Hawaii has become the first state to require solar water heaters in new homes. The bill was signed into law by Governor Linda Lingle, a Republican. It requires the energy-saving systems in homes starting in 2010. It prohibits issuing building permits for single-family homes that do not have solar water heaters. Hawaii relies on imported fossil fuels more than any other state, with about 90 percent of its energy sources coming from foreign countries, according to state data.

The new law prohibits issuing building permits for single-family homes that do not have solar water heaters. Some exceptions will be allowed, such as forested areas where there are low amounts of sunshine.

That's great news and just the kind of action we need to migrate to alternative energy sources. We can't depend on common folks to adopt "green lifestyles" and thereby magically save the environment. It's a societal design that's causing the destruction and that is what needs to be changed, not detail-fiddling to please the corporations and media empires. The more we force green alternatives on people, the better we'll do--but ultimately, we also need to be fewer people and live a much more simple lifestyle. Solar energy is a step in the right direction though and every house should use it as main energy source in the future. We have the skills necessary to develop it - we can do it.