A 2012 law that restricts taking into account the latest research in climate science could make North Carolina more vulnerable to Hurricane Florence.
The law banned policy makers from using recent climate science data to plan for sea level rise including things like elevation requirements on new buildings in flood-prone areas. The law was reportedly a response to a 2010 Coastal Resources Commission report that predicted sea levels on the Carolina coast would rise 39 inches by 2100.
The bill required the commission to write a new sea-level-rise report that limited its scope to the next 30 years. It was also required to take into account scientific studies refuting sea level rise, and to weigh the economic cost of limiting coastal development.
Scientists say the law is misguided, and will ultimately hurt the region’s ability to withstand damage from major storms. According to a recent article by a retired Duke University coastal geologist, the state should increase setback lines for coastal development, raise the height of buildings, move threatened buildings, prohibit rebuilding of storm-destroyed buildings, and begin a planned retreat from the rising water line.
Related Stories
| Jun 4, 2014
Dikes, water pumps, and parks will help New York City area be more resilient
The Obama Administration has pledged $1 billion in federal funding to protect the New York City region from flooding like the area experienced from Superstorm Sandy.
| Jun 4, 2014
Green initiative may scuttle high-rise projects in Berkeley, California, critics charge
Volunteers in Berkeley, Calif., are collecting signatures for the “Green Downtown & Public Commons Initiative,” a controversial measure that critics charge would halt some development in the city.
| Jun 2, 2014
Parking structures group launches LEED-type program for parking garages
The Green Parking Council, an affiliate of the International Parking Institute, has launched the Green Garage Certification program, the parking industry equivalent of LEED certification.
| May 28, 2014
Commercial building measurement standard could meet resistance from owners
For some building owners, a new measurement standard could mean that their building would shrink in size and lose value.
| May 28, 2014
Resiliency measures for hurricanes can help with tornadoes
Architect Butch Grimes, who examined the wreckage after a half-mile tornado struck Tuscaloosa, Ala., believes toughening building codes can reduce damage from twisters.
| May 28, 2014
Rooftop wind turbines becoming green status symbol in New York City
New York City developers are using rooftop wind turbines in an effort to attract buyers by highlighting a building’s green credentials.
| May 28, 2014
Peer review process under way for the WELL Building Standard
The standard is the first protocol of its kind that focuses on improving human wellness within the built environment by identifying specific conditions that, when holistically integrated into building interiors, enhance the health and wellbeing of the occupants.
| May 22, 2014
ASHRAE releases best practice guide for liquid cooling systems in data centers
The publication provides guidelines on interface requirements between chilled-water systems and technology cooling systems and on the requirements of liquid-cooled systems that attach to a datacom electronics rack.
| May 22, 2014
Colorado approves $4.2B data center said to be invulnerable to power outages
The Niobrara Data Center Energy Park project in Colorado will be the first data center to be fully self-contained with its own self-generated energy production facility.
| May 22, 2014
Energy Department analysis shows efficiency gains from ASHRAE 2013 energy standard
Preliminary DOE analysis shows that the ASHRAE/IES’s 2013 energy efficiency standard contains energy savings over the 2010 standard of 8.5% source energy and 7.6% site energy.