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How do business groups view the Green New Deal?
Seth Sandronsky Civil & GovernmentThe Green New Deal (GND), a resolution in both houses of Congress, arrived on Feb. 7, thanks to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). The GND "would create millions of good, high-wage jobs in the United States, provide unprecedented levels of prosperity and economic security for Americans, and counteract systemic injustices — all while addressing the existential challenge of climate change," Sen. Markey said in a prepared statement. What about the ways business groups view the costs and benefits of the bill?
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Design demand drops amid economic uncertainty
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesRecent indicators show architecture and design firms experienced a slowdown in activity during the latter part of the fourth quarter of 2018. Unstable business conditions due to concern about the pace of economic growth in 2019 and turbulence in the stock market in the months of November and December were the main reasons given for the downward trend. Firms reported clients were postponing, delaying or canceling projects as they awaited clearer signals on which direction the economy might move in the next year or two. New contracts and client inquiries also were down from the previous quarter.
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Most states pushing for efficiency standards, net-zero buildings
Scott E. Rupp Facilities & GroundsU.S. states are investing more in their energy efficiency efforts to deliver increased power savings even as the federal government is freeing the reigns of some of its environmental rules, according to the 2018 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard. Per the report, the 12th annual version, dispatched by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), there are clear leaders nationally — Massachusetts and California — as well as most-improved states — like New Jersey. Some states lost ground from previous reports, and others are lagging behind, including North Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming.
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Negotiating commercial leases: Reduce your square footage
Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield RetailFor many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or landlord can be a challenge. While an entrepreneur focuses on marketing and managing, savvy real estate agents and brokers are specialized salespeople. Their job is to sell tenants on leasing their location at the highest possible rental rate. Whether you are leasing a new location for the first time or negotiating a lease renewal for your business, here are two money-saving tips.
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Housing America part 1: The decline of public housing
Lucy Wallwork Construction & Building MaterialsJust as in other parts of the world hit by the shockwaves of the Industrial Revolution, the call for public housing in the U.S. was born in the late 19th century out of an urgent attempt to put an end to the urban misery faced by factory workers. With rising levels of homelessness in the U.S. today another crisis is looming but the response this time around is a more ambiguous one. This first part in a series on housing in America tells the story of how public housing began in the U.S. and how it got where it is today. Future articles will look at other aspects of housing in the U.S. in more detail.
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Facility management staffing levels appear to be rising
Scott E. Rupp Facilities & GroundsAccording to a new study released by FacilitiesNet, more facility managers have reported increases in capital and operating expense budgets in the last year, and there have been more increases in staffing than reported decreases. The data was gathered by Building Operating Management. The information came from facility managers representing a number of different building types, including corporate offices; colleges and universities; government, with breakdowns for federal, municipal, and state buildings; hospitality; K-12 schools; leased space; and healthcare facilities.
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Government shutdown could exacerbate a dangerous winter for those in need
Michelle R. Matisons Civil & GovernmentThe need to remain warm in winter is so patently obvious that we almost forget about it as we put on extra layers, go outside early to prepare the car, and center plans around the warmest times of day. Survival for many in winter is already hampered by freezing temperatures, snow, and ice. A number of additional obstacles, ranging from homelessness, poverty, and the government shutdown, undermine people’s basic efforts to stay warm and alive in a season not even halfway over yet.
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Surviving weekends on the road
Cindy Belt Recreation & LeisureFor those of us that travel the road, weekends are a special time. It is not because we can finally get away from it all — because we do that every day. But that is the time when we must share the campgrounds with weekend campers. Many campsites are reserved by people who plan their special camping trip for months in advance. Others may be filled by locals who enjoy camping on weekends.
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Ironing out the wrinkles in activity-based workplaces
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesSnowballing complaints about the deficiencies and annoyances of open-plan office spaces have pushed employers and designers to experiment with alternative workplace solutions. One model gaining in popularity is the activity-based workplace, which provides a greater variety of spaces to accommodate different types of tasks and work styles. While this approach has received favorable acceptance from employees, recent studies show additional factors need to be considered in order for these spaces to live up to their promised performance.
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Why the drop in the monarch butterfly population is important for humans
Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & EnvironmentalThe Western monarch butterfly population in California declined 86 percent in 2018 compared to the previous year, according to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a nonprofit group that conducts an annual survey of the species in the Western United States. Even more stark for the species is that it has dropped a shocking 97 percent since the 1980s, the agency reports. The decline is "potentially catastrophic" told biologist Emma Pelton, who oversees the Xerces Society survey, to The New York Times.
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