Category Archives: Uncategorized

 Louisiana is working to rebuild its coast line with  its $50 billion Master Coast Plan. This plan includes a “$2.92 billion project to divert sediment from the Mississippi River into the basin, mimicking the natural processes of the river’s flow in an attempt to save the state’s disappearing coast.” The plan includes working with fisheries, […]

Last week California  Building Standards Commission officially adopted amendments to the “California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen), Part 11, Title 24, that will limit embodied carbon emissions in the “construction, remodel, or adaptive reuse of commercial buildings larger than 100,000 square feet and school projects over 50,000 square feet.” Architectural Record | California Adopts First-in-Nation Building Code Revision to […]

How could pharmaceuticals be more affordable with eminent domain? The government would use eminent domain to obtain the patent, that was developed in part with public funds, and then set a reasonable price for the pharmaceutical. It’s called march in rights. The American Prospect | Eminent Domain for Overpriced Drugs

Italy has a proposal before the E.U. to prohibit “using food or feed derived from cell cultures or tissues of vertebrate animals. If enacted, this would bar food and feed business operators from producing, selling, importing, or distributing cell-based products for consumption.” Italy also wants to restrict the labeling of products containing exclusively vegetable proteins. […]

The Mayor of the City of Eagle Pass converted a public park to private land. They say the park is part of the Texas Governor’s border security initiative. Shortly after converting the public park to private land, the City of Eagle Pass city council returned the park to a public park. The Messenger | Texas […]

The federal Farmland for Farmers Act, a bipartisan measure, would prevent corporations, pensions, and investment funds from buying or easing farmland. U.S. Senator Cory Booker, an author of the legislation, said, “We must protect farmland from becoming an investment strategy for huge corporations.” Reuters | Lawmakers seek to limit corporate and foreign ownership of US […]

Miami has a voluntary Building Efficiency 305 program. This program uses data so that buildings can “cut waste and identify performance improvements that will keep utility costs and temperatures down.” Route Fifty | How local leaders are getting one hot county to cool down

Miami has a sustainable building program to address extreme heat. In Miami 40% of greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings. The sustainable building program requires “a silver certification from the Envision rating system or the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED.” Route Fifty | How local leaders are getting one hot county to […]

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the New York Power Authority, and New York City’s Housing Authority put out a call for innovation to develop induction stoves that use existing 120-volt outlets. Why induction stoves? less likely to create fire hazards as induction cooktops are cool to the touch. Not only […]

 Rhode Island joins Detroit and other local and state governmental entities that are starting web based housing listings for affordable housing. Rhode Island’s goal is to ensure that barriers to housing do not include  “Finding basic information on available units throughout our state and how to apply shouldn’t be one of them.”   Route Fifty | Watch out Zillow: […]