A new report indicates that carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. have fallen by 13% in the past five years. The last time carbon emissions were this low, Ace of Base was topping the charts and "Pulp Fiction" was reviving the career of John Travolta.
Suzanne Goldenberg discusses the findings of a report compiled by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) for the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), which attributed the drop to "new energy-saving technologies and a doubling in the take-up of renewable energy."
"As described by Bloomberg, the US is in the throes of a major shift in energy production. Coal fell to just 18.1% of America's energy mix last year, down from 22.5% in 2007. Oil use also declined." At the same time total energy use fell. "Most of the emissions cuts were due to installing more efficient heating and cooling systems in commercial building. Other cuts in emission came from transport, with 488,000 Americans last year opting for hybrid and plug-in vehicles."
"By the end of last year," she notes, "America's emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions had fallen 10.7% from the 2005 baselines."
"The reduction in climate pollution – even as Congress failed to act on climate change – brings America more than halfway towards Barack Obama's target of cutting emissions by 17% from 2005 levels over the next decade, the Bloomberg analysts said."
FULL STORY: US carbon emissions fall to lowest levels since 1994
How Smart Street Lights Can Help Cities Achieve Sustainability Goals
Switching to energy-efficient LEDs and using tech to program when and how street lighting operates can save cities millions in electricity expenses and bring down carbon emissions.
Data Center Emissions Far Outpace Tech Company Claims
In-house data centers owned by several major tech companies likely produce over six times as many greenhouse gas emissions as their owners estimate.
How Urban Sprawl Came To Dominate U.S. Cities—And How To Change That
The auto-centric development patterns of American cities are a result of decades of misguided, but reversible, policy decisions.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.
Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.
Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.
German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie