CALGREEN – > CALIFORNIA NOW HAS THE COUNTRY’S GREENEST BUILDING STANDARD
March 11, 2010 on 12:55 am | In GREEN, Government, New Developments, Recycling, Trends, Uncategorized, all | 2 CommentsBy Jodi Summers
Bravo to us! California has adopted the greenest building standards in the United States…and the world.
The new code, called Calgreen, goes into effect next January 2011. It requires all builders to:
v Install plumbing that cuts indoor water use.
Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, said the new building code would require developers to slash water use in their buildings by 20%, using more efficient toilets, shower heads and faucets.
v Divert 50 percent of construction waste from landfills to recycling.
v Use low-pollutant paints, carpets and floorings
v Buildings will be given certificates of occupancy occupied only after strict energy standards were verified.
In addition, for non residential buildings:
v Install separate water meters for different uses.
v Mandates the inspection of energy systems by local officials to ensure that heaters, air conditioners and other mechanical equipment in nonresidential buildings are working efficiently.
v It allows local jurisdictions, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, to retain their stricter existing green building standards, or adopt more stringent versions of the state code if they choose.
“California should be proud… These are simple, cost-effective green practices. …” notes Tom Sheehy, acting secretary of the state Consumer Services Agency and chair of the California Building Standards Commission, which approved the standards. “This is (something) no other state in the country has done - integrating green construction practices into the very fabric of the construction code.”
While California’s largest metropolitan areas have adopted their own green building standards, these new regulations will be particularly useful for smaller jurisdictions that have been unable to develop their own green construction guidelines.
This is a positive alternative to LEED construction standards. Sites Sandra Boyle, an executive vice president of Glenborough, a developer, “The cost for owners to go through this rating system is astronomical — in a very challenging commercial real estate market.”
“You will have a whole bunch of cities that never would have included this in their building doing it, and doing it in a way that won’t kill the economy,” observes Matthew Hargrove, a vice president with the California Business Properties Association. “Outside the coastal areas it will be helpful - like in West Sacramento, where they looked into creating a green building code but balked because it’s cumbersome to develop and they didn’t have the resources.”
Buildings currently account for about one-quarter of the state’s total greenhouse gas emissions. These new standards are applauded as an important step in helping California meet its goal in reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2010/01/13/MNDR1BH9SA.DTL#ixzz0dJ9grkaW
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2010/01/13/MNDR1BH9SA.DTL
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-green-building11-2010jan11,0,1841989.story
http://www.thedailygreen.com/cm/thedailygreen/images/WA/Kohler-DualFlush-BR08-lg.jpg
GREEN LEASING TOOL KIT
March 8, 2010 on 12:09 am | In FASCINATING INDUSTRIAL REAL ESTATE INFORMATION, GREEN, PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, Problem Solving, Trends, Uncategorized, all | 2 CommentsGREEN LEASING TOOL KIT
By Jodi Summers
Studies and Awards are praising green commercial buildings for creating higher occupancy rates, stronger rents and higher sales prices. As we’re in a down market for leasing, those in the know want to share, so the California Sustainability Alliance has developed and test strategies to green California’s commercial office space. This effort focuses on “green leasing”, i.e., integrating sustainability practices into the entire commercial leasing process. The Green Leasing Toolkit 2.0 includes insight on service provider selection; marketing of buildings, development of green specifications; request for proposal (RFP) and letter of intent (LOI) drafting; site selection and due diligence; and the negotiation and drafting of realistic and enforceable lease language.
The tools offered in Green Leasing Toolkit 2.0 are relatively easy to implement. These tools can be used by both landlords and tenants who manage or occupy large portfolios of facilities as well as small business owners and landlords who hope to green an individual building.
The Toolkit supports tenants and landlords in the following ways:
* Educating their organizations
* Developing their own green leasing policies and requirements
* Communicating policies and requirements to the market
* Measuring and comparing the green attributes of different buildings
* Developing specific lease language
http://sustainca.org/green_leases_toolkit
http://www.socalgreenrealestateblog.com/?p=52
LOS ANGELES INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY SNAPSHOT – MARCH 2010
March 1, 2010 on 4:27 pm | In FASCINATING INDUSTRIAL REAL ESTATE INFORMATION, Trends, Uncategorized, all, statistics | 4 CommentsBy Jodi Summers
Industrial investors like Los Angeles as an investment opportunity. Hamid Moghadam, chief executive of AMB, is one of those investors. Currently, AMB owns or controls 155 million square feet of distribution space around the globe > making it one of the largest property owners on the planet. Figure CEO Moghadam has is pulse on the industrial property market. He believes that “Smart real estate investors aren’t worried about 2010 earnings. They’re already looking ahead to the recovery in 2011 and 2012 and the ability to capitalize on future opportunities.”
Moghadam gives the L.A.-area industrial market a thumbs up as a place to be looking for property values. “Our favorite global markets include Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York/New Jersey, Toronto, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, London, Paris, Hamburg, Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo,” he confirms. “We look for the following characteristics in selecting our markets: They need to include a large population base and a deep pool of industrial tenants; contain a major container port and an international airport served by a diverse set of airlines; include an established transportation infrastructure involving multiple freeways and rail lines; and most important of all, have significant constraints on the development of new competing products. These constraints can be physical (difficult topography, etc.), political (zoning, no growth policies, etc.), or economic (very high land costs).”
The situation in the industrial market is mixed throughout Southern California, sites Jack Kyser, Founding Economist of the Kyser Center for Economic Research. As unstable as our industrial market may seem, the research shows that Los Angeles County is the lowest in the U.S. at a 3.3 percent vacancy, while the vacancy rate in the Riverside-San
Bernardino area high at 12.5 percent at year-end 2009.
“While the annual comparisons reflect broad declines since 2007, quarterly data show a marketplace that appears to be making a remarkable recovery,” Real Capital Analytics confirms. Volumes surged in Q4 to $147 billion, the first rise in seven quarters. “So far, investment activity is rebounding in a clear V shape but risks remain, and some fear the V could easily become a W. Nevertheless, sentiment among investors is much improved and 2010 is starting with a broad but cautious sense of optimism.”
Fourth quarter global deals surged 85% against Q4 2008 to $147 billion. Volume was up across markets geographically and across nearly every property type, with hotels the sole exception. Sales of office, retail and industrial properties were up 29% collectively.
**
We would like your real estate business. If we can provide you with more detailed information, please contact the SoCal Investment Group through Jodi Summers, Jodi@jodisummers.com. We look forward to working with you in your next real estate transaction.
**
http://www.globest.com/news/1604_1604/europe/183658-1.html
http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/23/real-estate-advisor-personal-finance-warehouse-reit_3.html
http://www.laedc.org/newasroom/releases/2010/100217_LAEDC%20Economic%20Forecast%202-17-10.pdf
http://somaweb.org/lacre/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/amerappar.jpg
http://www.socalofficerealestateblog.com/wp-content/newuploads/2009/04/portoflaskyview.gif
http://www.amb.com/about/leadership/moghadam.html
RECYCLE L.A. TELEPHONE NUMBERS
February 18, 2010 on 12:32 am | In GREEN, PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, Problem Solving, Recycling, Uncategorized, all | 3 CommentsRECYCLE L.A. TELEPHONE NUMBERS
by the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Bureau of Sanitation
edited by Jodi Summers
Have something beyond the usual household refuse you’d like to recycle?
Here’s who you need to contact:
RECYCLE L.A. TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Alley Clean Up 800-996-2489
Animal Services 888-452-7381
Bulky Item Pick Up 800-773-2489
Bureau of Sanitation Customer Service Center 800-773-2489
Dead Animal Pick Up 800-996-2489
Drop Off Yards 800-773-2489
Household Toxics/SAFE Centers 800-988-6942
Illegal Dumping 800-996-2489
Multi-Family Residential Recycling Program Hotline 800-773-2489
Pot Holes 800-996-2489
Sewer & Storm Drain Issues 800-996-2489
Stormwater Hotline 800-974-9794
Street Lighting 800-996-2489
Street Tree Trimming 800-996-2489
Toll-free City Information 3-1-1
Used Oil Disposal 800-988-6942
Vacant Lot Clean Up 800-996-2489
City of Los Angeles Neighborhood Drop-Off Yards
Drop Off Yards accept materials such as bulky items, furniture and up to 4 tires per year. All Collection yards are open from 8am-2pm, Monday through Friday. For more information call 800-773-2489.
Bulky Item Collection
The City of Los Angeles (City) will pick up your large or bulky household items, such as mattresses, couches and other furniture. To make arrangements to have these items removed from your curbside, please call 800-773-2489 or 3-1-1.
Unrequested Advertising or Unwanted Mail
You can reduce unrequested advertising or unwanted mail by visiting their website (www.dmaconsumers.org) or writing to:
Direct Marketing Association
Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008
For additional program information visit the Multi-Family Residential Recycling website at www.larecycles.org or Email us at multifamily@lacity.org. Call the Hotline at 800-773-2489 or 3-1-1
THAT’S IT! IT’S EASY!
**
http://www.larecycles.org/pdf/Resorce_Card_english.pdf
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/emeraldcity/2008/02/does-the-trash.html
GREENING BUILDINGS THE EASY WAY - THE ICC GREEN BUILDING OVERLAY
February 11, 2010 on 12:03 am | In GREEN, New Developments, Trends, Uncategorized, all, world | 4 CommentsGREENING BUILDINGS THE EASY WAY - THE ICC GREEN BUILDING OVERLAY
By Jodi Summers
More green building codes anyone? Sure, there are already several green building codes in use today - LEED, Energy Star, NAHB Green, Green Globes, BREEM and the latest, and perhaps most practical to join the crowd is ICC – the of International Code Council.
FYI, you’ve walked through hundreds of International Code Council respecting properties. Most U.S. cities, counties and states that adopt building codes choose the International Codes developed by the International Code Council. As the ICC already has such a huge fan base, they’ve decided to have their input into green building codes > a.k.a. IGCC.
The objective of this new project is to develop a Green Building Code for traditional and high-performance buildings that is consistent and coordinated with the ICC family of Codes and Standards.
“Congratulations on taking such an important step to ensure the creation of such a code system. We are pleased to support this effort in any way possible,” USGBC President Richard Fedrizzi stated publicly, throwing in a compliment to the Code Council for “undertaking a collaborative approach to this important work.”
A bit of insight: the International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools.
Being the progressive state that we are, California, has already adopted a green building code, which is incorporated into the template the ICC has come up with for the rest of the country.
“California continues to lead the nation and I commend the hard work of the Building Standards Commission to adopt the first-in-the-nation statewide green building standards,” proudly observed Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The objective of the ICC code will be to raise the bottom line, giving all buildings a greener baseline. LEED, in contrast, is a bolder standard, providing innovative and more challenging ways to reduce green house gas emissions, materials usage, enhance energy efficiency, and all other good green things.
An ICC green code will make politicians, building inspectors and code officials comfortable with adopting and utilizing I-Codes as the basis for building regulations. By adopting an ICC code and augmenting it with what some of the greener cities like Santa Monica, Berkeley, Sacramento and West Hollywood are doing, municipalities will not have to reinvent the code wheel when looking to implement green building practices.
Wisely, the ICC Green Building Code is an overlay that can integrate with the I-codes that already exist in most jurisdictions.
**
http://www.greenbuildinglawblog.com
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/blog/2009/08/20/why-world-needs-another-green-building-standard
http://www.socalgreenrealestateblog.com/?p=157
http://www.iccsafe.org/news/nr/2009/0722_USGBC.pdf
L.A. COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY SNAPSHOT – FEBRUARY 2010
February 4, 2010 on 11:55 am | In CHARTS + STATISTICS, FASCINATING INDUSTRIAL REAL ESTATE INFORMATION, Trends, Uncategorized, all, statistics | 4 Comments
Signs of Hope
By Jodi Summers
Look forward, better times are on the horizon. U.S. economic growth surged during the fourth quarter!! According to estimates of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. economy bounced up by +5.7% last quarter (seasonally adjusted annual rate). This pace was the biggest increase since the third quarter of 2003.
This growth impacted the industrial sector in several ways:
* Industrial production increased. As output grew, the net rate at which firms drew down inventories plunged as many businesses decided to produce more goods and sell less out of inventory. This change supplied the single biggest boost to the economy, adding a celebratory +3.4 percentage points to the quarter’s growth rate.
* Exports continued to grow rapidly, which contributed +1.9 percentage points to the quarterly growth rate.
The industrial market needs these signs of optimism as, according to Clarus Market Metrics, contrasting Jan-08 vs. Jan-10, the median price of for sale properties is down 47% and the median price of sold properties is down 100%…so Los Angeles County industrial properties need all the stimulus they can get.
Hope is on the horizon. CoStar commercial real estate service reports that while industrial vacancies stubbornly high across the country, they are now flattening. Leasing activity is starting to pick up and, unlike previous downturns, the market is not plagued by an overhang of new supply. Locally, there is still a lot of volume on the market. Comparing Jan-08 vs. Jan-10, the number of for sale properties is up 48% and the number of sold properties is down 100%
Jan-08 vs. Jan-10 shows the number of expired properties is up 100%. Prices have dropped so low, that those who do not have to sell, are waiting and holding. Buyers and sellers are coming to terms with losses inflicted by the recession and the bursting of the real estate bubble, and realizing 2010 can only be brighter.
On the Westside, “There are preliminary signs of price stabilization in leases and sales,” in the industrial market, concludes Klabin Co. principal Luke Staubitz. Transaction volume, which began building last September, “will continue to increase throughout the year with tenants holding the pocket aces,” Staubitz said.
**
We would like your real estate business. If we can provide you with more detailed information, please contact the SoCal Investment Group through Jodi Summers, Jodi@jodisummers.com or call 310.392.1211. We look forward to working with you in your next real estate transaction.
**
http://www.SoCalGreenRealEstateBlog.com
http://www.globest.com/news/1590_1590/washington/183353-1.html
http://www.globest.com/news/1592_1592/losangeles/183380-1.html
http://ellencarrlee.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/loading-dock.jpg
http://www.laedc.org/eedge/index.html#1
http://www.iamnotastalker.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/img_18842.jpg
HUD AND DOT WORKING TOGETHER FOR MORE LIVABLE CITIES
January 28, 2010 on 12:09 am | In Bravo, FASCINATING INFORMATION, Government, Problem Solving, Trends, Uncategorized, all | No CommentsHUD AND DOT WORKING TOGETHER FOR MORE LIVABLE CITIES
By Jodi Summers
Government statistics show that the average working American family spends nearly 60 percent of its budget on housing and transportation costs - making these two areas the largest expenses for the average household. Now the government wants to help.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) are working together in hopes of helping American families gain better access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs by creating affordable, sustainable communities.
Like putting in our light rail system, this is a long process. Over the next four years, every major metropolitan area in the country will do an analysis of integrated housing, transportation, and land use planning and investment.
Recently, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and DOT Secretary Ray LaHood presented the official vision for sustainable communities at a U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing hearing titled, “Livable Communities, Transit Oriented Development, and incorporating Green Building Practices into Federal Housing and Transportation.”
“One of my highest priorities is to help promote more livable communities through sustainable surface transportation programs,” offered Secretary LaHood. “This partnership will help expand every American family’s choices for affordable housing and transportation,” said Secretary Donovan. “HUD’s central mission - ensuring that every American has access to decent, affordable housing - can be achieved only in context of the housing, transportation, and energy costs and choices that American families experience each day.”
DOT and HUD have created a high-level interagency task force to better coordinate federal transportation and housing investments and identify strategies to give American families:
• More choices for affordable housing near employment opportunities;
• More transportation options, to lower transportation costs, shorten travel times, and improve the environment; and
• Safe, livable, healthy communities.
The HUD/DOT task force has the goal of enhancing integrated regional housing, transportation, and land use planning and investment. Planning grants will be made available to metropolitan areas, and create mechanisms to ensure those plans are carried through to localities. DOT will encourage Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to conduct this integrated planning as a part of their next long-range transportation plan update and will provide technical assistance on scenario planning, a tool for assessing future growth alternatives that better coordinate land use, and transportation planning.
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cir/test090318.cfm
http://www.inman.com/news/2009/03/19/partnership-targets-affordability-transportation
http://transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/safety/sso/MeetingSummary/images/1-dotlogo.gif
REGISTER YOUR CELL PHONE ON THE DO NOT CALL LIST
January 21, 2010 on 12:38 am | In FASCINATING INFORMATION, New Developments, Problem Solving, Uncategorized, all | 1 Comment
REGISTER YOUR CELL PHONE ON THE DO NOT CALL LIST
By Jodi Summers
Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month….meaning cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive annoying sales calls on your cell phone…and YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS.
To prevent this, call the National DO NOT CALL list number from you cell phone. That number is - 888-382-1222.
Registering will block your number for five (5) years.
FYI - You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.
YALE PICKS THE TEN MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY COUNTRIES
January 14, 2010 on 12:03 am | In Bravo, FASCINATING INFORMATION, GREEN, Problem Solving, Recycling, Trends, Uncategorized, all, world | 3 CommentsYALE PICKS THE TEN MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY COUNTRIES
Edited by Jodi Summers
Every year, Yale University releases an Environmental Performance Index (EPI), calculating national environmental factors such as a country’s environmental health, air pollution, water resources and productive natural resources. So let us present to you the most recent top 10 winning countries who can boast the title of the most eco-friendly nations in the world.
1 - Switzerland
Switzerland’s hard-line legislation on pollution makes it one of the world’s most eco-friendly nations. Switzerland’s strategy is to continue to foster cooperation between organizations and individuals. To make sure everyone is acutely aware of how precious the environment can be, Switzerland charges for their water and waste management services as well as establishing severe environmental taxes. Prevention is the third key tenet, shown by the 2006 development of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), to sustain natural resources and develop safety measures for natural hazards.
2 - Norway
Overcast Norway is the home of the world’s largest solar production plant, owned by REC Group. Norway has also taken emissions seriously, and is now planning on becoming carbon neutral by 2030, not 2050 as originally expected. The change in anticipated timing has been reduced because of what Norway has learned by funding green projects abroad and reducing at-home driving and flying.
3 - Sweden
Sweden’s mandate for a country free of fossil fuels by 2020 puts it as the third most eco-friendly country on the planet. Already, a majority of Sweden’s power is either nuclear or hydroelectric. Solutions for automobile and flight transport include ethanol and animal waste conversion. Additionally, Sweden is one of the world leaders working on harnessing the power of waves. At the University of Uppsala, Sweden is developing “wave power” which converts waves into 4x as much energy as solar power in the same amount of time, with no waste and no emissions.
4 - Finland
Finland is experiencing a remarkable recovery from industrialization, using initiatives to clean up water and air quality in industrial areas, and practicing land preservation. Bravo as Finland has managed to reverse deforestation. The country’s forests are now growing at a greater rate than they are being deforested, showing an environmental gain even with the annual timber harvest. Finland can also be attributed with starting the United Nation’s Environmental Program (UNEP) Task Force for Sustainable Building and Construction, which looks not only at the sustainability of the building, but of the resources and process used to construct it.
5 - Costa Rica
With 5% of the world’s biodiversity contained in one country, Costa Rica has always been on the forefront of environmental conservation. Did you know that a full quarter of the nation is devoted to park preservation? That helps the country score high on the EPI list. Couple their conservation efforts with the fact that Costa Rica uses hydroelectric power in 80% of the country, and add on their 5% gas tax which funds environmental programs, and Costa Rica comes in fifth.
6 - Austria
It’s very impressive that Austria’s environmental conservation measures are enforced by all levels of government, from federal to municipal authorities. For example, waste disposal is a highly regulated department encompassing everything from individual waste to corporate chemical, air and agricultural pesticide pollution. Water quality and forest preservation, are extremely high on Austria’s list of priorities, thus the quality level for Austria’s lakes and rivers is among the highest in the world. The development of Austria’s National Protective Forest Plan has also helped in keeping the nation’s natural beauty pristine.
7 - New Zealand
New Zealand‘s relatively small population in relation to land mass has helped preserve this nation’s natural resources. While automotive emissions and industrial pollutants are still problematic, New Zealand is working hard to develop restrictive legislation and alternative energy sources. The nation was host to the 2008 World Environment Day, and has developed the Environmental Risk Management Authority, which regulates the introduction of non-native species and environmental components so as not to threaten New Zealand’s pristine atmosphere.
8 - Latvia
The Baltics weigh in. By monitoring and reducing water pollution, Latvia’s salmon crop and freshwater bodies are all in the range of “good.” Taken steps toward improvement, Lativia has begun dismantling pollutive farms to reduce fertilizer and insecticide chemicals and allow room for the return of natural forests. Since obtaining freedom from the Soviet Union 1990, Lativa has decreased stationary pollution by 46% and wastewater by 44%, devoting a major portion of environmental funds to water treatment and energy conservation techniques.
9 - Colombia
Beating Costa Rica, Colombia is home to 10% of the world’s species, giving the country a wealth of ecological diversity. While Colombia has had problems in the past concerning deforestation, the detrimental effects of the coca trade, and political strife involving their natural oil deposits, these factors have served to motivate Colombia towards energy conservation and new, less politically tumultuous resources. Colombia has also begun programs for the cultivation of natural parks that support the growth of native medicinal plants with preserves such as the Orito Igni-Ande Medicinal Flora Sanctuary, a 10,626 hectare preserve.
10 - France
The French government is very aware of the problem of climate change. Their strict environmental protection measures are incorporated into the national Constitution and reviewed every year with the eventual goal of 54 million tons of saved C02 by 2010. France is one of the few in the Kyoto agreement to cut such a large amount of emissions so quickly. The country’s laws are comprehensive, covering every layer of production from supplier to producer to consumer. This has helped make France the number one producer of renewable energy sources in the EU, 78% of its energy being nuclear powered, which in turn has reduced nitrogen oxide and other hazardous emissions by 70%.
**
Sources:
http://epi.yale.edu/CountryScores
http://www.bemoreeco.com/2009/03/top-10-eco-friendly-countries/
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/International/europe/Sweden.jpg
http://greenferret.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/switzerland-mountain-lake.jpg
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/tag/norway
http://www.ippnw-students.org/Chapters/Finland/finland.jpg
http://www.unitedplanet.org/volunteer-in-costa-rica-long-term/images/costa-rica-ocean-view.jpg
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0510/photos/Jpegs/NewZealand.jpg
http://www.austria-trips.com/images/Austria-Mountains.jpg
http://www.e-architect.co.uk/riga/jpgs/jurmala_latvia_hoskins_m06.jpg
http://img5.travelblog.org/Photos/61720/335583/p/f/1781.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/2qncqxi.jpg
http://www.bargesinfrance.com/premier-burgundy-countryside.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3115/2352156385_c389b09b15_b.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/pj48/image/45644972/original.jpg
SCHWARZENEGGER HAS A GREEN LEGACY, BUT OUR ECONOMY STILL SUCKS
January 8, 2010 on 12:25 am | In Bravo, FASCINATING INFORMATION, GREEN, Government, New Developments, Trends, Uncategorized, all | 4 CommentsSCHWARZENEGGER HAS A GREEN LEGACY, BUT OUR ECONOMY STILL SUCKS
By Jodi Summers
Arnold Schwarzenegger is now an international superstar in more than one arena. First it was movies, now it’s global warming. During his terms as governor, California’s bold energy programs are influencing national and international policies.
Three years after California adopted AB 32 - California’s landmark 2006 global warming initiative,
1- The Obama Administration announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will adopt a vehicle emissions standard modeled after California’s first-in-the-nation standard
2- The International Code Council announced the state’s newly adopted Green Building Standards Code will serve as a foundation for commercial buildings worldwide.
3- California participated in the launch of China’s first GHG emissions registry.
Being a leader in clean energy standards has made California a leader in clean energy investment and green jobs. In the last three years, more than $6 billion in venture capital has been pumped into California’s economy, making us the national leader in the number of clean businesses. Green jobs have also skyrocketed, growing 10 times faster in California than in other areas. This growth is expected to continue. According to a recent study, California is on track to more than double its power generated by solar panel installations in 2009.
Sounds brilliant, yet our economy is currently down the tubes. Only our future is filled with green.
**
http://gov.ca.gov/issue/energy-environment/
http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_13345618?source=rss
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-power16-2009sep16,0,3412344.story
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ArnoldSchwarzenegger
http://en.cop15.dk/files/images/1col_492px/chinaenergy_19980822-134048-7_web.jpg
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