Most people are unaware that environmental problems such as climate change can be easily avoided, at a profit, through the intelligent application of appropriate technology. The Carbon Buster's Home Energy Handbook describes how to achieve this goal in the residential field.

The first book in North America to provide a detailed carbon accounting of a family's carbon emissions and how to reduce them, it systematically analyzes energy costs and evaluates which measures yield the highest returns for the environment and the pocketbook. It provides answers to questions such as:

Which measure is more effective: putting solar panels on your roof or buying a hybrid car?
Where do I need to invest first: in high-efficiency shower heads or solar tubes?
Is a $500 fridge that uses 800 kWh of power per year a good buy?

The book allows individuals to quickly and accurately assess which products are a good deal and which aren't. It systematically analyzes residential carbon emissions and energy costs and prioritizes solutions based on highest carbon reductions and monetary returns, yielding results that are often surprising. The book enables readers to dramatically reduce their carbon emissions-far below the levels targeted under the Kyoto Protocol. At the same time, readers implementing the recommendations will save an average of $15,000 in energy costs over the next five years....

As mayors and city councilors seek solutions to climate change, existing policies and legislation can stand in the way of effective change.

The Carbon Charter is the first book to describe the municipal bylaws required to abate climate change and create sustainable communities. It provides city councilors with a cut-and-paste set of green bylaws and policies of best practices culled from environmentally advanced communities around the world. They can be taken straight out of the book, placed into a council agenda with minimum modification, and voted on.

The Carbon Charter provides city councilors with the ammunition they need to implement and accelerate sustainability initiatives quickly. The book describes bylaws that are applicable throughout the world, with the emphasis on examples that are beneficial to temperate climates such as the United States and Canada. It also proposes innovative new bylaws that are found nowhere else. This highly accessible, comprehensive handbook includes:

• Sample bylaws, case studies, and background material and references
• Numbered QuickLinks that allow readers access to full bylaw texts and links
• Special icons that pinpoint target audiences, with bylaws relevant to each audience

This book will appeal to city councilors and mayors, municipal planners, architects, and engineers worldwide.

Godo Stoyke is president of Carbon Busters Inc., an energy efficiency consultancy that has reduced carbon dioxide emissions of buildings in North America and Europe by 146 million pounds. Godo is a LEED™ Accredited Professional and the author of The Carbon Buster’s Home Energy Handbook.

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