Climate Change

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Hawaii

Fighting for Their Future: Hawai’i Kids Sue State Over Greenhouse Gas Emissions

A group of Hawai’ian youth is suing the state’s Department of Transportation, claiming that Hawai’i’s transportation system contributes to climate change and the destruction of homes and cultural traditions.

June 16, 2022 - Streetsblog USA

Lake TRavis is shown well below capacity, with the city of Austin in the background.

Declining Water Levels Trigger ‘Stage 1’ Drought Response in Austin

The effects of the megadrought in the American Southwest are reaching into Texas.

June 8, 2022 - KUT

Factory Emissions

Study: Cutting U.S. Emissions by 50 Percent This Decade Is Possible

With coordinated effort at the local, state, and federal levels, the United States could meet its goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.

June 7, 2022 - Berkeley Lab

A woman on an electric bike and two women on electric scooters wait at an intersection for the light to change.

The Electric Scooter Rebound

The nascent electric scooter rental industry came close to total collapse during the pandemic, but riders are back in bigger numbers than ever and the companies hope to build momentum on growing concerns about the climate impacts of transportation.

May 29, 2022 - Bloomberg

Coastal Resilience

$31 Billion ‘Ike Dike’ Hurricane Protection Project Moving Through Congress

Congress authorized the $31 billion ‘Ike Dike’ sea-level rise adaptation project, along with a laundry list of other water infrastructure projects.

May 26, 2022 - Eno Center for Transportation

Denver, Colorado

Denver Freeway Widening Plans on Hold

The Colorado Department of Transportation’s plan to widen the Interstate 25 freeway through Denver is one of a few plans to widen urban freeways under consideration in the United States.

May 23, 2022 - The Colorado Sun

Fringe Development

Public Perceptions of Sprawl and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Urban density has a bad reputation.

May 23, 2022 - Greater Greater Washington

Urban Solar Power

Zoning Stands in the Way of Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is cheap as ever, but zoning isn’t keeping up with the market.

May 19, 2022 - Popular Science

A house has been swept into the Atlantic Ocean by high tides, leaving ruins in onshore as the house appears half submerged by water,

Homes Swept Into the Ocean in North Carolina—the Latest Reminder of Climate Change’s Arrival

A viral video is drawing attention to sea-level rise in one of the most at-risk shorelines in the nation: the Outer Banks in North Carolina.

May 18, 2022 - The New York Times

Rittenhouse Square, a park in Philadelphia, framed by large buildings.

Parks as a Weapon Against Climate Change

The 2022 ParkScore finds that cities are increasingly employing green space as a tool for mitigating heat and extreme weather effects, but the distribution of parks remains inequitable.

May 16, 2022 - Trust for Public Land

Washington D.C.

Fare-Free Transit Hasn’t Reduced Car Trips, Data Says

Fare-free transit isn’t the climate change benefit that many have hoped, according to recent writing by David Zipper for Bloomberg.

May 16, 2022 - Bloomberg

Tampa Bay Storm

Resilience and Affordable Housing Key Topics at Florida Conference

The conference brought together local planners and policymakers to develop strategies for boosting resilience in coastal areas while maintaining affordable housing stock.

May 13, 2022 - St. Pete Catalyst

Portland Interchange

Can Portland Have its Climate Goals and Expand its Highways Too?

Portland wants it both ways, but so do most places. But if Portland can't quit the car habit, which cities can?

May 12, 2022 - The New York Times

A campfire in the wilderness, surrounded by a group of people, burns with the stars overhead.

The Great Outdoors—Sans Campfires

Regulators are increasingly requiring outdoor adventurers to enjoy wilderness excursions without the solace and warmth of a campfire, as the drought and heat of climate change leaves natural areas ready to spark and burn year-round.

May 12, 2022 - The Denver Post

A group of young men and boys gather under water dripping from a water pipe in India.

The Climate Story You Might Have Missed

Surface temperatures reached 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) in India and Pakistan at the end of April. Wet bulb temperature, the point at which the human body can no longer cool itself by sweating, is 35 degrees Celsius.

May 8, 2022 - James Brasuell

Congestion

The New Normal: Less Transit, More Congestion

With transit systems still far below historic levels, and congestion not budging, the worst effects of an automobile dependent nation fall on the environment and low-income households.

May 8, 2022 - Brookings

Sprawl

How Urban Sprawl Came To Dominate U.S. Cities—And How To Change That

The auto-centric development patterns of American cities are a result of decades of misguided, but reversible, policy decisions.

May 4, 2022 - Popular Science

Shishmaref

Coastal Tribes Facing Numerous Existential Threats From Climate Change

From Alaska to Washington, climate change is real, and it’s here now, for indigenous tribes.

May 2, 2022 - Crosscut

Chicago Transit Authority Green Line Train at 35th-Bronzeville-IIT

Chicago Updating its Climate Action Plan for 2022

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Earth Day announced the forthcoming release of a new plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare communities for the effects of climate change.

April 28, 2022 - Streetsblog Chicago

Orange sky in San Francisco during wildfires

Report: The West Is the Worst for Air Quality

Thanks to longer fire seasons and increasingly intense blazes, Western states are experiencing the nation’s worst air quality.

April 27, 2022 - High Country News

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