Environment

Metropolis Magazine examines the 21st century efforts at creating wild places in cities, exemplified by the Buffalo Bayou Promenade in Houston and the Passaic River in Newark.

February 7, 2014 - Metropolis Mag

“Across millennia [mute swans] symbolized transformation and devotion, light and beauty,” says a recent article in Wired. Not so much in New York City, where the city’s population of mute swans will be reduced to zero to protect other native species.

February 7, 2014 - Wired

The flood management story of Boulder, Colorado, includes a successful encounter with a 1,000-year rain event, and its lessons are less about concrete and dams than one might think.

February 6, 2014 - Next American City

Human beings are both born and programmed to need open spaces. As our existence becomes increasingly urban, cities and towns must provide the open spaces our natures require.

February 6, 2014 - Steven Snell

An article by Tom Slater takes on several sacred cows of the current planning discussion, most prominently among them what he describes as “the anaesthetising spell of resilience.”

February 4, 2014 - OpenDemocracy - OpenSecurity

Dealing with the scars left by past tornadoes, towns like Greensburg, Kansas, have involved the community in planning efforts to rebuild and reimagine the future.

February 3, 2014 - Chicago Tribune

The environmental impact statement on the Keystone XL oil pipeline released Friday by the U.S. State Department delivered news that environmentalists will not be happy to hear. The study finds that the project will not exacerbate oil extraction.

February 1, 2014 - The New York Times

The U.S. Secretary of Commerce has declared the Fraser River sockeye salmon run a “fishery disaster.” The declaration will produce funding to offset the impacts for nine tribes and non-tribal fishers in Washington state.

January 30, 2014 - KUOW

In his State of the Union address, President Obama touted his "all of the above" energy policy which was bemoaned by some environmental groups who are upset with his embrace of natural gas as a "bridge fuel" to a clean energy future.

January 30, 2014 - Huff Post Green

With the National Flood Insurance Program deeply in debt, homeowners are struggling to afford new insurance rates resulting from legislation passed in 2012. The House could still block the Senate bill that would delay more rate increases.

January 30, 2014 - The Hill

In prior State of the Unions, President Obama has put forth bold plans for building high-speed rail, tackling climate change and transitioning to alternative energy sources. Facing an obstinate Congress, he outlined a more modest agenda last night.

January 29, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

Chinese and Indian cities are known for having some of the most polluted air in the world. You've likely heard about Beijing's severe smog; but in Delhi, where pollution levels are regularly higher, the hazardous air gets little notice. Why?

January 29, 2014 - The New York Times

A pair of recent stories explores the reemergence of California history, especially it’s gold rush history, as a result of falling water levels around the state.

January 28, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

A new survey of the American people from the Pew Research Center ranks the priorities of the public on matters like the deficit, healthcare, and crime. Bringing up the rear of public concern: infrastructure and global warming.

January 27, 2014 - Pew Research Center

Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) is looking to an unusual source for energy: the area’s data centers.

January 27, 2014 - Next City

A proposal to build and operate the first commercial oil shale production facility “in decades” near the Book Cliffs in Utah is meeting legal opposition from environmental groups.

January 26, 2014 - Deseret News

As warnings from scientists about our changing planet become more dire, countries are retreating from their prior climate commitments. Once a leader, the European Union is bowing to economic pressures and loosening renewable energy targets.

January 26, 2014 - The New York Times

Washington Senator Patty Murray has proposed federal legislation to protect a broad swatch of land adjacent to Olympic National Park as part of the “Wild Olympics” campaign. The legislation is opposed by logging interests.

January 22, 2014 - KUOW

A new study reveals two findings on air pollution spewing from China's coal-burning factories. First, the pollution blows to the U.S and other nations. Second, 20% of the pollution can be traced to Western demand for cheap goods from those factories.

January 22, 2014 - Los Angeles Times - Science Now

A new biological opinion sets policy for the Federal Columbia River Power System until 2018. Critics say the new plan continues the unsuccessful status quo of habitat restoration—instead they want to spill water over four dams on the Snake River.

January 20, 2014 - Associated Press via The Oregonian