Green Building Law Update

Environmental Law and Sustainability for Business

Tag Archives: Kaplow

Lawsuit Against Maryland Seeks to Have First Amendment Apply to Green Power

By Stuart Kaplow on October 6, 2024 Posted in Energy, State

A group of energy companies are suing the State of Maryland challenging the recently enacted Senate Bill 1, which restrains truthfully marketing clean energy products including renewable electricity in the State, in violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Maryland Declaration of Rights. They assert that the law imposes an unconstitutional “speech … Continue Reading

Greenstalling Isn’t Real: Understanding Business Realities in Climate Action

By Stuart Kaplow on September 29, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, greenwashing

What’s clear is that “greenstalling” isn’t real. … Continue Reading

Eyeglasses versus Emissions: Are We Losing Sight of the Bigger Picture?

By Stuart Kaplow on September 22, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, GHG, greenhouse gas

After all, the goal of climate change mitigation should not blind those who already face a vision crisis, it should illuminate a way forward that supports both the environment and human progress.… Continue Reading

Howard County Real Estate Contract Required Provisions

By Stuart Kaplow on September 15, 2024 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Local Government

We can assist you in saving time, inconvenience, and expense with your residential contract of sale and the resultant transaction across Maryland… Continue Reading

Maryland 2024 BEPS Regulations: A Critical Analysis of Legal and Economic Risks

By Stuart Kaplow on September 8, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, GHG, greenhouse gas, State

We are available to assist Maryland businesses in navigating these regulatory challenges, including providing turnkey services for GHG tracking and compliance.… Continue Reading

Delay in Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reporting in California has Implications for All of Us

By Stuart Kaplow on September 1, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, GHG, greenhouse gas, State

SB 219 marks a significant moment in the evolution of climate disclosure laws… Continue Reading

Environmental Justice at Risk After Louisiana Ruling

By Stuart Kaplow on August 25, 2024 Posted in Environmental, Federal

Last Thursday, the Federal Court in Lake Charles, Louisiana, issued a judgment that may have far reaching implications for environmental justice across the United States. … Continue Reading

Checklist of Required Real Estate Contract Provisions in Baltimore County

By Stuart Kaplow on August 18, 2024 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Local Government, State

Real Estate Contract Provisions in Baltimore County… Continue Reading

Berkeley’s Natural Gas Tax is a Warning to Building Owners Nationwide

By Stuart Kaplow on August 11, 2024 Posted in Uncategorized

Attempts to ban natural gas, be it by building codes, BEPS mandates, or the like, will all fail as preempted by Federal law and this new tactic of taxing fossil fuel out of existence is coming to a jurisdiction where you live or operate a business.… Continue Reading

The Paradox of Banning Electric Vehicles in Older Garages: Legislative Intent vs. Structural Reality

By Stuart Kaplow on August 4, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Environmental

Residential condominium boards are increasingly restricting or outright prohibiting the use of such EV charging equipment within older garages… Continue Reading

With ‘new’ proposed Maryland BEPS regulations what does a Building Owner do now?

By Stuart Kaplow on July 28, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, GHG, greenhouse gas, State

After this post, on September 6, 2024, the Maryland Department of the Environment announced the 2023 Building Energy Performance Standards proposed regulation has been withdrawn and new 2024 BEPS action has been proposed. The full text of the proposed regulatory action appears in the Maryland Register and you can read it there. Or faster and easier you … Continue Reading

Reduce Methane Emissions with Kitchen Garbage Disposals

By Stuart Kaplow on July 21, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Environmental, greenhouse gas

By embracing in sink garbage disposals and complementing them with waste reduction and composting efforts, we can all play a part in slowing climate change and creating a more sustainable future.… Continue Reading

Court Dismisses Baltimore’s Climate Claims: Implications for Future Litigation

By Stuart Kaplow on July 14, 2024 Posted in City, Climate Change

This case is pathbreaking because it is the first time a state court has dismissed one of these several similar climate claim suits brought by states and local governments across the country. … Continue Reading

The Government is Coming For Your Gas Stove But Voters May Save You

By Stuart Kaplow on July 7, 2024 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Energy, Environmental

Washinton state citizens are going to vote in the November elections to repeal government's efforts to mandate decarbonization because all electric building laws are wronngheaded environmental public policy.… Continue Reading

In Ohio v EPA Supreme Court Reins in EPA: A Win for Environmental Protection

By Stuart Kaplow on June 30, 2024 Posted in Environmental, Federal

Together with other recent Supreme Court cases, this provides a path for good stewardship of the environment without overreaching government. … Continue Reading

Maryland Governor Executive Order Mandates Climate Action

By Stuart Kaplow on June 23, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, GHG, greenhouse gas, State

The executive order mandates comprehensive economy wide actions in both the public and private sectors, to place Maryland ahead of all other states in mitigating climate change… Continue Reading

Legal Action Seeks Mandatory Pollution Warnings for Gas Stoves

By Stuart Kaplow on June 16, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, GHG

Absent some new government intervention with warning labels on cooking oil, a government action that would be rationally related to a legitimate government interest would be proper increased ventilation in buildings… Continue Reading

Maryland’s Offshore Wind Ambitions Set to Soar with New Agreement

By Stuart Kaplow on June 9, 2024 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Energy, Environmental, wind turbine

The next step will be when BOEM holds a sale for the proposed offshore wind projects off the Maryland coast later this year. … Continue Reading

White House Unveils Commitment to Carbon Offsets

By Stuart Kaplow on June 2, 2024 Posted in Climate Change, Federal, GHG, greenhouse gas

Voluntary carbon offsets are indispensable tools for organizations striving to achieve net zero emissions, particularly those unable to generate enough onsite renewable energy. … Continue Reading

Maryland Needs to Produce More Electricity

By Stuart Kaplow on May 26, 2024 Posted in Codes and Regulations, Energy, Solar Panel, wind turbine

Maryland, like many other similarly situated states, cannot import its way out of this predicament with ever increasing electricity demand, produced from coal or not. … Continue Reading