Probably the most environmentally efficient floor is one made of concrete or bricks or stone. Chopping down, sawing, and transporting trees requires a lot of energy.
You’re right. I had forgotten that concrete, bricks or stone cost nothing to produce or transport.
The production of cement (one of the primary ingredients in concrete) causes a lot of carbon dioxide production.
It’s harder to find and access reviews on it, but coconut palm flooring is supposed to be quite environmentally friendly-the wood is from trees that are too old and no longer produce coconuts. Unlike bamboo, it’s supposed to be very hard and less prone to warping etc… The primary manufacturer on the market seems to be DuraPalm.
The downside is that coconut supposedly has a very distinctive grain and you can only get it in darker colours, so you’ll have to be comfortable with a certain aesthetic and more limited range of design options if you go that route.
It’s not simple to evaluate though. We produce enormous amounts of cement, only a tiny bit of daily production would be needed for a floor. There are also mortars which use natural materials that may have minimal environmental impact. So if the details could be worked out it may turn out that a concrete floor with pressed in wood grain has a much smaller carbon footprint than some of the alternatives.
John, are you going to return here and give us some feedback? We don’t even know if we’re considering the same concerns you are.
Pick a lumber source close to your house.
Assuming your location is California:
Madrone, Black Oak, and Tan Oak flooring from a local mill, rent a truck and make a weekend out of it, you will probably get a decent deal at the mill.