linoleum.” Vinyl flooring is sometimes generically called “linoleum” but is not the same thing.

Stone is another option to consider for your flooring. It is a natural resource and a very durable material. Stone, however, is a finite resource, can result in using significant embodied energy if the stone is mined or fabricated overseas and, if the stone requires sealing, the sealers can produce potentially harmful VOC emissions.

Look for locally mined and fabricated stone or even reclaimed stone and look for stone that does not have to be sealed. I’ve seen some really amazingly beautiful things done with reclaimed stone so don’t be afraid to explore this option.

Tile is another eco friendly durable material if you use tiles that contain recycled content. Tiles are durable, easy to clean and can use recycled materials like broken window panes and recycled granite dust. They do use though a significant amount of energy to fire and transport so try to make sure to look for local sources and make sure they use recycled content.

This is obviously not an exhaustive list of flooring options but definitively some of the most popular eco friendly options you can consider using in your home.

Finding ways in making a home eco-friendly is quite easy these days. There are many manufacturers and home building industry professionals who are modifying their traditional methods and products to maneuvering in the green movement. If you are thinking of jumping into “greenism,” the first thing you should do is get familiar with eco-friendly materials you would need to incorporate in your home.

There are many home essentials that claim and are proven to be efficient when it comes to energy preservation and increased elimination of harmful gases emissions. You could start with buying materials that have the Energy Star label. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy have formulated this program so that products, building and practices would be ensured to comply with environmental consciousness measures. There are many things surrounding various markets that have already been labeled and rated with the Energy Star, like appliances, electronics, lighting, heating and cooling equipment, plyboards, windows, doors and other house products. For example, you should choose light bulbs that have low wattage but still perform the same brightness and light output.

You could also look into online sites of environmentally conscious groups, agencies, advocates, companies and manufacturers. These have listings of eco-friendly materials, usually accompanied with the product details such as price, energy consumption abilities, wattage and voltage, and the Energy Star label. Also, by searching through these sites, you are opening up yourself to gaining more knowledge about the environment. Especially in social networking sites that advocate eco-friendliness, the members post current fast facts about environmental programs; different status of environmental situations in varied locations around the globe and even reviews and referrals of eco-friendly products, services, contractors and builders.

Another way you could easily find eco-friendly materials for your home is through search engines. Once you type in a specific product you are needing or looking for, there would be several advertisements of companies and builders that promote, sell and use eco-friendly materials. You could then compare prices and quality of services. Hence, you could exhaust all your options.

Employing eco-friendly materials in your home, either as the initial materials or enhancement details, they would provide you many advantages. These are offered in stylish designs so more people could be enticed. Hence you are not sacrificing aesthetics and at the same time, you are saving the environment.

In all these options, just think that you are doing good for your finances as you save up on bills for utilities; improving your home quality; and augmenting the condition of the environment.

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