Living Green in Boston high rise condos

Boston high rise condos

I came across an old article in Wired Magazine, there was a very interesting editorial that I thought I should share. It is titled “Inconvenient Truths: Get Ready to Rethink What it Means to be Green” . In the article, we are challenged to examine our preconceived notions of what we think may or may not be good for the environment.

The first suggestion

The first suggestion is that it is actually more environmentally friendly to Live in Cities. Is this true? Could we be doing our part to decrease Global Warming just by living in this great place we call Downtown/Midtown Boston? I was surprised to learn that the Carbon footprint of an urbanite is significantly lower (30%) than that of a suburban dweller. When you think about it, it starts to make sense. Cities are more dense, and as a result more efficient. An urbanite is more likely to either walk or use public transportation. 3.5 MILLION “Extreme Commuters” living in suburbia can spend as much as three hours a day just getting to and from work. It is well know that the carbon dioxide produced from U.S. automobiles (some 1.9 billion tons a year) is greater than emissions from India, Japan, or Russia. Also, the central heating and cooling systems of a residential urban complex are much more efficient than that of its’ suburban counterpart.

Conclusion

The bottom line for most people in choosing an urban lifestyle is all about central locations….being close to work, life, and play. If you can accomplish this AND do your part to save the environment, isn’t a move Downtown worth considering?