Building Solutions: Energy Efficient Homes Save Money and Reduce Global Warming

Vermont has the second oldest building stock in the nation. Too many of Vermont’s buildings are inefficient, which means they require more fuel to heat and produce more global warming pollution. Vermont can significantly reduce its global warming pollution by adopting measures to improve the efficiency of heating its residential buildings, saving Vermonters millions of dollars at the same time.
Global warming, caused by human-induced changes to the climate, is a major threat to Vermont’s future.

Since the beginning of the Industrial Age, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide – the leading global warming gas – have increased by 35 percent, a rate of increase unprecedented in the last 20,000 years. Correspondingly, global average temperatures have increased by about 1° F during the 20th century.

Temperatures in Vermont are projected to increase by 2° F to 10° F by 2100, with precipitation increasing by as much as 50 percent, especially in the winter. Annual variation in rainfall may be much greater.