Updating Building Codes in U.S: Time for Change

It is often said, "necessity is the mother of invention." Within the vital field of environmental protection and preservation, this is familiar territory. For many years, while the American government has been hibernating, reluctant to set forth new precedent for new legislature, other countries, including Great Britain and Sweden (among many), have leapt forward and have made great strides with their new pro-green attitude. While Americans have gotten away with consuming too much of everything, including fossil fuels, oil, and coal, there is new hope that change is finally on the way.

Fortunately, the current situation is not entirely dire even though there is room for major improvements, as evident in the state of Hawaii. On February 7, Gov. Linda Lingle announced the Hawaiian Clean Energy Initiative, which includes the agreement with private industry to install solar panels on government facilities. The Governor states, "This innovative, unprecedented partnership builds on the progress the state has made to increase energy independence by decreasing Hawaii's reliance on imported oil." She continues, "Our islands' abundant natural sources of energy, combined with the considerable capabilities of the Department of Energy, will help Hawaii lead America in utilizing clean, renewable energy technologies." According to this agreement, Hawaii would generate 70% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. This plan is largely dependent upon the research of federal agencies and research laboratories to develop solar, wind, and biofuel solutions.

As Hawaii makes valuable progress, California, on the other hand, recently adopted a progressive plan, which recommends that all residential buildings be adjusted to a "net-zero energy" performance by 2020 and for commercial buildings by 2030. This recommendation was released in the Integrated Energy Policy Report by the California Energy Commission (CEC). According to the CEC, the 2008 standards will get us closer to updating our energy policies.

Nevertheless, it is important to note that the goals of this program are merely concerned with net-zero energy- "no net purchases from the electricity or gas grid." This means that it does not prohibit the use of fossil fuels; instead, those buildings that use fossil fuels would have to be offset by renewables.
Finally, the initiative applies only to new constructions. On the right, is a picture of one of these net-zero energy homes, built in Borrego Springs, California.

As the US attempts to build momentum, Sweden has been diligently building environmentally friendly homes for years. According to architect Greg La Vardera of Lamidesign, "everything- the pipes, the wiring systems, the doors, the stairs... everything has been engineered and rationalized to reduce labor, find energy and material economy and work with the method of construction where stuff is pre-assembled."

According to the same article, "How They: Build in Sweden: Panelized Prefab," one is inclined to ask, why is it so difficult to implement similar changes here? One main reason is that the construction inspection conventions in the U.S. Construction, including products and standard construction practices must be updated so that we are able to advance this revolutionary fight to protect and preserve the environment. The system is clearly broken.

While Sweden continues to build eco-friendly homes, and while even historic buildings enter the era of clean, green energy, the U.S. is left struggling with establishing basic rules and regulations for their building codes. Particularly, a one-thousand-year-old castle in Great Britain, through the foundation of The National Trust, installed solar panels in an effort to fight the dangerous consequences of climate change. A spokesperson for the project commented, "These panels will demonstrate how we can harness renewable energy even from hugely important conservation sites without affecting their special character."

We are essentially out of excuses; the time has come to for the private sector and the government to work together in unison so that we may live up to our names in the international sphere. So far, we have largely been an embarrassment in both our exaggerated consuming habits and our virtually non-existent preservation practices. The simple notion of give-and-take is tipping over.

Regrettably, on February 7, the Senate thwarted the latest attempts (by one vote) when they voted to halt support for "green tax breaks and incentives." This past vote was a chance to renew the old energy economy and consequently, to step into the new economy of wind and solar power, new clean energy (green) jobs, and energy independence. Favorably, with the onset of a new presidential race, the pathways for a new energy policy have opened again. The Bush-Cheney era was practically a playground for big oil, coal, and gas corporations.

Sooner or later, America must take full responsibility for its actions. The ecological footprint, which measures "human consumption of natural resources in comparison to Earth's ecological capacity to regenerate them," has found that "if everyone in the world lived liked the average U.S. citizen-- that is, had similar eating, transportation, living, and consumption habits-- we'd need 5 1/3 planet to support ourselves." This calculates the fact that the "Earth has about 4.5 biologically productive acres for each person, and the average ecological footprint in the U.S. is twenty-four acres" (Earth Day Network).

The calculation of the footprint takes into account everything from the amount of food we eat, to the house we live, to the cars we drive, and other consumption habits. This very complex calculation simply answers the question: how much of the Earth's resources do our lifestyles require? It is evident that the ecological footprint serves as yet another reminder that we are constantly taking things and not giving enough back; hence, little things eventually add up.

We must follow in the footsteps of other countries and pave the way for our own unique needs. Converting residential homes and commercial buildings into eco-friendly sanctuaries where they emit less green house gases is one of the first and most important steps. The economic recession, as felt in the residential construction industry, is perhaps a good time to rethink and revise this broken system, so that when our economy rises from the slumps again, we may do so in dignity and smarts.