Assessing A Carbon Neutral Building Approach
Author(s)
M. Bendewald & J. Brew
Abstract
\“One of nature’s most critical cycles is the continual exchange of carbon dioxide
and oxygen among plants and animals. This \“recycling service” is provided by
nature free of charge. But today carbon dioxide is building up in the atmosphere,
due in part to combustion of fossil fuels. In effect, the capacity of the natural
system to recycle carbon dioxide has been exceeded, just as overfishing can
exceed the capacity of a fishery to replenish stocks. But what is especially
important to realize is that there is no known alternative to nature’s carbon cycle
service”. – Natural Capitalism (1999)
At Rocky Mountain Institute we have been developing ways to evaluate our
built environment with regard to carrying capacity. Green Footstep™, a free
online tool, is an outcome of these efforts.
The Green Footstep calculator is a building assessment tool using
ecologically based assessment criteria. Most existing tools and assessment
systems measure performance relative to a baseline case of "standard
performance." Generally this equates to a code-compliant building and green
performance is measured as a percentage reduction in a particular area, such as
water or energy use. As a result, green buildings are rewarded for causing less
environmental damage than typical buildings. However, these relative, rather
than absolute, performance evaluations rarely make the connection to actual
environmental impacts.
The Green Footstep tool brings forth building site ecology and ecological
limits into the domain of building stakeholders and addresses the ecological
challenges of our time.
Keywords: carbon, footprint, assessment tool, ecological limits, carrying
capacity, building, design targets.
Keywords
carbon, footprint, assessment tool, ecological limits, carrying
capacity, building, design targets
Related Book
Other papers in this volume
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