SIGNAL HILL, Calif. — Zerohouz creator Avideh Haghighi is looking toward the future by transforming her new home into the most sustainable, clean energy, zero-emissions house she can.
"I think it's important for everybody to know that there is a healthier, better way of living," Haghighi said.
As an architect, Haghighi is the visionary behind making her 600-square foot, one-story home into "Zerohouz," a dwelling designed to improve her health and the climate.
Her first step was to switch out her gas appliances for electric ones.
Gas stoves have been found to leak significant amounts of methane, even when turned off.
“It’s a little scary to know that we’ve been living with this inside our homes, when we’re supposed to have a clean, healthy environment,” Haghighi said.
On top of the health risks, it's estimated that over a 20-year period, emissions from gas stoves nationwide could heat the planet as much as half a million cars.
Environmental public health expert Dr. Richard Jackson said climate heating is an enormous threat to our health and stresses the need to think about how our home affects that.
"I think everybody in California, if we possibly could, ought to be thinking about building a net-zero home," Jackson said.
But while Zerohouz is ambitious, it hasn't been without its challenges. That's what motivates Haghighi to finish the project.
She's documenting the transformation on social media to help other homeowners bypass the difficulties she encounters.
"Everybody I come in contact with has said it's an opportunity to engage, an opportunity to exchange this information, and a vision for a better way of living," Haghighi said.
She's happy to be the guinea pig and an example of how to live better—for both personal health and the planet.