Last month it was announced that the home builders are going to launch a rating tool (subs. req’d) to compete with the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system.

Still too soon to tell if this is a positive development (bringing competition into the marketplace of rating systems) or a negative development (a watered down system designed to be a weak version of LEED).

Since you need a subscription to read the piece, it’s posted in full below (from Greenwire).

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While the Washington Post misreported the story, the Politico gets the global warming and national politics story (mostly) right.

In “Generational test for Republican,” the online political publication points out the risks to Republicans of down-playing the seriousness of the climate issue. The article includes new data from Republican pollster Whit Ayres from voters in the 49 most competitive House races:

Ayres illustrates how independents — who were responsible for ousting the GOP majority in 2006 — are unmistakably supportive of swift action to cut carbon emissions and require cuts in carbon dioxide emissions by cars, factories and power plants.

Ayres seemed most surprised that independents and, to a lesser extent, Republicans wanted the U.S. to act even if China and India, two big polluters with rapidly growing economies, did not.

Who ever would have guessed that the voters are more sensible than their leaders?

The swing district independent voters said they were much more likely to support a candidate who votes to cut carbon emissions.

The analysis of how climate change plays out for Republican presidential candidates is cogent, if alarming:

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