Yes, I did think about that. Not sure if guilt is the right word, but I did wonder about that giant quarry in Brazil and think about the options. Didn't really resolve it and the stone was installed on Monday so it's done.

Some of the "green" options aren't all that green and so much more expensive.

It helps that around here old quarries are turned into beautiful golf courses and destination resorts with names that represent their origins.

i have had the exact same feeling and have not resolved it myself. it comes up every time i go to the stone yard as i see endless row after row of the stuff. i have wondered if we will be looked at 100 years from now as the generation that ravaged the earth for stone counters. i even talked about it at a marble shop. i told the sales guy i feel guilty taking this from the earth as some day there will not be any more. his response: "we will never run out, you should see how much there is!" ha.

not sure what to do yet.

>"we will never run out, you should see how much there is!"

Just what they said about the buffalo, cod, the passenger pigeonÂ

Yeah, I think about this a lot, too. Tending more towards BB right now as a result of it. The other thing, of more immediacy, is the way America's last old-growth maple forests are vanishing into kitchen cabinets.

Trees are a renewable resource. Mid 1980's, I met a gentleman who'd inherited, and was nurturing hundreds of acres of (correct type of) pines which were to be harvested for heart pine in a few decades...

Not to even forget the amount of fossil fuels it takes to ship these stones halfway around the world. I feel guilty if I resort to using disposable water bottles (very rarely), yet the stone weighs so much more and travels so much further.

It is something to think about. Perhaps those with stones can do their best to offset in other ways. Maybe resolve to do better recycling and especially trying to use reclaimed materials wherever possible in their project.

Maybe in a hundred years the great-great-great-grandchildren can sell tickets for people to see the counters. Or, someone can organize 'stone countertop trails,' similar to 'quilt trails' in farm country. This could be an investment in your descendants' futures. Does this help you feel less guilty? ;)

This is part of why we decided against stone that was quarried outside of North America---and didn't find much quarried here to choose from, so finally just gave up. (The other reason was impact of the quarrying, which is, of course, an issue in the U.S./Canada as well, but a little better regulated here than in places like Brazil and India). It's also why we're using a salvage place for demo, so that our existing counter can be reused somewhere.

There's no perfect solution, though. Wood and manmade materials have impacts too---just different ones. We decided to go with a mix of manmade recycled counter and wood, both of which we could get from places not too far afield. That's not an option everywhere, though. I think it's more about finding a balance that works for you.

I totally get this, it's a hard one environmentally. For me I just want to find a house that I will live in for a long, long time and out something gorgeous that will get so much use and enjoyment for a long time. That feels better to me. Instead my RE Agent is telling me to refresh my current kitchen just for resale and it really feels wrong because I'm just doing some basics (including granite), might not be something someone even loves.... That seems so wrong, yet I'm probably going to have to do it if my house doesn't sell as is....

So many wonderful, admirable and honorable points about
the planet, resources and our human impact on the world,
As it relates to our kitchen reno. I am thankful to be
a part of such intelligent souls on GW.

Be-careful not to get so bogged down you become depressed
about the world as it relates to your kitchen reno.
I truly believe in being as eco-friendly, environmentally
aware and responsible. I also believe we need to be at
peace with our choices and even the choices others make.
And doing the best we can is one step in the right earth
friendly direction.

I chose a granite that is found in the US, (many soapstones
are too) but I would never be upset with a gardenweb
friend who chose a granite, soapstone or marble that came
from another world. So many sides to the coin to consider.

The piece of rock you buy from Brazil, India or China is
giving a job to many people. People who without the sale
of that rock could starve. While the fossile fuels used
to transport that peice of rock are considered wasteful,
think of the family the rock you bought is supporting.
It would be great if we could come up with other ways to
transport that rock that are not related to fossil fuels,
but meanwhile you could be feeding many hundreds of
families with the purchase of your stone. Pat yourself
on the back for giving to the world in this way.

Still feeling sad about our planet.
A great book to read, buy, lend to another or borrow
from the library is called.
The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook.
by David De Rothschild.

{{!gwi}}
This cute little book can help you help the planet.
And as it relates to your reno, perhaps think about the
lighting, natural lighting options, energy efficient
appliances, better wiring, better functionability,
Yes, even the foods you cook or grow in a kitchen
garden, water saving faucet, quick heaters that retain
heat with less waste, recycled tiles,
reclaimed wood or recycling your old kitchen cabinets
to habitat for humanity....

But don't beat yourself up if you can be perfectly
eco-earth friendly. Do your best and share your positive
enthusism with others. This goes further than feeling
sad about our planet.

Thanks for letting me share my favorite book.

~boxerpups

Yes, I thought the same thing the other night while watching a documentary on how the earth was formed. When they talked about how the mountains were formed of granite and quartz billions of years ago, I thought of my beautiful granite counter top and felt a little guilty taking it from the earth. But as someone else said, at least we get to enjoy its beauty in our kitchens.

We are putting in solar on our roof once the project is done. I have reclaimed a number of items for the project and do my best on a daily basis.
I do worry about labor conditions in third world countries and am concerned that it is the company owners who are making money from me and the poor workers get just a pittance. That is true for any purchase, kitchen related or not.

I try not to be wasteful and use things until there is no life left or give them away to someone who can. That also keeps things out of landfills. I do freecycle (www.freecycle.com) which is a group where you give what you don't need for free and are free to ask for what you do need and hope others have some to offer. There is no cost to join or to take part. No money ever changes hand. I intend to give away our dishwasher and our cabs as well before we demo. Our fridge will be turned in to the local electric company for a $35 rebate. They take in old energy inefficient appliances to get them out of service.

If anyone's kitchen is nice but not their taste, they can donate it and get a write off. To someone else, it will be the new kitchen they could not have afforded otherwise. When we bought a new washer & dryer set upon moving in, we gave away the old (tiny) one and the people who took it were so grateful. One man's trash....

I did think about the impact of mining on the surrounding environment. The effects of mining coal are much worse. Not only are the mines bigger, but the burning of coal for electricity decreases already poor air quality.

The use of a resin-containing counter is not environmentally friendly, either. The petrochemical plants that make the chemicals used in resins for quartz, solid surface, and even MDF under formica pollute streams, rivers and even wells for drinking water.

The use of solid exotic hardwoods for floors and counters is shameful. Like a siren, its beauty is seductive, but the damage from its harvest is devastating. Not only does the clear cut harvesting kill all the plants in that area, but it leaves the animal inhabitant homeless. The land left isn't good for farming because, unlike here in the U.S., the hardwood, not the soil, is the "bank" of the nutrients needed for new trees. As old fallen trees rot, the nutrients leach out only to be drawn up by adjacent roots. In most cases, the money from clearcutting operations doesn't get to the laborers-the big profits go to the corporations. Informed people didn't accept this situation with South African blood diamonds but rainforests apparently don't have the same cache. Maybe Leo needs to make another movie.

As granite or soapstone goes, I think it's pretty far down the list for environmental impact. To rip out perfectly nice stone counters because they don't match the color of their new shoes is a different story. So plan your kitchen wisely so that subsequent owners won't feel the need to make major changes or that the stone can be reused

No I didn't feel guilty because the schist for our counters came out of the earth not far from my house. It's a very small quarry and they seem to take as much care as is reasonable (the owners' house is right there after all.) I felt it wasn't much different from someone long ago using unfinished stone as steps for our front porch (although I'm sure they didn't have to dig too far for those.) The counters were finished at the quarry and came to our house via a pick up truck. If anybody's interested, the quarry is located just west of the CT River in Mass.

There were other things I felt very guilty about but the stone counters only gave me slight pause.

Usage of exotic hardwoods on floor is a huge problem...agree with a previous poster. I'd be much more worried about that then the granite counters. So many animals lose their habitat, and we lose valuable trees, all for a floor of mahogany or something. Sorry, but no matter how rich you are, you should avoid exotic hardwoods...Maple, birch, pine, etc. will do just fine and can be finished to look rich, beautiful, and expensive.

It's one thing to feel guilty when you put it in your new kitchen now. What's really a drag is that in a lot of cases someone is going to tear it out in 15-20 years and throw it away.