avoided each year per weatherized home, the total carbon emission reduction in 2002 is estimated to be 0.52

MMTC (representing a fraction of a percent of carbon emissions from buildings in 2002).

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While millions of the low income working poor need affordable housing, the number of low 

income rental units is declining by almost half a million per year. In high growth, major metropolitan

areas, thousands of people commute 100 miles or more to work because of the lack of affordable housing

in the communities where they work.

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The Weatherization Assistance Program helps to maintain the

viability of the existing low income housing stock, thereby preventing some of the movement of low 

income households to increasingly exurban locations distant from available employment, and avoiding

travel related GHG penalties. With nearly 28 million households federally eligible for weatherization

assistance, this program could continue to deliver GHG benefits for decades. 

C. Information and Education

Information policies and programs include a range of activities directed at

improving the knowledge of the public and key decision makers about carbon 

reduction opportunities and providing technical assistance with their

implementation.

While many businesses and homeowners express interest in making energy efficiency

improvements for their own buildings and homes, they often do not know which products or services to ask

for, who supplies them in their areas, or whether the real energy savings will live up to the claims.

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Information and education policies include GHG registries

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and GHG reduction targets or goals;

energy labels, ratings of products and buildings, and mandatory disclosure of energy use information at

time of the sale of a building; audit and other decision tools such as PLACE3S sustainable community

design software;

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educational and training activities (for students, faculty, and professionals); and tech 

nical assistance. Included among the current federal technical assistance activities are DOE's Industrial

Assessment Centers Program (which helps small businesses and manufacturers improve their energy

efficiency, reduce their waste streams, and enhance productivity), Rebuild America (which focuses on the

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development of strategic partnerships and alliances to improve the efficiency of government and commer 

cial buildings), and Building America (which focuses on educating builders). 

The economic rationale for these policies lies primarily in the public goods nature of knowledge

and information provision. Being a public good, information will be under produced in a competitive

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Towards a Climate Friendly  

Built Environment

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