Organizers of next year's Winter Olympics in Vancouver are hoping to add a green sheen to the international event, but some critics say they aren't doing enough to offset the huge carbon footprint the Olympics will carry.
The Olympics will be "pretty green", according to Linda Coady, the Vancouver Organising Committee (Vanoc) vice-president for sustainability.
"There had been a target of diverting all extra waste away from landfill, such as by recycling or composting. This has proved impossible, so now that target has been lowered to 85% of the waste. It is too early to say whether this can be achieved.
Ms Coady says they hope their programmes for reducing and offsetting carbon emissions will set a new standard for the Olympic movement.
Her team has been working with a forecast of about 330,000 extra tonnes of carbon.
They expect a third of that to come from their own operations, and two-thirds to be indirect emissions from air travel for the Games. They hope to revise the total forecast down to 300,000 extra tonnes."
But the organizers could be doing a lot more, according to Canadian scientist and environmental activist David Suzuki.
Read the full story: Vancouver 2010: Going for Green?
Mapping Climate Impact at the Neighborhood Level
A consumption-based analysis illustrates the differences in average household emissions across census tracts.
Georgia's Efforts to Reduce Carbon Emissions
The state is diversifying its energy sources to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, in line with federal climate goals.
One U.S. State Boasts 33% Fewer Carbon Emissions Per Capita Than Any Other
California, the largest state by population in the United States, is responsible for 33% fewer carbon emissions per capita than any other state, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
NYC to turn city-owned property into thousands of homes
The city has scheduled a public hearing regarding the development for October.
Buses travel at 5mph along this route in NYC. The Bronx's first-ever busway looks to change that
Prior to the busway, buses on the Bx36 route traveled as slowly as 5 miles per hour.
Pittsburg launches 'EZ permits,' aims for one-day turnaround for low-risk permits
The pilot ‘fast lane’ for permits is part of a bundle of modernization efforts for Pittsburg’s permitting process.
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 Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello