The manufacture of a wide variety of floors – including green flooring – has a significant impact on natural
ecosystems and wildlife. Bamboo, wood (used to make hardwood) and cork oak trees are home to thousands of animal, insect and
plant species around the world. It's important that the harvesting of these materials to make flooring is done in a way so as
not to devastate the surrounding environment. This is, in fact, a major factor in assessing eco–friendly flooring.
Deforestation is a huge concern in the environmental community as history has proved that it's capable of upsetting the
natural ecological balance by wiping out animal and plant species. Deforestation is the process of converting forests into
non–forested land for urban use, agriculture, or simply for logging purposes. Organizations such as the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Tropical Forest Foundation (TFF) encourage
manufacturers to use wood from responsibly managed forests by issuing green certification for eco–friendly products
– including green flooring.
The protection of natural ecosystems has quickly become one of the largest political projects over the last decade. The
human population is vitally dependent on direct ecosystems such as wood, erosion and pollination. A slight change in climate
or the introduction of a new element (i.e. foreign insect; plant) can have a devastating impact on an ecological network.
The need to protect world ecosystems has led to the creation of The Convention of Biological Diversity
(CBD), an
international treaty committed to conserving biological diversity. This can only be achieved through institutional and
individual responsibility: we all impact the environment. That impact is known as our "ecological footprint"
– the term can also be used in reference to the environmental impact of the human race as a whole. This is slightly
different to the notion of "carbon footprint."
Our floors come from the ecosystem. A wider commitment to green flooring will help preserve the balance of the ecosystem
to the benefit of us all.
