Climate is Global - Weather is Local.

The National Association of Realtors has accelerated efforts to address the issue of Global Climate Change and its impact on the real estate market in the coming decades. Since both Presidential candidates support climate change legislation, it is unlikely this issue will be removed from the national policy agenda anytime soon. Climate change proposals currently under discussion in Congress and the Administration, if enacted, could impact homeowners in some of the following ways:

• Mandated energy auduts at point of sale\
• Mandatory Disclosure of Utility bills prior to sale
• Mandated energy efficiancy upgrades prior to sale
• A requirement that buildings produce more energy than they consume

First, I will step back and applaud the National Association for couching the terms of the discussion in what I consider more realistic terms – global climate change. I know we all have our personal biases on whether the world is warming, cooling or warming in some places and cooling in others. I remember as a high school Junior our national debate topic dealt with the disastrous global cooling trend that would end life as we knew it by the end of the last century. I could argue very effectively to demonstrate the validity of those theories and I think it’s partly to blame for a generation of free love and hallucinogens – after all, the world was ending soon, why not?

So having survived one end-of-the-world event, I tend to take the current hysteria of global warming arguments with my customary grain of salt followed by a shot of Cuervo. I think it is demonstrable that our climate is changing although I consider it highly suspect and somewhat presumptuous to conclude that we are responsible for it all. I know there are those who truly believe the earth revolves around them but I’ve got a news flash for them – as soon as I can drag the media away from Sarah Palin and the economic Armageddon.

Anyway, it is incumbent on us all to be good stewards of this earth. It may not be much but it’s all we’ve got so why not make an effort? Is outlawing plastic bags and mylar balloons going to do the trick? Hardly. But the debate about a more ‘Green’ future is a worthwhile one that we can all engage in.  

I recently sat through a 3 hour briefing of our Presidential Advisory Group on climate change and, as you might suspect, we endured our share of alarmists. The panel actually lasted 2 days but we were treated to the highlights reel – 3 hours of PowerPoint without the bathroom breaks, coffee breaks and the interminable questions from the guy at table two who knew everything. It was interesting to note that several speakers began their presentations with what appeared to be supportable evidence of climate change and then without any nexus whatsoever, launched into their attack on mankind for causing these problems. Wha? It’s like A equals B and C is the cause of D thru Z – no logical connectivity.

Fortunately there is also a growing contingent of groups supporting a more coherent approach to being Green. Of course attaching the word ‘green’ to most anything these days makes it automatically cool and probably  more expensive, but there are many legitimate groups exploring our alternatives and making real progress in the preservation of our globe. Conserving our existing natural resources is critical but most of us have a natural aversion to wastefulness so that’s not too hard. We can do more. And the necessity of developing alternative and renewable fuel sources is a no-brainer, although more problematic to implement.

Building homes and offices that generate their own energy is a great goal. I recently saw areas in Hawaii where entire communities have gone ‘off-the-grid’ generating their own wind and hydro power, retaining rainfall and reclaiming waste water, growing their own food organically and raising their own livestock. This type of organic self-sufficiency, and the way the government encourages it rather than penalizes it, should serve as models for our own communities.

Some of the forecasts and impacts of climate change include:

• <!--[endif]-->     Climate change is global but weather is local (they get paid big bucks for this, folks).

• Storm events will intensify

• Sea levels will rise – possibly several feet this century

• Rising sea temperatures will create more intense coastal storms and more interior droughts

• <!--[endif]-->Weather variability will increase making it more difficult to predict

• Decreased predictability means increased risk

• Increased risk means higher insurance rates (something we can already relate to).

• Some areas will become increasingly difficult and expensive to develop

• Avoid ‘high potential’ risk areas, low-lying coastlands, river deltas, hurricane belts and high wildfire risk zones. Use common sense (well, there’s a problem right there).

Well, that’s the good news. And here you are worried about your silly old mortgage. You should be moderately encouraged that the National Association of Realtors is on your side. Well meaning legislators may be tempted to over-react (NO!) and take silly steps that would impact your private property rights, your ability to build or sell your own home and the cost to insure and maintain it. We understand the need for moderating that approach as it impacts your home. While one hand of the government tries to dig us out of this economic hole we’re in, we want to make sure the other hand isn’t throwing in more dirt. It’s an ongoing battle – we’re up for it.

Gene Wunderlich - Selling Southwest California Homes including Temecula, Murrieta & The Southern California Wine Country
                   

Remember, Don't wait to buy real estate - Buy real estate and wait.