Catherine Mohr: The tradeoffs of building green

The speaker, an advocate for green living, discusses the complexities of making sustainable choices, focusing on embodied energy in everyday items like paper towels and sponges. They share their experience of building a green house, highlighting the importance of material choices and energy efficiency. The talk emphasizes the need to consider unexpected factors in sustainability and provides insights into the energy payback period of their green construction project.

What is the main concept introduced by the speaker when discussing cleaning up spilled yogurt?

• Carbon footprint

• Embodied energy

• Recycling

• Sustainable farming

What is the speaker's attitude towards common advice on building green?

• Skeptical

• Fully trusting

• Enthusiastic

• Indifferent

Which material did the speaker choose for windows to reduce energy use?

• Aluminum

• Steel

• PVC

• Wood

What is the embodied energy impact of using carpeting in a house?

• It is the highest

• It is significant

• It is minimal

• It has no impact

How long does it take for the new house to offset the energy used in its construction compared to the old house?

• 2 years

• 6 years

• 10 years

• 20 years

What is the speaker's 'elephant in the living room' when considering energy use?

• Driving a car

• Using electricity

• Flying

• Eating meat

What does the speaker suggest about unexpected factors in energy efficiency?

• They are easy to predict

• They are irrelevant

• They can have a major impact

• They are always negative