I've been a big fan of "green" building. But I'm always learning, and have come to realise that the term itself is both loaded and possibly misleading. Some things we consider "green" can simply backfire on you and lead to problems that can affect either your health or the environment. Take for instance, natural plant-based paints. In cool or dry climates they can be great. But in a moist climate they can provide a breeding ground for mold and mildew.
Or perhaps you think wood is great and imagine that it's better to use real wood than those engineered wood joists like TJI's. Real wood certainly seems more "green", than some man made product. Consider the fact that TJI's get over 30% more yield of the same effective members from an acre of forest. That's because they can utilise all of the smaller growth and faster growing trees. So from the perspective of getting more from less, they're much greener than regular old wood. Plus the finished joists are straighter and more reliable than today's wood.
Anyhow, I've gone off the term "green" where applied to building, because there are too many loaded hippy associations with it. The important thing is to build better buildings that are more energy efficient and much more healthy for the occupants. So it's "High Performance" now instead.
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