The housing market has been controversial in the United States due to increasing costs for even the smallest homes. One Redditor demonstrates such frustration in a post containing a series of photos of houses in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, that only a millionaire could afford.
As the OP states, "These can be yours right now for the low cost of $3-8 million!" While someone should enjoy a beautiful big home they worked for, it's hard not to think about the impact overbuilding so many "certified McMansions" has on the environment.
An oversized home can easily become an energy-efficiency nightmare without the right updates. After all, the homeowner requires utilities to power appliances and needs heating/cooling. If they don't have the most energy-efficient options like Energy Star appliances, these homes can be responsible for adding excessive carbon pollution into the atmosphere. However, using heat pumps and solar energy can reduce the impact a large structure can have.
Overbuilding often results in razing more trees and other vegetation. The loss of habitat has been a source of endangerment for many forms of wildlife, including honeybees, frogs, lemurs, and orangutans. The Tapanuli orangutan has lost over 40% of its forest home in North Sumatra due to mining, agriculture, and other human development, per the World Wildlife Fund.
Like humans, all forms of life need a place to live. Butterflies need specific plants, such as the milkweed, pawpaw, or passion vine, for hosts. Squirrels live in trees, while bees rely on certain flowers for nectar and pollen. When they lose their habitat and food source, it affects their ability to thrive and reproduce as part of the ecosystem.
When so many species at risk are pollinators, that can affect the food chain and make food security even more scarce. The planet can't have oxygen without vegetation, and when you lose trees, you reduce the likelihood of clean air offsetting the effects of some pollution. So, when building a large home, stakeholders should leave enough room for green space.
The comments don't seem impressed with any of the McMansions.
One remarked, "When you are on 12 acres you probably don't really care what the outside of you 11.5k sq ft house looks like."
Another wrote, "It seems like a truly incredible waste of space."
🗣️ Do you think America is in a housing crisis?
🔘 Definitely 🙁
🔘 Not sure 🤷🏽♂️
🔘 No way 🏘️
🔘 Only in some cities 🏙️
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
One sarcastic reply read, "Woah. This for just 3M??? This is insane"
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