Energy
Government Control Vs. Individual Responsibility
Climate Central intern Ruthie Nachmany writes how one conference on energy envisions individuals taking a role in being energy efficient, while another conference prefers cities creating systems that can lead to energy efficiency.
Carbon Tax Becomes a New Reality in Australia
Australia's first term prime minister Julia Gillard announced a carbon tax that will charge $23 per metric ton. Though Australia is one of the world's top carbon polluters, the program will start next year, reports Sarah Laskow, GOOD Magazine.
Kunstler Says Glaeser is Living in the Past
In a two-part podcast, James Howard Kunstler dissects Ed Glaeser's recent presentation at CNU. Kunstler's main argument is that Glaeser's theories are based in past evidence - Kunstler believes scarcity of energy is going to change everything.
Mayors Push Gas Tax to Fund Transit in Vancouver
A group of mayor in the metropolitan Vancouver area have proposed an increase in the gas tax to develop a fund for a long-stalled transit project.
Water as Infrastructure
Developers in Sweden plan to use the several aquifers already located underneath Stockholm's streets to heat and cool the buildings located above them.
The Environmental Impact of New Cars
The new "Eco-Drive Index" offers a mode of comparing the average monthly environmental impact by an individual U.S. driver who has purchased a new vehicle that month.
Cloudy Outlook for Solar Energy in Britain
The Economist argues that heavy reliance on solar power as an alternative energy source will not help Britain meet its greenhouse-gas reduction targets in 2050 due to operational and financial infeasibilities.
Obama's Mileage-High Ambition
The Obama administration is proposing new mileage and emissions standards for U.S. vehicles. By 2025, American automakers will have to manufacture cars that achieve 56.2 miles per gallon (mpg).
Less Green for Climate Change Critics
Based on the company's annual worldwide giving report, ExxonMobil has significantly reduced grants for climate change research from $3.4 million in 2005 to $800,000 in 2010. But why?
Squeezing Juice from Brownfields
Communities across the country are trying to reuse contaminated brownfields as sites for the production of clean energy.
L.A.'s Green Paragon
The Los Angeles Times calls the Leipert-Pasker residence "the greenest house in L.A." In fact, the only thing that isn't green about this three-story home is its color.
FEMA Trailers 2.0
A Japanese company has released a self-sustaining, solar-powered emergency structure to rival all others. Once set up, it can run on its own off the grid for an entire month.
Obama Taps Into Strategic Oil Reserve
With the flow of Libyan oil at a stalemate, the President ordered the release of 60 million barrels over the next 30 days to keep the world supply stable and gas prices from increasing.
Kunstler Predicts the Future Lies in Small Cities
Some suburbs will be successful smaller towns, while others will become ruins, predicts James Howard Kunstler. Unlike other urbanists though, Kunstler thinks big cities are in trouble when cheap energy disappears.
The True Cost of Solar Power
By the numbers, solar energy comes with a hefty price tag in comparison to other sources. But energy experts claim that the overall value to society offsets the initial high production cost.
Power Struggle (Literally) in the Pacific Northwest
The Economist reports "a case of favoritism towards electricity generated by federal dams" in the Columbia River basin, a stretch of land that encompasses Oregon, Washington state, Idaho, and western Montana.
Versatile Urban Design: China’s Roadblock Toward Energy Sustainability
Studying neighborhoods in Jinan, China, MIT urban studies and planning Professor Dennis Frenchman told MITnews that the country’s biggest challenge is its homogenous urban design.
The Top 10 Cities Leading the Way on Climate Change
Predictable cities like San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland are in the Top 10, but cities like San Diego and San Jose also hold prominent spots on the list.
Which is Greener: Urban Farms or Urban Density?
Edward Glaeser adds "large-scale metropolitan farming" to a list -- which also includes historic preservation -- of barriers to densifying urban development patterns. His argument is that the latter is the greener of the two.
Cheap(er) Gas Prices On Horizon
Gas prices have been dropping for a month. According to the chief oil analyst with the Oil Price Information Service in this radio interview, expect prices to continue dropping to as low as $3.25 a gallon, but don't expect lower than $3.00.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
