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Understanding the Myths and Realities of the “Greener” American Home

Is it possible to build an eco-friendly home in the age of climate change?

By Katharine Gammon,
Katharine Gammon
Kate Gammon is a freelance science writer based in Santa Monica, California. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications, including WIRED, PopSci, FastCompany, and Takepart.com. Kate has also participated in many fellowships, including the 2013 MIT Knight Science Bootcamp, the 2012 Woods Hole Ocean Science Journalism Fellowship, a 2013 National Press Foundation Fellowship, a 2011 Fellowship from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and others. Kate is a member of the National Association of Science Writers and the Association of Health Care Journalists.
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Brian Hurst
Brian Hurst
Brian Hurst—illustrator and graphic designer—lives in Southern California with his wife and new baby girl. When he is isn't drawing pictures, he...uh, well, he is usually just drawing pictures.
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Jun 25, 2015

Home sweet home: We spend 90 percent of our life indoors, much of that in our homes. Research has shown that green homes keep residents healthier, require less maintenance, and are cheaper in the long run. But before you make a home green, you’ve got to make a seemingly infinite number of choices. Tiny house in a city or eco-oasis in the suburb? To tear down or restore? The way we live matters a lot: While greenhouse gas emissions are dropping from commercial buildings, they’re rising from homes at a rate of one percent per year.

In this infographic powered by data from Progressive, take a look at the numbers to see what can actually be done to make our homes greener in the age of climate change.

green homesleed

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