Environmental Impact of Buildings - Residential buildings account for 20% of global carbon emissions, with 85% from operation and 15% from construction [4] - Global temperatures have surpassed the 1.5 degrees Celsius mark since July 2023, intensifying extreme weather events [5][6] - The United Nations predicts global temperatures will rise an additional 3 degrees Celsius by 2100 [14] Disaster Statistics - A thousand-year flood event in the southeastern US in 2024 killed 228 people and damaged 73,000 homes [7] - Flooding in Valencia, Spain in 2024 killed 232 people [7] - Massive flooding in Nigeria in 2024 took the lives of over 300 people and displaced 1.2 million [8] - In 2023, 42 million acres burned in Canada [9] - In 2024, fires in Chile killed 131 people and destroyed 14,000 homes [9] - In 2025, wildfires in California resulted in 30 deaths and the destruction of 16,000 homes [9] Proposed Solutions for Sustainable Housing - Electrify homes by using heat pumps for water heating, air heating, and AC, installing solar panels with backup batteries, and buying electric appliances [15] - Remodel existing structures to limit the use of carbon-intensive materials like concrete and steel [18] - When building new, use concrete with industrial byproducts like fly ash or slag (SCM) [19]