As green building professionals ourselves we certainly have a vested interest in seeing green building legislation passed.  That said, we're still on the fence as regards green building legislation. 

We found this article on Truckee, CA's debate on the subject interesting:

Should Green Building Practices Become Law

The article really doesn't editorialize and just lays out the points both advocates and opponents of green building legislation made at a Truckee public form.  It got us thinking - do you want to see green building legislation in your community?

Yes, we believe everyone should be building green, and yes it would be great for our business but is legislation the best route?  Would it affect our local economy?  With the dynamic nature of the industry would we risk legislating the requirement of soon to be obsolete technologies?  Can incentives and the free market spread green building practices fast enough to make a real difference?

What do you think?  Stepping back and looking at the issue objectively, the issue doesn't look as clear cut as one might think.

I think that legislating is the only way to acheive the results. If it is not a law, then some will and others won't and it is obviously more expensive for those who do follow green practices, and they can't always recoup the costs by charging more. The only way to actually entice people to go green is by making all builders meet some minimum level of "greeness".

This issue is a bit controversial, I think something should be done.  The only way something will be done is if the government sets standards.  It is a shame to see what these gases are doing to our environment.