This Week’s News for LA’s Best Buildings
Parts of Southern California Used 26% More Water in April, Despite Conservation Plans
Coastal Southern California increased water usage by more than 25% for the month of April, lagging behind most other parts of the state in conservation and appearing to dismiss dire warnings of supply shortages.
Climate Change is a Component of Disasters - But That's Not the Whole Story
In recent years, harmful events like heat waves in California have been called "climate disasters," but the underlying causes are more complex. Some experts worry that the focus on climate disregards policy that makes communities more vulnerable to disasters in the first place.
President Biden Invokes Defense Production Act to Accelerate Domestic Manufacturing of Clean Energy
President Biden today issued presidential determinations providing the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with the authority to utilize the Defense Production Act (DPA) to accelerate domestic production of five key energy technologies: (1) solar; (2) transformers and electric grid components; (3) heat pumps; (4) insulation; and (5) electrolyzers, fuel cells, and platinum group metals. The DPA determinations are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s plan to lower energy costs for families, strengthen national security, and achieve lasting American energy independence that reduces demand for fossil fuels and bolsters our clean energy economy.
ULI Outlook for Green Affordable Multifamily Housing
Members of ULI’s Sustainable Development Council and Affordable/Workforce Housing Council discuss sustainability strategies for affordable multifamily housing, the challenges and opportunities for net zero, other ambitious goals in affordable housing, and rising trends.
Where Parched California is Finding New Water Sources
As drought-plagued western states watch their water sources literally dry up, California is digging deeper to tap the most basic source of all: groundwater.
Amid a worsening drought scorching much of the western U.S., California’s numerous and varied potential drinking water sources are becoming unusable or, when purchased from Colorado or other districts, too costly. As reservoirs, rivers and washes dry out, state water resource administrators are boosting use of alternative supplies to ensure water keeps flowing.
How Can Commercial Buildings Become Needed Housing?
The state recently ordered cities across Southern California to plan for the construction of 1.3 million more housing units in the next eight years, including 8,874 in Santa Monica and more than 450,000 in the City of Los Angeles. Converting commercial buildings into housing is one approach that has been seized upon by local policymakers, current L.A. mayoral candidates, the county, and civic groups.
Image by Robert Gauthier via the Los Angeles Times