Environment

San Diego Launches Massive Sewage Treatment Project
The ambitious Pure Water project is designed to reduce the city's dependence on imported water and limit the amount of sewage dumped into the ocean.

Carbon-Offset Forests Are Burning Up in Wildfires
Wildfires are consuming forests designated for carbon storage to fight climate change, highlighting the fragility of these carbon offset schemes.

How the Environmental Review Process Privileges Highway Construction Over Transit
U.S. transit projects have a much harder time getting environmental approval than road projects, perpetuating the dominance of cars in U.S. transportation policy.

Congressional Bills Could Hit Refresh on U.S. Dams
The 21st Century Dams Act, a proposal to remove four dams on the lower Snake River, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act all have a chance to redefine the country's approach to dams and watersheds.

Returning to a Wilder World
The pandemic induced an accidental 'rewilding' in many places as animals took over cities and streets devoid of humans. As we emerge from our isolation, can we co-exist peacefully?

A New Approach to Wildfire Resilience: Property Buy Backs, Fire Resistant Parks
The city of Paradise is employing a natural hazard mitigation strategy long practiced in flood zones. The idea could be expanded in other places where wildland meets human development.

Judge Halts Controversial Alaska Drilling project
The 'Willow' project would pump 600 million gallons of oil and emit 500 metric tons of carbon dioxide in the next 30 years.

Op-Ed: Instead of a New VMT Tax, Raise the Gas Tax
Implementing a tax based on miles traveled could disincentivize purchasing more efficient cars and would do little to improve road safety, one columnist argues.

Proposed Colorado Rule Calls for Mitigating Climate Effects of Road Projects
State and local agencies would be tasked with evaluating and offsetting the carbon emissions caused by new transportation projects.

Report: Skyscrapers a Driving Factor of the Urban Heat Island Effect
As cities build upwards in an effort to create more housing and increase walkability, research shows that tall buildings intensify heat and contribute to increased carbon emissions.

Federal Government Declares Water Shortage as Lake Mead Reaches Critical Low
The first-of-its-kind declaration triggers major water cutbacks for Arizona farmers and reduced allocations for Nevada and Mexico.

Resiliency Hubs Help Baltimore Plan for Climate Emergency
The Green New Deal for Cities, a bill introduced in April by reps. Cori Bush (D-MO) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), includes among the list of projects eligible for funding those that "build capacity for communities to endure extreme weather."

California Energy Commission Mandates Solar Power
In an effort to curb the state's greenhouse gas emissions, builders will be required to include solar power in many new commercial and large residential buildings.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Heads to the House: Details and Reactions From the Planning World
Planetizen gathered explainer posts and advocacy responses that continue to shine a light on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, approved by the U.S. Senate earlier this month.

How to Fight Climate Change and Increase Resiliency, Naturally
Five actions governments could take quickly to reduce emissions and restore ecosystems.

Why It's So Difficult to Measure Heat Deaths
Without a standard for recording and classifying heat-related deaths, experts believe the scale of the problem is much bigger than numbers let on.

Cities in the South and West Keep Sprawling
New suburbs continue to expand into previously undeveloped areas, putting strain on local resources.

Delivering Clean Water to the Many in Need
Examining the immense scale of the challenge in delivering clean drinking water to everyone in the world.

Bipartisan 'Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act' Passes the Senate
A final vote of 69-30, with 19 Republicans joining their Democratic colleagues in the Senate, will send the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to the House.

Creating Urban Wilderness in the South Bay of L.A. County
The South Bay Parkland Conservancy is working to create a connected urban wilderness throughout the South Bay with trails, parks, and native habitat for wildlife.
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