Fighting Climate Change This Earth Day

Earth Day is April 22, and this year, it appears that organizers are sticking with last year’s theme: climate action.

This is slightly unusual, because most often, annual observances have a theme that changes year to year to educate participants more thoroughly on different topic. Previously, Earth Day has centralized around recycling or science and schools. But we understand the decision to stick with climate action for the second year in a row.

Last year, the organization explained that “Climate change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable.” And of course we can’t solve climate change in a year. It will take continued action and investment to reverse the effects we’re already seeing. “As the world returns to normal, we can’t go back to business-as-usual,” the organization wrote.

Carbon emissions are the greatest contributor to greenhouse gases (GHGs).

In 2018 carbon made up 81% of all GHG emissions. Carbon is also an area where we can actively reduce our emissions output. The building and construction sector is responsible for the plurality of carbon emissions – and its carbon emissions fall into two categories:

• Operational carbon: what’s emitted during the building’s service life (such as energy used to light or heat a building)
• Embodied carbon: what’s released during the product’s entire lifecycle (energy from manufacturing the product, to transportation, to installation, and more)

But by planning ahead, through tools like the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) tool, architects, designers, and specifiers can look for opportunities to reduce the carbon output in designing buildings.

The tool uses lifecycle assessments (LCAs) and environmental product declarations (EPDs) to determine the embodied carbon output for various products. Within the tool, you can map out your entire project and see where the embodied carbon emission is highest and where you can reduce through identification and selection of alternative materials. LCAs have repeatedly shown that many plastic products, including vinyl, often provide low-carbon alternatives in many building applications that use legacy materials.

But we’re seeing other ways that companies are finding to neutralize our carbon emissions – like direct air capture. Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, a subsidiary of Vinyl Institute member Occidental Chemical Corporation, is pulling carbon directly from the air and sequestering it underground in certified oil and gas reservoirs.

We understand the importance of centralizing Earth Day around the impending issue that is affecting us all – and we’re committed to finding ways to reduce emissions so that we can continue to protect the earth and prevent climate change.