Episode 5: CarbonShack Design: Living with the Invisible

Climate skepticism has been decreasing over the past five years. Now we must address the second roadblock in our path to decarbonization, solution skepticism. Technological advancements have led to large levels of growth in efficiency and have brought costs down significantly, making our keystone solutions like green buildings viable. However, cynicism on both sides of the aisle prevails.

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.