Carbon, the building blocks of life.
Before we talk about reducing our carbon footprint, let’s start at the beginning.
What is carbon?
How did too much CO2 get in Earth’s atmosphere and oceans?
And why is this a bad thing?
The Soil Story is a short animated film made by friends at Kiss The Ground which explains the role of carbon and how it relates to global warming.
Source: Architecture 2030
Buildings generate nearly 40% of annual global greenhouse gases.
Everyone in this sector needs to be a climate activist.
When fossil fuels are burned, they release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHG), which in turn trap heat in our atmosphere, making them the primary contributors to global warming and climate change.
“When done right, decarbonization not only addresses global environmental challenges, but also contributes to cost savings, social equity, tenant and employee health and well-being.”
— Deloitte
What does embodied carbon mean?
Embodied carbon is the total GHG generated to produce a built asset.
This includes emissions from:
Extracting raw materials
Manufacturing and processing
Transportation
Assembly of every product and fixture inside a building
The deconstructing and disposing of items at the end of their life
Here’s another animated video to watch (they help to grasp concepts easier):
BETWEEN NOW AND 2050
Look at all the new construction that is projected to take place in the next 30 years. Embodied carbon plays a critical role along with emissions from daily operations.
How to de-carbonize?
Decarbonizing buildings is the most important goal if we wish to see a future.
We already know how to make buildings more efficient to achieve Net Zero Emissions/Carbon Neutrality:
Integrate renewable energy either from fully powered on-site or a blend of off-site and offsets.
Use plant-based, carbon-storing building materials like FSC salvaged wood, cellulose, cork, hemp(crete), straw, bamboo, rice hulls, mycellium, and more. Natural insulation materials and blown-in applications are the best way to reduce embodied carbon of insulation.
Simplify use of materials and ensure easy reuse at end-of-life.
A home in Maine, USA, made with Bamcore bamboo materials.