Environment

A pair of articles in The New York Times look at two different kinds of waste generated from North Dakota's booming oil industry: natural gas from oil wells is burned due to the absence of pipelines, and the disposal of waste in landfills.

October 24, 2013 - The New York Times - Energy & Environment

The opening of a "striking" new boathouse designed by noted architect Jeanne Gang along the Chicago River is a major milestone in the transformation of the city's "Ol’ Pisspot” into a public amenity.

October 23, 2013 - Grist

With particulate pollution levels well over 20 times the amount deemed safe, and visibility reduced to less than 30 feet, a choking smog brought the northeast Chinese city of Harbin to a standstill Monday.

October 21, 2013 - The New York Times

Across the United States and around the world, groups of Roman Catholic nuns are quietly supporting a supposedly extra-religious cause: environmentalism.

October 20, 2013 - The Atlantic

Recent controversies have called into question whether Los Angeles officials have done all they can to prepare the city for its next big earthquake. Mayor Eric Garcetti is making earthquake preparedness a top priority.

October 20, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Moving beyond the building is critical to effecting transformative change toward urban sustainability. Several Swedish projects offer points of inspiration. The Eco District Summit is bringing together people engaged in district-scale sustainability.

October 18, 2013 - Walker Wells

For the first time, the World Health Organization has identified air pollution, in its entirety, as a cause of cancer, putting it on par with tobacco smoke, asbestos and arsenic. In 2010, 223,000 people died from lung cancer caused by air pollution.

October 18, 2013 - Quartz

In order to "ease traffic flow" the police commissioner in Kolkata, India (formerly Calcutta) has expanded a ban on bikes to 174 roads across the sprawling city of 14 million. Environmentalists and social activists are protesting the measures.

October 17, 2013 - The Washington Post

A new study by MIT researchers indicates that a greater number of premature deaths in the United States can be attributed to auto pollution than auto collisions.

October 17, 2013 - Next City

The short-sightedness of overarching proclamations for the right city form obscures the very context in which cities are built and expanded. City planning must become reconnected to its environmental context.

October 16, 2013 - Steven Snell

As a 2012 law aimed reforming the "increasingly unsustainable" National Flood Insurance Program goes into effect, some homeowners in coastal areas are seeing dramatic increases in their insurance rates. Lawmakers are pondering how to ease the pain.

October 16, 2013 - The New York Times

Though the U.S. Supreme Court turned aside a more aggressive challenge to the EPA's climate regulating authority, it has agreed to hear arguments on the agency's ability to limit emissions from stationary sources.

October 16, 2013 - The Washington Post

A new report by the European Environment Agency points to progress in cutting the continent's air pollution problem. However, up to 98% of Europe's urban residents are exposed to hazardous air, and in places like Bulgaria the danger is acute.

October 15, 2013 - The New York Times

To celebrate its first anniversary, Future Cities has assembled a list of the top 100 city innovators making the biggest difference across a range of industries and specialties.

October 15, 2013 - Future Cities

Bearing 125 mph winds, Cyclone Phailin made landfall along India's eastern coast on Saturday evening. Though hundreds of thousands were evacuated from the area, some are questioning whether the Indian authorities took the storm too lightly.

October 12, 2013 - The New York Times

New York's chief urban designer, Alexandros Washburn, addresses the monumental task of rebuilding New York after Hurricane Sandy and preparing for the next storm.

October 11, 2013 - Places Journal

Get used to hearing about historically hot temperatures. Using 39 of the world’s foremost climate models, researchers have developed "climate departure" dates for cities around the world to predict when temperatures will exceed historical norms.

October 10, 2013 - The New York Times

Northeast Ohio's largest regional planning effort in a generation recommends infill development, transit expansion, and land conservation as the essential elements for ensuring the area's future success.

October 10, 2013 - The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Thanks to a Calif. law implemented in 2008 requiring ocean-going ships to switch from high-sulfur bunker fuel to cleaner fuels within 24 miles of the coast, Bay Area air quality significantly improved by reducing deadly particulate emissions.

October 9, 2013 - BAAQMD News Release

Perkins + Will, the architecture firm behind a new residence hall at Bridgewater State University, have attached an unusual provision to their green design: no mini-fridges or personal microwaves allowed.

October 7, 2013 - Treehugger