Climate Change

In an address heavy on President Obama's domestic agenda for the first year of his second term, issues of importance to planners and urbanists got plenty of play, including: the environment, energy, infrastructure, and the economy.

February 13, 2013 - The Washington Post

The District of Columbia is challenging the federal government on climate action, with lawmakers proposing to outlaw a local coal-burning power plant that powers Congress.

February 7, 2013 - The Washington Post

Global leaders met last week in New Delhi to discuss climate change mitigation through sustainable development measures. For those on the front lines of climate change, the intransigence of the U.S. has sparked concern, reports Joanna Zelman.

February 6, 2013 - The Huffington Post

An ambitious plan being proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo would see $400 million spent to purchase homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy with the intent of demolishing them and returning their properties to undeveloped coastline, reports Thomas Kaplan.

February 4, 2013 - The New York Times

From a giant dam across the Golden Gate to a dozen "ventilated levees," the options proposed for protecting San Francisco Bay from rising seas are neither cheap nor subtle. But with sea level rise "around the corner," hard choices must be made.

January 28, 2013 - San Francisco Chronicle

As Barack Obama takes the oath of office for his second term, Places editor Nancy Levinson argues for an intensified political agenda for architects and urban designers.

January 27, 2013 - Places Journal

"Canada is getting hotter faster than ever before and at a faster rate than almost any other country," reports Anna Mehler Paperny, and the country's infrastructure, public health, and economy are vulnerable to unforeseen impacts.

January 24, 2013 - The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

Justin Gillis tags along with researchers who are trying to pinpoint just how much of the world's coastlines will be inundated by dramatically rising sea levels. By looking at historical records scientists are beginning to paint a grim picture.

January 22, 2013 - The New York Times

Matt Bevilacqua found much to cheer in the 'renewed focus on urbancentric topics' that President Obama delivered in his second inaugural address. Climate change, immigration, and inequality were among the speech's primary topics.

January 22, 2013 - Next City

With yesterday's announcement that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will soon step down, the three top environmental posts in the federal government are waiting to be filled. The vacancies are further muddling the administration's second term agenda.

January 17, 2013 - The Washington Post

What do three-pack-a-day smoking habits, triple-decker cheese burgers and sprawl have in common? They all offer immediate gratification and deferred consequences. But now the bill's coming due. Ben Brown lays out some ways to face the music.

January 17, 2013 - PlaceShakers

The draft of a new report issued last week by the U.S. government concludes the impacts of climate change are spreading faster than previously predicted.

January 14, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Even as the world (unsuccessfully) tries to formulate a treaty to get nations to reduce their carbon emissions, researchers indicate it may be too late - the tipping point may have been reached. But what if CO2 could be extracted from the air?

January 8, 2013 - The New York Times - Novelties

This week Lisa Jackson made public her decision to step down as administrator of the EPA. Despite many hard-fought victories, Jackson's tenure is also associated with a lack of significant action to address climate change.

December 28, 2012 - The New York Times

Despite the extreme weather events of the past year, most Americans are still not persuaded that climate change is primarily the result of human activity. Why not?

December 9, 2012 - Michael Lewyn

Dr. James Hansen was awarded the prestigious Stephen H. Schneider climate award at the Commonwealth Club in S.F. on Dec. 4 and chose to trash CA's landmark cap-and-trade program, preferring a 'simple, clean carbon tax'. Gov. Brown was attending.

December 8, 2012 - San Francisco Chronicle

Reflecting on the significance and impact of Superstorm Sandy, Bill McKibben and Lawrence J. Hanley propose a 3-step process focused on mass transit that America should pursue to promote community development, public health and the environment.

December 7, 2012 - The Huffington Post

Two new scientific papers report that global carbon dioxide emissions set a record high in 2011. With no coordinated effort underway to curb them, researchers believe crossing the 2 degree Celsius threshold for the worst impacts may be inevitable.

December 3, 2012 - The New York Times

It's official - for large industrial sources in California, the cost for emitting a ton of carbon dioxide or equivalent is $10.09 - nine cents above the minimum price set by the Air Board. That was the price paid at the first auction on Nov. 14.

November 21, 2012 - San Jose Mercury News

Howard Schneider examines a recent study by the World Bank, issued as a call-to-action for the international community not merely to curb, but to plan for and mitigate the crises that a 4°C rise in global temperatures would bring.

November 20, 2012 - The Washington Post