Building Green

The legislature passed three bills, which would require more environmentally friendly building. They are sitting on Arnold's desk. Now the question is will he walk the walk on the environment? He should. These are common sense measures. SacBee:

If Schwarzenegger signs the bills, California could begin requiring more efficient use of water in new homes as well as energy-efficient lighting in large office buildings, and more state workers could find themselves treading on recycled carpet.

"If he's serious about reducing global warming, he needs to make buildings more efficient," said Assemblyman Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, co-author of Assembly Bills 888 and 1058, which deal, respectively, with commercial and residential buildings.

Building green used to mean a significant increase in expense. However, new innovation means that these regulations are increasingly cost effective. Over time the investment in technology pays off in reduced energy costs.

Democratic lawmakers and environmentalists say technology has improved enough that it doesn't cost much to build green. To appease opponents concerned about allowing a nongovernmental group to set standards, Lieu amended AB 888 to let the state's Building Standard Commission establish its own green standards.

The only way we are going to reach the governor's goals on greenhouse gas reduction and energy conservation is to actually regulate things like building efficiency.

The governor has set a goal to reduce energy use by 20 percent in state-owned buildings by 2015. According to the Department of General Services, the state has nine LEED-certified buildings and more than 100 on the way.