Content area
Full Text
Introduction
Global climate change has approached the humanity very closer and faster than expected and many of us started to accept it as a reality (Galgano, 2019; Oreskes, 2004; Parry et al., 2008). Many aspects of day-to-day life are identified and discussed widely these days, which have an impact on the climate change. Behavioral scientists focus on various aspects of sustainability studies ranging from understanding and predicting individual conservation behaviors, public activities, to corporate-level activities aiming to achieve sustainability (see e.g. El-Kassar and Singh, 2018; Patnaik et al., 2018; Singh, 2018, 2019; Singh and El-Kassar, 2019). World nations are seriously focusing on setting and achieving sustainable developmental goals (Parry et al., 2008; Sarkodie and Strezov, 2019). Building sector is blamed for its energy-intensive nature and greenhouse gas emissions (Damtoft et al., 2008; Rosenthal, 2007). Cement, one of the popular building materials, is also infamous for its contribution to global CO2 emissions (Rehan and Nehdi, 2005). Production of one ton of Portland cement releases almost equal amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere (Worrell et al., 2001). Now, there are sincere efforts both from the authorities and from individuals to curb the menaces of concrete construction. Eco-friendly houses or buildings are a solution to climate change (Pacheco-Torgal and Jalali, 2012).
Housing sector in India is ever growing and still in need of more houses (Nijman, 2015). Kerala is one of the states in India with comparatively better housing (Aravindan and Menon, 2010). The need for new houses is always growing, never subsiding. The only solution to this scenario is shifting to greener, sustainable alternatives. Eco-friendly houses show utmost concern toward reducing carbon footprints, so they choose and utilize materials that are locally available, natural, easily renewable and healthy like lime stone, bamboo, clay, cow dung, etc. (Manoj and Vidya, 2015; Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, 2015; Vijayan, 2017). Many build their houses using both cement and mud, and thereby ensure the durability and green benefits (Senthalir, 2017). Legendry buildings that are examples of the green construction are Padmanabhapuram palace of Kochi, Kerala, which was built with the bricks, sun-dried earth buildings of Dharamshala and Lakshmana temple of Chhattisgarh. These structures are resilient, durable, climate relevant and natural, thereby...