WTF? Cali couple ordered to cut down trees

[213th]

Only California would be this ghey



SUNNYVALE, Calif. — In an environmental dispute seemingly scripted for eco-friendly California, a man asked prosecutors to file charges against his neighbors because their towering redwoods blocked sunlight to his backyard solar panels.
But the couple next door insisted they should not have to chop down the trees to accommodate Mark Vargas' energy demands because they planted the redwoods before he installed the solar panels in 2001.
Experts say such clashes could become more common as California promotes renewable energy and solar systems become more popular.
"Five or ten years ago, you wouldn't have seen this case because there weren't that many systems around," said Frank Schiavo, a retired environmental-studies professor at San Jose State University. "I can almost guarantee there are going to be more conflicts."
After more than six years of legal wrangling, a judge recently ordered Richard Treanor and his wife, Carolyn Bissett, to cut down two of their eight redwoods, citing an obscure state law that protects a homeowner's right to sunlight.
The couple does not plan to appeal the ruling because they can no longer afford the legal expenses, but they plan to lobby state lawmakers to change or scrap the law.

The Solar Shade Control Act means that homeowners can "suddenly become a criminal the day a tree grows big enough to shade a solar panel," Treanor said.
The case marks the first time a homeowner has been convicted of violating the law, which was enacted three decades ago, when few homeowners had solar systems.
The law requires homeowners to keep their trees or shrubs from shading more than 10 percent of a neighbor's solar panels between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun is strongest. Existing trees that cast shadows when the panels are installed are exempt, but new growth is subject to the law.
Residents can be fined up to $1,000 a day for violations, though the judge did not impose any fines against the Treanors.
Vargas says the law protects his $70,000 investment in solar power, and he believes it should be strengthened.
"I think it's unfair that a neighbor can take away this source of energy from another neighbor," he said.
Treanor, a retired engineer, said he and his wife are not against solar power, "but we think there's a rational way to implement it."
Solar power is growing rapidly in California, which is by far the nation's biggest generator of solar energy. In 2007, more than 30,000 California homes and businesses had rooftop solar panels, with the capacity to generate 400 megawatts of electricity.
That's as much as eight power plants, according to the nonprofit Environment California.
The boom is being fueled by the California Solar Initiative, which offers homeowners and businesses more than $3 billion in rebates over the next decade to install solar-electric systems.
Both sides say they want to do what's best for the environment.
Treanor and Bissett, who drive a hybrid Toyota Prius, argue that trees absorb carbon dioxide, cool the surrounding air and provide a habitat for wildlife.
Vargas, who recently bought a plug-in electric car, counters it would take two or three acres of trees to reduce carbon dioxide emissions as much as the solar panels that cover his roof and backyard trellis.
Bernadette Del Chiaro, clean energy advocate for Environment California, says the solar shade law might need to be revised to prevent similar disputes.
"We want to make sure we are protecting individuals who have invested a lot of money in solar power, which is an important resource for the state," she said. But lawmakers might want to "take a look at the policy and make sure it's written in a way that's fair to everybody."

[MacLean]

I'd cut the trees down in such a way they fell on his solar panels.

[k-9max]

I'd cut the trees down in such a way they fell on his solar panels.

+1

[Illiy]

**Please note this is NORTHERN CALIFORNIA**

Shakes head...

[CTR man]

**Please note this is NORTHERN CALIFORNIA**

Shakes head...

San Francisco Bay Area to be exact. The rest of Northern California wishes they would slide off into the Pacific Ocean.

You have to remember, Sunnyvale is not that far from San Francisco. Closer to San Jose, but still. Same side of the Bay Area even. Ghey to the max. Totally. Pardon the Pun. I need to calm my valley talk. I think Al Gore came to visit this area.

I'd cut the trees down in such a way they fell on his solar panels.

I agree with Maclean, here.

[MacLean]

**Please note this is NORTHERN CALIFORNIA**

Shakes head...

Oh yeah, because there aren't any granola crunching, bark chewing, tree-hugging-dirt-worshippers in So Cal.

[CTR man]

Oh yeah, because there aren't any granola crunching, bark chewing, tree-hugging-dirt-worshippers in So Cal.

Nope, just sanctuaries for illegals. The granola crunching, bark chewing, tree-hugging-dirt-worshipers are in Berkeley. Once again, San Francisco Bay Area.

[Ducky]

Here and I'm pissed off because the lumber yard behind my house cut down all the trees on their back lot, and now I've got a great view of the projects, the lumber yard, the street the next block over, and have all the noise that comes with ALL of them. Only good thing about it is tonight we had a great view of the eclipse.

[JAYBIRD33081]

tree was there first the guy with the solor panels shouda known better **ck him its like ppl that movie in next to the airport or gun ranges then piss and moan and try to get the city to do something about the noise... it was there first and you knew it would be a problem then. the guy knew that tree would get bigger and there would be shade from it.

[Bob Loblaw]

Did anyone catch the irony of an environmentalist asking for someone to cut down trees? The story would be dumb enough if some asshole asked a neighbor to demolish the top story of their house so as not to block the solar panels, but a guy who's so fucking concerned with the environment that he installs solar panels so he can "live off Mother Earth's bountiful resources, man" asking for someone to cut down trees so he can be more concerned with the environment with his solar panels? What a dong....

[213th]

Did anyone catch the irony of an environmentalist asking for someone to cut down trees? The story would be dumb enough if some asshole asked a neighbor to demolish the top story of their house so as not to block the solar panels, but a guy who's so fucking concerned with the environment that he installs solar panels so he can "live off Mother Earth's bountiful resources, man" asking for someone to cut down trees so he can be more concerned with the environment with his solar panels? What a dong....

yup, and they are redwoods at that