House Approves $20 Billion For Green Schools

AP:

WASHINGTON -- The House on Wednesday committed more than $20 billion over the next five years to help states build and renovate schools to make them more energy-efficient and good for the environment.

Democrats said the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act would save school districts billions in energy costs while reducing asthma and other environmentally linked health problems. The White House threatened a veto, saying it was wrong for the federal government to launch a costly new school building program.

The legislation passed 250-164 and now must be considered by the Senate.

Read the whole story: AP

Comments

[1Eco]

Reducing the carbon footprint for all public and community buildings and vehicles is an excellent place to advance both green awareness and green savings.

This can be done on the local level with green community owned POWER. It can be done with trolley cars and a total shift in the way the community is designed. GREEN MAYORS will make that GREEN COMMUNITY difference happen all over America, one green community at a time.

Green states will offer investment incentives for green jobs, manufacturing, and green sustainable, small footprints, designed around walk and bike paths with a mixed use local community feel. These incentives will assist with both inner city renovations and for rural town green designs.

This requires an LEED CERT. understanding and training. That comes wtih green jobs training assistance.

http://www.greenforall.org/resources/the-green-jobs-act-of-2007

[mouselion]

"But Republicans, and the White House, saw the bill as a federal intrusion into education matters normally under the jurisdiction of states and local government­s."

It is interesting how the federal government has assumed a larger role and taken more power away from states under the current Bush administration. Yet, as soon as Democrats come up with a bill to help fund the necessary changes to nation's infrastructures, the Republicans cry "government meddling in local affairs!"

It boils down to Republicans are ultimately controlled by greedy, war-mongering interests which are well-served by the myth of a conservative philosophy of smaller government (when, in fact, the opposite is true).

The largest "investments" that need to occur are the re-designing of municipalities to accommodate the needed changes to people's lifestyles. It is up to We The People to demand OUR taxes go for what we say is needed, and, not for mega-corporations and their lackeys in government telling us how to be green.

Make Your Voice Heard! Tell your congressmen that you want your federal tax dollars to come to your community -- and not Halliburton, et al.

[dora rice]

At least we have another excuse for pork ......anyt­hing that is green color or has the name green..wil­l be attached to imortant bills with huge pork. Welcome to the new fad....the green world.