Episode 5: CarbonShack Design: Living with the Invisible

There is no question about it. We are living in exciting times. Just this past year, 90 cities, ten counties and two states, have set targets for 100 renewable energy in the U.S. alone. Oil giants like Exxon Mobil and Shell are lobbying to advance the case for a carbon tax, solar is now cost competitive with fossil fuel powered electricity, and the Green New Deal is fundamentally changing the public’s rhetoric and confidence in climate solutions. Each day a fully decarbonized economy is looking more likely. However, the path to decarbonization is not linear.

The construction industry uses three quarters of all the raw materials used by the United States, while buildings consume nearly 40% of energy in the country, more than both transportation and industrial sectors. Almost half of the greenhouse gas emissions stemming from buildings are due to materials production and the burning of fossil fuels. The process of construction creates a lot of waste, contributing between 30% and 40% of domestic landfill waste.