Saving Carbon in Housing Easy and Cheap

An opportunity exists in the world's housing to reduce a huge chunk of global carbon dioxide emission at a relatively cheap cost, according to an article by Rie Jerichow on the U.N.'s Climate Change Conference news site.

Jerichow writes that the "worldwide building sector accounts for almost 40 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, but it is also the cheapest source of emissions cuts," and cites a new study that shows "improving energy efficiency can cut one third of global emissions with investments that largely pay for themselves"

This latest study adds to a growing body of evidence that relatively inexpensive and easy actions -- like painting roofs and roadways white to reflect heat back out of the atmosphere -- could make major contributions to lowering average temperatures.

The study was done by economist Trevor Houser, who is a visiting fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Houser estimates that "reducing building sector emissions in line with global goals would cost an average of 25 US dollars per ton of CO₂."

That's a whole lot of bang for the buck.

Houser's estimate compares this carbon savings to similar carbon cuts in factories and transportation. He cites figures from a World Business Council for Sustainable Development report that says cuts to "industry or transportation would cost 210 or 300 US dollars per ton."

So why aren't we taking these simple, cost-effective actions to save ourselves from global warming?

That one is a mystery, even to the experts. Jerichow writes that to Trevor Houser, along with other economists, "it is a conundrum why people don’t take advantage of these obvious investments, but he doubts that putting a price on carbon is the only way to break these barriers down."

But there may be ways to promote these changes. "New programs with utilities and home lenders can be a part of the solution as well as building codes," according to the article.

Photo courtesy of Christopher Dick, via Flickr