Our Thoughts on Earth Day
Today, the world celebrates the 55th annual Earth Day celebration as a reminder of the unique and precious planet we all live on and share together. Born from a series of converging events that caused renewed consciousness about our environment (the 1969 Santa Barbara Oil Spill and Cuyahoga River Fire, but also Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and the famous Earthrise NASA photograph), Earth Day has led to thousands of environmental teach-ins, trash clean ups, tree plantings, and other actions around the world.
Here at The Passive House Network, every day is Earth Day, because we recognize that a sustainable, post-carbon built environment powered by renewable energy is integral to the health and wellness of our global future. Our efforts in education, community building, and policy advocacy aim to engage the public and educate design and building professionals and policy makers so that we can make a safe, healthy future a reality.
In our busy lives, it’s easy to take this planet and its limited resources for granted, and lately it might seem like progress is falling backwards rather than ramping up. This Earth Day, we want to remind you of some recent wins, like:
- U.S. Coal production is at an historic low, and experts agree that bringing it back would “make no sense.” Coal use is down 30% from 2000, which is good news for the immediate health of our air and our long-term efforts to slow climate change.
- Directly related to the decrease in coal is the impressive growth that renewable energy has seen, especially in the last few years. The use of both solar power and electric vehicles broke records in 2023 and 2024, and even if policies are put into place to limit the growth of renewables, a report from Scientific American suggests that the shift to clean energy will persist no matter what.
- Similarly, the use of heat pumps is projected to rise from 1 million to 7 million homes by 2035. Every home or building with a heat pump reduces strain on the power grid and significantly cuts carbon emissions year-round. There’s a reason why heat pumps and Passive House are a match made in heaven.
- This year alone, over 100 designers, architects, consultants, and developers have signed up for our Certified Passive House Designer training, and we’re on track to have another record-breaking year. With more CPHDs and C’s in the country, we can be sure that our built environment is becoming safer, healthier, and more efficient every day.
Changes like these don’t happen overnight. It takes a sustained effort from people who care to raise awareness of the issues and take action. Thanks to people like you, we have a chance to slow climate change and create more resilient communities that will keep our world a little safer. We encourage you to get involved by signing up for our next CPHD cohort, becoming a member, or joining a chapter. No matter where in the country, (or world!) that you are, we invite you to join Passive House Minnesota for today’s chapter meeting at Noon CT on advocating for Passive House policy in your local jurisdiction. Register here.
From all of us at PHN, we’re wishing you a Happy Earth Day. Thanks for being a part of our community and taking action for a better world.
