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# JackRabbit Homes

Be The Sustainable Solution

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## Posts

- [Industry News](https://jackrabbithomes.org/industry-news/)
- [Existing Home Sales Fall in February](https://jackrabbithomes.org/existing-home-sales-fall-in-february/) - As rising mortgage charges and house costs continued to cost out homebuyers and cut back affordability, current house gross sales dropped to a six-month low in February, based on the Nationwide Affiliation of Realtors (NAR). Moreover, house value appreciation is predicted to gradual within the coming quarters as demand cools and provide improves. Complete current house gross sales, together with
- [Can Biden get a Fed climate candidate past Joe Manchin?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/can-biden-get-a-fed-climate-candidate-past-joe-manchin/) - Sen. Joe Manchin has turned into a real headache for President Biden on climate. The latest example came this week when the West Virginia Democrat torpedoed the nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin for the Federal Reserve. Biden wanted Raskin, a climate-savvy financial regulator, to serve as the Fed’s top bank cop, but Manchin disagreed —
- [Multifamily Production at a Two-Year High as Single-Family Starts Remain Firm](https://jackrabbithomes.org/multifamily-production-at-a-two-year-high-as-single-family-starts-remain-firm/) - Regardless of manufacturing bottlenecks and rising development prices, whole housing begins, led by a powerful multifamily studying posted a strong achieve in February as demand stays robust and current stock stays at low ranges. General housing begins elevated 6.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual charge of 1.77 million models, in keeping with a report from
- [Building Materials Prices Increase Slightly, Held in Check by Metal, Gypsum, and Concrete Products](https://jackrabbithomes.org/building-materials-prices-increase-slightly-held-in-check-by-metal-gypsum-and-concrete-products/) - The costs of products utilized in residential development ex-energy climbed 1.6% in February (not seasonally adjusted), in response to the newest Producer Value Index (PPI) report launched by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Constructing supplies costs elevated 20.4%, year-over-year, and have risen 31.3% since January 2020. Over the previous 5 months, the index has climbed 10.6%. The worth
- [Inflation is at a 40-year high. Is clean energy the solution?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/inflation-is-at-a-40-year-high-is-clean-energy-the-solution/) - Over the previous a number of months, People have discovered how unhealthy a “good” economic system can really feel. On the one hand, wages are up and the nation’s economic system is rising at its quickest clip since 1984. The unemployment charge has fallen to only 3.8 p.c. However all these positive aspects can’t make
- [War in Ukraine Adds to Inflation Concerns](https://jackrabbithomes.org/war-in-ukraine-adds-to-inflation-concerns/) - The Russian invasion of Ukraine is producing financial impacts for U.S. markets. Within the brief run, heightened financial uncertainty has decreased long-term rates of interest by about 20 foundation factors, inflicting the 10-year Treasury and 30-year mounted mortgage rates of interest to fall again. Wanting ahead, a drawn-out battle will enhance inflation strain for power
- [U.S. spending for global climate response ‘pitifully too low’](https://jackrabbithomes.org/u-s-spending-for-global-climate-response-pitifully-too-low/) - Forward of worldwide local weather talks final yr, President Biden mentioned the USA would dramatically enhance its worldwide investments in combating local weather change. However the cash Congress permitted final week as a part of its $1.5 trillion spending bundle falls far wanting Biden’s imaginative and prescient. The setback will make it even more durable
- [Six Ways To Fix Your Sustainability Marketing](https://jackrabbithomes.org/six-ways-to-fix-your-sustainability-marketing/) - Over the 20 years I’ve spent working in sustainability and objective, I’ve seen the great, the dangerous and the downright mistaken of mission advertising. Even at this time, I nonetheless see a few of the similar clangers which were made for years – entrepreneurs falling into the identical traps, with nobody to drag them out.
- [Inflation Remains at 40-Year High in February](https://jackrabbithomes.org/inflation-remains-at-40-year-high-in-february/) - Shopper costs continued to interrupt 40-year highs in February because of greater meals, gasoline and housing prices. This was the most important year-over-year acquire since January 1982. This tempo of inflation will probably keep excessive within the months forward as Russia-Ukraine disaster continues drive up oil and commodity costs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that
- [‘Son of Build Back Better.’ Energy CEOs eye renewables’ future](https://jackrabbithomes.org/son-of-build-back-better-energy-ceos-eye-renewables-future/) - HOUSTON — Provide chain disruptions, inflation and bureaucratic rules are slowing the deployment of renewable power in the USA and jeopardizing efforts championed by President Biden to attain one hundred pc carbon-free energy, leaders within the electrical trade stated yesterday. Utility executives and clear power builders additionally joined authorities officers at CERAWeek by S&P International
- [How Higher Interest Rates Affect Housing Affordability](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-higher-interest-rates-affect-housing-affordability/) - New NAHB 2022 Priced-Out Estimates confirmed that 87.5 million households will not be in a position to afford a median priced new house, and that an extra 117,932 households could be priced out of the brand new house market if the value goes up by $1,000. Rates of interest may have an effect on the variety of
- [Households Priced Out by Higher Interest Rates](https://jackrabbithomes.org/households-priced-out-by-higher-interest-rates/) - New NAHB 2022 Priced-Out Estimates confirmed that 87.5 million households will not be capable of afford a median priced new house, and that further 117,932 households can be priced out of the brand new house market if the worth goes up by $1,000. This put up presents how rates of interest have an effect on the variety
- [Fla. clampdown on rooftop solar heads to governor](https://jackrabbithomes.org/fla-clampdown-on-rooftop-solar-heads-to-governor/) - A controversial invoice that might slash rooftop photo voltaic credit in Florida is headed to the governor’s desk after passing the Legislature yesterday, escalating a yearslong struggle between Florida’s politically highly effective investor-owned utilities and clear vitality advocates. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is predicted to signal the invoice and provides the electrical corporations a leg
- [Foundations Begin To Embrace ESG](https://jackrabbithomes.org/foundations-begin-to-embrace-esg/) - Whereas a lot as been written about how corporations are embracing the ideas and methods behind the Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) motion, and this creator has written in regards to the emergence of ESG amongst nonprofit organizations — notably faculties and universities — there was little stated about personal foundations choosing up the trigger. That
- [Residential Construction Jobs Surpass February 2020 Levels](https://jackrabbithomes.org/residential-construction-jobs-surpass-february-2020-levels/) - Building trade employment (each residential and non-residential) totaled 7.6 million in February. Residential development gained 31,000 jobs, whereas non-residential development added 29,400 jobs for the month. Residential development employment at the moment exceeds its degree in February 2020, whereas 73% of non-residential development jobs misplaced in March and April have now been recovered. Job development
- [January Private Residential Spending Up 1.3%](https://jackrabbithomes.org/january-private-residential-spending-up-1-3/) - NAHB analysis of Census Construction Spending data shows that total private residential construction spending rose 1.3% in January after an increase of 2.2% in December 2021. Spending stood at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $829.4 billion. Total private residential construction spending was 13.4% higher than a year ago. These monthly gains are attributed to
- [Heat waves hit the poor hardest – a new study calculates the rising impact on those least able to adapt to the warming climate](https://jackrabbithomes.org/heat-waves-hit-the-poor-hardest-a-new-study-calculates-the-rising-impact-on-those-least-able-to-adapt-to-the-warming-climate/) - Spend time in a creating nation throughout a warmth wave and it shortly turns into clear why poorer nations face a number of the best dangers from local weather change. Most houses don’t have air con, and even well being clinics can get overheated. These international locations are usually within the hottest components of world, and their threat of harmful
- [A Sicker, Poorer, and Less Abundant World](https://jackrabbithomes.org/a-sicker-poorer-and-less-abundant-world/) - Yesterday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Local weather Change printed one other one among its tomelike reviews on the hazards of world warming. It's, it have to be stated, a dry and colorless doc. Tasked with describing the impacts of local weather change on human society and the pure world—which is to say, each dwelling factor—in
- [Gains for Residential Construction Loans](https://jackrabbithomes.org/gains-for-residential-construction-loans/) - Residential building mortgage quantity reached a post-Nice Recession excessive in the course of the fourth quarter of 2021, as house constructing exercise posted positive factors for the yr. The amount of 1-4 unit residential building loans made by FDIC-insured establishments elevated 1% in the course of the fourth quarter. The amount of loans elevated by
- [Are Children In Bike Trailers At Risk From Air Pollution?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/are-children-in-bike-trailers-at-risk-from-air-pollution/) - What might be extra environmentally pleasant than ditching the automotive for the common faculty run and switching to pedal energy? In spite of everything, everyone knows that lively journey is essential to a wholesome way of life and can assist minimize tailpipe emissions. However a current examine by the College of Surrey’s International Centre for
- [15 years of Supreme Court climate fights come to a head today](https://jackrabbithomes.org/15-years-of-supreme-court-climate-fights-come-to-a-head-today/) - Fifteen years after it issued its landmark ruling in Massachusetts v. EPA, the Supreme Courtroom is about to get one other probability to outline the contours of federal local weather regulation. The justices will hear arguments at present in West Virginia v. EPA, a novel case that asks whether or not the federal government can
- [Europe Expedites Transition To Clean Energy Due To Ukraine Invasion](https://jackrabbithomes.org/europe-expedites-transition-to-clean-energy-due-to-ukraine-invasion/) - The suspension of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany is simply the start of a a lot bigger new power technique that Europe is accelerating in gentle of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. It’s a pivot away from dependence on Russian fuel and in direction of renewables that European leaders have been
- [Don’t Miss Out on Potential Energy Tax Credits for Your Projects](https://jackrabbithomes.org/dont-miss-out-on-potential-energy-tax-credits-for-your-projects/) - As tax season approaches, many dwelling builders could also be unaware of potential tax credit that would translate into important financial savings. The 45L tax credit score is offered to single-family and multifamily builders exceeding 2006 vitality requirements. This implies an organization constructing 100 properties a yr might return and declare $2,000 per qualifying dwelling
- [2- to 4-Unit Production Disappoints in 2021](https://jackrabbithomes.org/2-to-4-unit-production-disappoints-in-2021/) - The lacking center development sector contains growth of medium-density housing, together with townhouses, duplexes and different small multifamily properties. Whereas townhouse development has trended larger in latest quarters, the multifamily phase of the lacking center (residences in 2 to 4 unit properties) has upset. For 2021, there have been solely 12,000 begins of such residences. That is
- [Ukraine Crisis Is Terrible News For Climate Policy](https://jackrabbithomes.org/ukraine-crisis-is-terrible-news-for-climate-policy/) - Russia has lastly proven its playing cards on Ukraine. The invasion is official, although below the garb of peacekeeping. Russia has acknowledged the 2 breakaway areas of Luhansk and Donetsk. The U.S. and Western Europe have imposed sanctions. Germany has put Nord Stream 2 gasoline pipeline on maintain. The Ukraine disaster shouldn't be a “North
- [Specter of “orphan” oil, gas wells drives debate over proposed update of state rules](https://jackrabbithomes.org/specter-of-orphan-oil-gas-wells-drives-debate-over-proposed-update-of-state-rules/) - Proposed guidelines meant to make sure that corporations have the cash wanted to shut and clear up oil and fuel nicely websites in Colorado are too weak and gained’t defend taxpayers from having to pay the invoice, proponents of the reforms say. Nevertheless, the business and its supporters contend the elevated calls for will power
- [The Supreme Court could hamstring federal agencies’ regulatory power in a high-profile air pollution case](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-supreme-court-could-hamstring-federal-agencies-regulatory-power-in-a-high-profile-air-pollution-case/) - On Feb. 28, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Courtroom will hear oral arguments in West Virginia v. EPA, a case that facilities on the U.S. Environmental Safety Company’s authority to control greenhouse fuel emissions that drive local weather change. How the court docket decides the case may have broad ramifications, not only for local weather change
- [Existing Home Sales Rebound Amid Record-Low Inventory and Higher Prices](https://jackrabbithomes.org/existing-home-sales-rebound-amid-record-low-inventory-and-higher-prices/) - Regardless of record-low stock and better costs, current house gross sales jumped in January as consumers anticipated additional fee will increase and locked in present low charges, in keeping with the Nationwide Affiliation of Realtors (NAR). Nevertheless, traders with all-cash affords had been squeezing out first-time and younger homebuyers. Extra provide particularly at lower-end market is required with
- [National parks are not enough – we need landholders to protect threatened species on their property](https://jackrabbithomes.org/national-parks-are-not-enough-we-need-landholders-to-protect-threatened-species-on-their-property/) - Over the past decade, the world protected for nature in Australia has shot up by virtually half. Our nationwide reserve system now covers 20% of the nation. That’s a constructive step for the hundreds of species teetering on the sting of extinction. But it surely’s solely a step. What we desperately want to assist these species totally
- [Environmental Messaging On Menus Can Get People To Eat Greener: World Resources Institute Survey](https://jackrabbithomes.org/environmental-messaging-on-menus-can-get-people-to-eat-greener-world-resources-institute-survey/) - Whenever you sit down at a restaurant, the very first thing you take a look at might be the menu. Or perhaps the each day specials displayed close by. Mmm. You’re hungry. That’s why you went out to eat. However what is going to you select? The World Sources Institute says rigorously crafted environmental messaging
- [Single-Family Built-for-Rent Growth in 2021](https://jackrabbithomes.org/single-family-built-for-rent-growth-in-2021/) - The variety of single-family built-for-rent (SFBFR) building begins elevated nearly 16% in 2021, after a record-breaking third quarter for manufacturing. The SFBFR market is a approach so as to add stock amid issues over housing affordability and downpayment necessities within the for-sale market, significantly throughout a interval when a rising variety of folks need extra
- [Biden: ‘I’m going to work like the devil’ to cut energy prices](https://jackrabbithomes.org/biden-im-going-to-work-like-the-devil-to-cut-energy-prices/) - President Biden stated yesterday that he’d “work just like the satan” to maintain gasoline costs low in the US and warned that Russia’s border aggression towards Ukraine may drive up power prices. Russia reportedly started withdrawing troops from the Ukrainian border yesterday, though Biden stated the US had not verified the declare and that an
- [What’s Driving Outdoor Living Trends?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/whats-driving-outdoor-living-trends/) - Outside dwelling has been propelled to the highest of residence proprietor want lists and, subsequently, has develop into a prime precedence for architects and design professionals targeted on residential design. Connection to the outside/nature and outside entertaining each ranked excessive on the highest 10 checklist of design drivers in “The Way forward for Dwelling Design,”
- [Mountain Glaciers Have Less Ice than Previously Thought](https://jackrabbithomes.org/mountain-glaciers-have-less-ice-than-previously-thought/) - Most of the world’s glaciers comprise considerably much less ice than scientists beforehand estimated. Which means some mountain communities that depend on melting ice might run out of contemporary water quicker, in keeping with new analysis. Glaciers within the Andes Mountains of South America, specifically, might comprise far much less ice than earlier research advised.
- [Bioenergy, Biofuels, and Biomass: What They Are and How We Use Them](https://jackrabbithomes.org/bioenergy-biofuels-and-biomass-what-they-are-and-how-we-use-them/) - Known as bioenergy these days, people have used biomass vitality since they mastered fireplace. Bioenergy is a quickly creating business and an more and more viable different to fossil fuels as a result of it’s a renewable vitality useful resource. On this information, we’ll clarify simply what folks imply once they speak about bioenergy, biomass,
- [Consumer Credit Increases in 2021](https://jackrabbithomes.org/consumer-credit-increases-in-2021/) - The Federal Reserve’s newest G.19 Shopper Credit score Report states that client credit score elevated 5.9 % in 2021, with revolving and nonrevolving credit score rising 6.6 % and 5.7 %, respectively. Through the fourth quarter, client credit score elevated at a seasonally adjusted annual price of 6.6 %, whereas the December month-to-month improve was
- [The country that’s worried most about climate change](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-country-thats-worried-most-about-climate-change/) - It looks like a paradox: Adults in India are deeply involved in regards to the impacts of local weather change, however they're additionally the least crucial of their authorities’s efforts to fight it, based on a brand new international ballot. Virtually 90 p.c of individuals in India are anxious about international warming — greater than
- [Soaring Construction Costs Drop Housing Affordability to Lowest Level in a Decade](https://jackrabbithomes.org/soaring-construction-costs-drop-housing-affordability-to-lowest-level-in-a-decade/) - Provide-chain bottlenecks that put upward stress on residence costs together with rising rates of interest contributed to housing affordability falling to a 10-year low. The probability of upper rates of interest within the months forward (because the Federal Reserve strikes to tighten rates of interest) together with ongoing manufacturing challenges threaten to drive housing affordability
- [How Climate Change Will Hit Younger Generations](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-climate-change-will-hit-younger-generations/) - Infants born as we speak will expertise way more disruptions fueled by local weather change than their dad and mom or grandparents. In a research revealed lately in Science, Wim Thiery of Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium and his colleagues mixed local weather mannequin projections beneath three international warming eventualities with demography knowledge to calculate the
- [Waste Not, Want Not: Retailers Collaborate With Food Initiative To Tackle $26 Billion Problem](https://jackrabbithomes.org/waste-not-want-not-retailers-collaborate-with-food-initiative-to-tackle-26-billion-problem/) - A small city within the North East of England is house to a trailblazing charity discovering efficient methods to sort out meals waste while addressing food-poverty. The Bread and Butter Factor is a sustainable meals initiative in Darlington, close to Middlesborough and is on observe to ship its one millionth meal by the top of
- [Building Materials Remain Top Challenge for Builders](https://jackrabbithomes.org/building-materials-remain-top-challenge-for-builders/) - Very like final yr, the value and availability of constructing supplies topped the checklist of issues builders face. Based on particular questions on the December 2021 survey for the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, constructing materials costs had been a major problem for 96% of builders in 2021, and 91% of the builders count on it to proceed being an issue
- [Soiled vitality pays greater than clear vitality. That’s an issue.](https://jackrabbithomes.org/soiled-vitality-pays-greater-than-clear-vitality-thats-an-issue/) - California has huge local weather ambitions. In 2018, the state dedicated to a purpose of switching to 100% renewable vitality by 2045, and the Los Angeles Metropolis Council voted final week to ban new oil and gasoline drilling and section out current wells within the area, which has one of many largest city oilfields within
- [EU To Hand $ 7.85 Million To NGOs Fostering EU Green Deal Goals](https://jackrabbithomes.org/eu-to-hand-7-85-million-to-ngos-fostering-eu-green-deal-goals/) - Round thirty NGOs tasks throughout Europe are to profit from over $ 7.85 million funding, as a response to assist NGOs get well from the pandemic, whereas boosting the trouble to succeed in the targets of the EU Inexperienced Deal, mentioned the European Fee. The Life programme, is the the EU’s funding instrument for the
- [Construction Labor Market Remains Tight](https://jackrabbithomes.org/construction-labor-market-remains-tight/) - The development labor market stays tight, with the variety of job openings within the trade rising yr over yr. The job openings fee in building edged all the way down to 4.3% in December, with 337,000 open positions within the sector, following a historic excessive (445,000 openings) in October 2021. The December fee was considerably
- [Whitehouse revives local weather speeches as invoice founders](https://jackrabbithomes.org/whitehouse-revives-local-weather-speeches-as-invoice-founders/) - Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse revived “Time to Wake Up” yesterday, delivering his 280th Senate flooring speech on local weather change and fossil gasoline business affect after greater than a 12 months of hiatus. With the “Construct Again Higher Act” stalled and marginal progress on greenhouse emissions within the govt department, Whitehouse stood in
- [As soon as Once more, Excessive House Costs Are to Blame](https://jackrabbithomes.org/as-soon-as-once-more-excessive-house-costs-are-to-blame/) - An earlier post revealed that 67% of buyers who were actively engaged in the process of finding a home in the final quarter of 2021 have spent 3+ months searching for a home without success. The inability to find a home they could afford once again became the most common reason (41%) these long-time searchers could not
- [Vegan Footwear Company Steps Into Growing Sustainability Shift In Fashion Industry](https://jackrabbithomes.org/vegan-footwear-company-steps-into-growing-sustainability-shift-in-fashion-industry/) - As one of many world’s main style capitals, New York Metropolis is on the forefront of the newest types and tendencies. In current months, it additionally was house to a pop-up retailer with a sustainable tackle model: Determine Eight, billed as “a retail idea that re-imagines the ecosystem of luxurious style.” Co-founded by Tina Bhojwani, the
- [Buyers’ Perceptions of Housing Inventory Worsened Throughout 2021](https://jackrabbithomes.org/buyers-perceptions-of-housing-inventory-worsened-throughout-2021/) - In early 2018, solely 16% of residence consumers anticipated that discovering a house can be simpler within the months forward. The share soared throughout the early part of the pandemic, reaching 36% by the top of 2020. However in 2021, consumers’ perceptions of housing stock worsened all year long, and by the fourth quarter, solely
- [Fed Rate Hike Expected in March](https://jackrabbithomes.org/fed-rate-hike-expected-in-march/) - On the conclusion of its January coverage assembly, the Federal Open Market Committee strongly signaled that it's going to undertake its first, post-Covid improve of the federal funds fee in March. The Fed is tightening financial coverage in response to the very best inflation readings in almost 40 years. These inflationary pressures have elevated each
- [How a record-breaking heat wave fueled climate anxiety](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-a-record-breaking-heat-wave-fueled-climate-anxiety/) - As a record-breaking warmth wave roasted the Pacific Northwest final summer season, nervousness rose with the temperatures. Surveys of residents in British Columbia — the place the warmth in some locations soared above 120 levels Fahrenheit — counsel the catastrophe brought on a spike in destructive psychological well being associated to local weather change. The results of
- [Madagascar: Deadly tropical storms cause flooding, landslides](https://jackrabbithomes.org/madagascar-deadly-tropical-storms-cause-flooding-landslides/) - During the last week intense rainfall has pummelled the African island nation within the Indian Ocean, sparking a number of crises throughout the nation’s central Analamanga Area. “The Authorities, municipal authorities in Antananarivo and humanitarians are mobilizing help to individuals impacted by flooding within the capital”, OCHA tweeted, saying that “offering entry to water, meals and different
- [CEO of largest U.S. renewables developer: ‘We don’t need BBB’](https://jackrabbithomes.org/ceo-of-largest-u-s-renewables-developer-we-dont-need-bbb/) - The CEO of the world’s largest renewables developer, NextEra Power Inc., mentioned yesterday that the corporate doesn’t want the “Construct Again Higher Act” to satisfy its objectives because it expands the usage of applied sciences corresponding to inexperienced hydrogen and carbon seize. The $1.7 trillion package deal at the moment is stalled in Congress amid
- [Impacts of Rising New Home Costs](https://jackrabbithomes.org/impacts-of-rising-new-home-costs/) - Solely 15% of patrons had been searching for a newly-built residence at the beginning of 2018, however that share shot as much as 42% by the ultimate quarter of 2020 (after the beginning of the pandemic). Since then, nonetheless, curiosity for brand spanking new building has fallen steadily, as prices for constructing supplies – particularly lumber –
- [To Fully Mitigate Climate Change, We Need to Curb Methane Emissions](https://jackrabbithomes.org/to-fully-mitigate-climate-change-we-need-to-curb-methane-emissions/) - It’s been greater than two months because the Home of Representatives handed the Construct Again Higher Act—a invoice that might make desperately wanted and decades-overdue strides towards the U.S. assembly its ethical duty to fight the local weather disaster. However as a substitute of transferring into a brand new 12 months on the hope that
- [Farmers’ tree dilemma: if we plant woodland, will we take a cash hit?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/farmers-tree-dilemma-if-we-plant-woodland-will-we-take-a-cash-hit/) - Farmers are laying aside planting bushes due to the uncertainty surrounding the federal government’s plans for subsidies based mostly on defending nature, delaying the UK’s efforts to chop greenhouse gasoline emissions and stem the drastic decline in farmland wildlife. New farm funds are anticipated from 2024, beneath the post-Brexit subsidy regime the federal government has
- [2021 U.S. Population Growth Lowest on Record](https://jackrabbithomes.org/2021-u-s-population-growth-lowest-on-record/) - In keeping with the U.S. Census Bureau, the of the USA elevated by 393,000 to an estimated 332 million from the earlier yr. In 2021, the estimated inhabitants development fee of 0.12 % was the bottom because the Bureau started accumulating this information starting in 1900. Per Census estimates, slower inhabitants development in 2021 was
- [Are Plastic Offset Schemes The ‘Next Big Thing’ In Sustainability?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/are-plastic-offset-schemes-the-next-big-thing-in-sustainability/) - Everybody agrees that plastic air pollution is without doubt one of the greatest points in sustainability, with 8 million tonnes dumped on the planet’s oceans yearly. However whereas everybody agrees there's a downside, world options to take care of this disaster are proving to be extra elusive. One choice going ahead is the rising variety
- [Biden supports removing climate provisions from stalled BBB](https://jackrabbithomes.org/biden-supports-removing-climate-provisions-from-stalled-bbb/) - President Biden mentioned yesterday that he’s keen to separate up his "Construct Again Higher" invoice to provide the stalled measure an opportunity of passage. And he signaled there was sturdy help on Capitol Hill for its climate-related provisions. “We’re going to should most likely break it up,” Biden mentioned throughout a White Home press convention.
- [New Findings Warn Earth Could Break Key Warming Barrier In 2033](https://jackrabbithomes.org/new-findings-warn-earth-could-break-key-warming-barrier-in-2033/) - New evaluation of temperatures all over the world in 2021 signifies that at present charges, the Earth can have warmed by 1.5 levels Celsius above pre-industrial occasions in 2033—a degree of warming consultants had hoped wouldn’t be seen this century. Final 12 months was the sixth warmest on report, with information launched earlier this week
- [Builder Confidence Edges Lower on Inflation Concerns](https://jackrabbithomes.org/builder-confidence-edges-lower-on-inflation-concerns/) - Rising inflation considerations and ongoing provide chain disruptions snapped a four-month rise in builder sentiment at the same time as client demand stays strong. Builder confidence available in the market for newly constructed single-family properties moved one level decrease to 83 in January, in line with the Nationwide Affiliation of Dwelling Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing
- [DOT to allot $27B to repair bridges, guarantee local weather resilience](https://jackrabbithomes.org/dot-to-allot-27b-to-repair-bridges-guarantee-local-weather-resilience/) - The Transportation Division at present introduced historic funding to interchange and restore the nation’s growing older bridges. The $26.5 billion will even be used to make sure bridges are resilient to the more and more extreme results of local weather change. “Modernizing America’s bridges will assist enhance security, assist financial development, and make folks’s lives
- [Elevated Inflation and Higher Interest Rates in 2022](https://jackrabbithomes.org/elevated-inflation-and-higher-interest-rates-in-2022/) - For the primary time because the early Eighties, the U.S. financial system is experiencing a interval of elevated inflation. Due to supply-chain points attributable to the pandemic and a big rise in authorities spending, the patron worth index (CPI) measure of shopper inflation recorded a 7% year-over-year achieve in December 2021 — the best in
- [Top Sustainability Trends For 2022, Greening Air Travel, And A Chat About Plant-Based Diets](https://jackrabbithomes.org/top-sustainability-trends-for-2022-greening-air-travel-and-a-chat-about-plant-based-diets/) - The World Financial Discussion board has as soon as once more postponed its yearly occasion in Davos, Switzerland, because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, however their annual International Danger Report 2022 was printed as deliberate. The report attracts on insights from greater than 1,000 educational, enterprise, authorities, civil society and thought leaders, in addition to 12,000 country-level
- [Building Materials Prices Increase 1.5% in December, Lumber Volatility at 75-Year High](https://jackrabbithomes.org/building-materials-prices-increase-1-5-in-december-lumber-volatility-at-75-year-high/) - The costs of products utilized in residential building ex-energy climbed 1.5% in December (not seasonally adjusted), in keeping with the most recent Producer Worth Index (PPI) report launched by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The index was pushed larger by giant worth will increase for wooden merchandise. Constructing supplies costs elevated 15.9% in 2021 and have risen
- [Job Gains Slow in December](https://jackrabbithomes.org/job-gains-slow-in-december-2/) - Job positive aspects slowed sharply for the second straight month in December because the omicron variant started to unfold. Development trade employment (each residential and non-residential) totaled 7.6 million, with 22,000 building jobs added in December. After seven consecutive month-to-month will increase, residential building misplaced 4,100 jobs in December, whereas non-residential building employment rose by
- ['Milestone': Document $210bn of licensed local weather bonds issued worldwide in 2021](https://jackrabbithomes.org/milestone-document-210bn-of-licensed-local-weather-bonds-issued-worldwide-in-2021/) - The worldwide inexperienced bonds market despatched but extra data tumbling final yr, as whole issuances below the Local weather Bonds Normal reached an all-time excessive of $210bn all through 2021, serving to to unlock a wave of contemporary funding within the accelerating web zero transition. The newest milestone was introduced by the Local weather Bonds
- [‘Heartbreaking’: 2021 climate-related disasters killed 688](https://jackrabbithomes.org/heartbreaking-2021-climate-related-disasters-killed-688/) - Final 12 months will go down within the document books because the fourth warmest in historical past, whereas producing the second highest variety of local weather disasters, killing 688 individuals, NOAA stated at the moment. Total, the nation skilled 20 separate billion-dollar climate and local weather disasters in 2021, ensuing within the highest variety of
- [Job Gains Slow in December](https://jackrabbithomes.org/job-gains-slow-in-december/) - Job good points slowed sharply for the second straight month in December because the Omicron variant started to unfold. Nonfarm payrolls elevated by 199,000 in December, and the unemployment fee fell to three.9%. Development trade employment (each residential and non-residential) totaled 7.6 million, with 22,000 building jobs added in December. Residential building misplaced 4,100 jobs
- [The place Are We Now? – Progress In the direction of A Inexperienced Economic system In 2021](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-place-are-we-now-progress-in-the-direction-of-a-inexperienced-economic-system-in-2021/) - As 2021 attracts to an in depth, the pandemic and the local weather disaster proceed to put competing calls for on the eye and assets of the worldwide inhabitants. The COP26 which – virtually symbolically – was delayed for one yr as a result of pandemic, passed off in Glasgow in November, bringing collectively world
- [FHFA to Impose Hefty Upfront Charges on Second Dwelling Purchases](https://jackrabbithomes.org/fhfa-to-impose-hefty-upfront-charges-on-second-dwelling-purchases/) - In a transfer strongly opposed by NAHB, the Federal Housing Finance Company (FHFA) right now introduced will increase for upfront charges that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will cost for second residence mortgage loans and sure excessive steadiness mortgage loans that exceed commonplace conforming mortgage limits. These charges will considerably improve the acquisition price of
- [Job Beneficial properties Gradual in December](https://jackrabbithomes.org/job-beneficial-properties-gradual-in-december/) - Job positive factors slowed sharply for the second straight month in December because the Omicron variant started to unfold. Nonfarm payrolls elevated by 199,000 in December, and the unemployment fee fell to three.9%. Development trade employment (each residential and non-residential) totaled 7.6 million, with 22,000 development jobs added in December. Residential development misplaced 4,100 jobs
- [Texas enacts nation’s strongest flood disclosure legislation](https://jackrabbithomes.org/texas-enacts-nations-strongest-flood-disclosure-legislation/) - The nation’s strongest flood-disclosure legislation for rental properties has taken impact in Texas and is forcing landlords to inform potential tenants whether or not an condominium has been flooded and whether or not it’s in a flood zone. The Texas legislation, which took impact Jan. 1, is the primary to require landlords to reveal each
- [Sustainability With Style: Green Circle Salons Creates Community Of ‘Waste Warriors’ Recycling](https://jackrabbithomes.org/sustainability-with-style-green-circle-salons-creates-community-of-waste-warriors-recycling/) - For many individuals, the hairstylist’s chair is greater than a spot to take a seat for a haircut. It additionally usually serves as a supply of social connection and dialogue of the newest information, celeb gossip, or group happenings. Inexperienced Circle Salons sees one other position for that chair: a instrument for social and environmental
- [HOW BAD ARE PLASTICS, REALLY?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-bad-are-plastics-really/) - That is hardly the time to speak about plastics is what I feel when Dad, hovering over the waste bin at a post-funeral potluck, waves me over, his gesture discrete however emphatic. He has retrieved from the trash a crystalline plastic cup, with fluted, inflexible sides. “Polystyrene,” he grins, inverting the cup to disclose its
- [key-features-to-creating-a-healthy-home](https://jackrabbithomes.org/key-features-to-creating-a-healthy-home/) - Market research present shopper curiosity in more healthy houses and communities has been rising for a number of years, as shoppers make the connection between their residence and their well being. At this time’s shoppers are prioritizing well being and wellness in any respect value factors in each new builds and remodels, with the wellness
- [Biden administration strikes to develop solar energy on U.S. land](https://jackrabbithomes.org/biden-administration-strikes-to-develop-solar-energy-on-u-s-land/) - BILLINGS, Mont. — U.S. officers introduced approval Tuesday of two large-scale photo voltaic initiatives in California and moved to open up public lands in different Western states to potential solar energy growth, as a part of the Biden administration’s effort to counter local weather change by shifting from fossil fuels. The Inside Division accredited the
- [Prime Posts of 2021: Greater Development Materials Prices](https://jackrabbithomes.org/prime-posts-of-2021-greater-development-materials-prices/) - With the tip of 2021 approaching, NAHB’s Eye on Housing is reviewing the posts that attracted probably the most readers over the past 12 months. In December, David Logan reported on information analyzing inflationary impacts on development materials prices. The costs of products utilized in residential development ex-energy climbed 1.8% in November (not seasonally adjusted),
- [Sustainable Agriculture Can Save Land and Water Sources from Breaking Level](https://jackrabbithomes.org/sustainable-agriculture-can-save-land-and-water-sources-from-breaking-level/) - This incremental demand for meals, along with demand from different competing makes use of, will place unprecedented strain on many agricultural manufacturing programs the world over. That’s in accordance with The State of the World’s Land and Water Sources for Meals and Agriculture, a brand new report from The Meals and Agriculture Group of the United Nations
- [How people might stay two years longer](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-people-might-stay-two-years-longer/) - Local weather change goes to have profound penalties on human well being and survival. Most clearly, a warmer world means extra warmth stroke and different heat-caused deaths. A latest examine on the mortality price of local weather change discovered that each 4,434 metric tons of carbon dioxide emitted — concerning the mixed lifetime emissions of
- [Prime Posts of 2021: Age of the Housing Inventory](https://jackrabbithomes.org/prime-posts-of-2021-age-of-the-housing-inventory/) - Based on the newest information from the 2019 American Group Survey (ACS), the median age of owner-occupied properties was 39 years. The age of the housing inventory is a vital transforming market indicator. Older homes are much less energy-efficient than new building and finally would require transforming and renovation sooner or later. Furthermore, as folks
- [Local weather quitters: Meet the individuals who deserted their excessive carbon jobs](https://jackrabbithomes.org/local-weather-quitters-meet-the-individuals-who-deserted-their-excessive-carbon-jobs/) - With 1.2 billion jobs immediately reliant on a wholesome, secure planet internationally, high-carbon industries are slowly fading out of the worldwide economic system. As sure jobs develop into out of date, these working in fossil gasoline sectors are dropping like flies because the world wakes as much as the local weather disaster. This week, authorities ministers within
- [New American Dwelling 2022 Optimizes House, Power and Fashion](https://jackrabbithomes.org/new-american-dwelling-2022-optimizes-house-power-and-fashion/) - Constructing a present dwelling that can “wow” even the business’s prime builders — and constructing it in half the time of a typical mission — isn't any small feat. However the construct staff of The New American Dwelling® 2022 delivered simply that: a formidable showcase of the newest methods and merchandise in residential development. “I actually couldn’t
- [New Dwelling Gross sales Bounce in November on Excessive Shopper Demand](https://jackrabbithomes.org/new-dwelling-gross-sales-bounce-in-november-on-excessive-shopper-demand/) - New single-family house gross sales rose in November as housing demand was supported by low rates of interest and robust client demand, regardless of the continued constructing supplies challenges impacting the housing business. The U.S. Division of Housing and City Growth and the U.S. Census Bureau estimated gross sales of newly constructed, single-family houses in
- [6 Profession Ideas For Girls In Local weather – From Leaders On The COP26 Stage](https://jackrabbithomes.org/6-profession-ideas-for-girls-in-local-weather-from-leaders-on-the-cop26-stage/) - Girls are key to the battle in opposition to local weather change from a number of angles, so how can we get extra girls in local weather management? Girls are pure innovators whose concepts we want on the desk so as to discover one of the best options. Girls are additionally probably the most susceptible inhabitants on
- [3 methods 2021 modified electrical energy — and what’s subsequent](https://jackrabbithomes.org/3-methods-2021-modified-electrical-energy-and-whats-subsequent/) - As sweeping local weather laws stalled in Congress this yr, states and utilities have been busy aiming to reshape the way forward for electrical energy. States expanded clear vitality objectives and developed blueprints on methods to attain them. Electrical autos bought a lift from new battery charging and manufacturing unit plans. The U.S. energy sector
- [8 Methods to Save Power This Winter](https://jackrabbithomes.org/8-methods-to-save-power-this-winter/) - Winter is upon us, and purchasers could also be desirous about house enhancements to economize on utility payments as they begin to really feel the consequences of colder climate inside their houses. Roughly 13% of greenhouse gasoline emissions come instantly from buildings due to heating, cooling and cooking wants, so even small enhancements can have a notable
- [Condominium Absorption Surged whereas Condominium Absorption Remained Regular](https://jackrabbithomes.org/condominium-absorption-surged-whereas-condominium-absorption-remained-regular/) - Knowledge from the Survey of Market Absorption of Flats (SOMA), produced by the Census Bureau, recommend continued enchancment for the multifamily sector within the second quarter of 2021 on account of sturdy demand and low emptiness charges. The absorption price of unfurnished, unsubsidized flats (the share rented out within the first three months following completion)
- [CA Legislation Goals to Flip Meals Waste into Renewable Vitality](https://jackrabbithomes.org/ca-legislation-goals-to-flip-meals-waste-into-renewable-vitality/) - California is poised to launch the nation’s greatest program to stop meals waste from going into landfills as a technique to cut back greenhouse fuel emissions and generate clear vitality. A regulation taking impact in January would require municipalities throughout the state to gather meals waste for its potential use in making renewable pure fuel
- [The wealthiest individuals on the planet are accountable for nearly half of carbon emissions](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-wealthiest-individuals-on-the-planet-are-accountable-for-nearly-half-of-carbon-emissions/) - A current evaluation led by a number of Nobel-laureate economists has put concrete numbers to the “emissions inequalities” all over the world. The richest people, it discovered — the world’s “10 %”– collectively emit almost half of all international emissions. In the meantime, the poorer half of the worldwide inhabitants is accountable for simply 12
- [Suburban Shift Continues for Multifamily](https://jackrabbithomes.org/suburban-shift-continues-for-multifamily/) - Within the third quarter of 2021 flats and different multifamily residential development confirmed a continuation of the suburban shift that was attribute of prior quarters, per the latest knowledge from NAHB’s Dwelling Constructing Geography Index. For the present interval, market share declined in high-density markets, particularly massive metro core and suburban counties. Between the third
- [New York Metropolis bans fuel heating and stoves from new buildings](https://jackrabbithomes.org/new-york-metropolis-bans-fuel-heating-and-stoves-from-new-buildings/) - The New York Metropolis Council voted to go a invoice on Wednesday that may handle the Huge Apple’s largest supply of planet-warming emissions: the fossil fuels burned in its buildings. The brand new legislation will stop constructing builders from putting in fuel-burning methods in new buildings and most intestine renovations beginning in 2024, forcing them
- [Institutional Buyers Goal Meals & Drink Corporations To Drive Higher Vitamin](https://jackrabbithomes.org/institutional-buyers-goal-meals-drink-corporations-to-drive-higher-vitamin/) - 53 institutional buyers representing $12.4 trillion in property underneath administration have pledged to assist the achievement of World Well being Group (WHO) vitamin targets underneath SDG 2 to finish starvation and SDG 3 to advertise well-being. This motion highlights the growing recognition of the position and obligations of buyers and companies throughout the meals system.
- [Planting wildflowers round photo voltaic panels might make them a house for bees](https://jackrabbithomes.org/planting-wildflowers-round-photo-voltaic-panels-might-make-them-a-house-for-bees/) - Photo voltaic farms might develop into havens for bees and different pollinators if easy modifications have been made, new analysis suggests. Fields of glinting panels could not appear to be essentially the most inviting place for wildlife to flourish. But when photo voltaic park land is managed as meadows - versus turf grass - it
- [Builder Sentiment Sturdy at Yr’s Finish](https://jackrabbithomes.org/builder-sentiment-sturdy-at-yrs-finish/) - Regardless of inflation issues and ongoing manufacturing bottlenecks, builder confidence edged larger for the fourth consecutive month on robust client demand and restricted current stock. Builder sentiment out there for newly constructed single-family houses moved one level larger to 84 in December, in keeping with the Nationwide Affiliation of House Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market
- [How Dems’ local weather plan could remodel coal in rural America](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-dems-local-weather-plan-could-remodel-coal-in-rural-america/) - The funds reconciliation package deal that handed the Home this month is concentrating on one of the fossil fuel-heavy elements of the electrical energy sector: coal crops in rural America. The $1.7 trillion "Construct Again Higher Act" tackles challenges dealing with the nation’s rural electrical cooperatives, which typically have been slower to transition away from
- [Inflation Surges to a Almost 40-Yr Excessive in November](https://jackrabbithomes.org/inflation-surges-to-a-almost-40-yr-excessive-in-november/) - Inflation posted its largest leap in almost 40 years in November, up 6.8% 12 months over 12 months. The Shopper Value Index (CPI) launched by the Bureau of Labor Statistics confirmed the CPI rose 0.8% in November in contrast with October. This marks the biggest 12-month improve since June 1982. Provide-chain constraints and powerful shopper
- [Is It Time For The Humble Yellow College Bus To Go Inexperienced?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/is-it-time-for-the-humble-yellow-college-bus-to-go-inexperienced/) - For many years, the yellow faculty bus has been an everyday a part of household life in America. If solely these seats might speak. Who is aware of what tales they might inform about lifelong friendships being fashioned, songs being sung and essays frantically being written? However the occasions they're a altering and now the
- [Inflation Surges in November](https://jackrabbithomes.org/inflation-surges-in-november/) - In November, client costs elevated by 6.8% from a 12 months in the past. It marks the biggest year-over-year acquire since June 1982. Provide-chain constraints and powerful client demand associated to the pandemic and the reopening of the financial system have contributed to current value will increase in some sectors. The Bureau of Labor Statistics
- [Plastics in soil threaten food security, health, and environment: FAO](https://jackrabbithomes.org/plastics-in-soil-threaten-food-security-health-and-environment-fao/) - Whereas plastic refuse littering seashores and oceans attracts high-profile consideration, the Meals and Agriculture Group’s (FAO) Evaluation of agricultural plastics and their sustainability: a name for motion means that the land we use to develop our meals is contaminated with even bigger portions of plastic pollution. “Soils are one of many important receptors of agricultural
- [25% of New Single-Household Properties Are Infills or Teardowns](https://jackrabbithomes.org/25-of-new-single-household-properties-are-infills-or-teardowns/) - In response to the most recent Annual Builder Practices Survey (ABPS), one in 4 new single-family indifferent properties had been inbuilt established neighborhoods in 2020. Properties constructed on infill heaps constituted 18.6% of latest properties, whereas properties constructed after tearing down an present constructing constituted 6.4% of latest properties. The shortage of developable land is prone
- [This legendary 92-year-old biologist has some recommendation for saving Earth](https://jackrabbithomes.org/this-legendary-92-year-old-biologist-has-some-recommendation-for-saving-earth/) - Within the spring of 1955, E.O. Wilson, then a younger entomologist at Harvard, traveled to northeastern Papua New Guinea to review ants. Mountaineering with native guides via dense rainforests, he climbed 13,000 ft to the summit ridge within the Saruwaged mountains — turning into, by his account, the primary Western scientist to achieve the height.
- [Sturdy Regional Progress Amid Lessened Suburban Shift: Q3 2021 HBGI](https://jackrabbithomes.org/sturdy-regional-progress-amid-lessened-suburban-shift-q3-2021-hbgi/) - The suburban shift for single-family house constructing, which was precipitated largely by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic final yr continues. However new knowledge reveals that increased density markets are making a comeback as properly, in accordance with the third quarter version of the NAHB Dwelling Constructing Geography Index (HBGI). As extra staff transition again
- [ESG: As Simple As 1-2-3](https://jackrabbithomes.org/esg-as-simple-as-1-2-3/) - Since writing a couple of weeks in the past that ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) is sweet for nonprofit organizations in addition to companies, I’ve acquired a couple of inquiries about methods to flip all that company converse into plain language for nonprofits to make use of. Integral to ESG is the identification of related materials
- [From pollutant to product: the businesses making stuff from CO2](https://jackrabbithomes.org/from-pollutant-to-product-the-businesses-making-stuff-from-co2/) - In a warehouse laboratory in Berkeley, California, Nicholas Flanders stands in entrance of a shiny steel field in regards to the dimension of a washer. Inside is a stack of steel plates that resemble a membership sandwich – solely the filling is a black polymer membrane coated with proprietary steel catalyst. “We name the membrane
- [Single-Household House Dimension Continues to Development Larger](https://jackrabbithomes.org/single-household-house-dimension-continues-to-development-larger/) - COVID-19 has impacted the best way many residents use their houses, with an elevated want for house to accommodate added features akin to working from and/or finding out at house. Current housing knowledge affirm the continuation of this pattern. In line with third quarter 2021 knowledge from the Census Quarterly Begins and Completions by Function and Design and NAHB
- [Employment State of affairs in October: State-Stage Evaluation](https://jackrabbithomes.org/employment-state-of-affairs-in-october-state-stage-evaluation/) - Nonfarm payroll employment elevated in 47 states and the District of Columbia in October in comparison with the earlier month whereas three states misplaced jobs. In response to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide complete nonfarm payroll employment elevated by 531,000 in October, following an upwardly revised enhance of 312,000 jobs in September. On a month-over-month foundation, employment
- [After COP26, New Analysis Warns Local weather Forecasts May Be Approach Off Goal](https://jackrabbithomes.org/after-cop26-new-analysis-warns-local-weather-forecasts-may-be-approach-off-goal/) - Assured claims that guarantees made by world leaders will drastically rein in world warming might be wildly off the mark, in keeping with a significant new worldwide examine. Throughout the COP26 local weather summit earlier this month, media together with Forbes circulated figures revealed by Local weather Motion Tracker that point out present insurance policies
- [Rising prices could erase years of renewables’ progress — report](https://jackrabbithomes.org/rising-prices-could-erase-years-of-renewables-progress-report/) - The worldwide rise in commodity costs is chipping away on the confidence of unpolluted vitality analysts, who say they're more and more unsure that renewables and batteries can maintain their long-running value declines. The uncertainty was obvious this week in a pair of market analyses from BloombergNEF and the Worldwide Vitality Company, which assessed how
- [U.S. Seems to be to Extract Lithium for Batteries from Geothermal Waste](https://jackrabbithomes.org/u-s-seems-to-be-to-extract-lithium-for-batteries-from-geothermal-waste/) - California and the Biden administration are pushing incentives to make america a world chief in a market that’s starting to increase: the manufacturing of lithium, the light-weight steel wanted for the batteries of electrical autos and for the storage of renewable vitality from energy crops. In the meanwhile almost all of the lithium utilized in
- [Pending and Present Dwelling Gross sales Leap in October](https://jackrabbithomes.org/pending-and-present-dwelling-gross-sales-leap-in-october/) - Regardless of low stock and rising affordability considerations, each pending house gross sales and current house gross sales jumped in October, based on the Nationwide Affiliation of Realtors (NAR). Although the market stays sturdy and gross sales is on tempo for its strongest gross sales in 15 years, increased house costs proceed to cost out first-time and
- [The way to Encourage Girls to Be part of the Building Business](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-way-to-encourage-girls-to-be-part-of-the-building-business/) - Building is an business with the bottom share of gender range within the workforce. In keeping with an NAHB evaluation, ladies make up 10.9% of the development workforce. The variety of ladies working in development is on the rise and it couldn’t be rising at a greater time. Hiring feminine staff may assist reduce labor shortages.
- [What the world did and didn’t accomplish at COP26](https://jackrabbithomes.org/what-the-world-did-and-didnt-accomplish-at-cop26/) - GLASGOW, Scotland — The high-stakes COP26 local weather change talks in Glasgow concluded on Saturday night with the strongest authorities commitments to preventing local weather change in historical past. But they’re nonetheless not sufficient to fulfill the bold targets of the Paris local weather settlement and stave off among the worst penalties of world warming.
- [What The End result Of COP26 Means For The Struggle In opposition to Local weather Change](https://jackrabbithomes.org/what-the-end-result-of-cop26-means-for-the-struggle-in-opposition-to-local-weather-change/) - Whereas addressing the twenty sixth UN Local weather Change convention in Glasgow, Scotland, in the course of the closing hours of the occasion, COP26 President Alok Sharma was overcome with emotion. China and India had simply proposed a last-minute change to the ultimate textual content of the settlement, referred to as the Glasgow Local weather
- [New Residence Gross sales Flat in October After September Knowledge Revision](https://jackrabbithomes.org/new-residence-gross-sales-flat-in-october-after-september-knowledge-revision/) - Contracts for brand new, single-family residence gross sales had been flat at a 745,000 seasonally adjusted annual price in October in accordance with estimates from the joint launch of the U.S. Division of Housing and City Improvement (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau. Nevertheless, the flat studying was on account of a big downward revision
- [What to do in a fire?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/what-to-do-in-a-fire/) - With status quo modern construction it is being reported that newly constructed homes can go up in flames in a matter of minutes. The reason is that status quo construction and new furniture and synthetic décor are all oil-based products. Where old homes could take hours to burn and the fire to spread, with a
- [Teams say state oil-gas regulators violated open conferences legislation throughout West Slope excursions](https://jackrabbithomes.org/teams-say-state-oil-gas-regulators-violated-open-conferences-legislation-throughout-west-slope-excursions/) - Members of conservation teams say the Colorado Oil and Fuel Conservation Fee illegally saved the general public and media out of excursions of oil and fuel websites and one group says it'll search an injunction if it occurs once more. The fee, which regulates oil and fuel, held public conferences on the West Slope on
- [Local weather Hype May Be the Ticket to Decarbonization](https://jackrabbithomes.org/local-weather-hype-may-be-the-ticket-to-decarbonization/) - The 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the third meeting of the parties under the Paris Agreement, is not going to save the world. You would not know it from the headlines. The rhetoric of climate journalism can sometimes swell with catastrophic overtones, but accounts of
- [Building Loans Barely Extra Accessible, However at Increased Charges](https://jackrabbithomes.org/building-loans-barely-extra-accessible-however-at-increased-charges/) - Within the third quarter of 2021, efficient rates of interest elevated on all 4 classes of loans tracked in NAHB’s Survey on Acquisition, Improvement & Building (AD&C). This outcome reverses a basic downward pattern that had prevailed for the reason that third quarter of final yr. Within the third quarter of 2021, the typical efficient
- [Worker Retention Tax Credit score Ends Early](https://jackrabbithomes.org/worker-retention-tax-credit-score-ends-early/) - A provision tucked into the bipartisan infrastructure invoice signed into legislation this week by President Biden retroactively moved up the expiration of the Worker Retention Credit score (ERC) to Oct. 1, 2021. The ERC had been scheduled to stay in impact by means of Dec. 31, 2021. The CARES Act applied the ERC final spring
- [Why India Defended Coal on the Shut of the COP26 Local weather Summit](https://jackrabbithomes.org/why-india-defended-coal-on-the-shut-of-the-cop26-local-weather-summit/) - On this planet of diplomacy, India could also be remembered for its last-minute push to downgrade coal language at this 12 months's local weather talks. However India’s significance within the world transition away from fossil fuels is important for different causes. It's the world’s third-largest carbon polluter and likewise a quickly increasing economic system, which
- [International emissions virtually again to pre-pandemic ranges after unprecedented drop in 2020, new evaluation reveals](https://jackrabbithomes.org/international-emissions-virtually-again-to-pre-pandemic-ranges-after-unprecedented-drop-in-2020-new-evaluation-reveals/) - International carbon dioxide emissions have bounced again after COVID-19 restrictions and are prone to attain near pre-pandemic ranges this 12 months, our evaluation launched right now has discovered. The troubling discovering comes because the COP26 local weather talks proceed in Glasgow in a last-ditch bid to maintain harmful international warming at bay. The evaluation was undertaken by
- [The Solely Nation Recognized To Be On Course To Obtain 1.5 Levels Local weather Goal Will get Off Monitor](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-solely-nation-recognized-to-be-on-course-to-obtain-1-5-levels-local-weather-goal-will-get-off-monitor/) - The Gambia, the one nation whose plans to sort out local weather change had been deemed suitable with the targets set out within the 2015 Paris Settlement, has misplaced that standing. It stays one of many few international locations making strong commitments to lowering world emissions, whereas additionally struggling the speedy results of local weather
- [September Single-Household Allow Positive aspects](https://jackrabbithomes.org/september-single-household-allow-positive-aspects/) - Over the primary 9 months of 2021, the entire variety of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 864,184. On a year-over-year (YoY) foundation, it is a 21.2% enhance over the September 2020 degree of 713,286. Yr-to-date ending in September, single-family permits elevated in all 4 areas. Southern area reported the strongest enhance of twenty-two.8%, adopted by
- [Fed Acts on Inflation as Housing Affordability Weakens](https://jackrabbithomes.org/fed-acts-on-inflation-as-housing-affordability-weakens/) - The mix of upper residence costs, rising building prices and reasonably increased rates of interest will exacerbate housing affordability circumstances and more and more push potential consumers out of the market within the coming months. Though financial development goes to publish the most effective 12 months since 1984, that growth has come about due to
- [Wealthy nations nonetheless don’t wish to pay their local weather change tab](https://jackrabbithomes.org/wealthy-nations-nonetheless-dont-wish-to-pay-their-local-weather-change-tab/) - Local weather change has a central injustice: The components of the world that contribute the least to world warming stand to endure probably the most as temperatures climb. Rising sea ranges, hotter warmth waves, and extra frequent torrential downpours disproportionately hammer low-lying coastal areas, islands, tropics, and deserts which are residence to individuals who traditionally
- [U.S.-China Local weather Pact: Specialists Ship Verdict On ‘Huge Deal’ Declaration](https://jackrabbithomes.org/u-s-china-local-weather-pact-specialists-ship-verdict-on-huge-deal-declaration/) - Local weather consultants have delivered their verdict on the shock joint announcement delivered Wednesday by the U.S. and China, hailing the declaration as “a giant deal” whereas expressing hope that the 2 nations might “use their superpower standing to indicate the best way for different international locations.” Of their joint declaration on the COP26 local
- [Development Layoff Price Dives](https://jackrabbithomes.org/development-layoff-price-dives/) - The labor market continues to tighten. Within the September BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) information, the nationwide variety of job quits for all sectors (4.4 million) was up 34% year-over-year as employee churn accelerates. Whole nationwide job openings stands at 10.4 million. What had been, in prior years, a problem in sure
- [Housing Affordability Holds Regular however Provide-Facet Challenges Persist](https://jackrabbithomes.org/housing-affordability-holds-regular-however-provide-facet-challenges-persist/) - Housing affordability held regular at its lowest degree in practically a decade, as greater house costs offset decrease mortgage charges to maintain the affordability charge flat within the third quarter of 2021. Nonetheless, ongoing supply-chain disruptions and the prospect of upper rates of interest sooner or later threaten to exacerbate affordability issues within the months
- [Poor international locations want 5 to 10 occasions extra funding to adapt to local weather dangers they didn't create](https://jackrabbithomes.org/poor-international-locations-want-5-to-10-occasions-extra-funding-to-adapt-to-local-weather-dangers-they-didnt-create/) - The COP26 local weather negotiations happening in Glasgow this month are charged with the inequity of the local weather disaster. Rich nations just like the U.S., Germany, and the U.Ok. have despatched carbon emissions into the ambiance unchecked for greater than a century, and now a few of the poorest components of the world, which
- [1 Billion Individuals At Danger From Probably Deadly Warmth If International Warming Passes 2C, Scientists Warn](https://jackrabbithomes.org/1-billion-individuals-at-danger-from-probably-deadly-warmth-if-international-warming-passes-2c-scientists-warn/) - TOPLINE: A billion folks will face doubtlessly deadly warmth stress if international warming reaches 2C above pre-industrial ranges, in line with analysis from the U.Okay.’s Met Workplace introduced on the COP26 local weather summit, a degree already properly under what some consultants imagine is in retailer until fast and deep cuts to carbon emissions are
- [Job Gains Accelerate in October](https://jackrabbithomes.org/job-gains-accelerate-in-october/) - Job positive factors picked up in October after two consecutive months of a slowdown. Complete payroll employment rose by 531,000 and the unemployment charge dropped to 4.6% in October. Development trade employment (each residential and non-residential) totaled 7.5 million, with 44,000 development jobs added in October. Each residential development (+10,900) and non-residential development (+33,000) had
- [Blast from the previous: Coal sends world emissions to pre-pandemic highs](https://jackrabbithomes.org/blast-from-the-previous-coal-sends-world-emissions-to-pre-pandemic-highs/) - In March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic introduced the world to a screeching halt, some dared to wonder if the coronavirus might have an enduring affect on local weather change. Big quantities of carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles, vehicles, and aviation had disappeared nearly in a single day. And whereas scientists and policymakers knew that
- [Potential Consumers Annoyed by Bidding Wars, however Proceed to Search](https://jackrabbithomes.org/potential-consumers-annoyed-by-bidding-wars-however-proceed-to-search/) - Residence patrons haven't solely struggled to cope with double-digit worth hikes; they’re additionally having issue buying houses due to bidding wars. For under the third time within the historical past of NAHB’s Housing Tendencies Report, the highest purpose patrons are struggling to purchase a house is as a result of they're getting outbid (45%). For reference,
- [Maine Voters Reject Transmission Line — How NIMBY Blocks Renewable Power Growth](https://jackrabbithomes.org/maine-voters-reject-transmission-line-how-nimby-blocks-renewable-power-growth/) - Information protection of Tuesday’s elections was dominated by Glenn Youngkin’s victory over incumbent Democrat Terry McAuliffe within the Virginia gubernatorial race. However in terms of vitality coverage and local weather motion, the lopsided results of a referendum in Maine over a high-voltage transmission mission proved but once more that land-use conflicts are the binding constraint
- [Home Prices Starting to Discourage a Segment of Home Buyers](https://jackrabbithomes.org/home-prices-starting-to-discourage-a-segment-of-home-buyers/) - After rising steadily for six straight quarters, and peaking at 61% within the second quarter of 2021, the share of potential consumers actively looking for a house to purchase declined to 57% within the third quarter. This is a sign that fast-growing dwelling costs have begun to discourage a section of potential consumers from getting
- [Fire, ice and soot - the surprising things that impact our climate](https://jackrabbithomes.org/fire-ice-and-soot-the-surprising-things-that-impact-our-climate/) - Human exercise is warming up our planet - that is scientifically confirmed. What's additionally scientifically confirmed is that different issues, from volcanoes to glaciers, also can affect our local weather. Let's begin with the issues that make our local weather cooler. And the primary one is one thing extraordinarily scorching - volcanoes. Massive ones, particularly
- [Cooling Pattern for Housing Continues](https://jackrabbithomes.org/cooling-pattern-for-housing-continues/) - NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz not too long ago offered this housing trade overview within the bi-weekly e-newsletter Eye on the Economic system. summary housing economics chartHigher prices, longer development occasions and elevated house costs have persistently annoyed consumers, renters and builders. Nonetheless, current stories noticed an uptick in varied housing information. The NAHB/Wells Fargo
- [‘It’s About Jobs’: President Biden Pitches Battle Towards Local weather Change As Funding Alternative](https://jackrabbithomes.org/its-about-jobs-president-biden-pitches-battle-towards-local-weather-change-as-funding-alternative/) - President Joe Biden pitched the battle in opposition to local weather change as a chance for funding to world leaders gathered in Glasgow for the UN Local weather Convention COP26. “We’re standing at an inflection level in world historical past. We've the power to spend money on ourselves and construct an equitable clear power future,”
- [Typical Mortgage Share of New House Gross sales Reaches 13-12 months Excessive](https://jackrabbithomes.org/typical-mortgage-share-of-new-house-gross-sales-reaches-13-12-months-excessive/) - NAHB evaluation of the newest Quarterly Gross sales by Value and Financing published by the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that standard loans financed 75.7% of new home sales within the third quarter of 2021—the biggest share because the starting of the Nice Recession in 2008. The share elevated 1.7 share factors over Q2 2021 (revised) and has risen every
- [Madagascar: Severe drought could spur world’s first climate change famine](https://jackrabbithomes.org/madagascar-severe-drought-could-spur-worlds-first-climate-change-famine/) - The region has been hit hard by successive years of severe drought, forcing families in rural communities to resort to desperate measures just to survive. Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world, has a unique ecosystem which includes animals and plants found nowhere else on the planet. The country experiences a dry season, usually
- [Net zero is not enough – we need to build a nature-positive future](https://jackrabbithomes.org/net-zero-is-not-enough-we-need-to-build-a-nature-positive-future/) - Nearly two years after the first reported case of Covid-19, the world is still facing the repercussions. At the same time, the extent of our planetary emergency – of climate crisis, biodiversity loss and inequality – has become evident. As we rebuild our societies and economies, we are faced with a unique opportunity to build
- [Builders Report Worst Lot Shortage Ever](https://jackrabbithomes.org/builders-report-worst-lot-shortage-ever/) - While builders continue to grapple with labor and material supply-side challenges, they are confronting what could be an even more urgent problem — an extreme lot shortage. In a recent NAHB survey, 76% of builders reported that the overall supply of developed lots in their areas was low to very low. This is an all-time record —
- [Why Smart Buildings Are A Breath Of Fresh Air](https://jackrabbithomes.org/why-smart-buildings-are-a-breath-of-fresh-air/) - It seems like everything in the modern world is getting smarter - from watches to gym equipment. The buildings we live and work in are also becoming intelligent. The office block of today sounds a lot like the Star Trek bridge of tomorrow, with artificial intelligence, movement tracking sensors and Internet of Things (IOT) connectivity.
- [Single-Family Starts Flat in September](https://jackrabbithomes.org/single-family-starts-flat-in-september/) - Total housing starts decreased 1.6% in September, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. Single-family starts were flat for the month, while overall multifamily starts declined in August. The August total starts reading of 1.56 million starts is the number of housing units builders would begin if
- [The $5 trillion insurance industry faces a reckoning. Blame climate change.](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-5-trillion-insurance-industry-faces-a-reckoning-blame-climate-change/) - The water has receded and the embers have died down from many of the disasters in the United States this year — leaving insurance companies that cover floods, fires, hail, and extreme cold on the hook for staggering losses. If current trends continue, they could suffer one of the costliest years in recent memory. In
- [Girls as Young as 5 Were Paraded Naked to Appease the 'Rain Gods’](https://jackrabbithomes.org/girls-as-young-as-5-were-paraded-naked-to-appease-the-rain-gods/) - At least six young girls were made to walk naked in a ritual to summon rains in a drought-hit village of central India, viral social media videos showed. One video showed the girls, some of whom looked no older than five, being paraded naked while carrying a wooden shaft bearing a frog, and begging from
- [The U.S. Wants to Turn Both Coasts Into Massive Offshore Windfarms](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-u-s-wants-to-turn-both-coasts-into-massive-offshore-windfarms/) - The Biden administration is planning a rapid buildout of offshore wind turbines along the U.S. coastline. At a wind power industry conference in Boston on Wednesday, Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior, announced her intention to begin leasing federal waters off the east coast of the Mid-Atlantic, North and South Carolina, the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf
- [Biden Cannot Declare Victory on Climate Without One of These Policies](https://jackrabbithomes.org/biden-cannot-declare-victory-on-climate-without-one-of-these-policies/) - In the past few years, a historic shift has occurred in American public opinion: For the first time ever, and across a variety of polling outlets, a majority of Americans say that they want to see the government take serious action on climate change. This shift has accompanied an eruption of climate-related disasters. Wildfires now paralyze the West Coast. Heat waves have killed
- [Carbon emissions will drop just 40% by 2050 with countries’ current pledges](https://jackrabbithomes.org/carbon-emissions-will-drop-just-40-by-2050-with-countries-current-pledges/) - This story was originally published by The Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Current plans to cut global carbon emissions will fall 60 percent short of their 2050 net zero target, the International Energy Agency has said, as it urged leaders to use the upcoming COP26 climate conference to send an “unmistakable signal” with concrete
- [Strong Demand Boosts Builder Confidence Despite Supply Chain Disruptions](https://jackrabbithomes.org/strong-demand-boosts-builder-confidence-despite-supply-chain-disruptions/) - Strong consumer demand helped push builder confidence higher in October despite growing affordability challenges stemming from rising material prices and shortages. Builder sentiment in the market for newly built single-family homes moved four points higher to 80 in October, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. Despite the increase,
- [4 strategies for a global breakthrough on energy and climate change](https://jackrabbithomes.org/4-strategies-for-a-global-breakthrough-on-energy-and-climate-change/) - Two important global events are coming up that are widely hoped to help address what the United Nations calls the “dual challenge” – fighting climate change and ensuring that poorer countries can develop sustainably. Energy is a central theme in both. For the first time in 40 years, the U.N. General Assembly is convening a global
- [Organic Water-Saving Claims False, Declares Cotton Myth-Busting Report](https://jackrabbithomes.org/organic-water-saving-claims-false-declares-cotton-myth-busting-report/) - As stated in my previous article, most commonly held beliefs about the environmental impacts of cotton are false or misleading. This creates significant barriers to understanding the impact cotton farming has on the planet and people. It also inhibits the optimization of farming methods and alleviating negative impacts while supporting global commerce and social equity. The
- [August Single-Family Permit Gains](https://jackrabbithomes.org/august-single-family-permit-gains/) - Over the first eight months of 2021, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 775,772. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is a 25.8% increase over the August 2020 level of 616,856. Year-to-date ending in August, single-family permits increased in all four regions. The Northeast region reported the strongest increase of 29.3%, followed
- [How to Build Customer Retention Through Efficiency and Value](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-to-build-customer-retention-through-efficiency-and-value/) - Home owners reside in the same home an average of 13 years, according to the National Association of REALTORS. Those who move may need to, or they may want a more efficient home, with the latest technology, without remodeling their existing home. Consumers often develop brand loyalty with household goods, appliances and even large purchases such
- [Stable Conditions for Construction Job Openings](https://jackrabbithomes.org/stable-conditions-for-construction-job-openings/) - In the August labor market data, job openings for the overall economy remained elevated at 10.4 million open positions. What had been a challenge in certain sectors, like construction, continues as a broad labor access issue as businesses seek workers as the economy expands. The count of open construction jobs was stable at 344,000 unfilled
- [Better building standards are good for the climate, your health, and your wallet. Here’s what the National Construction Code could do better](https://jackrabbithomes.org/better-building-standards-are-good-for-the-climate-your-health-and-your-wallet-heres-what-the-national-construction-code-could-do-better/) - The recent IPCC report highlighted we must urgently transition to a low carbon future. One low hanging fruit is to improve the sustainability of new and existing housing. Minimum performance and quality requirements for new housing in Australia are set via the National Construction Code. The last significant change was in 2010 with the introduction of the six-star requirements.
- [We can’t stabilise the climate without carbon offsets – so how do we make them work?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/we-cant-stabilise-the-climate-without-carbon-offsets-so-how-do-we-make-them-work/) - Carbon offsetting has been in the news lately after a report raised concerns about the integrity of the federal government’s offsetting scheme, the emissions reduction fund. Offsetting refers to reducing emissions or removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in one place to make up for emissions in another. Done well, it lowers the costs of reducing emissions. Done badly, it
- [Climate 200 raises $2m in six weeks to help independents but expects Liberal party ‘interference’](https://jackrabbithomes.org/climate-200-raises-2m-in-six-weeks-to-help-independents-but-expects-liberal-party-interference/) - An organisation supporting independent candidates focused on climate change to challenge Liberal incumbents in urban heartland seats says it has raised $2m in six weeks. Simon Holmes à Court, the convenor of Climate 200, told Guardian Australia more than 2,000 donors had kicked in funds for looming political campaigns by independents – including some high net
- [Job Gains Slow Sharply in September](https://jackrabbithomes.org/job-gains-slow-sharply-in-september/) - Job gains slowed for the second straight month amid the resurgence of COVID-19 cases. Total payroll employment rose by 194,000 in September and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.8%. For the coming months, job gains are expected to accelerate as COVID-19 cases began to subside. Despite the slowdown in total nonfarm payroll employment, aggregate construction
- [The Climate Crisis Will Change the Way We Eat](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-climate-crisis-will-change-the-way-we-eat/) - The most compelling images of climate change—cracked, drought-devastated soil, raging wildfires, and flash floods—are all persistent reminders that the Earth is tunneling into the danger zone. But climate change is affecting us in more insidious ways, too. It may not feel like it, but our food is already grappling with its effects. Extreme weather patterns and increasingly
- [When the world actually solved an environmental crisis](https://jackrabbithomes.org/when-the-world-actually-solved-an-environmental-crisis/) - In 1985, atmospheric scientists in Antarctica noticed something troubling. For decades, they’d been measuring the thickness of the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere, the layer of gas that deflects much of the sun’s radiation. Starting in the 1970s, it had started plummeting. By the mid-1980s, they observed that it was on track to be
- [Have The Wildfires Made Americans More Aware Of The Climate Crisis?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/have-the-wildfires-made-americans-more-aware-of-the-climate-crisis/) - “The first wildfire started here at end of May, when we physically had to evacuate our house. None of them are fully contained yet. The smoke is still coming in and out. About two weeks ago, it started clearing out. But from the end of June to the end of September, we have just been
- [State-Level GDP in the Second Quarter of 2021](https://jackrabbithomes.org/state-level-gdp-in-the-second-quarter-of-2021/) - Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the second quarter of 2021 compared to the first quarter of 2021. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the percent change increase in real GDP ranged from 9.7 percent in Nevada to 1.8 percent in Alaska. Nationwide, growth in
- [Food waste: a global problem that undermines healthy diets](https://jackrabbithomes.org/food-waste-a-global-problem-that-undermines-healthy-diets/) - The call comes as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that 17 per cent of all food available to consumers in 2019, ended up being thrown away. An additional 132 million people face food and nutrition insecurity today because of the COVID-19 pandemic, FAO said, ahead of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, on
- [Climate change and famine](https://jackrabbithomes.org/climate-change-and-famine/) - Madagascar is on the brink of famine because of its worst drought in 40 years. And a big reason for that is climate change. https://www.aljazeera.com/program/start-here/2021/10/3/climate-change-and-famine-start-here
- [Monsoons make deserts bloom in the US Southwest, but climate change is making these summer rainfalls more extreme and erratic](https://jackrabbithomes.org/monsoons-make-deserts-bloom-in-the-us-southwest-but-climate-change-is-making-these-summer-rainfalls-more-extreme-and-erratic/) - If you’ve never lived in or visited the U.S. Southwest, you might picture it as a desert that is always hot and dry. But this region experiences a monsoon in the late summer that produces thunderstorms and severe weather, much like India’s famous summer deluges. And this year, it generated a lot of rain. July 2021
- [Meetville Revisión](https://jackrabbithomes.org/meetville-revision/) - Cuando necesitas cumplir regional solteros en Internet, Meetville debería ser el perfecto relación aplicación para sus necesidades. Durante bastante tiempo, la empresa fue ofrecer gratuito servicios para solteros en todo globalmente. Es el mejor lugar obtener alguien para boda y largo plazo conexiones. Puede encontrar adecuado trajes al crear conexiones y relaciones usando Internet con
- [Newport Beach, Ca: A Romantic Getaway That Gives Beachy Sophistication, Exterior Activities & Down-to-Earth Charm](https://jackrabbithomes.org/newport-beach-ca-a-romantic-getaway-that-gives-beachy-sophistication-exterior-activities-down-to-earth-charm/) - The small type: offering the largest leisurely harbor on the western Coast, Newport Beach, Ca is more than simply a surf sanctuary. This innovative, yet down-to-earth, area on the Pacific Ocean provides from sunset cruises and drink tastings to harbor-front promenades, luxury purchasing, and okay food. Newport Beach's 10 specific areas provides anything for everyone.
- [Congress Averts Government Shutdown](https://jackrabbithomes.org/congress-averts-government-shutdown/) - The Senate and House today approved a stopgap spending bill that will avert an impending government shutdown by funding every federal government agency at current levels through Dec. 3. President Biden is expected to sign the measure into law later this evening. Absent congressional action, the government would have faced a shutdown on Oct. 1.
- [Is actually Jeempo.com Using Bots & Phony Women To Fraud You? Peruse This Analysis See Reality](https://jackrabbithomes.org/is-actually-jeempo-com-using-bots-phony-women-to-fraud-you-peruse-this-analysis-see-reality/) - Site Details: Cost: $1 for a 1 time demo to the site. $25 every month for a 6 month account towards web site.. $34 each month for a 6 month account to your site.. $49 every month for a 6 thirty days account into web site.. Characteristics: Folks Nearby: explains individuals situated in your town
- [Homeownership Rates by Race and Ethnicity](https://jackrabbithomes.org/homeownership-rates-by-race-and-ethnicity/) - The Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) provides detailed information on the finances of U.S. families, including income, net worth, balance sheet components, credit use, and other financial outcomes. A previous analysis indicated that the primary residence continued to be the largest asset category on the balance sheets of households in 2019 and it accounted for about one quarter of
- [How inaction on climate change can worsen the crisis in Afghanistan](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-inaction-on-climate-change-can-worsen-the-crisis-in-afghanistan/) - After decades of foreign intervention and violent conflict, the American mission in Afghanistan has ended and the Taliban have announced a new government. But for millions of Afghans, human-induced climate change has only magnified the strife. Most of Afghanistan is dry and hot for much of the year, and from 1950 to 2010, the landlocked country warmed 1.8 degrees
- [World Health Organisation (WHO) Issues Tough New Air Quality Guidelines](https://jackrabbithomes.org/world-health-organisation-who-issues-tough-new-air-quality-guidelines/) - The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new guidelines to help reduce levels of key air pollutants, which are killing millions of people every year. Almost all the air quality guideline levels have been reduced and come with a warning that exceeding them could lead to “significant risks to health”. In particular, the guidelines for
- [Democrats May Be on the Verge of Climate Disaster](https://jackrabbithomes.org/democrats-may-be-on-the-verge-of-climate-disaster/) - I’m starting to become concerned about President Joe Biden’s ability to pass a climate bill. They’re speaking sotto voce, but still: In the past few days, Democrats on the party’s left and right flanks have started to hint that, well, in some circumstances, given some contingencies, they might prefer no bill to a negotiated compromise
- [Real Estate Market Values Spike in the Second Quarter](https://jackrabbithomes.org/real-estate-market-values-spike-in-the-second-quarter/) - The latest Federal Reserve Z.1 Financial Accounts of the United States, i.e., the “Flow of Funds”, show that in the second quarter of 2021 the aggregate market value of all owner-occupied real estate in the United States registered the largest quarterly increase in the last 21 years of data. From $33.8 trillion in the first
- [New Home Sales Edge Higher in August](https://jackrabbithomes.org/new-home-sales-edge-higher-in-august/) - Strong demand, low interest rates and fewer existing homes for sale helped contribute to an uptick in new home sales in August even as home prices continue to rise. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in August rose 1.5% to a 740,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate from an upwardly revised reading in July, according to
- [USDA Takes Significant Steps to Build More Sustainable, Resilient and Inclusive Food Systems](https://jackrabbithomes.org/usda-takes-significant-steps-to-build-more-sustainable-resilient-and-inclusive-food-systems/) - WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2021 – At the United Nations Food Systems Summit this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture highlighted $5 billion in planned investments and several steps it has taken to advance the goals of ending hunger and malnutrition and building more sustainable, resilient and inclusive food systems. These efforts are guided by USDA’s deep
- [Nestle And Delta Are Among Dozens Of Firms Most At Risk Of Climate Change Hazards, Investors Warn](https://jackrabbithomes.org/nestle-and-delta-are-among-dozens-of-firms-most-at-risk-of-climate-change-hazards-investors-warn/) - TOPLINE Leading companies like Nestle, Delta Air Lines and Clorox are among dozens of global firms "highly exposed" to climate hazards, a leading group of investors warned Thursday, as they urged businesses to do more to address the risks of climate change. KEY FACTS Fifty at-risk companies around the world are more likely to be
- [HBGI: Small Outlying Counties Have Greatest Share of Most Affordable Markets](https://jackrabbithomes.org/hbgi-small-outlying-counties-have-greatest-share-of-most-affordable-markets/) - Housing affordability has been a key driver of the suburban shift of home building activity over the last year and a half. As the following analysis from the NAHB Home Building Geography Index reveals, lower density markets in general have higher housing affordability conditions, which explains the shift in construction activity. The second quarter HBGI
- [No, eradicating poverty is not gonna mess with climate goals](https://jackrabbithomes.org/no-eradicating-poverty-is-not-gonna-mess-with-climate-goals/) - For years, environmental researchers have been trying to understand if providing a decent living for everyone on Earth would be at odds with reaching our most ambitious climate goals. After all, eradicating poverty means consuming more energy: paving new roads, building hospitals and schools, and providing decent housing with clean water and heating. Some researchers have even
- [House Democrats Seek Overhaul of Energy Tax Incentives](https://jackrabbithomes.org/house-democrats-seek-overhaul-of-energy-tax-incentives/) - The House is moving forward with its $2 trillion tax plan, which includes significant changes to energy tax incentives used for residential construction and remodeling. Many of these proposed changes are positive, but some would diminish the utility of these credits moving forward. Section 45L New Energy Efficient Home Credit. This credit, which expires at the
- [Are Air Pollution And Climate Change Two Sides Of The Same Coin?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/are-air-pollution-and-climate-change-two-sides-of-the-same-coin/) - It is often said that climate change is a broad church - a very broad church. From conservation and protecting endangered species to developing sustainable methods of manufacturing, it now covers a multitude of issues, which are all now competing for our attention. For many years, air pollution appeared to be one of those niche
- [How to end the American obsession with driving](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-to-end-the-american-obsession-with-driving/) - This summer’s series of extreme wildfires, hurricanes, and tropical storms have made it more apparent than ever that the effects of climate change are here. Limiting the damage caused by future disasters will require a whole-of-government approach — one not limited to what the federal government can do. There’s a host of ideas that states
- [July Single-Family Permit Gains](https://jackrabbithomes.org/july-single-family-permit-gains/) - Over the first seven months of 2021, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 681,949. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is a 29.7% increase over the July 2020 level of 525,623. Year-to-date ending in July, single-family permits increased in all four regions. The Northeast region reported the strongest increase of 32.2%, followed
- [When the Climate Crisis Becomes Unignorable](https://jackrabbithomes.org/when-the-climate-crisis-becomes-unignorable/) - Every week, our lead climate reporter brings you the big ideas, expert analysis, and vital guidance that will help you flourish on a changing planet. Sign up to get The Weekly Planet, our guide to living through climate change, in your inbox. In retrospect, last week was an interlude. Hurricane Ida had made landfall in Louisiana as a
- [FHFA, Treasury Suspending Certain Portions of 2021 Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements](https://jackrabbithomes.org/fhfa-treasury-suspending-certain-portions-of-2021-preferred-stock-purchase-agreements/) - The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) announced today they are suspending certain policy provisions added in January 2021 to the Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements (PSPAs) that govern Treasury’s support for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises). NAHB, together with the American Bankers Association, the Mortgage Bankers
- [What the Biden Vaccine Mandate Means for Home Builders](https://jackrabbithomes.org/what-the-biden-vaccine-mandate-means-for-home-builders/) - President Joe Biden last week announced a sweeping vaccine mandate to bring the latest surge in COVID-19 cases under control. Central to the administration’s plan is a requirement that every employer with more than 100 employees require the vaccine for its workforce or provide for weekly testing. The new mandate will be levied and enforced
- [Big Money For Solar, As Biden Targets Half Of U.S. Electricity From The Sun By 2050](https://jackrabbithomes.org/big-money-for-solar-as-biden-targets-half-of-u-s-electricity-from-the-sun-by-2050/) - A Solar Futures Study released by the Department of Energy (DOE) Wednesday projected that solar energy generation could reach 40% of the nation’s electricity consumption by 2035 and achieve nearly 50% by 2050, contingent on large federal government infrastructure investments such as those proposed by the Biden Administration. The study found that to reach 40% solar in
- [Building Materials Prices: Large Increases Year-To-Date](https://jackrabbithomes.org/building-materials-prices-large-increases-year-to-date/) - According to the most recent release of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index (PPI), the prices of goods used as inputs to residential construction including and excluding energy have risen 19.0% and 12.0%, respectively, year-to-date (YTD). In contrast, the index for final demand goods has climbed 7.2% and that for final demand goods less food
- [Sometimes Mindlessness Is Better Than Mindfulness](https://jackrabbithomes.org/sometimes-mindlessness-is-better-than-mindfulness/) - “Be present.” This is the mantra of mindfulness meditation and a supposed key to self-awareness and acceptance. In one type of mindfulness exercise, the goal is to perform routine activities with a heightened sense of attention. “Try to take the time to experience your environment with all of your senses—touch, sound, sight, smell and taste.
- [Why We Need To Make Sport More Sustainable](https://jackrabbithomes.org/why-we-need-to-make-sport-more-sustainable/) - Across industries, the future is being dictated by a focus on ESG –environmental, social and governance issues. Sporting events are no exception. This year, in the grand return of live sports we’d all been waiting for, we saw the Tokyo Olympics put a major focus on using recycled and recyclable materials: athletes’ beds made from cardboard, podiums
- [Residential Construction Loan Growth](https://jackrabbithomes.org/residential-construction-loan-growth/) - The second quarter of 2021 marked the second consecutive quarter of loan growth for residential construction loans. These gains have lifted the year-over-year growth rate, marking an expansion of outstanding loans for home builders. The volume of 1-4 unit residential construction loans made by FDIC-insured institutions increased by 4.9% during the second quarter, even as
- [Exterior Elements Add Interest, Continuity to Luxury High-Rise Development](https://jackrabbithomes.org/exterior-elements-add-interest-continuity-to-luxury-high-rise-development/) - The Bozzuto Group and Harbor East Management Group partnered with Hickok Cole to design a new exclusive waterfront property. The result is Liberty Harbor East — a 775,000-square-foot mixed-use development situated between the Baltimore’s two most desirable neighborhoods, Inner Harbor and Fells Point, offering unobstructed views of the Patapsco River and the Inner Harbor —
- [Let’s Talk About Human Impacts On The New York City Floods - It’s Not Just Greenhouse Gases](https://jackrabbithomes.org/lets-talk-about-human-impacts-on-the-new-york-city-floods-its-not-just-greenhouse-gases/) - The remnants of Hurricane Ida devastated parts of the northeastern United States, including New York City. While the weather forecasts accurately sounded the alarm days in advance, this extreme event took its toll on one of the most populous cities in the world. In the aftermath, journalists started emailing scientists like me asking about climate change connections.
- [Job Gains Slow in August Amid Delta Variant Surge](https://jackrabbithomes.org/job-gains-slow-in-august-amid-delta-variant-surge/) - Total payroll employment rose by 235,000 in August, marking a significant slowdown from the previous month. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate dropped to 5.2% in August, the lowest point during the pandemic. In August, residential construction employment rose by 17,400, while non-residential construction lost 20,300 positions, reflecting declines in builders (-2,800), nonresidential specialty trade contractors (-9,200)
- [Climate crisis is here’ says Biden in week of storms, floods and wildfires](https://jackrabbithomes.org/climate-crisis-is-here-says-biden-in-week-of-storms-floods-and-wildfires/) - The widespread destruction caused by extreme weather coast to coast, with Hurricane Ida spreading devastation from Louisiana to New York while record wildfires scorch California, prompted Joe Biden to level with America this week, saying it was “yet another reminder that … the climate crisis is here”. “We need to be much better prepared. We need to
- [Conventional Loans: Greatest Share of New Sales Since 2008](https://jackrabbithomes.org/conventional-loans-greatest-share-of-new-sales-since-2008/) - NAHB analysis of the most recent Quarterly Sales by Price and Financing published by the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that conventional loans financed 76.3% of new home sales in the second quarter of 2021—the largest share since the beginning of the Great Recession in 2008. The share of sales backed by conventional loans in Q2 2021 increased 5.1 percentage points
- [https://www.forbes.com/sites/feliciajackson/2021/08/30/net-zero-is-no-longer-enough--its-time-for-net-negative-policy-coherence-and-robust-esg/?ss=sustainability](https://jackrabbithomes.org/https-www-forbes-com-sites-feliciajackson-2021-08-30-net-zero-is-no-longer-enough-its-time-for-net-negative-policy-coherence-and-robust-esg-sssustainability/) - The last year or so has seen numerous “Net Zero” targets hitting the headlines. Seven countries have enshrined them into law, financial institutions and companies vie to keep their plans in the spotlight. Yet experts now say that these targets are no longer sufficient to address concerns about climate volatility and extreme weather. The Climate
- [Biden Administration Announces Steps to Increase Affordable Housing Supply](https://jackrabbithomes.org/biden-administration-announces-steps-to-increase-affordable-housing-supply/) - The White House today announced several steps the Biden administration will take “to create, preserve, and sell to homeowners and non-profits nearly 100,000 additional affordable homes for homeowners and renters over the next three years, with an emphasis on the lower and middle segments of the market.” “NAHB applauds the Biden administration for its newly
- [Shutterstock Ordinary people, extraordinary change: addressing the climate emergency through ‘quiet activism’](https://jackrabbithomes.org/shutterstock-ordinary-people-extraordinary-change-addressing-the-climate-emergency-through-quiet-activism/) - Across the world, people worried about the impacts of climate change are seeking creative and meaningful ways to transform their urban environments. One such approach is known as “quiet activism”. “Quiet activism” refers to the extraordinary measures taken by ordinary people as part of their everyday lives, to address the climate emergency at the local
- [Yes, Global Warming Is Changing How Hurricanes Work](https://jackrabbithomes.org/yes-global-warming-is-changing-how-hurricanes-work/) - When it comes to any physical science, we know that the fundamental rules governing how the Universe works remain constant with time. We know that those laws enable certain phenomena to arise as long as specific physical conditions are met: gravitation and orbital parameters determine the tides, solar ejecta and the magnetic connection between the
- [Sound Energy: Everything You Need to Know About This Electrifying Source](https://jackrabbithomes.org/sound-energy-everything-you-need-to-know-about-this-electrifying-source/) - Can we use sound energy to turn noise into forms of energy? Sounds crazy, but we discover different types of energy all the time — especially when it comes to renewables — and sound energy is just another kind. Around the world, it’s hard to find somewhere that noise is not part of the landscape.
- [New Home Size Increases as Demand for More Space Continues](https://jackrabbithomes.org/new-home-size-increases-as-demand-for-more-space-continues/) - The size of new single-family homes increased in the second quarter, as the pandemic has sparked a need for more living space and people continue using their homes for more purposes, particularly teleworking. The median size of a single-family home increased to 2,297 square feet, according to data from the Census Quarterly Starts and Completions by
- [Increased Air Pollution Boosts Chances Of Severe Mental Illness, Study Finds](https://jackrabbithomes.org/increased-air-pollution-boosts-chances-of-severe-mental-illness-study-finds/) - TOPLINE Exposure to higher levels of air pollution can possibly lead to an increased risk of serious mental health issues, according to research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, adding to growing research highlighting the hidden health costs of the climate crisis. KEY FACTS Patients with psychotic and mood disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar and depression who had
- [That ‘Obama Scientist’ Climate Skeptic You’ve Been Hearing About](https://jackrabbithomes.org/that-obama-scientist-climate-skeptic-youve-been-hearing-about/) - If you’d heard only that a scientist who served in the Trump administration and now regularly appears on Fox News and other conservative media thinks climate change is a hoax, you’d roll your eyes and move on. But if you heard that someone associated with former President Barack Obama’s Democratic administration was calling the climate
- [More New Homes Built with Air Conditioning](https://jackrabbithomes.org/more-new-homes-built-with-air-conditioning/) - The Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC) provides valuable information on the characteristics of new homes started construction, such as air conditioning and heating system installations. Air Conditioning In 2020, 95.4 percent of new single-family homes started had a central AC system, slightly higher than 95.0 percent in 2019. The trend, going back to 2000, shows a steady
- [There Is Still Time To Save U.S. Global Leadership In Nuclear Energy If Congress Doesn’t Cut Off The VTR To Spite Its Face](https://jackrabbithomes.org/there-is-still-time-to-save-u-s-global-leadership-in-nuclear-energy-if-congress-doesnt-cut-off-the-vtr-to-spite-its-face/) - The Senate recently passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill that has nuclear energy advocates celebrating over plans for new nuclear reactors and production credits for existing plants. For those of us who believe that nuclear power is essential to mitigate climate change, there’s a lot to like - the bill sets aside $6 billion in funding for microreactors, small modular reactors and
- [Biome Makers Raises $15 Million To Become The 23andMe Of Soil](https://jackrabbithomes.org/biome-makers-raises-15-million-to-become-the-23andme-of-soil/) - Biome Makers founders Adrián Ferrero and Alberto Acedo met the usual way business partners do — at age five in a judo class in Spain. Later, Acedo got his PhD in molecular biology, while Ferrero took the economics route. They started their first company together in 2010, AC-Gen Reading Life, that used DNA sequencing to
- [How to connect a new water supply to your home](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-to-connect-a-new-water-supply-to-your-home/) - John Hernon from Thames Water explains the process of installing a new connection to a water main. He also outlines the role of water services company that delivers clean water and takes away waste water. Interview with John Hernon John is a strategic development manager for Thames Water. He has been working in the business
- [How to make your garden more sustainable](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-to-make-your-garden-more-sustainable/) - Trying to do the right thing when it comes to the environment can seem daunting. The wonderful thing about gardening, however, is that we can make a real difference. Here are some simple ways to make your plot more sustainable – and more beautiful, too. Unlike, say, energy-intensive power tools, some of the contributors to
- [How to Boost Your Membership Using Green Resources and Events](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-to-boost-your-membership-using-green-resources-and-events/) - Finding new ways to recruit and retain members is imperative for keeping the momentum alive within your local HBA. Many HBAs are finding success in engaging new members by amplifying the efforts of their high-performance home builders. The HBA of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties relies on its annual Green Home Tour to retain members by showcasing
- [Best Quarter for Townhouse Construction in 14 Years](https://jackrabbithomes.org/best-quarter-for-townhouse-construction-in-14-years/) - According to NAHB analysis of the most recent Census data of Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, townhouse construction in the second quarter of 2021 posted the highest count of starts in 14 years. As housing demand has shifted to more suburban and exurban areas and housing affordability headwinds persist, medium-density construction lagged for much of 2020.
- [4 Questions Every Investor Should Ask Amid Dramatic Climate Warnings](https://jackrabbithomes.org/4-questions-every-investor-should-ask-amid-dramatic-climate-warnings/) - Measurement and standards can seem yawn-worthy in a broader discussion of investing for purpose, and yet in many cases, without them we often come up short of our desired outcomes. We see this in companies every day. When leaders set goals and hold the company to these goals with consistent data and measurement, they achieve
- [Builder Confidence at 13-Month Low on Higher Material Costs, Home Prices](https://jackrabbithomes.org/builder-confidence-at-13-month-low-on-higher-material-costs-home-prices/) - Builder sentiment in the market for newly-built single-family homes fell five points to 75 in August, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). The index is at its lowest point since July 2020. Higher construction costs and supply shortages have led to significant price growth, which in turn
- [Are your houseplants actually good for the planet?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/are-your-houseplants-actually-good-for-the-planet/) - In early January 2021, Nick Pileggi sat in front of a video camera, a wall of greenery behind him. “It’s no secret that houseplants have become very trendy as of last year, 2020, around the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic,” he begins, referring to a surge in demand spurred in part by the lockdown-induced solitude of spending
- [Building Material Prices Climbing at Record Year-to-Date Pace](https://jackrabbithomes.org/building-material-prices-climbing-at-record-year-to-date-pace/) - Building material prices have increased 19.4% over the past 12 months and 13% year to date, according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices paid for goods used in residential construction (excluding energy) rose 0.2% in July after climbing 3% in June (not seasonally adjusted). Building materials (i.e.,
- [SRI Investing, An Underrated Climate Change Solution](https://jackrabbithomes.org/sri-investing-an-underrated-climate-change-solution/) - On August 9th, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report in which the resounding and unsurprising conclusion was a “code red for humanity.” The evidence is irrefutable that climate change is widespread, rapid, and intensifying. In 2020 alone, there was a record shattering 22 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters across the United States.
- [What scientists are saying about the UN climate report](https://jackrabbithomes.org/what-scientists-are-saying-about-the-un-climate-report/) - The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, came out with its sixth annual climate change assessment on Monday. The IPCC report, which compiles all of the latest scientific research on climate change and presents it in one massive assessment, has served as a wake-up call for policymakers and the public every time it
- [Building Materials Prices Climbing at Record YTD Pace Despite Lumber Declines](https://jackrabbithomes.org/building-materials-prices-climbing-at-record-ytd-pace-despite-lumber-declines/) - Prices paid for goods used in residential construction ex-energy rose 0.2% in July after climbing 3.0% in June (not seasonally adjusted), according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Building materials (i.e., inputs to residential construction less food and energy) prices have declined just twice since December 2019 and
- [Sustainable Investing And ESG Advocates Hope Dire Climate Report Serves As Wake Up Call For Financial Services](https://jackrabbithomes.org/sustainable-investing-and-esg-advocates-hope-dire-climate-report-serves-as-wake-up-call-for-financial-services/) - Financial professionals that have been advocating for sustainable and ESG investing are hoping that a report released by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will serve as a wake up call. The report, released on Monday, offered a stark picture about the realities of climate change, and was described as a “code red
- [What Are the Most Common Exterior Materials for New Homes?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/what-are-the-most-common-exterior-materials-for-new-homes/) - Stucco was the most common principal exterior material on new single-family homes started in 2020 (28%), followed by vinyl siding (26%), according to the data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC). Fiber cement siding (such as Hardiplank or Hardiboard) and brick or brick veneer were also relatively popular at 21% and 19%, respectively.
- [Isn’t It Time We Talked About Indoor Air Quality?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/isnt-it-time-we-talked-about-indoor-air-quality/) - Whenever we talk about air quality and pollution, we tend to think about the great outdoors. The reason we do this is very simple. When we talk about the issue, we immediately see in our minds pictures of cars emitting dangerous fumes, giant plumes of smoke bellowing from power plants and the recent wildfires in
- [Housing Affordability Plunges on Soaring Material Costs, Rising Home Prices](https://jackrabbithomes.org/housing-affordability-plunges-on-soaring-material-costs-rising-home-prices/) - Soaring building material costs, high demand and low inventory have added tens of thousands of dollars to the price of a new home and caused housing affordability to fall to its lowest level in nearly a decade during the second quarter of 2021. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity
- [One policy that could challenge a century of fossil-fuel dominance](https://jackrabbithomes.org/one-policy-that-could-challenge-a-century-of-fossil-fuel-dominance/) - A time when the United States runs mostly on wind- and solar-powered electricity could be a reality in only a few years. It wouldn’t require any scientific breakthroughs or technological leaps for clean energy to overtake coal and natural gas, which still dominate 60 percent of the US power sector. What it would take to challenge a
- [Can we save the planet by shrinking the economy?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/can-we-save-the-planet-by-shrinking-the-economy/) - Most of the world is very poor. Billions of people go hungry, can’t afford a doctor when they get sick, don’t have adequate shelter and sanitation, and struggle to exercise the freedoms essential to a good life because of material deprivation. But for all the immiseration around us, one thing is undeniable: For the past several
- [Entire Buildings Can Be Wrapped in Jackets to Save Energy](https://jackrabbithomes.org/entire-buildings-can-be-wrapped-in-jackets-to-save-energy/) - On a normally peaceful residential road outside The Hague, the Dutch city that serves as seat of government, the whine of a hoisting crane and welding tools heralds a not-so-quiet housing revolution. Four workers standing above me on a scissor lift next to an apartment complex guide a thermally insulated facade 40 feet wide and
- [Utilities Are In The Eye Of The Climate Storm. Are They Ready?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/utilities-are-in-the-eye-of-the-climate-storm-are-they-ready/) - Utilities have always been tasked with providing electric power at the lowest rates while remaining reliable. But a host of external threats are shifting that paradigm: everything from climate change to cybersecurity is wreaking havoc, causing companies to rely on new technologies and expensive solutions. Take global warming: two-thirds of Americans see it as a threat.
- [Highest Paid Occupations in Construction in 2020](https://jackrabbithomes.org/highest-paid-occupations-in-construction-in-2020/) - According to the 2020 Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey data and analysis by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), half of payroll workers in construction earn more than $50,460 and the top 25% make at least $71,000. In comparison, the U.S. median wage is $49,150, while the top quartile (top
- [Can President Biden Get The Clean Energy Standard Across The Goal Line?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/can-president-biden-get-the-clean-energy-standard-across-the-goal-line/) - Renewable energy sources generated more electricity than either coal or nuclear power in 2020. Only natural gas topped those sustainable fuels. It’s a clear indication that the country is, literally, buying into clean energy. But is the pace fast enough to achieve net-zero by 2050? The Biden Administration wants to eradicate any uncertainty by enacting
- [How years of fighting every wildfire helped fuel the Western megafires of today](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-years-of-fighting-every-wildfire-helped-fuel-the-western-megafires-of-today/) - After so many smoke-filled summers and record-setting burns, residents of Western North America are no strangers to wildfires. Still, many questions are circulating about why forest fires are becoming larger and more severe – and what can be done about it. Is climate change fueling these fires? Does the long history of fighting every fire play a
- [California is planning floating wind farms offshore to boost its power supply – here’s how they work](https://jackrabbithomes.org/california-is-planning-floating-wind-farms-offshore-to-boost-its-power-supply-heres-how-they-work/) - Northern California has some of the strongest offshore winds in the U.S., with immense potential to produce clean energy. But it has a problem. Its continental shelf drops off quickly, making building traditional wind turbines directly on the seafloor costly if not impossible. Once water gets more than about 200 feet deep – roughly the height
- [Is The Future For Nitro Finance Now?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/is-the-future-for-nitro-finance-now/) - Setting up integrated assessment of the nitrogen cycle and fluxes within regional and global food systems, will be essential to correctly curb nitrogen dioxide emissions, according to experts. Air pollution, mainly from burning fossil fuels, kills 7 million people prematurely every year, but nitrogen dioxide released by the agricultural sector hardly get accounted for its
- [Why Are New York And Seattle Mayoral Candidates Not Talking About Climate Change?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/why-are-new-york-and-seattle-mayoral-candidates-not-talking-about-climate-change/) - Both New York and Seattle are in the process of electing their Mayors. Because these cities are very liberal, the key election to watch for is the Democratic primary. Unless something unexpected were to occur between now and November, the candidate winning the Democratic primary will become the next Mayor. In both cities, Mayor hopefuls
- [Second Quarter of 2021 Homeownership Rate at 65.4%](https://jackrabbithomes.org/second-quarter-of-2021-homeownership-rate-at-65-4/) - The Census Bureau’s Housing Vacancy Survey (CPS/HVS) reported the U.S. homeownership rate declined to 65.4% in the second quarter of 2021. Compared to prior reports, the data was affected less significantly by the pandemic, since in-person interviews were back in 99% of the sample area. The national homeowner vacancy rate stayed at a record low
- [Count of Open Construction Jobs Near Two-Year High](https://jackrabbithomes.org/count-of-open-construction-jobs-near-two-year-high/) - The count of open construction jobs increased in April to 357,000 unfilled positions, according to data from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The housing market remains hot and requires additional labor, lots and lumber and building materials to add inventory. Overall, hiring in the construction sector slowed in April, declining to
- [HBGI Shows Suburban Shift for Multifamily Construction](https://jackrabbithomes.org/hbgi-shows-suburban-shift-for-multifamily-construction/) - The first quarter 2021 Home Building Geography Index (HBGI) showed that single-family home building continued to shift to low-density and low-cost markets, a trend stemming largely from the COVID-19 pandemic and first reported in the second quarter of 2020. However, this suburban shift has been even more pronounced in the multifamily sector, which is experiencing growth in
- [Plastic Items Dominate Ocean Garbage [Infographic]](https://jackrabbithomes.org/plastic-items-dominate-ocean-garbage-infographic/) - A new analysis published in the journal Nature Sustainability has revealed the most common items polluting the world's oceans and it calls for urgent action to curb the flow of garbage into marine ecosystems. The research was funded by the BBVA Foundation and the Spanish science ministry and it focused on identifiable items bigger than 3cm, excluding
- [Will Stronger ESG Standards Drive Corporate Action On Climate And Equity?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/will-stronger-esg-standards-drive-corporate-action-on-climate-and-equity/) - Environment, social and governance (ESG) investing is rapidly evolving and soaring—in popularity, performance and tools. But will it make a difference in corporate behavior? Investing is no longer just about financial returns. It’s about the link between those returns and the impact of that business on society in both the short and long term. It’s about
- [Is It Time For A National Climate Service?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/is-it-time-for-a-national-climate-service/) - We receive weather forecasts and warnings from the National Weather Service, and the National Ocean Service provides critical information about the ocean. Both organizations fall within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Increasingly, climate services are recognized as critical for decisions and policy related to infrastructure, agriculture, public health, wildfire management, economic vitality, energy, transportation, and more. Is
- [Consumer Prices Rising at Fastest Pace in a Decade](https://jackrabbithomes.org/consumer-prices-rising-at-fastest-pace-in-a-decade/) - Consumer prices continued to rise in May, supported by increases in housing costs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.6% in May on a seasonally adjusted basis, following an increase of 0.8% in April. It marks the largest increase since June 2009. Excluding the volatile food and energy
- [Home Building at Fastest Pace in Areas with Shortest Commute Times](https://jackrabbithomes.org/home-building-at-fastest-pace-in-areas-with-shortest-commute-times/) - Home building across the nation expanded the fastest in places with the shortest commute times, according to the quarterly NAHB Home Building Geography Index (HBGI) released today. The HBGI also shows the suburban shift in new home construction to low density, low cost markets stemming largely from the COVID-19 pandemic and first reported in the
- [3 Development Tips for Homebuilders](https://jackrabbithomes.org/3-development-tips-for-homebuilders/) - Many builders buy and build on single lots instead of developing an entire community themselves. But there is also great opportunity when you buy larger parcels, which allows you to develop an entire community. If you form a relationship with local real estate brokers, they can keep you apprised of large pieces of land that
- [A Better Way to Cool Ourselves](https://jackrabbithomes.org/a-better-way-to-cool-ourselves/) - Global economic development, in combination with climate change, is expected to result in over a billion new consumers installing air-conditioning systems in their homes and businesses in the coming decades. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted that by 2050 energy demand for indoor cooling will be 300 percent higher than present-day levels, making cooling
- [Renewable energy didn’t just survive 2020 — it thrived](https://jackrabbithomes.org/renewable-energy-didnt-just-survive-2020-it-thrived/) - Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, the outlook for renewable energy did not look good. Factory shutdowns in China disrupted the global supply chain for wind turbines and solar panels, delaying construction of projects in the U.S. Clean energy industries across the board started bleeding jobs. Fear spread that the economic recession would put investments in renewables on the back
- [A clean energy proposal near a sacred Indigenous site divides a Minnesota community](https://jackrabbithomes.org/a-clean-energy-proposal-near-a-sacred-indigenous-site-divides-a-minnesota-community/) - Sitting among a sea of prairie grass in southern Minnesota is a 900-foot-long outcrop of red quartzite rocks covered in thousands of carvings — bison, turtles, and hunting tools — made by Indigenous peoples as far back as 7,000 years ago. It’s the largest group of Indigenous rock carvings in the Midwest. And the site, Jeffers Petroglyphs, is still
- [Home Prices Soar in March](https://jackrabbithomes.org/home-prices-soar-in-march/) - In March, national home prices continued to rise at a fast — and unsustainable rate — pushed by strong demand and low housing inventory. Home price appreciation accelerated in most metro areas. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, reported by S&P Dow Jones Indices, rose at a seasonally adjusted annual growth rate of 20.0%
- [New Home Sales Decline Due to Higher Costs](https://jackrabbithomes.org/new-home-sales-decline-due-to-higher-costs/) - After a significant downward revision for the preliminary March data, April recorded a decline of 5.9% for sales of newly-constructed single family homes, according to estimates from the Census Bureau and HUD. The April seasonally adjusted annual rate (863k) was the lowest since June 2020, with the exception of a weather-influenced February report. Residential demand
- [What Is Environmental Sustainability? - A Primer](https://jackrabbithomes.org/what-is-environmental-sustainability-a-primer/) - I was discussing environmental sustainability with my family recently. The intent was to show them all of the ways that we do it in our own home with minimal effort - recycling, composting, reusable grocery bags, vegetable gardening, electric vehicles, meatless Monday menus, and reduced air travel. As a climate scientist by profession, these efforts
- [No Water No Microchips: What Is Happening In Taiwan?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/no-water-no-microchips-what-is-happening-in-taiwan/) - Water wars are no longer from apocalyptic imagery. Something as dramatic is already happening in Taiwan, where a drought is causing chip manufacturers to compete with locals for water use. Starting on June 1, in fact, the country will cut water supply for the major chip making hub Taichung. Because a front brought over 100mm
- [Commerce Secretary Pledges Full Support of Biden Administration to Resolve Lumber Issue](https://jackrabbithomes.org/commerce-secretary-pledges-full-support-of-biden-administration-to-resolve-lumber-issue/) - Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo acknowledged the depth of the lumber price crisis and its effects on the residential construction industry, home buyers and renters during a meeting today with the NAHB senior officer team. “The residential construction industry is facing serious challenges because of supply chain constraints and the impact on home building, especially with
- [Record Numbers of Builders Report Material Shortages](https://jackrabbithomes.org/record-numbers-of-builders-report-material-shortages/) - Shortages of materials are now more widespread than at any at any time since NAHB began tracking the issue on a regular basis in the 1990s in is survey for the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). In response to special questions on the May 2021 HMI survey, over 90 percent of builders who buy the product in question
- [The oldest water in the world: What billion-year old water means for Mars](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-oldest-water-in-the-world-what-billion-year-old-water-means-for-mars/) - The world’s oldest known water has been discovered by researchers in Canada. A 17-year search of Ontario’s Kidd Creek Mine uncovered liquid that has been trapped between rocks for 1.6 billion years, according to the team at the University of Toronto. After first visiting the Kidd Creek in 1992, geologist Barbara Sherwood Lollar and her colleagues
- [Wind and solar power generated a tenth of the world's electricity in 2020](https://jackrabbithomes.org/wind-and-solar-power-generated-a-tenth-of-the-worlds-electricity-in-2020/) - Nearly one-tenth of the world’s electricity now comes from wind and solar, according to a new analysis by London-based thinktank, Ember. Wind and solar power have doubled in the last five years and the rise of renewables has driven coal power to drop by a record 4 per cent. In the EU, wind and solar
- [Making the ‘unthinkable become thinkable’: Can we put an end to world hunger by 2030?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/making-the-unthinkable-become-thinkable-can-we-put-an-end-to-world-hunger-by-2030/) - Globally, 690 million people regularly face the prospect of going to bed with an empty stomach - and that figure is on the rise. The United Nations Development Programme estimates that more than 1 billion people will live in extreme poverty by 2030. On top of this growing problem, one of the many consequences of
- [The planet will ‘dehydrate before it starves’: Why universal access to water is crucial](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-planet-will-dehydrate-before-it-starves-why-universal-access-to-water-is-crucial/) - This World Water Day, Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Dr. Mark Smith explains why water management could save lives and the planet. Having put millions more people at risk of acute hunger, the COVID-19 pandemic has set the stage for a now-or-never year of rethinking the entire system behind food and nutrition.
- [More than 700 million children are living on the frontlines of the climate crisis](https://jackrabbithomes.org/more-than-700-million-children-are-living-on-the-frontlines-of-the-climate-crisis/) - Climate change is putting the lives of more than 700 million children at high risk, warns a major international NGO. Save the Children released a report this week outlining how 710 million children live in the 45 countries at the highest risk of suffering the consequences of climate change. The charity cautions that these children
- [New Indiana Wetlands Law Allows Builders to Benefit from Federal Water Rule](https://jackrabbithomes.org/new-indiana-wetlands-law-allows-builders-to-benefit-from-federal-water-rule/) - Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) signed a state wetlands bill into law last month, marking a big victory for the Indiana Builders Association (IBA) and members across the state. Enactment of Senate Bill 389 ensures developers and builders in Indiana benefit from NAHB’s 2020 regulatory victory under the Trump administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) under the federal Clean
- [Single- and Multifamily Permits Post Gains Across the U.S.](https://jackrabbithomes.org/single-and-multifamily-permits-post-gains-across-the-u-s/) - The total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date nationwide reached 276,110 in March, up 25.3% over the March 2020 level of 220,416. In addition, gains were reported in all four regions of the country, with the Midwest reporting an increase of 40.0%, followed by the Northeast (27.3%), the West (23.9%), and the South (23.1%). Multifamily
- [Sustainable Strategies For Agriculture And Biodiversity: As Simple As Helping Nature Run Its Course](https://jackrabbithomes.org/sustainable-strategies-for-agriculture-and-biodiversity-as-simple-as-helping-nature-run-its-course/) - Smart climate farming practices are gaining prominence on policymakers’ agenda to compensate for the impact modern farming has had on soil health and climate change. Unlike other issues within sustainability which require technological development, farmers can look to nature-based solutions within the agricultural sector. Promoting the adoption rate of such practices among farmers can have
- [EDITORS' PICK|May 13, 2021,06:00am EDT|2,106 views How Green Energy Will Transform The Ranks Of The World’s Biggest Electric Generators](https://jackrabbithomes.org/editors-pickmay-13-20210600am-edt2106-views-how-green-energy-will-transform-the-ranks-of-the-worlds-biggest-electric-generators/) - Judging from the hype, the world’s energy sector has embarked on a transitional journey to a clean, green, low-carbon future powered by windmills and solar panels. It’s going to be a long trip. According to the International Energy Agency, we still derive an incredible 80% of our primary energy from fossil fuels—with oil contributing 32%, coal
- [Sustainable Pet Industry Grapples With Its Meat Problem](https://jackrabbithomes.org/sustainable-pet-industry-grapples-with-its-meat-problem/) - It had been an upbeat gathering of environmentally-minded pet-supply companies until someone asked about meat. “What do we do about the pet industry’s participation in the meat industry,” asked Maya Fano-Carotti of the American Sustainable Business Council, “which is often very unsustainable?” “Big question,” said Stephie Volo, the chief marketing officer for Earth Animal Ventures,
- [The Dam Has Broken And West Virginia Has Awoken To Solar Power](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-dam-has-broken-and-west-virginia-has-awoken-to-solar-power/) - The coal industry’s tight grip on West Virginia is loosening. That dam is cracking and is giving way to alternative fuels. Consider the case of Nitro Construction Services, which provides commercial and industrial businesses with electrical, mechanical, and technological services: the company is rooted in the coal industry but it is now ramping up its
- [End New Fossil Fuel Development, IEA Demands In Groundbreaking Net Zero Plan](https://jackrabbithomes.org/end-new-fossil-fuel-development-iea-demands-in-groundbreaking-net-zero-plan/) - Tackling climate change by achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid century is “the greatest challenge humankind has ever faced,” yet it is something the world can still achieve, the world’s leading energy body said today, for the first time unveiling its own roadmap for reaching the critical target. To achieve this, the International
- [More Buyers are Looking for a New Home](https://jackrabbithomes.org/more-buyers-are-looking-for-a-new-home/) - A recent NAHB Housing Trends Report revealed that 16% of adults are planning a home purchase in the next 12 months. Among that group of prospective buyers, 42% are looking to buy a newly built home and 30% an existing home. A year earlier, in the first quarter of 2020, only 24% of buyers reported a preference
- [Collaboration Between Builders and Appraisers Key to Navigating Rising Lumber Prices, Freddie Mac Says](https://jackrabbithomes.org/collaboration-between-builders-and-appraisers-key-to-navigating-rising-lumber-prices-freddie-mac-says/) - As lumber prices continue to rise, home builders face challenges selling homes that accurately reflect the increased costs of construction. This applies not only to lumber, but appliances and other key components as well due to supply constraints. Because these increased costs are not recognized during the appraisal process, the builder or home buyer is
- [Regulatory Costs Add a Whopping $93,870 to New Home Prices](https://jackrabbithomes.org/regulatory-costs-add-a-whopping-93870-to-new-home-prices/) - Regulations imposed by all levels of government account for $93,870, or 23.8% of the current average sales price ($397,300) of a new single-family home, according to a new study by NAHB. Of the $93,870 figure, $41,330 is attributable to regulation during development, and $52,540 is due to regulation during construction. “This study illustrates how overregulation
- [The number of people in need is frightening – we need a global response](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-number-of-people-in-need-is-frightening-we-need-a-global-response-2/) - The numbers are well-publicised but bear repeating. Around 120 million more people were pushed into extreme poverty in 2020, a number that could rise to 150 million in 2021. An estimated 250 million jobs have been lost around the world, and the number of people affected by acute food insecurity was estimated to have doubled
- [Parched Taiwan prays for rain as Sun Moon Lake is hit by drought](https://jackrabbithomes.org/parched-taiwan-prays-for-rain-as-sun-moon-lake-is-hit-by-drought/) - Taiwan’s Sun Moon Lake is so low that parts of it have dried and turned to grass. Jetties that normally float are sprawled awkwardly on dry land, and tour boats are crowded at the tail ends of pontoons still in the water. Usually one of the island’s most famous tourist destinations, the lake has recently
- [This $1 billion energy deal promises to cut emissions and secure jobs. So why on earth is gas included?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/this-1-billion-energy-deal-promises-to-cut-emissions-and-secure-jobs-so-why-on-earth-is-gas-included/) - In case you missed it, a major A$1 billion energy deal between the Morrison and the South Australian government was revealed recently. The bilateral deal represents a key driver for the national economic recovery from COVID. It promises to provide jobs in the energy sector and contribute to South Australia achieving net 100% renewables by 2030. But there’s a big
- [‘We know our community better than they do’: why local knowledge is key to disaster recovery in Gippsland](https://jackrabbithomes.org/we-know-our-community-better-than-they-do-why-local-knowledge-is-key-to-disaster-recovery-in-gippsland/) - Overcoming the odds is second nature to the Gippsland community. The people in this region have seen it all — fires, floods, droughts and extreme weather. And every time, these capable, resourceful and independent communities bounce back. However, recovery from bushfires of the 2019/2020 Black Summer followed by the COVID-19 pandemic has been different. Even
- [Home Offices Remain Popular Among Home Buyers](https://jackrabbithomes.org/home-offices-remain-popular-among-home-buyers/) - Few events over the last century have had as profound an impact on the ways we live than the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Premier among them is the heightened relevance of ‘home.’ The health crisis thrust the home into a new level of prominence, expanding its purpose beyond just a functional dwelling to many non-traditional roles
- [Prospective Buyers Are Quickly Becoming Active Buyers](https://jackrabbithomes.org/prospective-buyers-are-quickly-becoming-active-buyers/) - Of the 16% of American adults considering a future home purchase in the first quarter of 2021, 63% have moved beyond planning and are actively trying to find one to buy, up from the comparable 49% share a year earlier. This increase marks the fifth consecutive year-over-year gain in the share of prospective buyers who
- [How Green Is Wind Power, Really? A New Report Tallies Up The Carbon Cost Of Renewables](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-green-is-wind-power-really-a-new-report-tallies-up-the-carbon-cost-of-renewables/) - How green is wind power? It’s not a simple question. Of course the wind blows without carbon emissions, but catching it isn’t easy. Building and erecting wind turbines requires hundreds of tons of materials — steel, concrete, fiberglass, copper, and more exotic stuff like neodymium and dysprosium used in permanent magnets. All of it has
- [Personalized Medicine For The Planet](https://jackrabbithomes.org/personalized-medicine-for-the-planet/) - Imagine you’re a little girl—let’s call you Brooke—and you and your two siblings are sitting in the waiting room of a pediatrician’s office. The pediatrician pokes her head through the door and your older sibling, Marin, stands up and then waves as she follows the doctor. When she’s done, your twin brother, Forrest, leaves your
- [Green Electricity Can Be Unstable. Big-Battery Backups Are The Solution.](https://jackrabbithomes.org/green-electricity-can-be-unstable-big-battery-backups-are-the-solution/) - The electricity system in the U.K. was its greenest ever on Easter Monday 2021: 76%. The very next day it fell to 45%. Obviously, it varies widely with how much sun is shining and how strongly winds are blowing. The energy mix on Easter Monday was 39% wind, 21% solar, and 16% nuclear. Gas power plants provided
- [A Smart Way To Provide Long-Term, Grid-Scale Storage: Hydrostor](https://jackrabbithomes.org/a-smart-way-to-provide-long-term-grid-scale-storage-hydrostor/) - This article is one in a series investigating the importance of modernizing and decarbonizing the electric grid. The company we feature in this article – Hydrostor – has made a brilliant re-think of a decades-old system called Compressed Air Energy Storage and to create a form of grid-scale energy storage that is very attractive. Hydrostor just announced that it's
- [Africa Needs Electricity Now More Than Ever, Especially To Keep COVID-19 Vaccines Cold](https://jackrabbithomes.org/africa-needs-electricity-now-more-than-ever-especially-to-keep-covid-19-vaccines-cold/) - Solar energy conjures up images of rooftop panels. The depiction is especially true in Africa, where about 600 million people are without access to electricity — power to keep the lights on and power to keep the COVID-19 vaccine frozen. Africa’s economy has experienced solid growth at an average of 3.7% throughout the continent. That
- [ClimateTech Updates For April 2021](https://jackrabbithomes.org/climatetech-updates-for-april-2021/) - In ClimateTech Update articles, I pass along the latest news about companies and topics I have featured in previous columns. In addition to the normal Updates, I thought I would have an exciting personal update for you today, but a lawyer on the other side of the world still has some t’s to cross and
- [Housing Share of GDP: 17.6% at Start of 2021](https://jackrabbithomes.org/housing-share-of-gdp-17-6-at-start-of-2021/) - Thanks to a surge in residential investment during 2020, housing’s share of GDP has returned and remains near historic norms. Last year’s market conditions involved a renewed focus on the importance of home, an evolving geography of housing demand, and a lack of for-sale inventory. Housing should continue to expand in 2021. For the first quarter of 2021,
- [Saudi Energy Giants Join The Green Revolution](https://jackrabbithomes.org/saudi-energy-giants-join-the-green-revolution/) - Last week was a big one for Saudi energy, and it had nothing to do with fossil fuels. State owned energy company ACWA Power launched its first utility-scale renewable energy project, the 300 Megawatts (MW) Sakaka solar initiative. Following the launch, the government announced the signing of seven power purchase agreements (PPAs) for solar projects spread across the
- [Existing Home Sales Decline As Low Inventory Continues to Push Prices Higher](https://jackrabbithomes.org/existing-home-sales-decline-as-low-inventory-continues-to-push-prices-higher/) - After reaching a record high in October, existing home sales, as reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), dropped to a seven-month low in March, as tight inventory continues to limit sales and fuel home price growth. The median existing home price in March surged to an all-time high and was the fastest pace on record.
- [GIS Technology Can Back The Pledges Made At Biden’s Climate Summit](https://jackrabbithomes.org/gis-technology-can-back-the-pledges-made-at-bidens-climate-summit/) - In the last 48 hours President Joseph Biden, some 40 other world leaders, and more than 300 businesses have committed to meaningful climate action, including ambitious goals for carbon emissions. The president called upon his peers to “make decisions that will avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis.” At Esri, this is our life’s work—balancing human-made systems with
- [The Estate Tax and Real Estate](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-estate-tax-and-real-estate/) - More than 6,400 taxpayers filed an estate tax return (Form 706) in 2019, according to recently released IRS data—40.1% of which were taxable after various deductions were taken into account. Form 706 disaggregates a decedent’s assets by type, which allows for analysis of the amount of real estate-related and small business assets on taxable returns.
- [Spring Home-Buying Fervor in Latest MBA Survey](https://jackrabbithomes.org/spring-home-buying-fervor-in-latest-mba-survey/) - Over the last month, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) tracked 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate continued to show elevated levels. For the week ending April 16, the average rate was 3.2%. For the same period, the MBA’s Market Composite Index (seasonally adjusted) underwent a series of declines, significantly tapering from its levels in March. It is
- [Laundry Room & Exterior Lighting Top Buyers’ Most Wanted List](https://jackrabbithomes.org/laundry-room-exterior-lighting-top-buyers-most-wanted-list/) - The two most wanted features in a home are a laundry room and exterior lighting, according to NAHB’s latest study on consumer preferences – What Home Buyers Really Want (2021 Edition). The study is based on a national survey of more than 3,200 recent and prospective home buyers (people who bought homes in the previous three years
- [The Oscars For Earth Day](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-oscars-for-earth-day/) - The language of nature has been steadily draining from our pop culture, from songs to books to movies. This erosion is both a product of the decline in people’s everyday connection to nature and a cultural driver that exacerbates that decline. And this negative feedback loop of nature and cultural connections is just a mirror held up
- [Median Age of Housing Stock by State Varies by More Than 35 Years](https://jackrabbithomes.org/median-age-of-housing-stock-by-state-varies-by-more-than-35-years/) - The median age of owner-occupied homes in the United States is 39 years, but this figure varies dramatically when broken down state-by-state. On the farthest ends of the spectrum, New York has the oldest owner-occupied homes with a median age of 60 years while Nevada leads the newer owner-occupied housing stock at only 23 years.
- [Residential Construction Employment Surpasses February 2020 Pre-Pandemic Level](https://jackrabbithomes.org/residential-construction-employment-surpasses-february-2020-pre-pandemic-level/) - Residential construction employment increased by 37,000 in March and has now surpassed the level in February 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic led to massive job losses in construction and other sectors of the economy. About 518,000 residential construction jobs were created in the past 11 months, offsetting all the 471,800 residential construction jobs lost in
- [A More Sustainable Plumbing Pipe for Eco-Conscious Home Owners](https://jackrabbithomes.org/a-more-sustainable-plumbing-pipe-for-eco-conscious-home-owners/) - Celebrating and preserving the planet goes far beyond Earth Day. In fact, home owners are now often seeing the value in energy-efficient and sustainable homes. The 2018 National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Sustainability Resource Guide reports 61% of surveyed members said their clients are interested in sustainability. And according to research from NAHB, energy efficiency
- [Does charging more for electricity help the planet?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/does-charging-more-for-electricity-help-the-planet/) - Dear Umbra, I live in California and I just got a notice from my utility company that they’re going to charge more for usage between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Do rate surges really help the planet, or do they just make companies money? — What Are These Tricks? Dear WATT, Your skepticism is understandable,
- [Biden’s New Infrastructure Plan Boosts Wellness Design Potential For Nation’s Homes](https://jackrabbithomes.org/bidens-new-infrastructure-plan-boosts-wellness-design-potential-for-nations-homes-2/) - The Biden administration unveiled a $2 trillion infrastructure plan last week, and it contains some much-needed wellness design enhancements for American homes. Even its goals of increasing affordable housing stock and improving public housing advances the ideal of everyone having a safe, healthy place to live. The pandemic pointed out the importance of this ideal, though the
- [The quest to quantify the environmental cost of abandoned oil wells](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-quest-to-quantify-the-environmental-cost-of-abandoned-oil-wells/) - Amy Townsend-Small has been chasing methane her entire professional life. The quest has taken her from Southern California freeways to sewage plants to animal feedlots. Sniffing out the potent greenhouse gas, which traps 86 times as much heat as carbon dioxide after it’s emitted into the atmosphere, has required her to breathalyze cows and take
- [McCain investigation confirms Navajo housing agency 'grossly misusing taxpayer funds'](https://jackrabbithomes.org/mccain-investigation-confirms-navajo-housing-agency-grossly-misusing-taxpayer-funds/) - Sen. John McCain on Thursday released an investigative report on alleged mismanagement in the Navajo Nation's housing agency that calls for sweeping reforms to protect federal funds and provide adequate homes for tribal members. McCain, R-Ariz., said the probe by his office "confirms that the Navajo Housing Authority remains a broken public housing agency that
- [McCain: The Navajo Housing Authority investigation we need](https://jackrabbithomes.org/mccain-the-navajo-housing-authority-investigation-we-need/) - John McCain: The program wasted millions - and employs more people than most states' public housing programs. Why? John McCain | AZ I See It Show Caption Navajo families are living a housing nightmare. Far removed from the suburbs of Phoenix, the Navajo reservation is dotted with crumbling houses and traditional hogans deemed unfit for human habitation. An
- [Navajo Housing Authority will forfeit $26 million from feds over failed housing projects](https://jackrabbithomes.org/navajo-housing-authority-will-forfeit-26-million-from-feds-over-failed-housing-projects/) - The NHA appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where a mediator asked the parties to negotiate a settlement, according to NHA. The two sides then agreed to substantially lower the penalty. “As a result of the mutually negotiated settlement, NHA was able to avert a potential loss of $70 million,” said attorney Craig
- [US Senator Suggests Reforms For Navajo housing Authority](https://jackrabbithomes.org/us-senator-suggests-reforms-for-navajo-housing-authority/) - The findings of an investigation initiated by a U.S. senator into the spending of federal housing grants on the nation's largest American Indian reservation suggest mismanagement resulted in cost overruns and delays. Top Navajo Nation officials in a statement issued late Thursday detailed the findings along with numerous recommendations made by Republican Sen. John McCain
- [The Navajo Nation accepted more than $1 billion for houses. So, where did it go?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-navajo-nation-accepted-more-than-1-billion-for-houses-so-where-did-it-go-2/) - They’d been living in a flat-topped box home on the Navajo Reservation. All six were crammed into a few hundred square feet, paying rent to a local housing corporation. But one spring, a contractor for the Navajo Housing Authority started work on vacant lots sprinkled throughout the South Shiprock neighborhood. New houses were going up,
- [The Navajo Nation accepted more than $1 billion for houses. So, where did it go?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-navajo-nation-accepted-more-than-1-billion-for-houses-so-where-did-it-go/) - “This housing is lower quality than tents or shacks, and may be interpreted to indicate a possibly desperate situation,” concluded the 2011 report by RPI Consulting of Colorado. The Republic reviewed housing records from the NHA to calculate how many homes have actually been built since 1998. In the final accounting, it was clear why the
- [THE NAVAJO HOUSING TRAGEDY](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-navajo-housing-tragedy/) - A SACRED PLACE In Navajo culture, the hogan is not just a traditional home, but a metaphor for the ordered universe. Corner posts represent the four sacred mountains that encompass the Navajo world and hold up the sky. A doorway on the east side welcomes morning sunlight. The hogan, translated as "place home," is connected
- [Humanity Versus Tech: Human Solutions To Human Creations](https://jackrabbithomes.org/humanity-versus-tech-human-solutions-to-human-creations/) - I wonder if the prevailing technological cultural zeitgeist discourages some of the world’s brightest and most ambitious people choosing other routes for public service. Moreover, the solutions to some of our biggest challenges perhaps lie much more firmly in a need for better human cooperation than faster technological innovation. I’m in an echo chamber that
- [Construction Job Openings Fall Back in February](https://jackrabbithomes.org/construction-job-openings-fall-back-in-february/) - Job openings in construction declined in February to 266,000 unfilled positions, according to data from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). Hiring appeared to gain steam in February, although this was perhaps just statistical noise for the monthly data. However, March payroll employment numbers indicate strength ahead for the JOLTS construction data.
- [Buyers Are Split on Multigenerational Homes](https://jackrabbithomes.org/buyers-are-split-on-multigenerational-homes/) - A multigenerational home is desirable to some buyers, but not to all. According to What Home Buyers Want, 2021 Edition*, buyers are evenly divided when it comes to the desire for a home designed to house the buyer as well as a younger generation and an older generation: 39% would prefer such a home, but 39%
- [New Home Sales Decline in February](https://jackrabbithomes.org/new-home-sales-decline-in-february/) - After a slight rebound in December and January, the slowing of the pace of new single-family home sales continued in February as a combination of broader affordability challenges – higher rates and more costly materials – and storm effects reduced the volume of purchases. New single-family home sales declined 18% in February to a 775,000
- [More Consumers Expect to Buy a House over Next 4 Months](https://jackrabbithomes.org/more-consumers-expect-to-buy-a-house-over-next-4-months/) - The December Household Spending Survey, published by the New York Federal Reserve Bank, showed a modest increase in household spending over the past four months, and a surge in the median expectation for year-ahead household spending to highest level since August 2015. Only 2.2% of households bought house or apartment over the past four months,
- [Demand For Luxury Homes In Hawaii Surges As New Oceanfront Lots Hit The Market](https://jackrabbithomes.org/demand-for-luxury-homes-in-hawaii-surges-as-new-oceanfront-lots-hit-the-market/) - Things are heating up on the Kona Coast, particularly for those in the market for high-end real estate. Hokuli’a, a private residential club community on the Big Island of Hawai’i, this week rolled out its latest offering of luxury homes: 20 premier oceanside lots, each offering sweeping views and direct access to roughly three miles
- [Global Wind Power Growth Must Triple To Achieve Net Zero](https://jackrabbithomes.org/global-wind-power-growth-must-triple-to-achieve-net-zero/) - Despite COVID pressures and concerns about the record amounts of Chinese wind installations in 2020, the wind industry recorded its strongest year with a record 93GW of new capacity in 2020. Yet GWEC believe growth must triple over this next decade to have a chance at achieving 2050 net zero goals. Total global wind power
- [Transitioning To A Smarter Grid: Virtual Power Plants](https://jackrabbithomes.org/transitioning-to-a-smarter-grid-virtual-power-plants/) - This article is one in a series investigating the importance of modernizing and decarbonizing the electric grid. If you want to understand the issue in context, see the article Grid Modernization; for cutting edge experts’ take on the topic, see the article Here Is How To Create A Clean, Resilient Electrical Grid. In the latter article, I
- [Synthetic Fuels Won’t Save The Planet, So Don’t Say They Could](https://jackrabbithomes.org/synthetic-fuels-wont-save-the-planet-so-dont-say-they-could/) - Arguments against battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) usually end up with someone saying hydrogen is the “real” eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuel. But recently the EV naysayers have a new stick to beat BEVs with – synthetic fuels. For those who don’t like change, synthetic “e-fuels” are an even more obvious choice than hydrogen, because in theory
- [A groundbreaking environmental justice bill is poised to become law](https://jackrabbithomes.org/a-groundbreaking-environmental-justice-bill-is-poised-to-become-law/) - With slim majorities in Congress and an ally in the White House, the Democrats who drafted the Environmental Justice for All Act, a comprehensive piece of federal legislation that aims to address environmental disparities in vulnerable communities across the country, are “exceedingly optimistic” that their groundbreaking bill will become law. On Thursday, they officially reintroduced the bill on
- [Recent Rise in Interest Rates Has Priced Out More Than 1.3 Million Households](https://jackrabbithomes.org/recent-rise-in-interest-rates-has-priced-out-more-than-1-3-million-households/) - The recent rise in mortgage interest rates during the past two months has priced more than 1.3 million households out of the market for a median priced home, according to analysis by NAHB. A new NAHB study has determined that 1.3 million households would be priced out of the market for a nationwide median priced
- [Mixed-Income Community in Tennessee Sets a High Standard for Redeveloping Distressed Public Housing](https://jackrabbithomes.org/mixed-income-community-in-tennessee-sets-a-high-standard-for-redeveloping-distressed-public-housing/) - Affordable housing is sorely needed throughout the country as part of the ongoing housing affordability crisis. Builders are trying to tackle this crisis through a number of different solutions, including focusing on what’s often referred to the “missing middle” of housing to help increase supply and provide consumers with housing options. These include townhomes, condominiums, accessory dwelling units
- [Critical Home Repairs Delayed Because of Sky-High Lumber Prices](https://jackrabbithomes.org/critical-home-repairs-delayed-because-of-sky-high-lumber-prices/) - As lumber prices remain sky high, home-building activities continue to suffer across all aspects of the industry — including remodeling projects. Home owners have had an opportunity while sheltering in place to examine their homes and identify key areas in need of repair. But many have been apprehensive to tackle these projects because of the
- [How The Texas Power Crisis Could Reshape Mexico’s Energy Policy](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-the-texas-power-crisis-could-reshape-mexicos-energy-policy/) - When Gov. Greg Abbott cut off natural gas that usually flows from Texas to Mexico on Feb. 17, the hoped-for result was meeting Texas' skyrocketing demand and dwindling ability to supply it during the worst winter storm in decades. "I hereby mandate that all sourced natural gas be made available for sale to local power generation
- [How Solar Is Central To The Energy Transition](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-solar-is-central-to-the-energy-transition/) - THE EDGE — SIMON FLOWERS Solar is king of the low-carbon technologies. Its new-found competitiveness makes solar central to decarbonising power markets and, in time, it can fuel green hydrogen’s push into hard-to-abate sectors. I chatted to Ravi Manghani, Wood Mackenzie Head of Solar, who forecasts in Horizons that solar costs will continue to fall. What’s driving the
- [How Rich Countries Must Help Developing Economies Afford The Clean Energy Transition](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-rich-countries-must-help-developing-economies-afford-the-clean-energy-transition/) - It’s hard enough for rich industrialized countries to tackle carbon reduction goals. For emerging economies to do the same can be downright daunting. But rich or poor, it must be done. That’s the sentiment from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), which is helping countries move from dirty energy forms to cleaner and lower-carbon ones.
- [Oil’s biggest lobbying group killed carbon prices. Now it supports them?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/oils-biggest-lobbying-group-killed-carbon-prices-now-it-supports-them/) - Twelve years ago, the American Petroleum Institute ran an ad in the print version of the Washington Post. “If you like $4 gasoline,” it read, “you’ll love the House Climate Bill.” This was during President Barack Obama’s first term, when a gallon of gas cost barely $2.70, and API — a coalition of over 600 companies and the
- [Webinar - Facade Squad: Understanding the GC's Approach to Facades](https://jackrabbithomes.org/webinar-facade-squad-understanding-the-gcs-approach-to-facades/) - In March, the Facade Squad dives into the viewpoints of general contractors when focusing on the complete building envelope while utilizing prefabricated solutions. Our guest speaker is Peter Dupuis of Gundlach Champion. The webisode will focus on a general contractor’s approach to a prefabricated building envelope, their relationship with the owner, and the design team
- [Transitioning To A Smarter Grid: AMSC](https://jackrabbithomes.org/transitioning-to-a-smarter-grid-amsc/) - This article is one in a series investigating the importance of modernizing and decarbonizing the electric grid. The company we feature in this article – American Superconductor AMSC – is working on improving current grid infrastructure as part of a multi-decade transition upon which we are just embarking. If you want to understand the issue in context,
- [One of the most polluted counties in America is getting 40,000 more oil wells](https://jackrabbithomes.org/one-of-the-most-polluted-counties-in-america-is-getting-40000-more-oil-wells/) - Kern County, in the south Central Valley of California, produces 80 percent of the state’s onshore oil and gas — and has some of the country’s worst year-round air pollution. Now, the county is set to increase the number of oil and gas wells from 78,000 to 121,000, after a controversial ordinance was unanimously approved earlier this week
- [Higher Material Costs, Interest Rates Lower Builder Sentiment](https://jackrabbithomes.org/higher-material-costs-interest-rates-lower-builder-sentiment/) - Despite high buyer traffic and strong demand, builder sentiment fell in March as rising lumber and other material prices pushed builder confidence lower. The latest NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today shows that builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell two points to 82 in March. “Though builders continue
- [Top IBSx Takeaways from Sustainability & Green Building Scholarship Recipients](https://jackrabbithomes.org/top-ibsx-takeaways-from-sustainability-green-building-scholarship-recipients/) - In a quest to provide opportunities for the future generation of green builders, NAHB is finding creative ways to engage and improve workforce development efforts. After a successful 2020 pilot program, 2021 brought even more young professionals to the building industry’s premier conference via the Sustainability & Green Building Scholarship Program for IBS. Despite not being able to
- [6 Ways to Design a Better Home in 2021](https://jackrabbithomes.org/6-ways-to-design-a-better-home-in-2021/) - COVID-19 has shifted certain buyer preferences as prospective home owners begin rethinking how they live in their homes following the pandemic. This includes not only looking toward potentially larger homes and a shift toward the suburbs, but also creating more flexibility within homes to allow owners to adapt spaces for multiple uses. The IBSx Education and
- [Court Ruling Means Navigable Waters Protection Rule Now in Effect in Colorado](https://jackrabbithomes.org/court-ruling-means-navigable-waters-protection-rule-now-in-effect-in-colorado/) - On March 2, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a preliminary injunction on the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) issued by the Colorado District Court. The ruling means that all states are now regulated by the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) — at least until the Biden administration develops a new rule or an
- [4 Green Strategies from The New American Home](https://jackrabbithomes.org/4-green-strategies-from-the-new-american-home/) - The 2021 New American Home (TNAH) and the New American Remodel (TNAR) showcase the beauty, comfort and efficiency of high-performance building. Both represent the high end of what can be realized through high-performance design and construction but can also provide a practical playbook for all building professionals in building efficient, comfortable and durable homes. Regardless
- [ICC Changes Its Energy Code Development Process](https://jackrabbithomes.org/icc-changes-its-energy-code-development-process/) - The International Code Council has announced it is changing the development of its energy code from the current Governmental Consensus Process to its American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards process. “This is an important change that we expect to result in a model energy code that meets the needs of consumers, builders, building officials and
- [Civilian deaths in conflict plummeted during pandemic, report finds](https://jackrabbithomes.org/civilian-deaths-in-conflict-plummeted-during-pandemic-report-finds/) - The number of civilian casualties in conflicts around the world plummeted during the Covid-19 pandemic, a new report shows. Last year, an average of 10 civilians a day were reported killed by explosive weapons, compared with 18 in 2019, according to analysis by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), a London-based charity. In all, 8,165 people were reported killed
- [The Case For Fossil Fuel Engagement](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-case-for-fossil-fuel-engagement/) - This piece evaluates the merits of engagement with fossil fuel companies. My prior article discussed the benefits and importance of the divestment movement. Fossil fuel divestment has grown into a socially influential and impactful movement. It has unquestionably succeeded in changing the conversation around the future of fossil fuels. However, when considering direct financial impacts and avoided
- [New Roundtable Of Utilities And Environmental Groups Call For Deep Cuts In Carbon Pollution](https://jackrabbithomes.org/new-roundtable-of-utilities-and-environmental-groups-call-for-deep-cuts-in-carbon-pollution/) - Written by Gerry Anderson, executive chairman of DTE Energy and vice chairman of the Edison Electric Institute, and Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund. The extreme storms and blackouts in Texas have focused Americans on two urgent priorities: the need for resilience in the face of climate change and the need for reliable electricity. The
- [How Green Is The New U.K. Budget? Climate Experts Deliver Their Verdict](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-green-is-the-new-u-k-budget-climate-experts-deliver-their-verdict/) - The U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered the annual Budget to a country wracked by the economic harms of Covid-19 coupled with uncertainty over Brexit. In recent months, the government has repeatedly claimed it is committed to “building back better,” investing in a low-carbon transition in order to stimulate the economy while steering
- [Petitioners Are Asking The EU To Stop Trade With Countries Responsible For Deforestation](https://jackrabbithomes.org/petitioners-are-asking-the-eu-to-stop-trade-with-countries-responsible-for-deforestation/) - Citizens are calling for radical policies to protect the Amazon rainforest. Last week they reached out to the European Parliament’s special commission with their petitions. F.C. is an anonymous Italian petitioner who contemplates the possible suspension of trade relations with South American countries responsible for deforestation. He was not alone. Koben Sprengers, Belgian, proposes a
- [The Navajo Nation generates a ton of power — but 14,000 homes don’t have electricity](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-navajo-nation-generates-a-ton-of-power-but-14000-homes-dont-have-electricity/) - In a year characterized by extreme weather, avid handwashing, and increasingly remote interactions, access to electricity is more important than ever. But 12 months into the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic, it’s a basic right on which thousands of Navajo Nation members are still waiting. “What it’s like to be without electricity? I don’t know how to
- [Will race and income inequalities trip up Cascadia's fight against climate change?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/will-race-and-income-inequalities-trip-up-cascadias-fight-against-climate-change/) - This story was produced in collaboration with InvestigateWest. The heavy wind woke Niria Garcia about 5 a.m. It whipped against her home, leaving her restless as she fitfully tried to get a little more sleep. “Something doesn’t feel right,” Garcia thought to herself. On that day last September, a devastating fire ripped through Southern Oregon, whipped
- [What’s Stopping Us From Stopping Climate Change?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/whats-stopping-us-from-stopping-climate-change/) - It’s time to wake up. On Global Day of Climate Action, VICE Media Group is solely telling stories about our current climate crisis. Click here to meet young climate leaders from around the globe and learn how you can take action. In April 2020, VICE Media Group surveyed over 9,000 adults 18+ in five countries: The United
- [Pending Home Sales Dip Again in January](https://jackrabbithomes.org/pending-home-sales-dip-again-in-january/) - After reaching a record high in August, pending home sales slid for the fifth consecutive month, as surging home prices and low inventory constrain buyers. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), is a forward-looking indicator based on signed contracts. The PHSI fell 2.8% from 126.4 in December to 122.8 in January, a six-month
- [Multifamily Condo Construction Starts Fell 28% in 2020](https://jackrabbithomes.org/multifamily-condo-construction-starts-fell-28-in-2020/) - According to NAHB analysis of quarterly Census data, the market share of rental units of total multifamily construction starts ticked higher to near 97% during the fourth quarter of 2020. In contrast, the historical low share of 47% was set during the third quarter of 2005, during the condo building boom. An average share of
- [COUPLE BUILDS STUNNING MINIATURE HOME DURING QUARANTINE](https://jackrabbithomes.org/couple-builds-stunning-miniature-home-during-quarantine/) - As a quarantine hobby, a Leewood, Kansas–based couple decided to design and build a miniature custom home. Now, ABC News’ Lesley Hauler reports their creation has gone viral. The final product is “a perfectly scaled and expertly crafted three-story, mid-century modern home that will make you wish you could live in it,” according to Hauler.
- [The number of people in need is frightening – we need a global response](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-number-of-people-in-need-is-frightening-we-need-a-global-response/) - The numbers are well-publicised but bear repeating. Around 120 million more people were pushed into extreme poverty in 2020, a number that could rise to 150 million in 2021. An estimated 250 million jobs have been lost around the world, and the number of people affected by acute food insecurity was estimated to have doubled
- [DRC is rich with farmland, so why do 22 million people there face starvation?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/drc-is-rich-with-farmland-so-why-do-22-million-people-there-face-starvation/) - I was food shopping when I read the news. Nearly 22 million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are facing starvation and malnutrition. Now. In 2021. You have to wonder how a country with eight months of rain, more than 50% of all the rivers, lakes and wetlands in Africa, and more agricultural land than any African
- [Why won’t Joe Biden let ethanol die already?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/why-wont-joe-biden-let-ethanol-die-already/) - President Joe Biden campaigned on an ambitious plan to tackle climate change with a “clean energy revolution,” including incentives to phase out gas-powered cars in favor of electric ones. The growing consensus among climate experts is that to slash carbon emissions quickly enough, we need to eliminate as much air-fouling combustion as possible while expanding wind and solar energy to power
- [Can High-Performance Building Strategies Decrease Lumber Demand?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/can-high-performance-building-strategies-decrease-lumber-demand/) - Lumber prices have soared because of supply-chain issues and other COVID-19-related challenges. Solving the lumber crisis is a critical priority for NAHB, particularly because of housing affordability implications. Potential solutions that use high-performance building strategies can reduce the amount of lumber needed to build a home and reduce the demand on the timber industry. Sustainable timber has several
- [South Sudan floods displace a million as hunger and diseases loom](https://jackrabbithomes.org/south-sudan-floods-displace-a-million-as-hunger-and-diseases-loom/) - On a scrap of land surrounded by flooding in South Sudan, families drink and bathe from the waters that swept away latrines and continue to rise. Nearly a million people in the country have been displaced or isolated for months by the worst flooding in memory, with the intense rainy season a sign of climate
- [Multifamily Construction Sentiment Declines in Fourth Quarter](https://jackrabbithomes.org/multifamily-construction-sentiment-declines-in-fourth-quarter/) - Confidence in the market for new multifamily housing declined in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to results from the Multifamily Market Survey (MMS) released today by NAHB. The MMS produces two separate indices. The Multifamily Production Index (MPI) fell five points to 43 compared to the previous quarter. Meanwhile, the Multifamily Vacancy Index (MVI)
- [What’s the actual human cost of Syria’s war?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/whats-the-actual-human-cost-of-syrias-war/) - Decade-long war has had a devastating toll – half a million dead and 12 million displaced – and it’s not over yet. Half a million people have died and 12 million have been displaced during the 10 years of fighting in Syria’s war. A harsh winter and the coronavirus pandemic are adding to the death
- [WFP raises alarm over rising hunger in Madagascar](https://jackrabbithomes.org/wfp-raises-alarm-over-rising-hunger-in-madagascar/) - The United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) has appealed for emergency aid of $35m to fight hunger in southern Madagascar, hit by the coronavirus pandemic and a third consecutive year of drought. “Some 1.35 million people are projected to be food insecure – 35 percent of the region’s population,” the WFP said in a statement
- [Nature Isn't Healing: COVID Didn't Help Fight Climate Change Like We Hoped](https://jackrabbithomes.org/nature-isnt-healing-covid-didnt-help-fight-climate-change-like-we-hoped/) - “Even if they kill me, I won’t stop fighting.” These are the words of Paulo Paulino Guajajara, a forest guardian of the Arariboia Indigenous Territory in the north-eastern Amazon. Seen from space, the territory is an oasis of green surrounded by beige scratches of deforestation. It is home to around 14,000 Guajajara people, and the Awá, an un-contacted tribe.
- [‘Our Biggest Fear Came True’: Warnings by Locals Near the Deadly Glacier Burst Were Ignored](https://jackrabbithomes.org/our-biggest-fear-came-true-warnings-by-locals-near-the-deadly-glacier-burst-were-ignored/) - At first, it looked like a gigantic shadow in the sky. Before Bhawan Rana, the village head of Raini village in the northern Indian hill state of Uttarakhand, could understand what was happening, he saw heaps of dirt rolling down the hills. “That was when I realised what had happened, and sounded an alert for evacuation,”
- [Biden’s treacherous path to 100% clean energy just got a little easier](https://jackrabbithomes.org/bidens-treacherous-path-to-100-clean-energy-just-got-a-little-easier/) - In 1999, Texas Governor George W. Bush, a Republican, signed a law restructuring the state’s energy market that included a provision calling for 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity — about enough to power 328,000 homes — by 2009. The state was among the first in the nation to put a so-called renewable portfolio standard in place — a statutory
- [The fight for an equitable energy economy for the Navajo Nation](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-fight-for-an-equitable-energy-economy-for-the-navajo-nation/) - This story was originally published by High Country News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. On a chilly December morning in northern Arizona, near the town of Page, Nicole Horseherder stood beside a barbed-wire fence, waiting for the smokestacks of the Navajo Generating Station to fall. The coal-fired power plant, just a mile away, towered against
- [Offshore Wind Plans Will Drive Up Electricity Prices And Require ‘Massive Industrialization Of The Oceans’](https://jackrabbithomes.org/offshore-wind-plans-will-drive-up-electricity-prices-and-require-massive-industrialization-of-the-oceans/) - The regatta for setting the loftiest targets for offshore wind energy development has set sail. Today, South Korea announced plans for 8.2 gigawatts of offshore wind. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently called for 40 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity to be built in UK waters by 2030. If achieved, it would be one of the biggest British maritime
- [Starting 2021 At The Intersection Of Climate Science And Investing](https://jackrabbithomes.org/starting-2021-at-the-intersection-of-climate-science-and-investing/) - Over the past few years, as your correspondent has delved more deeply into the topic of climate change ventures, I have begun to receive an enormous number of interesting news stories and venture pitches. In fact, I have suffered from an embarrassment of riches – often, so many interesting stories and pitches have crossed my
- [Seeking Home Builder Input on Cold-Formed Steel Framing](https://jackrabbithomes.org/seeking-home-builder-input-on-cold-formed-steel-framing/) - Recent concerns about lumber prices have led some builders to explore other framing methods for new homes, such as cold-formed steel framing. While many of these alternative methods have traditionally had a limited share of the market – less than 1% in the case of cold-formed steel framing – they are getting fresh consideration as
- [House Passes Apprenticeship Legislation](https://jackrabbithomes.org/house-passes-apprenticeship-legislation/) - House today approved the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 (H.R. 447), legislation that would expand youth and adult access to instruction in the skilled trades. NAHB welcomes a number of provisions in H.R. 447, chiefly those affording increased flexibility and options for registered apprenticeship program structuring. This would help alleviate one of the biggest challenges
- [Housing Ends 2020 Strong, but Some Slowing is Ahead](https://jackrabbithomes.org/housing-ends-2020-strong-but-some-slowing-is-ahead/) - Over the last few weeks, major housing data series have revealed how strong a year 2020 was, in spite of changes caused by the virus crisis and economic downturn. Historically low interest rates, a pivot for consumer preferences toward housing, and a measurable suburban shift for location decisions have lifted homes sales, home building and
- [2021 New American Home and New American Remodel Debut at IBSx](https://jackrabbithomes.org/2021-new-american-home-and-new-american-remodel-debut-at-ibsx/) - The NAHB Leading Suppliers Council, in collaboration with Pro Builder and Pro Remodeler magazines, today unveiled the latest official show homes of the International Builders’ Show virtual experience (IBSx): The New American Home® 2021 and The New American Remodel® 2021. The virtual video presentations of each home, in addition to immersive 3-D virtual tours, will be available for all registered
- [Housing an Economic Bright Spot but Regulatory, Affordability Challenges Persist](https://jackrabbithomes.org/housing-an-economic-bright-spot-but-regulatory-affordability-challenges-persist/) - As the country continues to rebound from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, housing has been a bright spot in the economic recovery. And while the home building industry is poised for another solid year in 2021, regulatory and supply-side challenges could harm housing affordability, slowing momentum and limiting growth, according to economists speaking at
- [Corporate Electricity Purchases Will Drive Clean Energy Growth](https://jackrabbithomes.org/corporate-electricity-purchases-will-drive-clean-energy-growth/) - Following recent news that Amazon AMZN -1% had become the world’s largest purchaser of renewable electricity, growing focus on the need for sustainable operations continues to drive the market in corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs). In 2020 corporations bought nearly 24GW of clean energy. Research published by BloombergNEF (BNEF) showed that corporations purchased a record of 23.7GW of clean
- [Niger Delta Oil Spills: Shell Ruled Responsible In Landmark Verdict](https://jackrabbithomes.org/niger-delta-oil-spills-shell-ruled-responsible-in-landmark-verdict/) - In a historic ruling against the oil giant Shell, a Netherlands court has found in favor of four Nigerian farmers along with environmental activists in an oil spill case that was first filed in 2008. In the verdict delivered Friday at the Court of Appeal in The Hague, the appeals judge sided with the farmers
- [On Tap For 2021: Nanobubbles, Thermal Batteries, And More](https://jackrabbithomes.org/on-tap-for-2021-nanobubbles-thermal-batteries-and-more/) - The year has started out very busy for your loyal correspondent, who has been interviewing experts on grid modernization, energy storage, and agricultural technology. In the coming months, I’m looking forward to bringing you stories about some incredible organizations that are making progress in the fields of: Virtual Power Plants Microgrids High-Voltage DC transmission
- [Companies Defy Pandemic To Sign Up For Most Ever Clean Energy Deals](https://jackrabbithomes.org/companies-defy-pandemic-to-sign-up-for-most-ever-clean-energy-deals/) - Businesses bought a record amount of clean energy in 2020, despite the massive disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, global recession and political upheavals that created uncertainty about energy policies, including the U.S. Presidential election and Brexit. New figures from BloombergNEF show that more than 130 corporations in sectors ranging from big tech to oil
- [A Report Undercuts Nuclear Firm’s Claims That Its Plants Need Bailouts. But Is It For Real?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/a-report-undercuts-nuclear-firms-claims-that-its-plants-need-bailouts-but-is-it-for-real/) - On August 27th, 2020, Exelon Corp., one of the largest providers of nuclear power in the United States, announced that it would close two of its nuclear plants in northern Illinois, called Byron and Dresden, in roughly one year’s time, even though the plants are licensed to operate for decades more. The plants “face revenue
- [Two ‘Final’ Environmental Rules That are Not Yet Final](https://jackrabbithomes.org/two-final-environmental-rules-that-are-not-yet-final/) - On Jan. 20, the Biden administration implemented a regulatory freeze for all pending regulations. Two “final” environmental rules affecting the housing industry were swept up in this presidential action. The first rule regards the reauthorization by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the federal Nationwide Wetlands Permit (NWP)
- [Biden Signs Memorandum to Advance Fair Housing](https://jackrabbithomes.org/biden-signs-memorandum-to-advance-fair-housing/) - President Biden today signed a presidential memorandum that directs HUD to examine the effects of the previous administration’s regulatory actions that may have undermined fair housing policies and laws. It directs HUD to take steps necessary based on that analysis to fully implement the Fair Housing Act’s requirements. A White House fact sheet on the memorandum, entitled “Redressing
- [Mitigating Radon in Homes](https://jackrabbithomes.org/mitigating-radon-in-homes/) - January is National Radon Action Month, an important reminder to ensure homes are protected from this naturally occurring radioactive gas that can seep from the soil into a home. Negative pressure in buildings can suck radon in, allowing it to become trapped and concentrated in the home. According to the American Cancer Society and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
- [IBSx Exhibit Home Ready to Make its (Virtual) Debut](https://jackrabbithomes.org/ibsx-exhibit-home-ready-to-make-its-virtual-debut/) - The New American Home 2021 will offer industry pros a close look at a show home unlike any other. Although more typical exhibition homes boast expansive layouts, the 2021 show home — located in an urban area of Winter Park, Florida — maximizes an exceptionally small footprint. Though its footprint may be small, the three-story home
- [Podcast: Is Now the Time for Comprehensive Housing Reform?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/podcast-is-now-the-time-for-comprehensive-housing-reform/) - On the latest episode of Housing Developments, NAHB CEO Jerry Howard and Chief Lobbyist Jim Tobin discuss the first week of the Biden Administration and whether the climate is right for comprehensive housing reform. Tune in to this week’s episode to hear the latest developments in the housing industry, and be sure to subscribe to
- [Understanding Land Use Updates in the 2020 National Green Building Standard](https://jackrabbithomes.org/understanding-land-use-updates-in-the-2020-national-green-building-standard/) - The ICC 700-2020 National Green Building Standard® (NGBS), released in spring 2020, updated two key sections that should be bookmarked for home builders engaged in land use and housing development. Although there is continuity from the 2015 NGBS in many areas, understanding the changes and new offerings will enable developers and builders to determine the compliance
- [Renovate A Broadway Theater, Get A Green Card](https://jackrabbithomes.org/renovate-a-broadway-theater-get-a-green-card/) - Although many tourists are not coming to New York during the COVID-19 pandemic, foreigners still have their sights set on Broadway. According to a recent court filing, the real estate developers planning to lift the Palace Theatre 29-feet above street level as part of a massive redevelopment project have secured over $100 million from foreign
- [Aritco And Springwise: How The Future Of The Home Will Change Our Lives In 2021](https://jackrabbithomes.org/aritco-and-springwise-how-the-future-of-the-home-will-change-our-lives-in-2021/) - For the latest of my series of articles analysing the leading trends to look out for in 2021, I was intrigued to be taken through an extensive research paper entitled Future of the Home. The incredibly detailed and insightful report by Swedish homelift company Aritco and forecaster Springwise lists 18 emerging tech innovations and an insightful view of how our lives at
- [How To Light A Fuse Under The Green Hydrogen Economy](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-to-light-a-fuse-under-the-green-hydrogen-economy/) - Generating electricity from clean hydrogen has always been elusive. But that may change in the not-so-distant future: the technological, political and environmental factors — the variables to create the hydrogen economy — are aligning. What remains a sticking point, though, is the cost factor. But the cost of wind and solar power has dramatically dropped,
- [Why It’s Falling To You—And Not Your Government—To Decarbonize The Food System](https://jackrabbithomes.org/why-its-falling-to-you-and-not-your-government-to-decarbonize-the-food-system/) - The food system arguably produces more greenhouse-gas emissions than any other sector, and yet it remains the most neglected by policymakers. Food is responsible for more than a third1 of the emissions that must vanish by 2050, and yet food was nowhere on the agenda at the Paris Climate Conference. In fact, menus at the conference
- [Refinancing Soars in First Full Week of New Year](https://jackrabbithomes.org/refinancing-soars-in-first-full-week-of-new-year/) - The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest Weekly Application Survey shows that, for the week ending January 8, 2021, mortgage application activity increased by 16.7% from the prior week on a seasonally adjusted basis, as indicated by its Market Composite Index. One of its two constituent indexes, the Purchasing Index, increased by 8% from the previous
- [U.S. Population Growth Slows: Many States See Decline](https://jackrabbithomes.org/u-s-population-growth-slows-many-states-see-decline/) - According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Annual Resident Population of the United States as of July 1, 2020 was estimated at 329.5 million, increasing by 1.2 million from the previous year. In 2020, the Census estimated a growth rate of 0.35% on a national level, making the fifth consecutive year of a decline for
- [Continued Gains for November Single-Family Permits](https://jackrabbithomes.org/continued-gains-for-november-single-family-permits/) - Over the first eleven months of 2020, total single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 888,217. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is an 12.2% increase over the November 2019 level of 791,452. Year-to-date ending in November, single-family permits across the four regions ranged from an increase of 14.4% in the South to an increase of 8.0%
- [14 billion litres of untreated wastewater is created each day in developing countries, but we don’t know where it all goes](https://jackrabbithomes.org/14-billion-litres-of-untreated-wastewater-is-created-each-day-in-developing-countries-but-we-dont-know-where-it-all-goes/) - To limit the spread of disease and reduce environmental pollution, human waste (excreta) needs to be safely contained and effectively treated. Yet 4.2 billion people, more than half of the world’s population, lack access to safe sanitation. In developing countries, each person produces, on average, six litres of toilet wastewater each day. Based on the number of
- [Investors hold the purse strings to climate action](https://jackrabbithomes.org/investors-hold-the-purse-strings-to-climate-action/) - Here are ways for investors and companies to begin the move towards a greener portfolio It’s been a bad year for big oil. Infamous for explosive booms and busts, oil and gas stocks haven’t underperformed so badly in the S&P 500 stock index in more than four decades. The downswing owes in part to the coronavirus
- [A leader in offshore wind, the UK offers a glimpse of a world run on green energy](https://jackrabbithomes.org/a-leader-in-offshore-wind-the-uk-offers-a-glimpse-of-a-world-run-on-green-energy/) - A renewable-powered future is possible – and the UK is charting the way, one turbine at a time Just off England’s Yorkshire coast, 174 wind turbines cut through the air, capturing energy and turning it into electricity – enough to power over a million homes. The Hornsea One project, inaugurated this year, is the world’s
- [The roadmap to a green recovery begins with renewable energy](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-roadmap-to-a-green-recovery-begins-with-renewable-energy/) - If governments and companies collaborate better, global net-zero targets could be within reach The coronavirus pandemic that plunged the global economy into its worst recession in decades is compelling governments to plan for a long-term green recovery. A good place to start? Investing in green energy to create clean-energy jobs and rejuvenate local communities . “This is
- [THE SINGLE-FAMILY BUILD-TO-RENT MARKET'S RISE TO FAME](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-single-family-build-to-rent-markets-rise-to-fame/) - For years, single-family home builders have lamented that they can’t build affordable, first-time starter homes and still make a profit. That started to change in 2019, when, after sales of luxury and move-up homes dwindled in 2018, builders such as Meritage, Lennar, and KB Home followed the lead of D.R. Horton’s Express brand and pivoted
- [ENERGIZE CONNECTICUT ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 10TH ANNUAL ZERO ENERGY CHALLENGE](https://jackrabbithomes.org/energize-connecticut-announces-winners-of-10th-annual-zero-energy-challenge/) - Connecticut-based energy services companies Eversource and Avangrid subsidiaries United Illuminating, Southern Connecticut Gas, and Connecticut Natural Gas recently announced the winners of their 10th annual Energize Connecticut Zero Energy Challenge, a statewide design and build showcase for single-family and multifamily homes. In this nationally recognized initiative, Connecticut builders and architects are challenged to construct super energy-efficient homes
- [See the Home Technology of the Future: The 2020 Global Innovation Award Finalists](https://jackrabbithomes.org/see-the-home-technology-of-the-future-the-2020-global-innovation-award-finalists/) - NAHB has announced the finalists for the 2020 Global Innovation Awards (GIA), which annually recognizes the most advanced, cutting-edge and original products, services and homes from the United States and around the world, and showcases the future of home technology. “Each year, the home building industry is fascinated by the products and services highlighted by the Global
- [5 Ways to Start Recruiting the Next Generation of Skilled Workers](https://jackrabbithomes.org/5-ways-to-start-recruiting-the-next-generation-of-skilled-workers/) - Jobs in the residential construction industry continue to be in high demand. To help recruit the next generation of highly skilled craftspeople, NAHB recognizes Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month®, a public awareness campaign that takes place each February to celebrate the value of CTE. Now is the time to begin planning how your business
- [2 Critical Threats to Housing Affordability in 2021](https://jackrabbithomes.org/2-critical-threats-to-housing-affordability-in-2021/)
- [LGBTQ People Are at Higher Risk in Disasters](https://jackrabbithomes.org/lgbtq-people-are-at-higher-risk-in-disasters/) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency warned yesterday that minorities; single parents; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are “more likely than others to be severely impacted by disasters” and may need extra help. FEMA’s annual National Preparedness Report, which historically has focused on threats including flooding, terrorism and the nation’s vulnerability, breaks precedent by
- [NET Power CEO Announces Four New Zero-Emission Gas Plants Underway](https://jackrabbithomes.org/net-power-ceo-announces-four-new-zero-emission-gas-plants-underway/) - NET Power’s prototype zero-emission natural-gas power plant works, the company’s CEO said today, announcing that construction will begin on the first four operating plants. “In 2018 we were successful, and in 2018 we also showed that the whole cycle worked,” said NET Power CEO Bill Brown. “At this point we have four different plants underway
- [Jobless Claims Were Little Changed](https://jackrabbithomes.org/jobless-claims-were-little-changed/) - During the week of New Year’s, weekly initial jobless claims totaled 787,000, little changed from the previous week. Continuing claims, which lag initial jobless claims by one week, decreased by 126,000. Weekly initial jobless claims peaked at nearly 7 million in the spring of 2020 and have remained at around 0.8 million since the fall
- [Even in a ‘water-rich’ country like New Zealand, some cities could face water shortages this summer](https://jackrabbithomes.org/even-in-a-water-rich-country-like-new-zealand-some-cities-could-face-water-shortages-this-summer/) - After eight months of drought rules, Auckland finally relaxed water restrictions last week, but as New Zealand heads into another La Niña summer, other cities can expect serious water shortages both now and in the future. Although this summer’s projected rainfall should keep Auckland’s water supply levels sustainable in the short term, Wellington could be running dry within the
- [22 disasters, 262 dead, $95bn in damages: US saw record year for climate-driven catastrophes](https://jackrabbithomes.org/22-disasters-262-dead-95bn-in-damages-us-saw-record-year-for-climate-driven-catastrophes/) - The US was battered by a record number of weather and climate-driven disasters in 2020 as extensive wildfires scorched the west, hurricanes in quick succession pummeled the east and extreme heat swept across the heart of the country, a new federal government report has shown. A total of 22 major disasters, defined as each causing
- [How You Can Help Water.org Save a Life by Switching to Just Energy](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-you-can-help-water-org-save-a-life-by-switching-to-just-energy/) - Why You Should Support Water.org We are in the middle of a water crisis. Almost a billion people lack access to safe water, and over 2 billion people live without adequate sanitation. In developing countries around the world, people suffer from diseases caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. In Indonesia alone, 27 million people lack
- [Water Crisis: 9 Water Facts that Will Open Your Eyes](https://jackrabbithomes.org/water-crisis-9-water-facts-that-will-open-your-eyes/) - Safe, drinkable water is something that most people in the developed world take for granted. You just turn on the tap, and you get an infinite supply of clean water for drinking, bathing, cleaning, watering the garden, doing the laundry, and frolicking about in in the summer. If you don’t like tap water, you can
- [Potential and Kinetic Energy Explained](https://jackrabbithomes.org/potential-and-kinetic-energy-explained/) - Energy is a fascinating concept. It can neither be created nor destroyed, but it can be altered. Whenever you use or store energy, you deal with potential or kinetic energy. Read on as we discuss these two energy forms in greater detail and explore the relationship between them. What Is Potential and Kinetic Energy and What Are Their
- [An Introduction to Potential Energy](https://jackrabbithomes.org/an-introduction-to-potential-energy/) - The discussion about alternative sources of energy has suddenly taken center stage due to rapidly depleting fossil fuels. There’s certainly a lot of talk about solar energy and wind energy. But it’s also equally important to understand how the source of all the renewables operate — potential energy and kinetic energy. In this article, we’ll focus more on potential energy, including
- [How Does Electricity Work?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-does-electricity-work/) - We use electricity every day for (nearly) everything. From charging our cell phone to enjoying a hot bath to watching our favorite sitcoms on TV – electricity is practically everywhere. However, most of us probably couldn’t clearly answer the question, “How does electricity work?“ In this article, we’ll give you a clear understanding of what electricity is along
- [Global emissions are down by an unprecedented 7% — but don’t start celebrating just yet](https://jackrabbithomes.org/global-emissions-are-down-by-an-unprecedented-7-but-dont-start-celebrating-just-yet/) - Global emissions are expected to decline by about 7% in 2020 (or 2.4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide) compared to 2019 — an unprecedented drop due to the slowdown in economic activity associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. To put this into perspective, the Global Financial Crisis in 2008 saw a 1.5% drop in global emissions compared to 2007. This
- [‘We didn’t have money or enough food’: how COVID-19 affected Papua New Guinean fishing families](https://jackrabbithomes.org/we-didnt-have-money-or-enough-food-how-covid-19-affected-papua-new-guinean-fishing-families/) - In March 2020, Papua New Guinea went into a state of emergency to contain the spread of COVID-19. For Ahus Island — a small atoll community of around 600 people off the north coast of Manus Island — the state of emergency had far-reaching consequences. In July and August, we interviewed Ahus islanders about their
- [Eliminating most homelessness is achievable. It starts with prevention and ‘housing first’](https://jackrabbithomes.org/eliminating-most-homelessness-is-achievable-it-starts-with-prevention-and-housing-first/) - The stereotype of a homeless person – those living in tents or sleeping in parks or doorways – is just the visible tip of the much larger crisis of homelessness in Australia. For every one of about 8,000 “rough sleepers” there about 14 others staying in temporary accommodation or with others in severely crowded dwellings.
- [Up to 90% of electricity from solar and wind the cheapest option by 2030: CSIRO analysis](https://jackrabbithomes.org/up-to-90-of-electricity-from-solar-and-wind-the-cheapest-option-by-2030-csiro-analysis/) - With the cost of energy generated from wind and solar now less than coal, the share of Australia’s electricity coming from renewables has reached 23%. The federal government projects the share will reach 50% by 2030. It is at this point that integrating renewables into the energy system becomes more costly. We can add wind and solar
- [After two decades, the national electricity market is on its way out, and that’s alright](https://jackrabbithomes.org/after-two-decades-the-national-electricity-market-is-on-its-way-out-and-thats-alright/) - It has been more than 20 years in the making, but there is now a new order in Australia’s grandest (and most problematic) example of cooperative federalism: the National Electricity Market. Not completely national (it excludes Western Australia and the Northern Territory), it links most towns east of Port Lincoln and south of Port Douglas so
- [People on Vanuatu’s Malekula Island speak more than 30 Indigenous languages. Here’s why we must record them](https://jackrabbithomes.org/people-on-vanuatus-malekula-island-speak-more-than-30-indigenous-languages-heres-why-we-must-record-them/) - Malekula, the second-largest island in the Vanuatu archipelago, has a linguistic connection to Aotearoa. All of its many languages are distantly related to te reo Māori and the island is the site of a long-term project to document them. Vanuatu has been described as the world’s “densest linguistic landscape”, with as many as 145 languages spoken
- [Electricity — you can’t fight poverty without it](https://jackrabbithomes.org/electricity-you-cant-fight-poverty-without-it/) - “The title of this article should be an obvious, non-contentious, statement. However, in an article published in The Economist on 7th February, entitled ‘Electricity does not change poor lives as much as was thought,’ there are a number of fairly sweeping assertions which question the value of access to electricity and clean, safe, lighting. The article includes
- [This is how microorganisms can produce renewable energy for us](https://jackrabbithomes.org/this-is-how-microorganisms-can-produce-renewable-energy-for-us/) - We can generate electricity from microorganisms as an alternative to the usual power from water, wind, solar or steam. Scientists have been studying the ability of microorganisms – the smallest living things on Earth – to produce energy other than for their natural activities for more than a century. This transformation is what scientists call a bioelectrochemical system. This
- [Having the freedom to build what you want – with Werner Brouwer](https://jackrabbithomes.org/having-the-freedom-to-build-what-you-want-with-werner-brouwer/) - Werner Brouwer explains why being able to build a house without restrictions in Oosterwold is also about working together to build a community. Interview with Werner Brouwer Since its conception 50 years ago, there has been much interest in the Oosterwold development of the Almere area in the Netherlands. From the first houses being built
- [Year-End Outlook For The Energy Markets](https://jackrabbithomes.org/year-end-outlook-for-the-energy-markets/) - Even though crude oil has had a powerful rally from the March low at $6.50 to its recent high of $49.43, it is still $13 per barrel below where it started the year at $62.82. The energy stocks have also performed very well as we end the year, but what is the outlook for 2021?
- [Second Home Markets Show Construction Growth](https://jackrabbithomes.org/second-home-markets-show-construction-growth/) - For the third quarter of 2020, NAHB’s Home Building Geography Index (HBGI) found construction gains for traditional second home markets. High-concentration second home counties were defined based on the proportion of the local housing stock that are non-rental properties and not classified as their taxpayer principal residences. Counties with relatively high concentrations1 of such residences were
- [Existing Home Sales Fall After Five Months of Gains](https://jackrabbithomes.org/existing-home-sales-fall-after-five-months-of-gains/) - After reaching almost 15-year high last month, existing home sales, as reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), declined for the first time in six months amid inventory shortage and surging prices. Total existing home sales, including single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, fell 2.5% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.69 million in November.
- [What is Passive House Accelerator?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/what-is-passive-house-accelerator/) - Zack Semke explains why he's passionate about facilitating the communication and flow of information around Passive House. Interview with Zack Semke Zack is based in Seattle, where he works in marketing consulting services for the high-performance building industry. He is also a director of Passive House Accelerator: a website that brings together different sources of information
- [American Clean Energy Entrepreneurs Haven’t Figured Out How To Sell Resiliency](https://jackrabbithomes.org/american-clean-energy-entrepreneurs-havent-figured-out-how-to-sell-resiliency/) - Why don’t clean energy entrepreneurs in the U.S. make more of an effort to sell distributed generation and batteries as a way to provide more reliable electricity and backup power? They would seem to have a big advantage in doing so. After all, unlike more traditionally-fueled backup power generators, solar power doesn’t require any fuel
- [The Green Revolution Has Been Won, Says America’s New Wind Billionaire](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-green-revolution-has-been-won-says-americas-new-wind-billionaire/) - “I’m an engineer. Not an environmentalist,” says Michael Polsky, as if to explain why even after spending 17 years developing renewable-energy systems, he’s still enthralled by the sight of 125-foot-long wind turbine blades sweeping in elegant circles through the sky. It’s machines that this serial entrepreneur loves. And building. And making profitable deals. After becoming
- [EU Green Investment Classification Is Necessary But Needs Improvement](https://jackrabbithomes.org/eu-green-investment-classification-is-necessary-but-needs-improvement/) - The new EU Taxonomy aims to classify whether or not investments are green and substantially contribute to climate neutrality. Given the power of capital to drive technology development, the concept is to be commended. But the early interpretations of the first draft proposal raise significant questions about both mature and emerging climate-friendly technologies that must be addressed—and
- [Rotten river: life on one of the world’s most polluted waterways – photo essay](https://jackrabbithomes.org/rotten-river-life-on-one-of-the-worlds-most-polluted-waterways-photo-essay/) - The smell is the first thing that hits you on the banks of the Citarum River in West Java, Indonesia. The odour is dense: rubbish rotting in hot sun mixed in with an acrid tone of chemical waste. Some 9 million people live in close contact with the river, where levels of faecal coliform bacteria are
- [How does a pregnant woman get to hospital when there's no road?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-does-a-pregnant-woman-get-to-hospital-when-theres-no-road/) - Narendra Kumar is going to become a father in early January. His wife, Kavita, became pregnant two months after they got married in February and since then he has been worrying about getting her to hospital when the time comes. It’s a steep three-kilometre walk along a narrow, unpaved mountain path through oak and rhododendron
- [Child labour is exploitation: there’s no such thing as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ work](https://jackrabbithomes.org/child-labour-is-exploitation-theres-no-such-thing-as-good-and-bad-work/) - What is required is not the exception rising above the odds but changing the odds themselves I believe it is a dangerous romanticisation that children learn essential life skills from domestic work. What is it about tasks such as herding cattle, construction work, fetching water, pounding maize, agricultural labour, cooking for the family or looking
- [Solid Gains for October Single-Family Permits](https://jackrabbithomes.org/solid-gains-for-october-single-family-permits/) - Over the first ten months of 2020, total single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 808,301. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is an 11.1% increase over the October 2019 level of 727,301. Year-to-date ending in October, single-family permits across the four regions ranged from an increase of 13.3% in the South to an increase of 7.0%
- [RECENT GAINS IN HOMEOWNERSHIP STEM FROM YOUNGER HOUSEHOLDS](https://jackrabbithomes.org/recent-gains-in-homeownership-stem-from-younger-households/) - With housing leading the economy and a noticeable, renewed focus on the importance of “home” as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it’s hard to remember that just a few years ago some analysts and pundits were quite bearish when it came to the future of homeownership. That line of thinking claimed that for years to come
- [A Running List of Record-Breaking Natural Disasters in 2020](https://jackrabbithomes.org/a-running-list-of-record-breaking-natural-disasters-in-2020/) - Editor’s Note (11/10/20): This story has been updated to reflect new records, including 2020 becoming the busiest Atlantic hurricane season on record. So far 2020 has been a standout year for all the wrong reasons, including its devastating natural disasters. Wildfires have ravaged the western U.S., and tropical cyclones have popped up left and right,
- [Human-Made Stuff Now Outweighs All Life on Earth](https://jackrabbithomes.org/human-made-stuff-now-outweighs-all-life-on-earth/) - Humanity has reached a new milestone in its dominance of the planet: human-made objects may now outweigh all of the living beings on Earth. Roads, houses, shopping malls, fishing vessels, printer paper, coffee mugs, smartphones and all the other infrastructure of daily life now weigh in at approximately 1.1 trillion metric tons—equal to the combined
- [Where are the Largest Homes Built?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/where-are-the-largest-homes-built/) - We previously reported a declining trend in new single-family home size that is likely to reverse during the post pandemic years. NAHB’s analysis of the 2019 Survey of Construction (SOC) data shows the pre-Covid19 trend of declining home size has been universal across the US regions. Nevertheless, regional differences in new home sizes exist with some of
- [Jobless Claims Rise to 853,000](https://jackrabbithomes.org/jobless-claims-rise-to-853000/) - In the week ending December 5, weekly initial jobless claims increase to 853,000, the highest level since mid-September. Continuing claims, which lag initial jobless claims by one week, ticked up for the first time after twelve consecutive decreases. There is no doubt that the labor market is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic gradually. However, increases
- [Statement for Rare Disease Day](https://jackrabbithomes.org/statement-for-rare-disease-day/) - Statement by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-GeneralThe vision of the Sustainable Development Goals is a world in which no one is left behind, including people who suffer from rare diseases. Just because a disease affects a small number of people does not make it irrelevant or less important than diseases that affect millions. Rare
- [Somalia: building a stronger primary health care system](https://jackrabbithomes.org/somalia-building-a-stronger-primary-health-care-system/) - In the first year of the Stronger Collaboration, Better Health: The Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All (GAP), 12 signatory agencies have engaged with several countries to help them achieve their major health priorities. The initial focus has been on strengthening primary health care and sustainable financing for health. Somalia is one of the countries
- [COVID-19 intensifies the urgency to expand sustainable energy solutions worldwide](https://jackrabbithomes.org/covid-19-intensifies-the-urgency-to-expand-sustainable-energy-solutions-worldwide/) - Despite accelerated progress over the past decade, the world will fall short of ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030 unless efforts are scaled up significantly, reveals the new Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report released today by the International Energy Agency (IEA) the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the United
- [‘As consumers we all have tremendous impact’: why becoming climate positive is the business world's greatest challenge](https://jackrabbithomes.org/as-consumers-we-all-have-tremendous-impact-why-becoming-climate-positive-is-the-business-worlds-greatest-challenge/) - Ever-increasing global temperatures and warnings that we have just 10 years to alter the path we’re on if we’re to avoid rising sea levels and mass extinctions make it clear that things are getting serious. Unless you’re a climate science denier, you’ll be familiar with – and anxious to see something done about – a pretty bleak
- [Climate crisis to triple flooding threat for low-income US homes by 2050](https://jackrabbithomes.org/climate-crisis-to-triple-flooding-threat-for-low-income-us-homes-by-2050/) - The amount of affordable housing in the US vulnerable to coastal flooding is set to triple over the next 30 years, a new study has found in a further sign of the escalating hardships faced by low-income Americans amid an unraveling climate crisis. Affordable housing in New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and California is at
- [For an Extra USD 14 Billion per Year, We Can End Hunger, Double Incomes for Poorest Farmers, and Meet Climate Goals](https://jackrabbithomes.org/for-an-extra-usd-14-billion-per-year-we-can-end-hunger-double-incomes-for-poorest-farmers-and-meet-climate-goals/) - Governments are spending unprecedented sums of public money in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in hopes of building a better world for our children and protecting the most vulnerable. Overnight, social and economic experiments almost too fantastic to contemplate have become real. Now, it is time to focus this global wave of creativity and financial
- [The Effects of Climate Change on Groundwater: An Out-Of-Sight Crisis](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-effects-of-climate-change-on-groundwater-an-out-of-sight-crisis/) - It is well known climate change challenges are currently receiving more and more attention worldwide. However, the effects these challenges have on groundwater are still underexposed. There is an urgent need to address this out-of-sight, growing crisis. Groundwater is a valuable resource that supplies many of the hydrologic needs of people and habitats globally, constitutes
- [Let’s Connect Sanitation to the Rest of Development](https://jackrabbithomes.org/lets-connect-sanitation-to-the-rest-of-development/) - By Kimberly Worsham To many of us in the WASH world, sanitation is the center of the universe. Without access to sanitation, communities face many other challenges when trying to improve their public health, equity, education, economic development, and climate change resilience. On the other hand, robust sanitation access can yield synergistic benefits to other causes
- [Pending Home Sales Fall in October](https://jackrabbithomes.org/pending-home-sales-fall-in-october/) - After reaching a record high in August, pending home sales slid for a second month, as rising home prices and low inventory started to impede the housing market. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), is a forward-looking indicator based on signed contracts. The PHSI fell 1.1% from 130.3 in
- [Custom Home Building: 3Q20 Data](https://jackrabbithomes.org/custom-home-building-3q20-data/) - NAHB’s analysis of Census Data from the Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design survey indicates custom home building lagged the overall single-family construction market in the third quarter of 2020. There were 52,000 total custom building starts during the third quarter, a 7% decline compared to the third quarter of 2019. Over the last four
- [Why all human rights depend on a healthy environment](https://jackrabbithomes.org/why-all-human-rights-depend-on-a-healthy-environment/) - Recent revelations about the speed and scale of nature’s decline are hard to truly comprehend. Not since the dinosaurs disappeared 65 million years ago has the diversity and abundance of life on Earth plunged so precipitously. For decades, governments have signed treaties and made pledges to halt the damage to our biosphere, notably the 1992 Convention on
- [People without electricity could end up living the energy dream](https://jackrabbithomes.org/people-without-electricity-could-end-up-living-the-energy-dream/) - MORE than 100 million people around the world now have access to electricity for the first time thanks to simple solar power systems that typically provide LED lights and a phone charger. More powerful versions include radios and even televisions. The LEDs provide a clean and cheap alternative to the kerosene lamps normally used by those with
- [Evaluating COVID Risk on Planes, Trains and Automobiles](https://jackrabbithomes.org/evaluating-covid-risk-on-planes-trains-and-automobiles/) - With COVID-19 reaching the most dangerous levels the U.S. has seen since the pandemic began, the country faces a problematic holiday season. Despite the risk, many people are likely to travel using various forms of transportation that will inevitably put them in relatively close contact with others. Many transit companies have established frequent cleaning routines, but
- [Harsh Droughts Can Actually Start Over Oceans](https://jackrabbithomes.org/harsh-droughts-can-actually-start-over-oceans/) - Droughts conjure images of vast expanses of hard, cracked soil and parched plants, but new research suggests that disastrous dry spells can develop over the wettest place of all: the ocean. Low-moisture air masses sometimes form and migrate thousands of kilometers over the sea, similar to the way hurricanes behave. These dry-air regions are less
- [We Need a National Institute of Climate Change and Health](https://jackrabbithomes.org/we-need-a-national-institute-of-climate-change-and-health/) - If there was any lingering doubt that climate change threatens human health and well-being, this year put it to rest. Wildfire smoke aggravated heart disease and lung disease up and down the West Coast and across the country. A record-breaking hurricane season killed and injured people from North Carolina to Texas, and left tens of
- [Millions of urban Africans still don’t have electricity: here’s what can be done](https://jackrabbithomes.org/millions-of-urban-africans-still-dont-have-electricity-heres-what-can-be-done/) - At least 110 million of the 600 million people still living without access to electricity in Africa live in urban areas. Most are within a stone throw from existing power grid infrastructure. In Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana and Liberia alone there are up to 95 million people living in urban areas. All in close proximity to the grid.
- [1.1 billion people still lack electricity. This could be the solution](https://jackrabbithomes.org/1-1-billion-people-still-lack-electricity-this-could-be-the-solution/) - Achieving universal access to electricity is essential for solving many global development challenges. Decentralized renewable energy technologies have emerged as a viable solution. Small, clean energy utilities called mini-grids are a key piece of the puzzle. They are community-based grids that generate and distribute power at the point of consumption. And they could be the
- [Five Pressing Global Water and Sanitation Challenges](https://jackrabbithomes.org/five-pressing-global-water-and-sanitation-challenges/) - The poor bear the brunt of the burden of inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and the link between WASH and health is undeniable. An estimated 842,000 people die each year due to diarrheal disease that could have been prevented by WASH interventions; 361,000 are children under the age of five years old. Health impacts
- [World Water Day: What happens when you don't have clean water](https://jackrabbithomes.org/world-water-day-what-happens-when-you-dont-have-clean-water/) - Some 650 million people in the world do not have access to clean drinking water. Add that to the more than 2.3 billion without sanitation, and you have a health crisis that every year claims the lives of 315,000 children under five from diarrheal diseases. World Water Day is a time to reflect upon the
- [Electric Energy Advantages & Disadvantages](https://jackrabbithomes.org/electric-energy-advantages-disadvantages/) - Before you lament the price of electricity, imagine life without it. Candles and lanterns would light your way, you'd keep food cold using ice, and every electronic device you ever plugged into a wall socket would no longer work. However, with the immense benefits that electrical power provides come some disadvantages besides cost. TL;DR (Too
- [Power to be: How lack of electricity affects everything – and what you can do about it](https://jackrabbithomes.org/power-to-be-how-lack-of-electricity-affects-everything-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/) - Hannah Mottram works in CAFOD’s policy team. She reports from Zambia, where access to electricity can transform lives. “The work that I do is not just work,” says Sr Mathilde Mubanga, trained nurse and national health co-ordinator for the Zambian Bishops conference. “It is a service to the people of God, so I make sure
- [Increase for 90+ Day Mortgage Delinquencies](https://jackrabbithomes.org/increase-for-90-day-mortgage-delinquencies/) - The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) recently released National Delinquency Survey (NDS) provides seasonally adjusted rates of delinquency on all existing mortgages in the one- to four-unit first-lien residential mortgage market through the third quarter of 2020. The NDS breaks down delinquencies into various buckets: mortgages 30-59 days past due, 60-89 days past due, and 90
- [How to Navigate High-Performance Home Certification Programs](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-to-navigate-high-performance-home-certification-programs/) - There are ample benefits to building high-performance homes, as well as certifying them through an independent third party. A few benefits to help explain and highlight the market the value that high-performance homes bring include: Elimination of long-term issues;Financial incentives, both to the customer in the form of tax credits and financing mechanisms available to
- [How Can We Address the Housing Affordability Crisis in the Wake of COVID-19?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/how-can-we-address-the-housing-affordability-crisis-in-the-wake-of-covid-19/) - COVID-19 has created uncertainty across the United States this year, including in the housing industry. Although housing has certainly been a key driver in the country’s economic recovery, challenges still remain. As the country continues to move forward, housing leaders and policymakers will need to take a critical look at national housing policy to tackle
- [SOME BUYERS REPORT IMPROVING AFFORDABILITY IN HOUSING TRENDS REPORT](https://jackrabbithomes.org/some-buyers-report-improving-affordability-in-housing-trends-report/) - In the third quarter of 2020, 27% of buyers reported being able to afford half or more of the homes for sale in their markets. In the Housing Trends Report for the third quarter of 2020, 27% of home buyers reported that they could afford half or more of the homes available for sale in
- [Solar Bear helps tribes seize sovereignty, economic opportunities with renewable energy](https://jackrabbithomes.org/solar-bear-helps-tribes-seize-sovereignty-economic-opportunities-with-renewable-energy/) - MINNEAPOLIS — Robert Blake wants to Indian Country to seize business opportunities in the burgeoning renewable energy market. The Red Lake Band of Ojibwe member envisions a future in which tribes could be exporting energy, contributing to a $1 trillion market through the development of renewable energy microgrids, such as the ones built by Blake’s Minneapolis-based
- [OCTOBER JOBS REPORT: ECONOMY ADDS 638,000 JOBS](https://jackrabbithomes.org/october-jobs-report-economy-adds-638000-jobs/) - Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 638,000 in October with the unemployment rate falling to 6.9%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Friday. The improvements reflect the continued comeback of economic activity that had been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Notable job gains occurred last month in leisure and hospitality, professional and business,
- [Take Advantage of Customized Business Financing](https://jackrabbithomes.org/take-advantage-of-customized-business-financing/) - Ascentium Capital makes it easy for NAHB members to finance business assets.1 Use Ascentium’s consultative approach to create a finance program to match your cash flow. Plus, with the $0 down program you can avoid up-front costs. Take advantage of the benefits of financing: Business financing up to $2 millionWorking capital loans up to $250,000No substantial
- [Share of New Homes with Decks Declines Again](https://jackrabbithomes.org/share-of-new-homes-with-decks-declines-again/) - Of the roughly 879,000 single-family homes started in 2019, 20.3 percent included decks, according to NAHB tabulation of data from the Survey of Construction (SOC, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and partially funded by HUD). This is down over two percentage points from percentage points from the 22.6 percent recorded a year earlier, which in turn was down
- [Lack of Inventory, Higher Prices Push Housing Affordability Near Two-Year Low](https://jackrabbithomes.org/lack-of-inventory-higher-prices-push-housing-affordability-near-two-year-low/) - Record-low mortgage rates were not enough to offset inventory shortages and rising home prices as housing affordability continued to decline in the third quarter of 2020, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI). In all, 58.3 percent of new and existing homes sold between the beginning of July
- [Renovating a 1960s house for comfort and efficiency](https://jackrabbithomes.org/renovating-a-1960s-house-for-comfort-and-efficiency/) - Architect Russel Hayden explains how he sought to renovate a derelict 1960s house to EnerPHit standards. Interview with Russel Hayden Russel is an architect who, up until four years ago, had spent his whole working life in London. Prompted by a desire to leave London and move closer to family, he and his wife bought
- [Residential Construction Employment Is Higher Than a Year Ago](https://jackrabbithomes.org/residential-construction-employment-is-higher-than-a-year-ago/) - The recovery of overall labor market continued but at a slow pace. In October, 638,000 nonfarm payroll jobs were added, and the unemployment rate fell to 6.9%. However, October residential construction employment was 11,500 higher than a year ago, marking the first year-over-year gain since the recession of 2020. Residential construction employment rose by 23,800
- [Being resourceful to bring down the cost of a build – with Colin Rice](https://jackrabbithomes.org/being-resourceful-to-bring-down-the-cost-of-a-build-with-colin-rice/) - Self-building an annexe in an area of coastal erosion meant a low-cost but high-performance build was a priority for architect Colin Rice. Interview with Colin Rice Colin is a partner at Cullinan Studio, but one of his first jobs after graduating in 1980 was working with Lyall Addleson. Lyall was well-known for his “Handbook of Building
- [Making Passive House homes affordable – with Adam Cohen](https://jackrabbithomes.org/making-passive-house-homes-affordable-with-adam-cohen/) - Architect Adam Cohen explains how his modular construction system is making Passive House building simple and affordable.House Planning Help Podcast HPH238 : Making Passive House homes affordable – with Adam Cohen HPH238 : Making Passive House homes affordable – with Adam Cohen Interview with Adam Cohen Adam Cohen qualified with a Degree in Architecture from the University
- [ISLAND RESORT HOTEL & WATER PARK](https://jackrabbithomes.org/island-resort-hotel-water-park/) - This past June, Wells announced the availability of its Infinite Facade product and partnership with Clark Pacific in the Facades Consortium Group, LLC. One of our current projects is utilizing this single source solution for the complete building envelope for an expansion to an upper Michigan resort and casino. The Hannahville Indian Community Tribal Council approved a $30 million expansion of the
- [Homeowner makes 46% ROI, cuts carbon footprint 38%](https://jackrabbithomes.org/homeowner-makes-46-roi-cuts-carbon-footprint-38/)
- [It’s nice to hear about the indigenous women around the world and the important work they are doing.](https://jackrabbithomes.org/its-nice-to-hear-about-the-indigenous-women-around-the-world-and-the-important-work-they-are-doing/) - From the Canadian tar sands to the oil and natural gas fields of North America and the Amazon jungle, Indigenous peoples of the North and South are converging in one struggle. It is also the reconciliation of two different ways of knowing and being, between the head and heart, sometimes called The Eagle and The
- [](https://jackrabbithomes.org/7728-2/) - The demand for new single-family homes continues to be strong, as low-interest rates and a focus on the importance of housing has stoked.Total private residential construction spending increased 2% in July after four consecutive months of declines to an annual rate of $546.6 billion, 0.5% higher than a year ago.
- [Grow Food, Not Grass, to Fight Climate Change](https://jackrabbithomes.org/grow-food-not-grass-to-fight-climate-change/) - There are plenty of reasons why it's smart to grow vegetables at home. You have easy access to nutritious local food, your immune system is boosted by soil microbes, and you get an array of health benefits like reduced stress and improved sleep. And, according to research published in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning,
- [July home sales spike a record 24.7% as prices set a new high](https://jackrabbithomes.org/july-home-sales-spike-a-record-24-7-as-prices-set-a-new-high/) - KEY POINTS Sales of existing homes soared 24.7% in July from June, according to the National Association of Realtors.The supply of existing homes plummeted 21.1% annually, with just 1.5 million homes for sale at the end of July.The median price of a home sold in July rose 8.5% annually to $304,100. Sales of existing homes
- [](https://jackrabbithomes.org/7716-2/) - 72 hurricanes in the last 10 years from Atlantic Basin only. Hurricane Laura caused severe property damage in the southern states. The damage estimated from the storm is up to $12 billion.We build tornado and hurricane resistant properties using the insulated concrete form (ICF), which is one of the strongest construction materials.OUR HOMES AND BUILDINGS CAN WITHSTAND THE WIND OF
- [](https://jackrabbithomes.org/7708-2/) - Wildfire is an increasingly serious issue in California, with fires growing bigger and becoming more frequent and destructive. Fifteen of the 20 largest fires in the state's history have occurred since 2000 and tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed.According to Verisk’s 2019 Wildfire Risk Analysis 4.5 million U.S. homes were identified at high
- [The Four Core Issues to Tackle for Resilient Design (And the Programs That Can Help)](https://jackrabbithomes.org/the-four-core-issues-to-tackle-for-resilient-design-and-the-programs-that-can-help/) - The Eddy, in Boston, Massachusetts, obtained an insurance quote ten times lower than that of a comparable conventional building because of the site-specific resilience features it incorporates. Image: Stantec Hurricanes, tsunamis, wildfires, and other disasters have drawn attention to resilient design mostly by showing us what not to do in the built environment. We’ve come a long way
- [Post Earthquake, Microgrids Supplied Power to Empty Schools](https://jackrabbithomes.org/post-earthquake-microgrids-supplied-power-to-empty-schools/) - Ten microgrid systems installed in schools in Puerto Rico were put to the test recently after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake caused massive power outages. The systems survived and successfully powered critical loads in each school, according to Rocky Mountain Institute, which championed the installations along with Save the Children and the Kinesis Foundation, after Hurricane
- [At this new net-zero energy McDonald’s, on-site solar provides 100% of the power](https://jackrabbithomes.org/at-this-new-net-zero-energy-mcdonalds-on-site-solar-provides-100-of-the-power/) - At a new McDonald’s restaurant that just opened at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida (with COVID-19 protection measures in place), solar panels covering the roof—and solar glass panels throughout the building—are designed to generate enough energy that the restaurant can run on 100% renewable power. Running fully on renewable power, or reaching a goal
- [What's the Difference Between Frugality and Minimalism?](https://jackrabbithomes.org/whats-the-difference-between-frugality-and-minimalism/) - A post in which we examine the differences (and similarities) between two terms. "Frugality" and "minimalism" are two words that appear frequently in Treehugger articles. But they tend to be confused in many corners of the Internet, and even used interchangeably, so I thought it might be helpful to take a closer look at what
- [Fannie Mae Tax Credit Fund In Perfect Alignement with our Mission](https://jackrabbithomes.org/fannie-mae-tax-credit-fund-in-perfect-alignement-with-our-mission/) - Fannie Mae Announces $100 Million Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Fund Fund Will Focus on Supporting Affordable Multifamily Housing in Hurricane Harvey Impacted Areas and Underserved Markets Read More...
- [Rising from the Rubble](https://jackrabbithomes.org/rising-from-the-ruble/) - As Hurricane Irma bares down on Florida after devastating the Caribbean and the wake of the devastation left in Texas by Harvey and the earthquake in Mexico our prayers go out to those in the midst of the storms and chaos. Losing everything can be devastating and we in no way want to trivialize the
- [Ask EcoJack](https://jackrabbithomes.org/hello-world-2/) - We are your clearinghouse for all things green and sustainable, from news to suggestions for a healthy easy weeknight meal, check with us often to see what's brewing.

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