CALGREEN: New Challenges for Green Professionals

The world around us is changing, rapidly at that. The things that were once commonplace are no longer needed, and new more innovative ways to do things are appearing.

The California government is now enforcing a green building code, called CALGREEN. This has been in effect since January 1st 2011. This is a bold statement to the world regarding the need for change, and a new way of doing things.

Adding new regulations to the old building code was more than necessary. Buildings were being built by non-renewable resources, and leaving a much larger environmental footprint than needed.

By California Law, it is now a requirement to prevent such things as light pollution, moisture within the building, waste on the building site and an overall neglect of the world around you.

By creating this law, California is insuring that its buildings will not only be visually pleasing but also pleasing to the environment.

California will enforce this law by doing random checks of building sites; any builder who is not complying with the green standards of building will be given a stop work order, until the changes are made.

This new law may initially cause problems for the green builders, as these new requirements may be difficult for some professionals to implement. Learning a completely new way of doing things is never easy, and there is always a learning period.

Another challenge that builders may have with this new building code is enforcing it. Sub trades such as electricians and installers may not know about the changes, or want to change how they do things. This will cause issues for the general contractor, who is responsible for upholding the law.

Gathering the green materials may prove to be a little more difficult than finding commonly used materials, in the first little while. Once this law has been in place for a few years, it should become easier and easier to find the needed materials, as well as sub trades willing to make the change.

Change is always greeted with a certain amount of resistance. This new law is no different; it will go through a time of adjusting and learning, as all new laws do.

The world around us is the most important resource we have, it can never be replaced, nor can it be bought back.

The new CALGREEN building code provides professionals with green training and handbooks, to insure everyone knows what the new law is, and how to enforce it.

California has now embarked on a new frontier of protecting land, rather than destroying it. Watching this new green building code take effect, could only entice other states to do the same. Welcome to the new world of green!

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