Getting a handle on global warming isn't only about tailpipe emissions or smokestack pollution. It can also be about building practices in a dynamic, expanding place like California.
Water use, construction material, and energy efficiency in buildings have a bearing on the state's goal of reducing global warming emissions by 30 percent by 2020. Carbon emissions from buildings rank second behind cars and trucks, making design and construction standards essential in controlling greenhouse gases.
That's why greener building standards adopted last week by a state commission are significant. The package won support from both sides in the debate, environmentalists and the building industry, though not without serious compromises that may need more adjusting.
The rules should be a guide for the rest of the country though they come with California-specific ingredients. Reducing energy use by 15 percent could be realized through more efficient appliances, lighting, elevators, windows and reflective roofing materials. The plan also asks that water use be cut by 20 percent via improved plumbing and drought-resistant landscaping in a state where water is increasingly scarce.
One feature of the standards is worth noting. Both Los Angeles and San Francisco have adopted even stricter rules, and the state regulations won't trump these higher standards. This local exemption was a sticking point between cities and Sacramento and needs emphasizing in case other cities want to draw up similar rules.
This editorial first appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on Wednesday.
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