Image: istockphoto.com/Kristen Johansen
# Percentage of new and remodelled buildings worldwide estimated by the World Health Organization to cause symptoms of sick building syndrome, 1984: 30
# Minimum number of common household products containing PVC: 95
# Health problems that can be caused by exposure to polyvinylchloride (PVC): cancer, endocrine disruption, neurological damage, death
# Health problems that can be caused by exposure to formaldehyde: throat irritation, fatigue, severe allergic reaction, cancer
# Common building materials known to off-gas formaldehyde: plywood, particleboard, fibreboard, carpets, fabrics
# Insulative value of poured concrete, fibreglass batts, blown cellulose and extruded polystyrene, in R-value / inch - 0.08, 3.14, 3.70, 5.00
# Insulative value of single pane windows, double paned windows with 1/2" air space, and triple-paned windows with 1/2" air spaces, in R-value - 0.91, 2.04, 3.23
# Typical R-values of the walls and roof, respectively, of a "superinsulated" home: 40, 60
# Typical R-value of standard 2x6 and 2x4 walls, respectively, with fibreglass batt insulation: 14.1, 10.5
# Average cost of electricity in Japan , Italy , US and Canada in US cents/kWh, 2002: 13.5, 9.5, 7.5, 5.8
# Percentage of electricity produced by hydro electric in Quebec, BC, Ontario and Alberta, 2004: 94.5, 92.8, 24.8, 4.4
# Percentage of electricity produced by fossil fuels in Quebec, BC, Ontario and Alberta, 2004: 1.6, 6.2, 23.7, 93.3
# Percentage of electricity produced by nuclear plants in Quebec, BC, Ontario and Alberta, 2004: 3.2, 0, 49.7, 0
# Total carbon as a percentage of an average tree's dry weight: 42
# Approximate mass of carbon dioxide sequestered by an average new forest planted on bare ground, in tonnes/ha/year: 3.5
# Net sequestration of carbon dioxide by a mature forest, in tonnes/ha/year: 0
# Annual CO2 emissions per capita in the US , Canada , the UK , Cuba and Haiti , in tonnes, 2007: 19.9, 17.9, 9.4, 2.3, 0.2
# Number of hectares of new forest that would need to be planted annually to offset total CO2 emissions by Canadians: 169,000,000
# Total hectares of previously existing forest that were replanted in Canada in 2002: 446,000
# Total hectares of existing forest in Canada: 333,000,000
Green Living Network
