Green Building Creeping Into Politics

Posted on March 13, 2008 by Joyce Benson   Add a Comment |
Tag(s): Energy, Going Green, Green Building, Greenhouse Gas Emissions / Global Warming

It was only a matter of time before the U.S. Presidential candidates would begin speaking about green building as global climate change looms in the not-so-far distance. The topic of promising green collar jobs has also been up for discussion as the U.S. economy wavers. Clean energy generation, carbon emissions, and overall environmental concerns are becoming increasingly significant political issues.

It’s interesting to see the green lightbulb go on in the federal political arena, especially considering how many state and local governments have been making green strides despite the lack of strong leadership by the federal government in the past.

According to today’s article at CoStar Group, “Specifics on green building regulation remain somewhat fuzzy, despite the candidates’ looming national energy policies and the fact that buildings consume a greater share of annual energy than transportation, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) stats. Yet, calls for greater automotive fuel economy standards continue to intensify even as President Bush in December signed into law new CAFE standards, while federal private-sector building policy remains virtually nonexistent.”

So, it remains a question of what solutions will be enacted and when, and by whom.

The Grist.org peeks at each Presidential candidate’s stance on environmental issues. Check it out here.

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