Amory Lovins, co-founder and chairman of Rocky Mountain Institute, believes that governments and the private sector need to identify and remove barriers to energy efficiency, rather than simply promoting "conservation."
"The world's biggest untapped energy source, according to energy expert Amory Lovins, is efficiency. But don't call it 'conservation.'
In an interview conducted by science writer Carole Bass for Yale Environment 360, Lovins...says that word connotes 'privation, discomfort and curtailment.' By contrast, 'efficiency' means 'doing more and better with less energy and money, but with more brains and technology,' he says.
The longtime renewable energy advocate and author says retooling for energy efficiency will require 'barrier-busting' at many levels. And government, Lovins says, 'should steer, not row.'"
Read the full story: Efficiency Is Our Best Untapped Energy
Gas Prices Drive Canadians to Bikes
Sunny Freeman of The Canadian Press takes to the streets to talk to bicyclists about their choice of conveyance. She says a gas price spike during the summer of 2008 pushed many Canadians onto two wheels.
Protests, Riots Go Global as Fuel Costs Soar
Protests both peaceful and violent are breaking out across Europe and Asia as people's livelihoods begin to suffer from soaring fuel costs, and some stores are running out of food as truck drivers go on strike.
Trump administration orders the removal of 900 bison from public land near Yellowstone
The action marks a drastic shift in wildlife management policy for the Yellowstone-adjacent bison herd.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
California High-Speed Rail Authority picks trainset manufacturer
The California High-Speed Rail Authority aims to start servicing passengers by 2033.
Massachusetts bogs generate both power, and cranberries
Putting solar panels above farmland is one way Massachusetts is advancing toward its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
What could the future of LA transit look like under Raman?
The mayor-elect views broken sidewalks and potholes as crises that can be fixed with better governance.
States are counting on battery farms. Some towns don’t want them.
While fire safety has improved, some communities are still wary.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello