Positive Impacts

Environmental Benefits

Each year NextGenUrban eliminates the following impacts for each resident:

•  Electricity: We eliminate all 4.5 tons of  CO₂ emissions from each individual's electricity use (the average person's yearly electrical GHG footprint). HOW? A professionally managed solar farm produces more electricity than is needed by our residents with the balance being sold to the public grid at a profit using energy arbitrage software. RELEVANCE? Residential electricity use is responsible for roughly 18% of global GHG emissions.

•  Sewage: We eliminate all 32,295 gallons of each individual resident's raw sewage from entering the environment (the global average for sewage produced per person per year) and we eliminate the associated footprint of 0.25 tons of  CO₂equivalent per person per year. HOW?  All sewage is upcycled in a digester to produce biogas and high grade liquid fertilizer.   RELEVANCE? Direct impacts of sewage accounts for 3% of global GHG emissions, and the indirect impacts from sewage account for another 2% of GHG. 

•  Natural Gas: We eliminate all upstream impacts from 1,289 cubic meters of natural gas (the global average natural gas consumption per person per year) and we eliminate the associated footprint of 0.4 tons of  CO₂equivalent per person per year. HOW?  We produce biofuel (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% will result of the household is heating water with natural gas. 

•  Solid Waste: We keep 1,268 pounds of solid waste per resident out of the landfills and eliminate the associated 0.3 tons of  CO₂ per person per year (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. RELEVANCE? Reports indicate the solid waste industry is responsible for 4 to 5 percent of global GHG emissions. 

•  Cement: We eliminate the GHG footprint of the cement we use. HOW? We build with low carbon cement, then further reduce the footprint by adding crushed solid waste material into various cement mixes to sequester more carbon. We then offset the remaining footprint by sequestering  CO₂ with our on-site algae farm. RELEVANCE? The cement industry is responsible for 8% of global GHG emissions. 

• Tap Water & Grey Water: We eliminate all impacts of 36,786 gallons of tap water and the associated  CO₂ footprint equaling 0.37 metric tons per person per year.  (average person's annual water consumption and typical water delivery  footprint)  HOW? With on-site circular water systems powered by our solar energy plant. 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 the impacts of 170 liters of bottled water consumed per person per year and its associated footprint of 400 grams of CO2 per liter, which amounts to 68 kilos (0.4 tons) of  CO₂ per person per year. HOW? We purify, mineralize, and distribute high quality water to our residents from our on-site system. 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 from 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 biofuel and high quality liquid 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.

• Farm Waste: We eliminate GHG emissions from crop waste that occurs in the global supply chain for food. The  CO₂ emissions from crop waste is estimated to be 0.5 tons per person per year.  HOW? The on-site organic farm grows the vast majority of what residents need to eat. RELEVANCE? As much as 15% of fresh produce crops never makes it off the farm, and another 20% never makes it off the retail shelves. 

• 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.

• Food:  We eliminate 23% of CO₂ equivalent emissions related to our residents food footprint, then we offset the rest by sequestering CO₂ with our on-site algae farm. The 23% is equivalent to 1.84 tons per resident per year, and comes from eliminating all CO₂ emissions related to growing, packaging and delivering fruits and vegetables consumed by our residents. HOW? We grow fruits and vegetables on our own professionally run organic farm located inside the neighborhood. We sequester 6.16 tons of CO2 per resident per year to offset the balance of their food footprint. RELEVANCE? Researchers estimated that the average U.S. household’s food related emissions were around 8 tons of CO₂eq per year.        

• Algae Farm: To ensure we sequester enough  CO₂  so each resident truly has a carbon-negative lifestyle, we sequester an additional 10 tons of  CO₂  per person per year with our on-site algae farm - a standard part of the NextGenUrban neighborhood design. The algae harvest provides our farm with high quality organic fertilizer and animal feed as well as powerful nutrition supplements for human consumption.  

In summary, we will eliminate each residents GHG footprint from their consumption of water energy food and fuel, and we eliminate all downstream impacts from their waste, sewage, trash, and transportation, then we further offset GHG with a carbon-sequestering algae farm.