Page 8 - Green Builder January 2017 Issue

Green Building NEWS

The latest on sustainability and renewable energy

Major U.S. Firms Urge Trump to

Take Climate Change Seriously

Big Business demands he keep an open it entered into in 2015. Now, he is “studying” whether the United
States should withdraw from the global warming agreement, the

mind, keep U.S. in Paris AgreementRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP recently told Fox News Post reported.
That’s a partial victory for Big Business, which a week earlier
Sunday that he still doesn’t believe in global warming. But
he won’t completely deny it, either. “Nobody really knows,” sent a letter to Trump and other world leaders demanding that he
keep the U.S. in, out of concern for the environment and “American
Phe said. “It’s not something that’s so hard and fast.” prosperity.” More than 300 companies signed the letter, including
Nike, Starbucks, eBay, HP, Kellogg, Hilton and General Mills.

According to the Washington Post, Trump

is a longtime critic of the global warming theory, often

calling it a hoax. But his bigger concern, he says, is

the way environmental regulation is “undercutting

America’s global competitiveness.” He cites how other

countries, such as China and Mexico, are quickly able

to open new factories because they are not subject to

the same restrictions as U.S. businesses.

During the presidential campaign, he threatened Nations united. World leaders were all smiles at the 2015 United Nations Climate
to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement Change Conference in Paris.

How Homebuilders Can
Overcome a Low-Water World
challenge to the western United States,” with
Next Generation Water Summit the potential to halt construction in the west CREDIT: FLICKR/DAVID J
and bring economic development to a standstill.
Wtackles need to do more with less.HEN THE NEXT GENERATION WATER SUMMIT
kicks off next June, the goal is clear: Get participants Three tracks will focus on emerging
to discuss how they will be able build more homes policy development, building design and
when there’s less water available. construction, and water conservation tools
The national event, set for June 4-6 in Santa Fe, and technologies, respectively.
N.M., is designed to “bring together a broad range of stakeholders to
develop strategies that integrate a variety of interests and develop Sessions at the summit include “How to
real solutions,” according to Kim Shanahan, executive officer of the Build to Net Zero Water,” “Alternative Water
Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association. Treatment Options,”“Stormwater Harvesting
in Western States,” “Plants for a Changing Climate” and more.
Summit officials note that water scarcity is “emerging as a critical
For more information, contact Next Generation Water chairpersons
Mike Collignon (mcollignon@greenbuildercoalition.org) or Glenn
Schiffbauer (glennschiffbauer@gmail.com).

6 GREEN BUILDER January/February 2017 www.greenbuildermedia.com