When choosing the main material for our eco-house, wood was always going to win. Apart from the fact that the railway carriages we are incorporating are also made from wood, it's clearly the greenest choice. Converting timber into a usable building material takes far less energy and generates far fewer greenhouse gases than, say, aluminium, steel or concrete. In fact, wood is effectively carbon-neutral, provided it doesn't travel too far.
When sourcing our wood, the first step was to look for locally grown supplies with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) stamp of approval - proof, or so I'd thought, that the wood is grown and harvested in an ethical way. But all is not so simple, it seems. Simon Counsell, who helped found the FSC in the 90s, says it has bowed to pressure from the big logging companies and now certifies forests where logging damages the environment and drives out communities.
Andre Giacini de Freitas, at the FSC, responded, saying: 'While FSC recognises there have been a few cases of problems with FSC certificates, it is important to know that these remain isolated incidences. The large majority, well above 95%, of all of FSC's forest management certificates will never be challenged.'
Our best option, it seems, is to buy local timber, such as chestnut, larch and Douglas fir, that does not require chemical treatment. Heaven knows where the teak for our Victorian carriages was harvested, but our greenest move is to continue to use them as the core of our new home.