Planetizen Newswire
Keep up with essential planning news and commentary, delivered to your inbox every Monday and Thursday.
Environment
A Pew Stateline article tackles the challenges of reducing carbon emissions from transportation compared to electricity generation and looks at recent initiatives announced by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee aimed at decarbonizing transportation.
Pew Stateline
The people living in urban heat islands are much more likely to be inhabited by low-income people of color, and the roots of the environmental justice issue can be found in planning history.
The Oregonian
Renewable energy, both wind and solar, takes up a lot of space in places that aren't accustomed to industrial development. Policymakers need strategies and tactics for overcoming the inherent land use challenges presented by renewable energy.
Brookings
This performance ranking separates the fakers when it comes to reducing carbon emissions from transportation.
Streetlight Data
There have been wins. And there will be opportunities. All is not lost for the future of the planet.
Outside
The D.C. Department of Energy and Environment has read the writing on the wall.
Urban Turf
Planners don't need fancy software to prepare for an uncertain future. Exploratory scenario planning promises a more aware, adaptive, and resilient planning profession.
Sonoran Institute via Vimeo
While hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are much less popular than their battery-powered siblings, California remains committed to the zero-emission technology, with three state agencies investing in and monitoring its progress.
CALmatters
The state’s energy plan focuses on the move to renewable energy, but specifics about how that will happen and what the costs will be need to be pinned down.
NJ Spotlight
A segment of the planned U.S.-Mexico border wall would cut across the San Pedro River and threaten the area’s wildlife and plants.
Herald/Review
The massive Port Lands infrastructure project will transform an industrial area by carving out a new island.
The Star
The consequences of the Congressional budget approved at the end of 2019 can be measured in millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Inside Climate News
Auto manufacturers will offer more battery and plug-in hybrid models this year, and the nation's largest state is expected to approve a new regulation requiring medium and heavy-duty truck manufacturers to sell zero-emission vehicles.
Government Technology
Southern California’s Salton Sea has long struggled with environmental issues, but wetlands have been springing up and nurturing diverse ecosystems.
Los Angeles Times
The city had ambitious goals to reduce waste, but millions of tons of garbage are still sent to communities around the country each year.
Politico
State and local lawmakers hope that recent reforms to the Washington State Environmental Policy Act are only an initial step toward ending the law's use as a tool for delaying affordable housing plans.
Crosscut
The energy sector produced ten percent less carbon emissions in 2019 than the previous year—the largest drop in decades. Still, the decline of the coal industry is not enough to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Accord.
Inside Climate News
Cars and vehicle emissions are undoubtedly central to the climate change problem. The solution, however, might not be cleaner vehicles but rather a drastic change in our relationship to automobiles and driving.
The Guardian
Sources report that proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act would limit the kinds of projects subject to federal environmental review, and remove climate change as a consideration for large infrastructure projects.
The New York Times
Blog post
In the absence of more enlightened policies, technological change is as likely to increase pollution as to decrease pollution.
