Meet the man who wants to electrify every building in America

By this point, we know that burning fossil fuels is disastrous for the planet. And yet an astonishing 80% of domestic energy in the United States still comes from fossil fuels. The solution, for Donnell Baird, is to electrify every building in the country. His startup BlocPower, swaps out old heating and cooling systems, replacing them with energy-efficient heat pumps.   BlocPower has partnered with Ithaca, New York, to electrify all 6,000 buildings in the city, which will cut about 40% of its carbon footprint. The company has also retrofitted over 1,200 buildings in New York City and has projects underway in 24 other cities across the country, from Oakland to Milwaukee. Read Elissaveta M. Brandon’s story about Baird's mission here. — Co.Design Editors   Meet the man who wants to electrify every building in America Donnel Baird’s startup, BlocPower, has already electrified 1,200 low-income buildings in New York City—and he’s just getting started.   READ MORE   Brands like Nike, Coach, and Gap are destroying the Amazon with their leather products A new report links dozens of top fashion brands to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.   READ MORE   When will regulators finally get serious about car safety for women? A crash dummy designed to represent women more accurately is available—if only it would actually get used.   READ MORE   These gorgeous images could transform science education Science isn’t all lab coats and test tubes. Beautiful visuals can engage people—especially students—and inspire them to learn about science more broadly.   READ MORE   Deconstructing the psychedelic sounds of ‘Dune’ Hear how Mark Mangini orchestrated the silence of the desert. READ MORE

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