Positive Impacts

Environmental Benefits

Each year NextGenUrban eliminates the following impacts for each resident:

•  Electricity: We eliminate all 3.5 tons of CO₂ emissions related to each individual resident's electricity use (the average person's yearly electrical GHG footprint). HOW? A professionally managed solar farm with battery storage produces more electricity than is needed by our residents with the balance being sold to the public grid using energy arbitrage software. RELEVANCE? Residential electricity use is responsible for roughly 18% of global GHG emissions.

• Food: We eliminate 1.84 tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions related to our resident's consumption of fresh fruits vegetables herbs and spices. We further offset food footprints by sequestering CO₂ with our on-site algae farm measuring one acre for every twelve households. HOW? We grow food on our own professionally run organic farm located inside the neighborhood to eliminate emissions related to growing, packing, and delivering the produce. Additionally, we sequester 1.16 tons of  CO₂ per household annually to offset residents off-site food choices. RELEVANCE? Researchers estimated that the global average households food footprint is 3.0 tons of CO₂equivalent per year. The average U.S. household’s food related emissions are closer to 8.0 tons of CO₂equivalent per year, or 3.07 tons per person annually.      

•  Natural Gas: We eliminate 0.4 tons of CO₂equivalent per person per year related to the upstream impacts from 1,289 cubic meters of natural gas (the global average natural gas consumption per person per year). HOW?  We produce biogas (a drop-in replacement for natural gas) on-site from the neighborhood's own organic waste streams. RELEVANCE?  Four percent of a household's carbon footprint results from cooking with natural gas, and another 18% would result if the household heats water with natural gas, which we avoid by using solar water heaters. 

•  Solid Waste: We eliminate 0.3 tons of CO₂ per person per year related to the 1,268 pounds of solid waste created per resident, (the global average amount of trash produced per person). HOW?  In our dedicated facility, we collect, separate, upcycle, and/or sell solid waste to local third party buyers in order to keep all trash from entering landfills. RELEVANCE? Reports indicate the solid waste industry is responsible for 4% to 5% of global GHG emissions.

• Sewage: We  eliminate 0.25 tons of CO₂equivalent per person per year related to the 32,295 gallons of each resident's raw sewage, (the global average for sewage produced per person per year). HOW? All sewage is upcycled in a biodigester producing biogas and high grade fertilizer while keeping all sewage from entering the environment or a municipal treatment plant. RELEVANCE? Direct impacts of raw sewage and municipal sewage treatment plants account for 3% of global GHG emissions, and the indirect impacts from sewage account for another 2% of GHG. 

• Construction & Concrete: We eliminate the 8.0 tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions related to home construction (average home construction footprint). We eliminate 1.0 ton of CO₂ related to each ton of cement used. We eliminate the footprint related to the use of steel rebar reinforcement. HOW? For our structures we use a non-mined, non-silica, non-cement material for our stucco and plaster. The material is lighter, stronger, and more durable than cement and lasts for hundreds of years. For our foundations and roadways that require concrete, we build with a locally produced low-carbon cement formula, then further reduce the footprint by adding crushed solid waste material into various concrete mixes to sequester more carbon. We use a structural polymer rod instead of steel rebar to reinforce our structures which are stronger, lighter, noncorrosive, and non-conductive. We then offset the remaining footprint by sequestering CO₂ with our on-site algae farm. One acre of algae can sequester one ton of CO₂ in just 26 days, allowing us to offset construction and material footprints.  RELEVANCE? The concrete industry is responsible for 8% of global GHG emissions, and the construction and building materials industry overall is responsible for up to 10% of global GHG emissions. 

• Tap Water & Grey Water: We eliminate 0.37 metric tons of CO₂ related to the 36,786 gallons of tap water used by each resident per year (the average person's annual water consumption and the typical water delivery footprint)  HOW? With on-site circular water systems powered by our solar energy plant we micro filter on-site brackish water for our taps, and micro filter all grey water before returning it to the aquafer beneath our property. RELEVANCE? It has been reported that up to 40% of a city's electric energy is spent on moving, treating, and distributing water to its residents. Grey water entering the sewage system has an additional footprint that we also eliminate.

• Drinking Water: We eliminate 0.4 tons of CO₂  resulting from the 170 liters of bottled water consumed per person per year and its associated footprint of 400 grams of CO₂ per liter (68 kilos per person per year). HOW? We purify, mineralize, and distribute high quality water from our on-site system so residents don't need bottled water. Our water far exceeds the quality of bottled water. RELEVANCE? The bottle water industry is responsible for 0.25% to 0.5% of global GHG emissions depending on what study you reference. The environmental impact from plastic waste is another tragic consequence we avoid.

• Food Waste: We eliminate 0.8 tons of  CO₂ emissions related to food waste that occurs at the household level per person per year. HOW?  We divert all household and restaurant food waste to our biodigester and convert it into biogas for our residents to use, and high quality fertilizer to regenerate healthy soils on our farm.  RELEVANCE? Food waste makes up 20% of all landfill material and causes up to 40% of a landfill footprint. It has been reported that landfills are the source of 2% of global GHG emissions.

• Farm Waste: We eliminate the 0.5 tons of CO₂ emissions per person per year related to crop waste at the start of the food supply chain. HOW? We grow the food residents need on an organic farm right within the neighborhood, thus eliminating the wasteful methods of industrial farming. RELEVANCE? As much as 15% of fresh produce crops never makes it off the farm because they don't meet beauty standards imposed by food retailers. Another 20% of produce never makes it off the retail shelf. 

• Travel: We eliminate the impacts of up to 4.6 tons of CO₂ per resident per year related to their car travel. HOW? By providing the neighborhood with a fleet of electric vehicles on a ride hailing service, then offsetting the rest of the footprint by sequestering CO₂ with our on-site algae farm. RELEVANCE?  A typical passenger vehicle emits 4.6 metric tons of  CO₂  per year. 

• Algae Farm: To ensure each resident truly has a carbon-negative lifestyle, we sequester an additional 1.16 tons of CO₂ equivalent per person per year with our on-site algae farm - a standard part of the NextGenUrban neighborhood design. Algae is known to sequester 10 to 50 times more carbon per acre than any other plant species, and when used in conjunction with CO₂ micro bubble injectors its already incredible growth rate increases ten-fold. It has been reported that algae grown in AI-powered bioreactors is up to 400 times more efficient than a tree at removing CO₂ from the atmosphere. In addition, the algae harvest provides our farm with high quality organic fertilizer and animal feed as well as powerful nutritional supplements for human consumption. Algae is recognized by the U.N. as a key product for global food security, and a drop in replacement for the carbon intensive fertilizer and animal feed industries. 

In summary, we eliminate 14 tons of CO₂ per resident annually related to their consumption of water energy food and fuel, and transportation, and we eliminate all downstream impacts from their waste, sewage, trash, then we offset GHG emissions related to the construction of their home and resident's consumer purchasing choices with a carbon-sequestering algae farm to ensure our residents are truly living a carbon-negative lifestyle.