Len, I assume "net-zero" refers to a community that saves as many CO2 emissions as it creates - one that generates its own clean electricity, and then some, to offset any natural gas, coal, or gasoline it might use; one that is capable of providing its residents abundant electricity with "four nines" supply reliability (99.99% uptime).

I've been hearing about these "net-zero strategies that include passive homes, geothermal heating, and more" for at least a decade, and am yet unable to find one that has succeeded. It would be a simple matter to meter any energy inputs to, and outputs from, the community so that emissions from energy input to the community never exceed those from its output, over a given time frame.

But I don't believe one exists.

So here's my challenge: find me a single example of a community, a neighborhood, or a home where its total energy consumption never emits a net-positive quantity of CO2 - you pick the time frame. Otherwise, I think it's reasonable to assume "net-zero"  is just another trendy, faux-green fraud, a plastic trophy awarded for fake environmentalism.

Is that unreasonable?