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Author |
Published |
Section |
Yazoo Keeper
EPA puts kibosh on wetland-destructive Army Corps project |
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02 Sep 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 1:14 PM on 02 Sep 2008 The U.S. EPA has vetoed a giant, expensive plan to build the world's largest water pump in the Mississippi River delta. The so-called Yazoo Pump flood-control project would have sucked 6 million gallons of water a minute from 67,000 acres of wetlands along the Yazoo River. The scheme, proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and first authorized by Congress in 1941, would have cost $220 m ... |
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| Topics: Army Corps of Engineers, habitat protection, Mississippi River, news, placemaking, progress, US EPA, water conflicts, wetlands (all these topics) |
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Full Boris
London mayor releases plan for adapting to climate change |
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29 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 1:45 PM on 29 Aug 2008 London Mayor Boris Johnson unveiled a draft plan Friday to help the city mitigate and adapt to climate change. Johnson put special attention to water conservation, calling for mandatory metering, increased efficiency, improved drainage, and rainwater harvesting. He also envisions more trees and green space. Environmentalists said the adaptation strategy was a good step, but said measures to cut ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change adaptation, climate change mitigation, London, news, placemaking, water crisis (all these topics) |
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PAYD in Full
California to offer pay-as-you-drive insurance plan |
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28 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:37 AM on 28 Aug 2008 Californians who minimize their driving could shell out less for insurance under a pay-as-you-go plan proposed Wednesday by Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. Under the voluntary plan, annual insurance rates would be based on miles driven, incentivizing Golden Staters to stay out of their cars. "As a strong advocate of healthy market competition and a healthy environment, I am especially pl ... |
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| Topics: California, cars, news, placemaking (all these topics) |
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The Golden-State Touch
California bill aims to curb sprawl |
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21 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 12:10 PM on 21 Aug 2008 Hopes are high that a bill aimed at curbing California sprawl will pass the state legislature and be signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bill, SB 375, would channel transportation funding toward projects that encourage smart growth. Each of California's 17 metropolitan regions would create a "sustainable community strategy" to encourage compact development; projects included in t ... |
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| Topics: California, legislation, news, placemaking, politics, progress, sprawl, state politics, urban planning (all these topics) |
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Just the Tip of the Bloomberg
Mayor has big clean-energy goals for NYC |
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20 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:54 AM on 20 Aug 2008 New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg touted clean energy Tuesday at, aptly, the National Clean Energy Summit. He said his city has issued a formal request to companies for ideas on how to source electricity from the wind, sun, and waves. "Perhaps companies will want to put wind farms atop our bridges and skyscrapers, or use the enormous potential of powerful offshore winds miles out in ... |
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| Topics: business, energy, local politics, New York City, news, placemaking, politics, renewable energy, wave and tidal power, wind power (all these topics) |
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What the Helmet?
Anti-bike crusader halts San Francisco's cycle-friendly plans |
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20 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 8:45 AM on 20 Aug 2008 With a claim that bike lanes increase pollution, a San Francisco resident has managed to put the brakes on the city's pro-biking plans. In 2004, San Francisco unveiled a proposal to create more bike lanes and bike parking, aiming to have 10 percent of city trips taken on two wheels by 2010. Enter Rob Anderson, who doesn't own a car but is no fan of cyclists. "The behavior of the ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, bikes, insanity, news, placemaking, San Francisco (all these topics) |
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Charge!
Electric-car visionary would overhaul the way we get around |
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19 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 7:55 AM on 19 Aug 2008 Could the global auto infrastructure be overhauled in a way that's profitable for business, cheap for drivers, and easy on the planet? Meet Better Place's Shai Agassi and his plans for an electric-car future, featured in the latest issue of Wired. In Agassi's vision, gas stations are replaced with omnipresent recharging spots for electric cars. Vehicles are cheap, perhaps even free; money is mad ... |
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| Topics: business, cars, Denmark, electric vehicles, energy, innovation, Israel, news, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Party of 55
Advocates push for return to 55-mph speed limit |
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18 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 11:18 AM on 18 Aug 2008 Platform shoes and high-waisted pants came back into fashion -- could the 55-mile-per-hour speed limit be the next '70s trend to reemerge? Advocates point to potential money and fuel savings, noting that fuel efficiency drops significantly above 60 mph. The Drive 55 campaign calculates that taking a daily 30-mile trip at 55 mph instead of 80 mph saves $1,100 per year; Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), who has c ... |
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| Topics: cars, fuel efficiency, news, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Splitting Airs
N.Y. wind rush brings corruption complaints, divides rural communities |
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18 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 8:28 AM on 18 Aug 2008 Lured by generous state subsidies, the wind industry is having its day in the sun breeze in upstate New York. But the scramble for turbine-friendly land has led to complaints of corruption and caused schisms in rural communities. At least two wind companies are being investigated for shady dealings, and evidence of possible improper influence or conflicts of interest have emerg ... |
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| Topics: business, energy, New York, news, placemaking, renewable energy, wind power (all these topics) |
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Parking up, driving down
Drop in U.S. driving last eight months exceeds the 1970s' total decline |
Joseph Romm |
14 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| June 2008 saw another sharp drop in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) according to the Federal Highway Administration's monthly report on 'Traffic Volume Trends.' Americans drove 4.7 percent less, or 12.2 billion miles fewer, in June 2008 than June 2007 -- beating the record-setting drop of March. Since last November, Americans have driven 53.2 billion miles less than they did over the same period a year earlier -- topping the 1970s' total decline of 49.3 billion mile ... |
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| Topics: cars, gas prices, oil, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Shifting Into Under-Drive
Americans drive less, use less gas, buy fewer cars |
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14 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:56 AM on 14 Aug 2008 Americans are driving less, burning less gasoline, and buying fewer cars, and the feds have the stats to prove it. New numbers show that Americans drove 4.7 percent less in June 2008 than they did in June 2007, shaving off some 12.2 billion miles. For those keeping track at home, that makes a total 53.2 billion fewer miles driven between Nov. 2007 and June 2008 than in that eight-month ... |
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| Topics: business, cars, economy, energy, gas prices, news, oil, placemaking (all these topics) |
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The (renewable) electron economy, part 5
More ideas for a post-oil society |
Michael Hoexter |
14 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| This is the fifth in a series on how we can build an energy future based on our best science and no longer critically dependent upon exhaustible and polluting fossil fuels. Promoting battery and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles Governments can play a key role in promoting electric vehicles by buying electric vehicles en masse and helping develop battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric fleets and fleet systems. With current technology, battery electric tr ... |
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| Topics: electric vehicles, energy, fossil fuels, placemaking, urban planning (all these topics) |
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Let's handcuff the property cops
Homeowner associations restrict eco-friendly practices in favor of aesthetics |
Guest author |
12 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| This is a guest post from Stan Cox, lead scientist for the Land Institute in Salina, Kan. It comes to us via the Land Institute's Prairie Writers Circle. ----- Susana Tregobov dries clothes on a line behind her Maryland townhouse, saving energy and money. But now her homeowners association has ordered her to bring in the laundry. The crackdown came after a neighbor complained that the clothesline 'makes our community look like Dundalk,' a low-income part of ... |
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| Topics: Congress, green living, local politics, placemaking, politics, state politics (all these topics) |
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The (renewable) electron economy, part 4
Toward the post-oil society |
Michael Hoexter |
12 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| This is the fourth in a series on how we can build an energy future based on our best science and no longer critically dependent upon exhaustible and polluting fossil fuels. The tripartite approach allows our society to cut oil demand and dependence substantially within a decade, much more quickly than a sole reliance on electrification of the autonomous vehicle fleet through sales of battery-electric and plug in hybrid vehicles. Combining these vehicles with th ... |
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| Topics: electric vehicles, energy, fossil fuels, placemaking, public transportation, trains (all these topics) |
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The people came
New York City's inaugural Summer Streets event a big hit |
David Roberts |
11 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| StreetFilms writes ... ... the New York City Department of Transportation held its first Summer Streets event on Saturday by opening 7 miles of city streets to pedestrians and bike traffic only. From 7 AM to 1 PM, roads were car-free from 72nd Street to the Brooklyn Bridge with Park Avenue serving as the backbone of the route. ... The general consensus was that the event succeeded beyond even the most hoped for expectations and would pass even the most pessimist ... |
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| Topics: green living, New York City, placemaking, video (all these topics) |
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Leading indicators
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David Roberts |
11 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| When the conservative Washington Post editorial board is stumping for smart growth and transit-oriented development, you know the tide is turning! |
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| Topics: placemaking, public transportation, trains, urban planning (all these topics) |
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Finally, We'll Find Out What Happens in Vegas
U.S. cities will report greenhouse-gas emissions |
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11 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 8:09 AM on 11 Aug 2008 Twenty-one U.S. cities have agreed to measure and report greenhouse-gas emissions in partnership with Local Governments for Sustainability and the influential London-based Carbon Disclosure Project. "Over 70 percent of total global emissions are generated from cities, and if you don't measure these emissions, you cannot manage them," explains CDP CEO Paul Dic ... |
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| Topics: greenhouse-gas emissions, news, placemaking (all these topics) |
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The (renewable) electron economy, part 3
A three-pronged approach to getting off oil for transportation |
Michael Hoexter |
10 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| This is the third in a series on how we can build an energy future based on our best science and no longer critically dependent upon exhaustible and polluting fossil fuels. Getting off oil: a three-pronged approach Oil is not 'evil,' it's an undervalued resource that has been squandered on tasks that could be much more efficiently achieved through the use of electric drive transport. Cheap oil has enabled individual and family mobility and autonomy at a low ... |
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| Topics: electric vehicles, energy, fossil fuels, hybrids, placemaking, public transportation, trains (all these topics) |
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On the Right Amtrak
Amtrak struggles to meet demand as ridership soars |
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08 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 4:42 PM on 08 Aug 2008 As commuters continue to look for alternatives to high gas prices, increasing numbers are choo-choo-choosing Amtrak. A record 28 million passengers are expected to ride the train this fiscal year compared to 25.8 million last year. The House and Senate have passed bills that could boost Amtrak's funding by 33 percent, which has Amtrak prez Alex Kummant saying he's "optimistic" about ... |
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| Topics: gas prices, news, placemaking, public transportation, trains, travel (all these topics) |
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Brownstein on land use
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David Roberts |
08 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| It's time to link climate and energy policy to land-use policy. We won't be able to reduce emissions and escape fossil fuels if we keep building communities that require massive amounts of driving. That's practically a truism among greens, but I'm not sure it's really entered the political bloodstream, so it's nice to see a kick-ass journalist like Ron Brownstein making the point in a prestigious publication like National Journal. |
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| Topics: fossil fuels, placemaking, sprawl (all these topics) |
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Vocation, All I Ever Wanted
Employers scramble to make commutes less costly |
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05 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 1:43 PM on 05 Aug 2008 Recognizing the very real possibility of losing quality employees to jobs with shorter, cheaper commutes, employers across the country are scrambling to help their workers save on gas. Many companies have started to strongly encourage telecommuting, even paying for at-home workers' laptops, Blackberrys, and/or wireless connections. Microsoft has leased extra office space miles from its W ... |
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| Topics: business, gas prices, green living, greening biz operations, news, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Globalization death watch, part II
The beginnings of a continentalized global economy |
Jon Rynn |
05 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Your faithful blogger was surprised to find himself representing part of the environmental blogosphere in a New York Times article on Sunday, 'Shipping Costs Start to Crimp Globalization.' It's very much worth reading, and prior to writing the article the reporter, Larry Rohter, talked with me about my first installment in this series, 'Globalization death watch, Part I.' In his article, after noting the recent collapse of global trade talks, Rohter writes: Some cri ... |
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| Topics: gas prices, oil, business, economy, placemaking (all these topics) |
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The Deals on the Bus
Greyhound and other intercity buses gain popularity |
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01 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 1:42 PM on 01 Aug 2008 High gas prices are helping Greyhound and other intercity buses shun their loser-cruiser reputation. Ridership on the U.S. intercity bus system fell by a third between 1960 and 1980, by half again by 2006 -- but jumped 13 percent in the past two years. "People are starting to feel good about stepping aboard a bus," says transportation expert Joseph Schwieterman. "Many see it ... |
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| Topics: gas prices, news, placemaking (all these topics) |
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This Makes Us Crabby
Is your favorite beach polluted? |
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29 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 2:08 PM on 29 Jul 2008 Photo: Tom Twigg American beaches "continue to suffer from serious water pollution that puts swimmers at risk," concludes the Natural Resources Defense Council in an annual report. There were 22,571 pollution-related closures or warning advisories on 3,516 beaches in 2007, says the report, second only to the all-time high 25,643 closures or warnings in 2006. NRDC attributed the decline to less rainf ... |
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| Topics: green living, news, NRDC, placemaking, water pollution (all these topics) |
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I Wonder How to Wander
Google Maps adds walking directions |
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22 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 4:40 PM on 22 Jul 2008 Taking another step toward complete indispensability, Google Maps on Tuesday became the first service of its kind to add walking directions. In addition to searches for car and transit travel, pedestrians -- and, hell, Segway-ers too -- can now find the most direct and flat route from Point A to Point B. The function works for trips up to 6.2 miles long, and recognizes that one-way streets only apply to ... |
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| Topics: green living, news, placemaking, tech, travel, websites (all these topics) |
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