The best English-language science magazine, New Scientist, reports this week that London's congestion pricing -- 5 pounds to drive into downtown -- lowered emissions last year. The story's not online yet (next week it'll be in the archive at New Scientist.com) but I've thoughtfully copied out the salient bits: ...nitrogen oxides and particulates fell by 16 per cent. A fall in the number of cars and an increase in speed of 4 kilometres an hour were responsible for three-quarters of this fall, with greener technology in cars making up the rest. Carbon dioxide emissions fell by 19 per cent. Even an increase in the number of buses, whose diesel engines are among the worst polluters, could not offset the drop, partly because modern buses are fitted with particulate traps.
The best English-language science magazine, New Scientist, reports this week that London's congestion pricing -- 5 pounds to drive into downtown -- lowered emissions last year. The story's not online yet (next week it'll be in the archive at New Scientist.com) but I've thoughtfully copied out the salient bits:
...nitrogen oxides and particulates fell by 16 per cent. A fall in the number of cars and an increase in speed of 4 kilometres an hour were responsible for three-quarters of this fall, with greener technology in cars making up the rest. Carbon dioxide emissions fell by 19 per cent. Even an increase in the number of buses, whose diesel engines are among the worst polluters, could not offset the drop, partly because modern buses are fitted with particulate traps.
NS reports that other cities are thinking of passing their own downtown tolls, with Edinburgh next on the list. I'm all for it; it's true that the de facto congestion charge I have to pay to drive into San Francisco from the East bay -- $3 on the Bay Bridge and $10 to park -- is exactly what keeps me from driving more than once or twice a week.
Critically, though, cities have to make sure that there's enough public transit to keep people coming into town. My biggest complaint with the transbay bus I take to work isn't the bus itself, which is quite comfy, or the long-ass walk from the Transbay Terminal to my office, but the fact that there's really only one convenient bus in the morning and two in the evening. That restricts when I can come to work and when I can leave, restricts my ability to, oh, say, shop downtown before going home, and makes me cranky in general. Grr.
*Peter Gordon is a USC planning professor, outspoken free marketeer, and a teacher of one of my fellow bloggers who shall remain nameless (but his initials are Chris Steins).

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.

HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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