Climate Buildings

How Central Park cools the entire planet

Like all urban parks, Central Park cools New York City through evaporation. That is, its plant life and ponds give off moisture, which takes heat energy with it. It's as if the park sweats.

Until recently, though, we didn’t know whether green spaces cool the planet as a whole.

Critical List: EPA’s greenhouse report comes in for criticism; motorcycles are gross

The EPA and its inspector general disagree over what qualifies as a "scientific assessment." The EPA has concluded that greenhouse gases are dangerous; the IG now says that the assessment didn’t go through sufficient peer review. This is actually about the review of the relevant “technical support document,” not about the scientific findings, but tell that to Republicans.

The DOE gave a $737 million loan guarantee to a solar-tower project in Nevada, which had better the hell not fail now.

Motorcycles are more fuel efficient, but their tailpipe emissions contain nasty stuff.

Red means stop, except for bikers in Kansas

Under a new Kansas law cooked up by bikers and motorcyclists, two-wheelers are allowed to run red lights.

Better bus lines follow worker bees

If cities want to get people to ride public transit, they need to ditch downtown routes and take them where the jobs are.

Blogs put bikes on a path to world domination

The revolution won't be televised. Instead, we'll turn to the grassroots bicycle media to see the bright future of the sport take shape.

In Utah, cyclists on a mission

Weirdly, Provo's bike renaissance is missing just one thing: controversy.

Pedal pushers: Is Critical Mass bad for bikers?

Has the Critical Mass bike ride done more harm than good for the cycling movement?

Can bikes bring back the neighborhood bookstore?

Cars and the rise of big-box behemoths killed independent bookstores, but bicycling could help bring them back.

Tombstone, with sewage backups

New Mexico "ghost town" will give researchers room to play -- without flooding real people's basements.

What happens first in Vegas: bike lanes or bikes?

Las Vegas is a good place to test the theory of induced demand: In a city hostile to cyclists, will better bike infrastructure convert more drivers into riders?