More than 60% of carbon emissions in cities come from buildings, which is just one reason why there’s an international movement to decarbonize real estate through zoning codes, building standards, incentives, and more tools. Read this dispatch from the World Economic Forum annual conference.
If you want to reduce your energy use and bring a brighter touch to your home, invest in a skylight or move some windows to capture light at different times of day. In addition to warming up the aesthetics, these “passive solar” steps reduce the need for costly artificial lighting during the day. You can also invest in awnings, shutters, and curtains to control the light and heat in your home.
Natural light helps you see, but how can you survive without natural gas? Think about going electric with a heat pump for heating, cooling, and water heating. Replacing your gas stove with an induction version is another smart investment, and it won’t blow you up! Energy upgrades like this can get expensive, but there are government incentives to help, and the savings pay back the costs in short order.
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Digging deep into the data, the Census Bureau recently found that people are having children later in life. Between 1990 and 2019, the median age of first-time parents rose from 27 to an all-time record of 30. A variety of factors are at play here but the bottom line is more people are having kids in their 30s and 40s instead of their 20s. This shift could also have a significant impact on when new families get into the housing market. The AP has more numbers.
Start by getting organized. Go room to room and make three piles: Trash, Shred, and Keep. The names should make the contents self-explanatory. Aim for about a 30-30-30 split, with 10% flex area for all of those items you can’t imagine living without but can’t quite justify keeping around. And if you’re on the fence, just pull a Marie Kondo, spin around, and go with your gut.
You still need room for all those piles, so my suggestion is to get the big stuff out of the way first. Most residential waste collectors offer a certain number of free large item pickups per year for things like old furniture, appliances, and exercise equipment. You can generally find out who collects the waste in your city by calling the 3-1-1 non-emergency info line.
