Environment

Three groups review the final bill (also known as Kings Arena bill) that reformed California's landmark, but controversial 1970 environmental law known as CEQA: CA Economic Summit, NRDC and Climate Plan. All credit the author, Sen. Darrell Steinberg.

October 5, 2013 - NRDC Switchboard

Urban agriculture is a promising solution to a variety of ills afflicting our increasingly urbanizing planet. Milton Keynes, Britain's largest New Town of the 20th Century, is forging a path towards food sovereignty by growing its urban farms.

October 4, 2013 - Christina Sgro

What if the great adventurer and geographer John Wesley Powell had his way: That as the western states were brought into the union their shape would be dictated by watershed rather than political boundary? This blog - and map - depict this scenario.

October 4, 2013 - Community Builders

Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada, who helped develop the world's most popular hybrid-electric vehicle, questioned the ability of pure electric vehicles to supplant petroleum-fueled vehicles because of battery and charging challenges.

October 4, 2013 - The Washington Post

Gov. Jerry Brown showed his support for electric vehicles (EVs), clean air, and reducing carbon emissions with the signing of six bills. In addition to EVs, all clean cars will benefit, including plug-in hybrids, FCVs and natural gas-powered.

October 3, 2013 - San Francisco Chronicle

What was the extent of the environmental damage caused by leaking oil wells during September's flood? Turns out, it depends on whom you ask. Word from both government and the industry is that it was minimal, while environmental advocates disagree.

October 2, 2013 - The New York Times - U.S.

In an editorial for The New York Times, Verlyn Klinkenborg bemoans the Harper administration's silencing of scientists in favor of political ideology, resource extraction, and public ignorance.

September 30, 2013 - The New York Times

A ranking of the 10 most civic-minded companies holds some surprises -- mainly that the list is dominated by financial services firms.

September 30, 2013 - Future Cities

Five years after San Francisco hired its first sustainability director for the city's school system, the controversial decision is paying off in environmental benefits and substantial energy savings.

September 30, 2013 - Sa Francisco Chronicle

The best models of the impacts of climate change have been devoted to understanding global, or even national, changes. But NASA has devoted significant computational resources to projecting future climate conditions at the neighborhood level.

September 30, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

A team of Canadian MBA students has won $1 million to alleviate urban hunger with insect-based foods, reports Mary Jander.

September 29, 2013 - Future Cities

A Bloomberg administration effort to get New York's most polluting buildings to convert to cleaner heating fuels has provided remarkable results, a new study reports.

September 28, 2013 - The New York Times

The synopsis of the IPCC's fifth major climate assessment was released today in Stockholm. With near absolute certainty, the panel identified humans as the cause of the dangerously warming planet. Could the report propel languishing negotiations?

September 27, 2013 - The New York Times

China's drive to reduce urban air pollution and increase energy security will unleash massive carbon and toxic emissions, almost tripling its current emissions over 40 years. The plan is to build 40 plants to convert coal to synthetic natural gas.

September 27, 2013 - Quartz

Improving our cities and suburbs is just as important to environmental sustainability as regulating pollution or conserving undeveloped land, argues Kaid Benfield.

September 25, 2013 - NRDC Switchboard

Natural disasters affect millions of people each year, and cost between $60 billion and $100 billion worldwide. Here are the 10 global cities most at risk.

September 25, 2013 - Future Cities

Even if our warming planet wasn't threatened with environmental catastrophe, the case for reducing fossil-fuel use is an easy one to make. A new study shows that reduced air pollution from cutting emissions would save millions of lives by 2100.

September 24, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

In order for new coal power plants to meet the EPA's new rules for reduced emissions, they will have to rely on unproven carbon capture and storage (or sequester) technologies, putting the legality of the rule in doubt.

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

Utah's San Rafael Swell is the scene of an energy showdown between conservationists who want to preserve this unique landscape (potentially a national monument), private oil and gas companies that want to drill there, and the BLM that has to decide.

September 23, 2013 - The New York Times - U.S.

A year and 2.5 million public comments after the Obama Administration first proposed setting limits for the emission of carbon dioxide by power plants, the EPA is set to announce its final plan today. Could this mean the end of new coal plants?

September 20, 2013 - Grist