Post Category Climate

Flood events continue to occur globally, causing severe impacts on our economy, environment, and society. Floods are well known for their devastating immediate effects, but what often goes unnoticed is the negative impact they have on indoor environments. Specifically, the growth of mold spores post-flood poses significant respiratory health challenges. There has been a lack […]

A question we’re hearing a lot is, “What distance from the burn area should you take extra precautions?” It’s a hard question because it isn’t possible to give a precise answer due to all of the uncertainty. However, we recognize that people need some guidance in the face of uncertainty, so we’re sharing how we […]

Wildfire smoke contains a mixture of hazards: fine particulates (PM₂.₅) and a variety of gases. The primary recommended protection is filtering out the particulates (using at least an N95 or P100 filter)​. However, wildfires (especially those involving structures or diverse materials, like urban wildfires) can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and some inorganic gases. Notably, […]

The 2023 Maui Wildfires serve as a powerful reminder of the devastation that such events can inflict on communities. Beyond the immediate destruction of homes and landscapes, wildfires release harmful pollutants into the air, posing serious health risks that can persist long after the flames are extinguished. Understanding how air pollutants spread is crucial for […]

Our first fictional use case concerns a Boston building owner who manages a four-story commercial building, consisting of apartments, offices, a bank, and a grocery store. This building owner is interested in retrofitting her building, particularly in HVAC and boiler technology upgrades. She would like to evaluate the reduction in energy use and emissions that […]

In this fictional use case, the owner of a supermarket in Fayetteville, Arkansas, is interested in reducing his building’s energy costs. In addition, he is also concerned about the impact of his building’s energy use on climate change. In the United States, food sales buildings have the greatest amount of lit floor space of all […]

In this real-life use case, Hopkins Academy, a public middle and senior high school in Hadley, MA, is considering upgrading its aging oil-burning heating system to a ground-source heat pump to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. UndauntedK12, a non-profit organization advising K-12 public schools in the energy transition, applied the Co-Benefits of […]

The Harvard Healthy Buildings program collaborated with the Harvard Chan Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE) on a study on the health impacts of energy transitions from coal-fired power plants to other energy sources during the last decade. Here we provide 3 key takeaways from our study. The results of this study show that the […]