At 11:29 AM 8/16/2007, slurryguy wrote:
>Take a step back and look at the big picture.
>
>A couple of weeks ago, two friends of mine were arguing about whether
>it was more efficient to drive with the windows rolled down, or the
>air conditioner on.
Which segues to an issue to think about that's far larger
than the operating energy of buildings: the transportation energy
associated with them. A superinsulated house in the country occupied
by a commuting individual is in almost every case going to be more
environmentally damaging than if the commuting party lived in a
'normal' house where they could take advantage of public
transportation, bike, walk, or even drive fewer miles to their job
and services.
The average daily commute in the U.S. is 12 miles, one way.
Getting to and from our buildings uses far more energy than our buildings do.
Inverting the quandary, workers in the average office
building use 30% more energy getting to and from work than the
building itself uses.
Of course, all of this gets incredibly messy in no time at
all, with a million mitigating factors. But there it is. Like you
said, we need to "step back and look at the big picture."
Mark Piepkorn
www.potkettleblack.com
If you want to waste your time,
scatter millet and pick it up again.
- graffiti from Pompeii, 79 A.D.
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