I had someone ask me an interesting question the other day. They very simply asked, “What does ‘Green Building Systems’ mean to you?” Obviously, our name Agriboard Green Building Systems™ refers to our mills and straw building products being “Green” in the sense that they provide several environmental benefits which you can read about in some of my other articles. In this article, however, I want to focus on what it means to be “Green” or “True Green” as opposed to just trying to jump on the latest environmental bandwagon.
First and foremost, it should be noted that our company started before it was super cool to be green and definitely before anyone was throwing money at it with wild abandon. In an excerpt from the autobiography of Ron Ryan, he explains the impetus behind his purchasing Agriboard Industries:
“In 1988, I flew my brother Larry back to Burlington to Attend Grandmother Ryan’s funeral. Coming back, the sky was clear, but Kansas farmers were burning off wheat stubble, obscuring the ground. We were in my plane, the King Air, so shooting an instrument approach into Wichita was no issue. I told Larry, though, that someday I hoped this type of pollution would be restricted.”
The story of the purchase and the first years of operation of Agriboard Industries continues in the book for several pages. But, that paragraph really cuts to the chase about what we are doing. The word “Green” wasn’t even part of the vocabulary. Back in the 80’s and 90’s it was “Pollution” and “Deforestation” that we were all worried about. So what better opportunity than a system that decreases both the pollution from straw burning and the dependence on wood as a building product.
Now, in the 2020’s, the buzzwords are “biobased” and “carbon sequestration.” Lucky us! It just so happens, that our system also dominates in those two areas as well. Our 4th generation panels are 97% biobased and compressed straw is a carbon sequestration beast!
The fact of the matter is that Agriboard Green Building Systems added “Green” to our name because it describes what we already were! It was not just what we aspired to be, not what we thought we could get away with, and certainly not in an attempt to mislead and “greenwash” our company.
Q. What does "Green Building Systems" me to me?
A. Sustainable construction systems that prioritize energy efficiency and environmentally responsible materials, aiming to create structures that minimize their impact on the environment while promoting healthier and more efficient living spaces for occupants. And that reduce pollution and stop deforestation!