The State College Community Land Trust and Envinity are working to retrofit this home in State College into a highly energy efficient "passive house." They built an "envelope" around the exterior of the home that will be filled with insulation. (Jeremy Long - WITF)
What can one person do about climate change? Part 1: Start at home
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Rachel McDevitt
Home energy and electricity use make up an estimated 20% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, and it’s often our biggest source of personal emissions.
That doesn’t mean you need to shell out a ton of money to renovate your house. Simple efficiency measures can go a long way.
Resources:Â
Find the rest of the series:
- What can I do about climate change? An introduction
- Part 2: What we (don’t) eat
- Part 3: Dig in the dirtÂ
- Part 4: Getting aroundÂ
- Part 5: Shop smartÂ
- Part 6: Upgrade your homeÂ
- Part 7: Speak upÂ
Listen to the stories:
Home energy
Shopping and traveling
Food waste and gardening
What efficiency upgrades can you make in your home?
An energy efficient home helps people save money on utility bills. It also plays a role in lowering climate-warming emissions. About 20% of the country’s emissions are because of energy and electricity use in homes.
Graphic: Tom Downing, WITF | Sources: U.S. Department of Energy and Project Drawdown