Here in New England there is almost a veneration for oil-based paints.  Intuitively perhaps, we honor the age of our century-old homes and assume that the best protection is afforded by oil formulations, the same as the paints originally applied.

Paint is changing, however, and and the 'old' paints are no longer available.  The removal of lead reduced oil paint's elasticity and durability.  Now, clean air regulations have altered and, many would argue, diminished the performance of oil-based materials.

From a green perspective, the demise of oil based coatings is appropriate.  Prodded by the strictures of the California Air Resources Board, national paint manufacturers turned their attention to products containing significantly lower volatile organic compounds.  Research and development in latex or water-based paints led to the formulation of the next iteration of 'waterborne' coatings and the evolution of the lowly latex paint into a new, sophisticated and multifaceted coating that exceeds oil based paints by most measurements. 

It's worth remembering however, that production, transportation and application still generate a size 11 carbon footprint.  How best to minimize this footprint?  Paint less frequently!   Investing in a thorough, preparation-focused house painting protocol will yield the best and most durable results.

Concurrent with our own focus on minimizing our footprint,  is an effort to invest in 'green' ancillary painting products - zero-VOC primers, low-VOC paint thinners(when necessary), caulking, recycled nylon brushes made with FSC hardwood handles, recycled polyester roller covers, cardboard paint trays, etc.  You'll find all of these products in our inventory as we strive to reduce our carbon shoe size.

We're still stuck driving old fashioned gas-powered vans however - our company's Toyota Prius is the harbinger of the eventual conversion of all our vehicles to hybrid technology - we'll be the first in line to upgrade our fleet when these commercial vehicles become available. 

Postscript - we tried putting roof racks and ladders on the Prius but that didn't work out so well.