California's New Green Building Codes Have Some Crying Foul
"California last week became the first state to integrate green building practices .... not everyone is thrilled about it."
Source: SolveClimate, 01/21/2010
Planning & Growth
1st National Criteria For Sustainable Landscapes Released
The nation's first set of voluntary criteria for planning, design, construction, and maintenance of landscapes.was announced Nov. 6, 2009.
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EPA Develops "Green Home" Site
This new tool is broken out by space type (e.g., kitchen, bathroom, garage, yard), and covers a wide range of indoor and outdoor energy, toxicity, consumption, and environmental impact issues — even topics such as finding a greener mortgage.
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Supreme Court Property Rights Case Has Environmental Implications
The Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on Dec. 2, 2009. The case, which started with legal action in 2004, involves a dispute over restoration of a stretch of Florida panhandle beaches damaged by storms.
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"Debate Follows Bills to Remove Clotheslines Bans"
State lawmakers in some states are overriding local ordinances that ban drying laundry outdoors. While some people like clotheslines as an energy-saver, others think them an eyesore.
Source: NYTimes, 10/13/2009
"Lawsuit Accuses FEMA of Ignoring Species Threats"
"The Federal Emergency Management Agency is being sued again over accusations that it violated the Endangered Species Act by issuing flood insurance without determining whether development would impact imperiled plants and animals."
Source: AP, 09/17/2009
"NJ Suits Put Farmland Development Under Microscope"
A tangle of New Jersey lawsuits raises issues about what restrictions should be placed on builders seeking to develop farmland where pesticides were formerly used.
Source: AP, 08/03/2009
Feds Focus on 24 Solar Sites in 6 Western States
Good solar potential, relative proximity to existing or potential energy transmission corridors, and the perception of the fewest conflicts with existing land uses and the natural environment were factors in site selection.
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