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The Planetizen News Brief - 6/4/09

4 June 2009 - 5:00am
Smart City Radio

The Planetizen News Brief is a weekly rundown of some of the most interesting and important news and issues of the past week.

The Planetizen News Brief airs every week on the nationally-syndicated radio program "Smart City", which is broadcast in cities across the U.S. Learn more about Smart City and listen to archived shows.

Full Transcript

Given the current economic climate, it’s kind of hard to think that there could be good places to find jobs, but according to the experts, they’re out there. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine recently came out with its list of the top ten cities for stable employment and new career opportunities. Most if not all of the cities on the list are surprises, but that probably makes sense during these strange times. Topping the list is Huntsville, Alabama, which has been able to maintain economic prosperity thanks to its thriving aerospace and medical sectors. Also making the top ten are Athens, Georgia, Madison, Wisconsin, and Raleigh, North Carolina. The creative class of highly educated and knowledge-based workers is cited as one of the major factors determining this year’s list.

Meanwhile, times are looking tough for California’s state parks. The Associated Press reported recently that budget woes in the state could bring the closure of up to 220 state parks across the state -- at least temporarily. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has suggested cutting $70 million in parks spending for the next fiscal year, and almost $150 million more for the next fiscal year. These cuts are seen as a quick way to save some cash, but parks officials and conservationists say the effect would be too extreme. The proposed cuts would leave just 59 of the California’s 279 state parks open. Last year, the state legislature shot down a Schwarzenegger plan to close 48 state parks. The current economic situation has many in the state confident that this year’s bigger and broader cuts are more likely to pass.

And finally, Steven Chu, the new U.S. energy secretary is thinking white. He’s the latest and possibly most prominent official to get behind the idea of using white colored roofing and paving materials to reduce the amount of heat urban areas absorb. According to a recent article from the Times, Chu says building codes should be updated to allow roads and roofs to take on lighter tones that reflect rather than absorb the heat of the sun. Dark surfaces, like traditional asphalt and dark roofs, absorb about 80 percent of the sunlight that falls on them, while lighter surfaces have been reported to absorb only about 20 percent. Lightening the tones of paved surfaces could play a major role in reducing carbon emissions that result from the energy used to heat and cool buildings. A nationwide plan may not be right around the corner, but with an advocate in the White House, building roofs may begin to see a brighter future.

Stories discussed in this week's Planetizen News Brief

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Short of erasing existing political and jurisdictional boundaries, citizens and officials need to develop the capacity to work across boundaries according to the "problem-sheds" of the land and water issues we face in the 21st century.
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