Oregon wildfire risk law prompts extensive backlash from property owners

A bipartisan bill aimed at protecting property owners from wildfires that was passed by the Oregon legislature has prompted a strong backlash, according to a Grist report.

The law provided money to develop new building codes in vulnerable areas and help residents fireproof their homes. One provision requiring the state forestry department to create a comprehensive wildfire risk map with assigned risk scores for every property owner in the state proved to be highly controversial.

Hundreds of residents denounced the measure at public meetings and hundreds more wrote in to contest their risk status. Many argued that the risk map would make their insurance more expensive and their property harder to sell and less valuable.

The wildfire map controversy serves as a warning to other states and cities that want to enact similar laws to adapt to climate change. The possibility of new restrictions on homeowners in vulnerable areas may prompt significant pushback.

nZero, developer of a real-time carbon accounting and management platform, is offering free carbon emissions assessments for buildings in New York City. The offer is intended to help building owners prepare for the city’s upcoming Local Law 97 reporting requirements and compliance. This law will soon assess monetary fines for buildings with emissions that are in non-compliance.

Resiliency | Aug 7, 2023

Creative ways cities are seeking to beat urban heat gain

As temperatures in many areas hit record highs this summer, cities around the world are turning to creative solutions to cope with the heat. Here are several creative ways cities are seeking to beat urban heat gain.

Products and Materials | Jul 31, 2023

Top building products for July 2023

BD+C Editors break down 15 of the top building products this month, from cleanroom doors to window storm protection systems.

Sustainability | Jul 27, 2023

USGBC warns against building energy code preemptions, rollbacks

In a recent editorial, the USGBC cited a growing number of U.S. state legislators who are “aiming to roll back building energy code standards and/or preempt local governments from advancing energy-efficient building codes.”

Resiliency | Jul 27, 2023

'Underground climate change' can damage building foundations, civil infrastructure

A phenomenon known as “underground climate change” can lead to damage of building foundations and civil infrastructure, according to a researcher at Northwestern University. When the ground gets hotter, it can expand and contract, causing foundations to move and sometimes crack.