Carbon Storage and Building

I would like to first thank Dennis Allen for continually educating the public with his column in the Independent found in the Real Estate section and coming to many lectures and workshops hosted by Santa Barbara Permaculture Network over the years.

In a recent article he mentions Chris Magwood, founder of the Endeavour Sustainable Building School in Ontario, Canada. I’d like to share that Chris will be giving a public lecture in Santa Barbara on Saturday, May 9, 2020, followed by a workshop for builders and contractors on Sunday, May 10. His message is so important for these times with the State of California requiring a lowering of the carbon footprint for the built environment. Zero Net energy will not be enough, more is needed!

Chris has been studying the carbon storage potential for the built environment for many years. He concludes that the materials we use for our buildings should have the ability to not release carbon but absorb and store it, too. This is hugely important as buildings generate nearly 40 percent of annual global GHG emissions. Chris Magwood is the author of Making Better Buildings — A Comparative Guide for Sustainable Construction for Homeowners and Contractors and a series of manuals published by New Society Press, readable for the general public and professional builders.