Some good news from Environmental Leader:

LA Passes Green Building Rules

On Earth Day, the City Council of Los Angeles passed an ordinance requiring builders of large commercial and residential developments to adopt green building rules that would potentially cut millions of tons of pollution over the next decade, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Wearing a green necktie in honor of 38th Earth Day, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa pledged to reduce the city’s carbon emissions 35 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, an effort that will also require a crackdown on the city’s coal-dependent municipal utility and a move toward electricity from renewable sources.

City officials said about 150 new and renovated buildings, or about 7.5 million square feet, would be covered by the ordinance each year. The rules would amount to preventing about 85,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the next five years, the equivalent of removing 15,000 cars from the roads.

The LEED checklist includes such items as low-flow toilets, paints with low emissions, use of recycled materials, efficient irrigation, solar panels and use of natural light.

So far, one state, Connecticut, and 14 cities are requiring private developers to meet green building standards.

Labels: Environmental Leader, green building, Los Angeles, sarah

Awhile back I was playing a game of "which one of these things is not like the other" when Nike decided to green their operations. It looks like I'll play another round this morning upon reading a post by the lovely Bonnie Alter. U2- real estate developer---wha???

Yes, the building boasts many cutting Edge (sorry, couldn't help myself with that pun) green building features, but there's a lot of controversy surrounding the planning and zoning aspects of the development. Here's the story, reposted from Treehugger, what do you think?

U2 Has Architectural Problems

by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.14.07

You can't always get what you want....ooops, wrong group. U2 is having big problems with the 32-storey skyscraper that it wants to build, which will be the tallest building in Dublin and all of Ireland. Plans include a recording studio that will hang below vertical wind turbines, a huge solar panel, luxury flats, 34 social-housing flats and a five-star luxury eco-hotel. But there is opposition by all kinds of groups (not just those who can't stand Bono or his music).

Ireland's National Trust is against the so-called "U2 Towers" because of its impact on the surroundings. It will be located in a low-rise, traditional historic sector of Dublin and could be an "incongruous blot on the skyline". Since it is located in a regeneration area, no planning permission was needed. The Trust said "We have raised concerns about the overall lack of a strategy in Dublin to deal with global warming on developments in the docklands area (due to rising sea levels). We want to see it subject to proper public consultation. There is a sense of it being done in a far too behind-the-scenes manner." U2 also want to demolish an historic building and replace it with a super-luxury sustainable hotel for all the new Celtic tiger millionaires.

Others were scathing about the band's decision to move part of their music operations out of Ireland to the Netherlands in order to pay lower taxes on royalties. "The common good is not served by allowing the richest people in Ireland to build with the benefit of tax incentives". Rockers U2 have hit back--insisting the massive building will boost the city's economy.

Hit up the comment box with your thoughts.

Labels: green building, sarah, treehugger, U2

Regardless of how close you like to be to Burning Man, this year's festivities are a-happening. We'll have more commentary once the festival is over. For now, here's a Treehugger interview from back in May with Burning Man’s Environmental Manager Tom Price.

Labels: Burning Man, green building, treehugger

SELF-SUFFICIENT SKYSCRAPER. German architect, Eckhard Gerber, wants to build self-sufficient office towers in Riyadh, Dubai and Bahrain that produce 100% of their own electricity supply. The first tower would be 68-storeys, making it the 22nd tallest building in the world, and he is currently in talks with potential investors for the $406 million project. The cylindrical shape presents the minimum surface area to the sun, and a solar shield covers 60 degrees of the building. This will reduce the need for air conditioning.

Seawater will be used to cool air, as well as three large cooling units in the building's cellar. The roof will house a 197 foot wind turbine and 161,459 square feet of solar cells. The additional energy requirements will be handled by a floating solar panel island which drifts in the sea, close to the tower. Any excess electricity will be used to extract hydrogen from sea water, which is used by fuel cells to generate power at night. ::more ::Spiegel Online

Labels: green building, renewables, sarah, treehugger