Brookfield Homes

California homebuilders lead the nation in green building. This is a true statement, but it doesn’t tell half the story about green building in California. In 1990, a new home in California was charged with creating over 11 tons of CO2 per year. In 2006, a new home in California was charged with creating over 8 tons of CO2 per year. New homebuilders in this state now deliver a product that creates 25% less CO2 than their product did 15 years ago. New homebuilders have been going green long before it was fashionable to do so!

Green House

Here is the real story behind California homes and their creation of green house gases. There are approximately 13 million homes in California. New single family homes in 2007 were approximately 85,000. That is less than 0.1% of the total homes in the state. The impact of new homes on the total green house gas creation is negligible. The true impact of green house gases from residential homes is not through new construction, but from existing homes.

How do homes create green house gases, you ask. Well, the home really doesn’t. With the exception of some small amount of vapors coming out of fresh paints, stains and glues and a little wood in the fireplace or a natural gas water heater, homes are very clean and enviro friendly. The problem is people live in homes. People use electricity and natural gas. It is the use of electricity and natural gas that creates the green house gas emissions.

The average single family home uses enough natural gas and electricity that generates 8 tons of CO2 per year. Your wall plug doesn’t create CO2, but the electric generating plant does and then sends you electricity over the wires. Regulators attribute your use of energy with the green house gas emissions of the power producers.

Add it all up, your new house creates 8 tons of CO2 emissions and your older home creates 11 tons of CO2 emissions. Another way to look at it is the older, existing homes create 65.7 million tons of CO2 per year and new homes create 0.6 million tons of CO2 per year. Regulators continue to push new and stricter regulations on new home construction, while ignoring the homes of existing voters.

How much more blood can you squeeze out of that rock?