Thwart Climate Change Now

Bill Caplan ’66, BS ’68

Subtitled Reducing Embodied Carbon Brick by Brick, Caplan’s book details strategies for slowing the pace of climate change in the near term by lowering the carbon emissions generated by the building industry. The engineering alum chronicles how materials fabrication, construction, and renovation increase atmospheric carbon before buildings and infrastructure are even operational, and advocates for more sustainable processes. The book is aimed at a varied audience including policymakers, legislators, architects, and developers. “It is time to wake up,” Caplan writes. “Too often, the buildings we design and construct fail to constitute ‘sustainable’ design regardless of their certification, recognition, or awards received. Too often, their materials and fabrication overuse resources, produce excessive waste, generate pollution, or function inefficiently. This need not be so.” Caplan’s previous books include the 2016 release Buildings Are for People, which explores the architectural approach known as Human Ecological Design.

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