Climate Cities
All Stories
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Lightweight Reading
Lightweight, fuel-efficient cars do just fine in Rocky Mountain winters, say some Grist readers, disagreeing with a recent letter to the editor that backed SUVs as the practical mode of transportation during snow season. Others agree that SUVs are a big help, and they applaud a push by some automakers to manufacture gas-electric hybrid SUVs. […]
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They Could Car Less
Seattle is finding sweet success with an experimental program that encourages couples to give up their extra vehicle. After a recent nine-week pilot program, six of 23 couples were thinking of selling their extra car, two were trying to sell it, and two had already sold it. The couples were paid $25 for the first […]
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Montezuma's Revenge
Mexico City, known the world ’round for its air pollution, will soon unveil a new 10-year plan to tackle the problem. The plan by the Metropolitan Environmental Commission will aim to reduce ozone and particulate levels in the air by taking such steps as retiring old trucks, limiting cargo circulation hours, using more natural gas […]
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Songbird Populations Drop in the U.S.
For each species of songbird whose population is on the rise in the U.S., two species are in decline, says Jeff Wells of the National Audubon Society. Of the 116 species whose populations have fluctuated since 1966, 76 have decreased significantly. Urban sprawl, and all that comes along with it (farmland and forest loss, more […]
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Bay City Rollers
Hybrid cars are all the rage in the San Francisco Bay area. About one in five hybrids sold in the U.S. has been purchased in the Bay area, and the average waiting time to buy a Toyota Prius or Honda Insight is five months at local dealers. Drivers say heads turn as their cars cruise […]
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Slim Shady
Tree cover has diminished significantly in 20 U.S. metropolitan areas over the last 25 years, as roads, parking lots, and more buildings have taken root, according to a study released yesterday by American Forests. The enviro group says the loss is a shame — because trees not only look swell, but they also provide financial […]
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A Civic Action
Honda unveiled a gas-electric hybrid Civic yesterday that the automaker says gets more than 68 miles per gallon, about 20 miles more than current models of gas-powered Civics. The new car will go on sale in Japan this fall and next spring in the U.S. Honda also said it would put a fuel-cell car on […]
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Dodge Bawl
Earlier this year, U.S. environmental groups and automakers met with congressional members to back a tax credit for fuel-efficient hybrid cars. Now enviros are saying the auto industry has violated the spirit of the agreement by pushing for tax credits for hybrid SUVs with low mileage ratings. Under a House bill, for example, a hybrid […]
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Sonic Bust
The emissions from Boeing’s new high-speed plane, the Sonic Cruiser, may pose a direct threat to the ozone layer. Two years ago, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that 1,000 supersonic aircraft flying in the stratosphere would thin the ozone layer by about 1 percent a year. Boeing expects to sell, gulp, several […]
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Footloose and Fancy Fleet
In a decision that could affect air pollution policy nationwide, a federal judge ruled yesterday that California officials can order public agencies to buy cleaner vehicles. Two industry associations challenged a rule by the South Coast Air Quality Management District that requires agencies to purchase low-emission or alternative-fuel cars, buses, and trucks, instead of diesel-powered […]
