There is now a tool to help builders calculate the impact of their projects on the environment while they are being built, not just during their lifespan and operation. With support from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at University of Texas, a Seattle-based sustainable design firm, Mithun, created a calculator for builders to use that will help them identify and reduce carbon emissions during construction. The Environmental and Energy Institutes claims that buildings account for 48 percent of greenhouse emissions in the U.S. By inputting the square footage of the project to be built, the number of floors, the structural material, the amount of plant life and landscaping to be removed or added, and the ecological zone in which the property is located, the tool gives an impact assessment. Future goals for the calculator include interactive tools to help calculate carbon reductions for applied solutions. This is definitely a step in the right direction for builders who believe in reducing emissions and buyers who want a more sustainable industry.
Credit: Builder Online
