Buildings consume 76% of electricity generated & they create 48% of our greenhouse gases. Main Points:

* Every brick in building required the burning of fossil fuel in its manufacture, every piece of lumber was cut and transported using energy

* Aim for a complete ban of formaldehyde use in building products

* Building demolitions account for 48% of the waste stream (65 million tons a year), renovations account for 44% and renovations account for 8%

* A solar water heater can save $ 450 a year and keep a ton of CO2 emissions out of the air; multiply that by 80 million houses in the USA

* While smaller is better almost every city has minimum floor area requirements

* The losses are higher in AC than in DC because it grounds so easily

* The average 1950’s house was 983 sq feet; by 1970 it was 1500 SF; last year it was 2350 SF

* We can no longer afford to lose agricultural land close to our cities and towns