Here’s a truly laudable decision from the Home Builders Association if Northern California. I’ve seen those commercials recently showing fictional natural disasters like a giant sandstorm in Dallas and the submersion of New York City due to rising temperatures and changing global climates. Granted the changes might not really hit our generation or even our children’s generation, but even the hard core religious have at least stopped (for the most part) trying to deny that we have an impact on our environment. I wish our local home builders association would do something similar. Maybe someday! Excerpt from bizjournals.com

East Bay Business Times – by Jessica Saunders

The Home Builders Association of Northern California has set a goal of reducing overall energy consumption in new homes 50 percent by 2020. Member builders will be required to achieve the reduction compared with 1990 energy consumption levels within 14 years, the association’s president, Joseph Perkins, said. They will also be asked to reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent from 1990 levels in the same time frame. Perkins announced the energy goals and the support for mandatory green building standards during a conference hosted by the California Public Utilities Commission Monday on growing the state’s green energy economy. More details were to be announced within the next 60 days.