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LEDs and Other Blue Light Sources - Why Less Intensity Often Makes More Sense

Ever since Edison and Tesla first clashed over who really invented the lightbulb, the goal behind artificial light has been to make it as close to natural light - sun light - as possible. It follows that this would be for the better - after all, sunlight is good for you, isn’t it? As it happens, there is such a thing as too close to the sun as far as lightbulbs are concerned and it can have dire ramifications for both your health a...

The Case for a Carbon Tax as a Way to Cut Carbon Pollution and Create Jobs

History and relevance As we seek to find ways to transform our carbon based economy into a sustainable one, the idea of a carbon tax is gaining traction.  A carbon tax aims to decrease the production, distribution or use of coal, oil and gas, by means of a government fee which acts as a deterrent to lessen their use.  Sometimes known as putting a price on carbon, it is seen as a modern day strategy to combat climate chan...

Discussing Carbon Tax with Dr. Gilbert Metcalf

Rate It Green spoke with economist Dr. Gilbert Metcalf of Tufts University about carbon taxes, the Green New Deal, role of the EPA, the current pandemic, border carbon adjustments, and bringing others to the table on climate change.  His perspective was enlightening in terms of how to curtail emissions and smoothly transition to a clean energy-based economy. Dr. Metcalf, Professor of Economics and the John DiBiaggio Professor of C...

COVID-19 and the Construction and Building Materials Industries - Possible Business Impacts

It is clear that COVID-19 is drastically affecting the global economy and impacting every industry in some way, shape or form. Aside from the immediate and urgent health concerns, a significant question on everyone’s mind, including those in the construction and building materials industry, is “how will it affect my field?” According to a Boston Globe report from March 16, Mayor Martin J. Walsh ordered a stop to...

How Pandemics Shape Cities

Pandemics are defined as large-scale outbreaks of an infectious disease that can vastly increase morbidity (occurrence of disease) and mortality over a wide geographic area.  Inevitably, pandemics cause significant economic, social, and political disruption. Most pandemics in history have originated through “zoonosis’, the transmission of pathogens from animals to humans. The bubonic plague of the 6th century (rats), the 1918...

Heat Pumps - Energy Efficient and Cost Effective Heating & Cooling Solutions

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, or HVAC, is often the biggest hurdle to reducing your home’s carbon footprint. How can we stay warm or cool while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels?  A clean energy, cost effective and reliable answer may be a heat pump system , which could potentially replace both your heater and air conditioner. At its core, a heat pump is a device that transfers heat from a colder area to...

Biophilic Design - Bringing Nature Back into the Built Environment

In ancient Greek and Roman architecture, open-air courtyards functioned as the center of the home complete with gardens, fountains, and sculptures. The courtyard, or peristyle as it was known, provided a calming respite with fresh air, natural light, and views of nature. However, few homes or workplaces are built around such secluded open air oases nowadays.  In fact, they are usually built to protect and separate us from the outdoors an...

Understanding Healthy Soil and Climate Change

Curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions traditionally centers around the reduction of fossil fuel dependence in our society. While arguably the most effective initiative, we cannot ignore our other activities that act as sources of GHGs. We can start by looking at...dirt? Healthy soil stores up to three times as much carbon as the atmosphere and about four times the amount of carbon stored in all living animals and plants. That’s ...

Protecting Pollinators: Our Endangered Backyard Species

The basis for the principle of conservation, and why we should care when a species goes extinct, is that every life form plays an important role in the ecological balance of the earth. However, the word ‘conservation’ brings to mind large animals like bears, wolves and bison living in a faraway wilderness.  But there are other creatures that need protection just as urgently and are much closer to home. We have multiple endang...

Getting Your Green Building Products Specified - 4 Key Strategies

As green building activity continues to increase steadily across the world, it is a promising time for building product manufacturers (BPMs). According to a report by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), Fifty seven percent of building owners are planning to make the majority of their projects green by 2021. Within a wider framework of growing environmental awareness and climate concern, rising client demand, e...