Pink Panther™, Green Builder® Agree on Best Source of Energy
For one thing, their backgrounds couldn't be much more dissimilar. The Pink Panther was born a movie star while Green Builder Ron Jones worked his way up from carpenter to builder to magazine editor and advocate for environmentally friendly construction practices.
Yet they have much in common, starting with their wealth of knowledge about energy conservation - the Panther’s from more than 25 years of doing commercials for insulation, and Jones from years of hands-on experience in the construction industry.
When Jones heard that the Panther "broke his silence" and is communicating about the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions, he knew something special was happening and wrote to the Panther at his Save Energy Blog. Following an exchange of messages, the two decided to sit down face-to-face and discuss the world's energy problems. Following are excerpts from their exchange.
Getting acquainted
Pink Panther: It's nice to meet you but I must admit I am a little disappointed. I expected you to be green.
Green Builder: In my case the color is not literal; it's part of a nickname that reflects my interest in building homes that are good for the environment. Speaking of color, your pink is a lot brighter in person.
Pink Panther: I hear that a lot. And also that I am thinner than I seem to be on the big screen. You do have a furry face and I see some silver in your hair.
Green Builder: That's a sign of wisdom. It's common in mature male humans.
Pink Panther: Yea, right. I must admit that the fur on my face is a little whiter than it was in my first film. How did you become the Green Builder?
Green Builder: I was a custom builder and decided to specialize in environmentally appropriate construction. I ended up speaking about my experiences to a lot of green building organizations. To my knowledge, I am the only person ever to serve on the Boards of both the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
How do you know so much about saving energy?
Pink Panther: Since 1980, I have appeared in a series of ads for Owens Corning PINK FIBERGLAS™ Insulation and other company products. I have also made countless personal appearances on behalf of Owens Corning, a practice that continues today as time allows. I got to know lots of Owens Corning people and we talked on the set while waiting for the filming or video taping to start.
The problem
Green Builder: What prompted you to break your silence after all these years?
Pink Panther: The fact that people don't understand the REAL problem. We hear a lot about the world's need for sustainability, energy savings, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and reducing our global appetite for fossil fuels, but people tend to point fingers in the wrong directions.
Green Builder: I've noticed that, too. There are lots of proposed solutions for our energy problems but most are off the mark because they either feed our energy habit by calling for more digging or drilling, or they are not a good value because they cost a lot and contribute little.
Where they go wrong
Pink Panther: Many put the blame on cars and industry, for example, when our own homes and the places where we work are the biggest users of energy and the biggest emitters of greenhouse gas emissions.
Green Builder: Builders and homeowners I talk with think their homes are already well-insulated. There is a big difference between an insulated home and a well-insulated home
Pink Panther: According to an Owens Corning estimate, there are nearly 80 million under-insulated homes in the U.S. today(1). They are considered under-insulated because they don't meet U.S. Department of Energy recommendations.
Green Builder: Only about 10 percent of the homes built today can be considered well-insulated on the basis that they exceed code requirements.
The solution
Pink Panther: According to a study by The McKinsey Global Institute, insulation is the most cost-effective method of reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions(2).
Green Builder: That should open peoples' eyes about the value of insulation.
Pink Panther: Energy conservation can be our "first source" of energy
Green Builder: We agree on that. Before thinking about other green products for the home, prospective buyers should pay attention to the basics of insulation. Other things can be good, too, but it is sad when the solution with the most potential for energy savings and sustainable construction is not fully utilized.
Pink Panther: The Department of Energy recommendations up to R-60 for attics now. They have increased their recommendation in recent years because today's higher energy costs justify the use of more insulation.
Green Builder: And a well-insulated home needs more than just a lot of insulation. Homes need to have their framing done to optimize the benefit of insulation. There are also other details to pay attention to, such as careful installation, caulking, etc.
Existing homes
Green Builder: I often meet people who drive hybrid and flex-fuel cars but have no idea how much insulation is in their own attic
Pink Panther: If you want to help the environment, the absolute first thing you need to do is check the insulation in your attic. About 40 percent of a home's energy loss goes out through the top of the structure.
Green Builder: It’s easy to tell if a home needs more insulation. If you can see the floor joists in the attic - some people call them beams - you need more insulation. It is very easy to add more insulation to most attics, and if a homeowner just doesn’t have time or want to bother with the project, there are contractors who will do the job for them.
Pink Panther: There are other energy saving measures to consider as well. For example, there are insulators that work with the pull-down stairs many people have in their attics. Programmable thermostats can also save energy and money by turning the heat down at night or during the day when the home is empty. Weather stripping and caulking can also be helpful. Owens Corning has a list of these other measures on its Web site.
Green Builder: My checklist includes windows, furnace filters, hot water tank insulation and temperature setting, among others. My Web site also has lots of energy-saving suggestions for builders and homeowners.
A few tough questions
Green Builder: Before this turns into a love-fest, I need to ask you a hardball question. I know your insulation is PINK, but is it really green.
Pink Panther: That's not a hardball question at all. PINK insulation from Owens Corning is very “green.” The company's Fiberglas™ insulation, for example, is certified to contain a minimum of 40 percent recycled content. That’s the highest certification level for fiberglass insulation in the industry. The company's FOAMULAR® insulation is the only extruded polystyrene foam insulation certified for recycled content. The percent for FOAMULAR® insulation is 15 percent, and that includes 100 percent of the scrap from production. Both types are very durable. We have tested fiberglass insulation that is more than 50 years old and found that it still retained its R-value. The company's foam insulation is warranted to maintain 90 percent of its R-value for 20 years with no caveats for exposure to moisture or facer de lamination.
Green Builder: What about indoor air quality?
Pink Panther: The company’s Fiberglas insulation is GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified®.* That means the product is Certified by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute to meet their strict indoor air quality standards. The manufacturing process doesn’t need to add chemicals for fire safety and it does not support mold growth.
Now I have a hardball question for you: Why aren't builders constructing more energy efficient homes?
Green Builder: Well, home building is a tough competitive business. Most builders do a great job of giving homeowners what they want and are willing to pay for. At the same time, they are reluctant to add much to the initial cost of the home because their customers are comparing their prices with their competitors in the same area. That said, more and more builders are joining the green team every day. The National Association of Home Builders is also encouraging this move and is giving them lots of support. And as homeowners demonstrate that they care about buying a green home and are willing to pay for it, we'll see more green homes built.
Where we agree
Pink Panther: OK, so where do we agree? There seems to be no dispute that buildings are the big users of energy and the big emitters of greenhouse gas emissions
Green Builder: We agree that energy efficient homes can be our first source of energy, and you don't need to build a new home to have a more energy efficient home.
Pink Panther: For the most impact on sustainability, check the attic and add insulation if needed.
Green Builder: Don't stop there; keep going to “green” your home. And when buying a new home, make sure it is optimized for energy efficiency; not just insulated but built to be well-insulated from the ground up. Where we disagree
Green Builder: The most important color in a home is green.
Pink Panther: PINK.
Green Builder: Green.
Pink Panther: OK, Silver Top.
Green Builder: That's Arctic blonde to you, sir.
* The GREENGUARD INDOOR AIR QUALITY CERTIFIED Mark is a registered certification mark used under license through the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute
(1) Estimate of nearly 80 million under-insulated homes in 2008 based upon a 2003 Harvard School of Public Health study, The Public Health Benefits of Insulation Retrofits in Existing Housing in the United States.
