California is on the verge of approving the country's first state green building code, but some environmental groups are trying to stop it, arguing the code does not go far enough.
Energy efficiency, water saving and recycling of building materials are stressed in the new building code, which would be the first state-mandated green building code in the U.S. Critics including the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Global Green argue that the state's rules are too loose.
"But critics say the rules fall short of rigorous standards adopted by Los Angeles, San Francisco and more than 50 California jurisdictions in league with the U.S. Green Building Council, a national nonprofit group of architects, engineers and construction companies."
Read the full story: Environmental groups try to block parts of California's green building code
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