COMING SPRING 2026
By Kathleen Draper
Every year, over 1.5 million new residential housing permits are issued in the US. While we need homes, the current building practices are having a devastating impact on our planet. A recent RMI report reveals that new US home construction contributes an estimated 55 to 80 million tons of CO2e annually. That’s a staggering amount of carbon going into our already overloaded atmosphere.
What if building your dream home could actually remove carbon from the atmosphere? What if your new sanctuary could be a net positive for the planet? Dwelling on Drawdown offers a revolutionary vision and a practical roadmap to achieve just that.
Dwelling on Drawdown will serve as an invaluable reference for anyone looking to build a new home, undertake a major retrofit, or add an extension, with the explicit goal of dramatically reducing — or even eliminating — the CO2 contribution typically associated with construction.
Kathleen Draper
Kathleen Draper is a renowned biochar expert, author, and speaker, recognized for her strategic thinking and collaborative approach, specializing in biochar education, research, and consulting, and is leading efforts in using biochar to decarbonize the built environment. She is the co-author of Burn: Igniting a New Carbon Drawdown Economy to End the Climate Crisis, and Terra Preta: How the World’s Most Fertile Soil Can Help Reverse Climate Change and Reduce World Hunger.
Table of Contents (Subject to Change)
| Introduction | |
| 1. Concrete | Transforming this often-maligned material into a powerful carbon sinker. |
| 2. Walls | Exploring options for basements, above-ground structures, exterior cladding, and interiors |
| 3. Flooring | Navigating the “tyranny of choice” for decks, hard surfaces, and soft surfaces. |
| 4. Windows and Insulation | Understanding the considerations, materials, and carbon impacts of these crucial elements. |
| 5. Roofing | Discovering the benefits of black, white, and green roofs. |
| 6. Interiors & Landscaping | Brief encounters with interior options and a comprehensive section on sustainable yards |
| 7. Energy | Strategies for “defossilizing” your home from day one, exploring electricity options, HVAC systems, and EV charging. |
| 8. Waste Not | Innovative ideas for carbonizing construction cast-offs. |