Reciprocating saws are often used for demolition work instead of building work.
Both the demolition of buildings and the production of materials for new-build - cement, steel, bricks, glass and plastics - contribute to global warming.
In its analysis, the Institute for Science and International Security noted that some of the destruction may have resulted from subsequent demolition of buildings and the removal of debris that may have occurred.
Officials say substantial sums of money could have been saved by allowing the demolition of buildings without performing expensive asbestos abatement.
The aim is to complete the process by the end of the year, including the demolition of buildings beneath the reservoir's initial water level.
For example, the unearthing of the "Avenue of the Sphinxes," now under way in the center of the city, has required the demolition of buildings that UNESCO regarded as integral.
In New York, the requirement for sheds, now mandatory for demolition of buildings 25 feet or higher and for new construction 40 feet and higher, dates at least to 1898.
Mr. Hudnut, the former mayor of Indianapolis, recalled that acquiring just three blocks of that city "involved some legal fights and eminent domain, the demolition of buildings, numerous deals with numerous owners".
He said he was hoping for rapid approval of a revised proposal that would make demolition of buildings 75 years old or older subject to the city Landmarks Preservation Board's review.
Researchers have also been developing strategies and models of waste management for construction and demolition of buildings.
