The president added that his government will promote housing on the basis of
proper town planning, which in turn will promote the orderly, sustainable
development of Mexican cities. The Secretariat of the Environment and Natural
Resources, the National Housing Commission and the Secretariat of Social
Development are working together to establish a code for the construction of
sustainable housing. These dwellings are designed to improve energy use, include
rainwater capture systems and most of them are built from non-toxic materials.
On a different note, President Calderon said that he would support the efforts
of Baja California residents to prevent the paving of the All-American Canal,
since this would harm both the environment and Baja California's border economy.
He explained that he had already asked the US government to explore alternatives
that would benefit both sides of the border as regards both agriculture and the
preservation of the environment as well as making better use of available water.
He also urged the citizens of Baja California to defend their rights and to
block any modifications to this canal, which would damage the economy and
environment of both Mexico and Baja California. Mexico has fulfilled its part of
the bargain, he said, by building plants to treat the wastewater that once
flowed into RÃo Nuevo; it is now up to the US to do its part. The president
ended by urging the citizens of both countries to view trade and border crossing
as an opportunity to improve their living standards rather than as a threat.