Can I offset my CO2 debt?
user-2310254
| Posted in Green Building Techniques on
I’m thinking about using ICFs on my project for the basement and top floor. At this point, I’m guessing it won’t represent an up charge and might actually be cheaper than a conventional poured foundation plus framing.
Obviously the CO2 generated by all that extra concrete is a concern, but maybe I can offset that by planting trees, buying an electric car, and some combination of similar strategies. Has anyone tried to do this on a recent project? Easy? Hard? Impossible?
GBA Detail Library
A collection of one thousand construction details organized by climate and house part
Search and download construction details
Replies
I've never been a fan of the "energy=CO2" stuff, but remember that your ICFs are also providing insulation, so something of a "pay it forward" kind of thing. Electric cars move things around, but don't themselves change much unless you are charging them entirely from solar or hydroelectric sources, something like that.
I like the "plant trees" idea. I love trees, that's why I live in the woods :-) Plant trees, do a nice job of landscaping, look at it as a form of natural carbon sequestering if that's what you want to accomplish, but you'll also have much nicer setting, and quite literally have a greener home.
Bill
It have planted trees in my yard to match the wood species that we use in the house with the exception of cherry and walnut. The Douglas firs are 25 feet tall, some of the maples are 30 feet. Spruce are up there. With the recent floor upgrade, I need to plant some birch trees. I like deciduous trees on the south west to reduce the cooling load, so landscaping should be part of a PGH.