California’s New Green Laws

On Monday, a California state panel recommended that fees being taxed on residential and commercial greenhouse-gas emissions be allocated to energy-saving citizens, serving as an incentive for more members of the Golden State to go green. These funds would be distributed as annual dividend checks and could result in refunds of more than $1000 for a family of four. This week, in an unrelated government effort to increase sustainable living, California will adopt a statewide green building code that will reduce water use, require recycling of building material waste, and more strongly enforce energy efficiency in newly built schools, commercial buildings, hospitals, and homes.