The White House is planning to establish a new climate panel, headed by a well-known climate denier, to question the findings of the president's own intelligence agencies that climate change does indeed pose a national security risk.

"The White House is working to assemble a panel to assess whether climate change poses a national security threat, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post, a conclusion that federal intelligence agencies have affirmed several times since President Trump took office," report Juliet Eilperin Missy Ryan.
- The Defense Department issued a report last month "detailing how a changing climate is a national security threat and makes the military’s job around the world harder," reported Alex Ward for Vox (via Planetizen).
- "For the third time during the current U.S. Administration, climate change was included in the annual 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community [pdf] released by the Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats," according to the nonpartisan Center for Climate and Security
"The proposed Presidential Committee on Climate Security, which would be established by executive order, is being spearheaded by William Happer," an emeritus professor of physics at Princeton University who currently serves as a National Security Council senior director, add Eilperin and Ryan.
Happer's form of climate denial is different than, say, President Trump's, who famously called it a Chinese hoax and dismissed the findings last November of 13 federal agencies in the Fourth National Climate Assessment. Rather, Happer denies that carbon dioxide is harmful, and likened it to being "maligned like 'Jews under Hitler,'” writes
One expert put it simply in an interview with the reporters, calling the proposed panel "an effort to undermine the consensus within the national intelligence community that climate change needs to be addressed to avert serious consequences."
-
Defense Department Calls Climate Change a National Security Threat, January 21, 2019
-
Climate Report Written by Federal Government Warns of Dire Impact on Economy, November 27, 2018

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Florida Seniors Face Rising Homelessness Risk
High housing costs are pushing more seniors, many of them on a fixed income, into homelessness.

Massachusetts Budget Helps Close MBTA Budget Gap
The budget signed by Gov. Maura Healey includes $470 million in MBTA funding for the next fiscal year.

Milwaukee Launches Vision Zero Plan
Seven years after the city signed its Complete Streets Policy, the city is doubling down on its efforts to eliminate traffic deaths.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont