On December 7, Congress introduced H.R. 4213 wherein real estate general partners will no longer be taxed at 15% capital gains rates, but taxed at ordinary income tax rates as high as 35%. If passed, this would be the largest real estate tax increase in 23 years. H.R. 4213 is headed directly for a House floor vote on December 9 with no debate in committee. URGENT: Write Congress for green tax incentives, not real estate tax increases. Click here for sample letters to Congress.

GreenSpec Directory and Environmental Building News presented its annual Top-10 Green Building Products: (1) Pozzotive Plus CMUs and Concrete Brick from Kingston Block; (2) Thermafiber Mineral Wool Insulation Products; (3) Invelope Integrated Wall Insulation and Rainscreen System; (4) Baltix Recycled- and Biobased-Content Office Furniture; (5) Project FROG Modular Green Classroom; (6) Rheem HP-50 Heat-Pump Water Heater; (7) Convia Energy-Management Infrastructure; (8) Pentadyne GTX Flywheel Energy Storage; (9) Silva Cell Subsurface Tree Protection and Stormwater System; and (10) Mobile Solar Power Generator.

• AB 531 extended the 01/01/10 deadline for implementing AB 1103 wherein building owners must provide Energy Star data to prospective buyers, lessees or lenders.
• AB 758 creates programs for energy savings in existing buildings, free energy audits, and causes utilities to investigate providing customer financing for energy efficiency.
• AB 920 allows net-metering for customers with renewables to either roll over excess generation credits into the next year or receive payments from utilities at wholesale rates.
• SB 32 creates fixed-price pricing for energy generated from renewables helping owners to transform their properties into independent solar power plants that sell back to utilities.
• AB 1085 requires California Air Resources Board ("CARB") to make public all reports before the comment period for any proposed regulation to implement AB 32.
• ACR 77 urges CARB to meet the statutory requirements of AB32 by ensuring that its analysis of specified emission reduction measures include prescribed components.
• AB 210 encourages jurisdictions to adopt energy-efficient building standards that surpass those already included in the state's landmark Green Building Standards Code.
• SB 407 requires all residential and commercial buildings to install water-conserving fixtures by 2019 and requires such retrofitting when real estate transfers.
• AB 474 allows jurisdictions to establish assessments with willing property owners to finance permanent water-efficient fixtures.

The EPA issued its final ruling Monday that greenhouse gases (GHG) endanger human health, allowing the EPA to regulate GHG emissions even if Congress fails to pass emission reduction laws. The ruling was made as negotiators from 192 countries meet in Copenhagen to negotiate a global GHG emissions policy. The current U.S. position in Copenhagen is for GHG reductions of 17% of 2005 levels by 2020.

New commercial, residential, municipal and multipurpose buildings in San Mateo, California will have to be constructed to minimum environmental standards once a previously voluntary green building ordinance becomes mandatory on January 1, 2010. To view the ordinance, click here.

Jerry Yudelson's latest book profiles the fastest growing trend in the green building movement -- upgrading existing buildings. The book includes a comprehensive guide to greening existing buildings, marketing strategies, corporate sustainability programs and a 10-point best practices program for greening real estate portfolios.

People from home buyers to building professionals are taking a hard look at any technology likely to lower energy costs and preserve natural resources. Green building practices are paying off more quickly as costs decline with demand and home buyers are seeking out greener developments.

The USGBC and the Sierra Club's Cool Cities program launched the Green Buildings for Cool Cities collaboration. This partnership will combine Cool Cities' more than 200 local campaigns with USGBC's national network of 78 chapters to encourage new and retrofitted energy-efficient buildings.

The extreme power and cooling demands of data centers have forced IT teams to build expertise in facilities management, often helping their companies move toward greener, smarter buildings. Click here for details on various green IT projects.

An overhaul to the Energy Star program, which certifies and labels energy efficient products, is imminent. The EPA and the DOE are working to revise the program internally.

Former Vice President Al Gore called for a massive effort aimed at constructing green buildings. Gore stressed that green buildings and retrofits help the environment, create jobs and boosting the economy.

The San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center is the first public building in the county to earn LEED Platinum. The 5,600-square-foot nature center incorporates radiant floor heating, certified renewable lumber, photovoltaics and natural light and ventilation.

McKesson's pharmaceutical distribution center is the company's first to receive LEED-NC certification. It features recycled building materials, low-flow water fixtures, natural landscaping, motion-controlled lighting and parking for fuel-efficient vehicles. Click here for a YouTube posting of this article.

US Airways' headquarters in Tempe, Arizona earned LEED-EB/OM gold. The 218,000-square-foot, nine-story building features energy efficient lighting, low-water fixtures and improved indoor air handling.

The Mars Chocolate North America headquarters in Hackettstown, New Jersey features an 18-acre solar garden, low-flow plumbing, an upgraded energy management system, energy efficient lighting, a reflective roof, and recycled materials.