Governments Are Urged to Build Greener – washingtonpost.com

Governments Are Urged to Build Greener – washingtonpost.com: The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments called for a new wave of ‘green building’ across the region yesterday, recommending that local governments build structures according to environmentally friendly standards and that they push private developers to do the same.The council’s recommendations, approved during a board meeting yesterday, are not binding for the 21 local governments on the council. But council officials said they hope that laws will change soon and that the Washington area’s next wave of develop”Which explains why San Francisco’s new green initiative is a… potentially costly error.

“The city’s Office of Economic Analysis has issued a report concluding that the city guidelines would significantly reduce greenhouse gases over time. But it also found that the higher costs of constructing environmentally sustainable buildings would translate to higher housing prices and commercial rents, slow construction rates and possibly discourage businesses from locating and expanding in the city.The report also analyzed a possible alternative: charging local businesses a tax based on energy use that results in greenhouse gas emissions. The Office of Economic Analysis concluded such a program could reduce pollution without affecting the city’s economy.” Report here.