Everyone seems to want a greener San Francisco, but as two dueling ordinances show, selecting the proper shade is no easy task. The most clearly defined differences in the ordinances revolve around LEED requirements— a flawed system to be sure— but (for now) the only one we've got. In one corner, weighing in at 175 lbs (hair product included) is Mayor Gavin Newsom and a policy mandating all new construction must qualify for base LEED certification, with a plan to gradually raise the standard to LEED gold certification by 2012. And In the other corner, in the green trunks, is Supervisor Aaron Peskin (surprise) who has his own ordinance requiring that the city immediately call for all new construction to be built according the LEED gold standard. The mayor's Green Building Task Force believes that the time line will help businesses adjust to higher initial costs while opponents of his plan believe that an "if you build it they will come" mentality will prevail and high upfront costs will lessen as demand increases. Gavin's plan will be presented in mid-March, with the likely outcome being some sort of combination of the two plans.
· Building green in SF [SF Bay Guardian]
· Greener Than Thou: Carbon Neutral by 2020? [Curbed SF]
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