Micro dwellings. Here's a slideshow I grabbed from the Huffington Post today. Micro apartments from the Old Days in Tokyo.
 |
| Tolkien's original drawing of Bag End - now maybe if we could all become Hobbit-sized? |
So that's one place to start thinking. Down-size our dwellings, which would down-size the amount of energy required to construct, furnish, and maintain them. Tax the hell out of houses larger than a certain square footage per occupant, and plow the dollars raised back into other green initiatives.
The EPA says that electricity production was responsible for about a third of greenhouse gas emissions in 2011. Smaller houses would take less electricity to light and heat, wouldn't they? The EPA further notes that over 70% of our electricity comes from burning fossil fuels - and we know that burning fossil fuels contributes to global climate change.
Surprisingly, that third of greenhouse gas emissions from electricity production is MORE than the 28% of 2011 greenhouse gas emissions from transportation! However, since over 90% of the fuel used for transportation is petroleum-based, maybe the two are equivalent? (I need a refresher course in basic math.)
Bonus link - to the Tumbleweed Tiny Home Company's site, which features some adorable small houses that start at a decidedly Hobbity 73 square feet!
No comments:
Post a Comment