NPRArticle-Building Law Seen As Threat To California History

[Alias]

Interesting take on new Green vs old historic.

Sue

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... =123861278

 

[conarb]

Re: NPRArticle-Building Law Seen As Threat To California History

Sue up in the State of Jefferson:

I like some of the things that Meg Whitman is saying, on a radio ad she invited people to her site with ideas on getting California moving again.

I went to here site and made a short post, hoping that one of her aids might contact me. If you recall Gray Davis' Building Standards Commission adopted the NFPA 5000 giving us residential sprinklers, one of Schwarzenegger's first moves as governor was to accept the resignations of the entire commission and appoint a new one, their first move was to roll back the adoption of the NFPA 5000 and stay with the UBC based CBC. In my post I didn't specifically mention sprinklers because we haven't seen the code yet and don't know whether most homes will, or will not, fall within the exception, here is my short post:

Meg:Accept the resignations of the entire Building Standards Commission, appoint a new commission that rolls back their adoption of the new building code, Arnold did it when he was elected and got rid of a bad code, his commission is about to adopt a new bad code that will kill jobs, it is the work of commercial interests promoting their products. The Green Building Code is a disaster, it is to take effect Jan 1st, areas that have voluntarily adopted it have homes so toxic that people can't live in them without getting sick, Los Altos is one such city. "Green" has to be completely rethought, "green" is now synonymous with toxic as it stands, the Energy Code effective last August 1st in insane, it is the office building "sick building syndrome" all over again but this time in homes, it seals up homes then pumps air back into them creating 50% more energy use than before the code was adopted. We don't need "green jobs", we need real jobs.¹

¹ http://www.megwhitman.com/california_fo ... osts#forum

 

[Alias]

Re: NPRArticle-Building Law Seen As Threat To California History

ConArb -

I missed the whole recall, I was in FL. :roll: What I do remember is an article that my folks sent me about a county building in south Santa Clara County that was condemned shortly after it was built because of the toxic mold and the employees getting very ill.

I have done direct weatherization and been through the PG&E Training School in Stockton. The one thing that I remember when doing blower door was to not seal the house up too tight.

The house needs to be able to breathe.

Sue

 

[conarb]

Re: NPRArticle-Building Law Seen As Threat To California History

Sue up in the far north:

An industrial hygienist named Linda Kinkaid is leading the fight down there. here is something on her, I talk to here frequently ow and have retained her for the new home I'm trying to permit down in Saratoga.

Air Quality Like Katrina TrailersA 2005 statewide study of residential ventilation and indoor air quality found that new homes in California have very little natural ventilation (around 0.1 air change per hour). Unless windows are opened daily, formaldehyde can concentrate to unhealthy levels. My 2009 study of new, unoccupied South Bay homes showed formaldehyde levels that can cause illness. Homes in San Jose and surrounding communities typically had formaldehyde levels between 30 and 80 ppb. Compare this to the 27 ppb recommended by GreenPoint Rated. Homes in Los Altos typically had formaldehyde between 60 and 120 ppb. Compare this to the median formaldehyde level in the infamous Hurricane Katrina FEMA trailers: 79 ppb.¹

Inspectors are making people sick by enforcing codes!

¹ http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/TheLom ... 2010010201

 

[Alias]

Re: NPRArticle-Building Law Seen As Threat To California History

Sue up in the far north:An industrial hygienist named Linda Kinkaid is leading the fight down there. here is something on her, I talk to here frequently ow and have retained her for the new home I'm trying to permit down in Saratoga.

Air Quality Like Katrina TrailersA 2005 statewide study of residential ventilation and indoor air quality found that new homes in California have very little natural ventilation (around 0.1 air change per hour). Unless windows are opened daily, formaldehyde can concentrate to unhealthy levels. My 2009 study of new, unoccupied South Bay homes showed formaldehyde levels that can cause illness. Homes in San Jose and surrounding communities typically had formaldehyde levels between 30 and 80 ppb. Compare this to the 27 ppb recommended by GreenPoint Rated. Homes in Los Altos typically had formaldehyde between 60 and 120 ppb. Compare this to the median formaldehyde level in the infamous Hurricane Katrina FEMA trailers: 79 ppb.¹

Inspectors are making people sick by enforcing codes!

¹ http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/TheLom ... 2010010201

ConArb

It's not the inspectors, it's the legislators! The inspectors are left to enforce the laws that the legislators think are nifty ideas, never mind the consequences! :roll:

Sue, :mrgreen:

 

[conarb]

Re: NPRArticle-Building Law Seen As Threat To California History

Sue:

I know, but you are the long arm of enforcement of the legislative dictates. I knew a motorcycle cop, a drinker and chain-smoker, when California was talking about passing their non-smoking law in bars I asked him if he could arrest someone in a bar for smoking, he said no he would retire first, they passed the law, he retired. He was a man of principle, as our codes get more fascist I would think that many inspectors are going to be forced to make those types of moral decisions, can you sleep with yourself at night while enforcing laws during the day you don't believe in?

Look at the stupid energy codes and the USGBC's LEED program, these "green buildings" consume more energy than normal buildings.

Look at the sprinkler mandate, knowing full-well how the process was bought by the sprinkler industry can you enforce it in good conscience? Inspectors are going to be forced to choose between their own livelihood and their conscience.