Climate Change
Will Calgary Floods Deliver Canada's Climate Wake-Up Call?
Calgary found out the hard way that you don't have to be a coastal city to experience the waterborne ravages of a changing climate. For years, warnings from scientists and analysts have been ignored. Will the "Great Flood" achieve what they couldn't?
Can Small Steps Prevent Massive Change? Obama Unveils Long-Awaited Climate Plan
It doesn't involve cap-and-trade or a major international protocol, but the sweeping climate plan unveiled by President Obama today is 'the most far-reaching effort by an American president' to address climate change. Best of all, it skirts Congress.
By Urging Action on Climate Change, Kerry Ruffles Feathers in India
At the beginning of a two-day trip to India, the world's third largest emitter of carbon dioxide, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made solving climate change a focus of his public remarks. The U.S.'s own failures elicited skepticism from locals.
Regulating Diesel Emissions: An Environmental Twofer
This toxic emission is not only a threat to public health but also the second largest contributor to global warming, according to CARB. A new study has found that regulations to reduce diesel emissions fight both climate change and air pollution.
Momentous Climate Plan Being Development by Obama
An historic plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions is being covertly developed by the Obama administration, reports Neela Banerjee. The plan could for the first time set limits on the country's biggest emitters: power plants.
Where’s the Heat Going? Global Warming Lull Befuddles Scientists
Despite record levels of greenhouse gas emissions, global surface temperatures have risen at a much slower rate over the past 15 years than the 20 years prior. Scientists are struggling to explain a warming plateau.
Flooding Inundates Central and Eastern Europe; Urban Development and Climate Change Blamed
Record floods are swelling major rivers and tributaries across Central and Eastern Europe; disrupting transportation, displacing thousands of people, and causing what is estimated to be several billion dollars of damage.
4 Measures Could Help Stave Off the Worst Effects of Global Warming
A new report from the International Energy Agency has some sobering news about the planet's record setting carbon emissions. But it also identifies four policy recommendations that could help stave off warming in excess of the dreaded 2°C mark.
Little-Noticed Rule Change May Be Big Statement of Obama's Climate Agenda
The DoE recently updated its energy-efficiency standards for microwaves. Big deal, right? Actually, observes Brad Plumer, by upping the 'social cost of carbon' used to calculate the benefits of the rule, the government has made a big shift.
On the Waterfront in Post-Sandy New York
On Places, Tom Vanderbilt surveys the landscape and politics of New York City after Hurricane Sandy, focusing on both early response and long-range planning.
The Ten American Cities Most At Risk from Climate Change
Grist has compiled a list of the ten U.S. cities most likely to be affected by climate change.
Obama Could Tackle Climate Change on His Own; But Will He?
With a reluctant Congress unwilling to act, and the signs of a warming planet multiplying, the Editorial Board of The New York Times urges President Obama to utilize executive actions to address climate change.
Might the Republican Party Soon Change Course on Climate Change?
The Republican party has long obstructed efforts to pass climate change legislation in the United States. But the party may soon be forced to reckon with its "willful denial of science and facts," reports Coral Davenport.
Astonishing Arctic Ice Melt Becomes National Security Threat
The Arctic may become ice free as soon as 2015, 85 years earlier than recent predictions, prompting a briefing of top U.S. government officials, including those from the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security, by Arctic specialists.
CO2 Levels Approach Troubling Milestone
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere is fast approaching levels not seen for millions of years. At 400 parts per million (p.p.m.), the planet is fast approaching the point of no return for avoiding dangerous climate change.
America's Ballooning Disaster Debt
A new report out this week quantifies the federal government's escalating disaster relief spending, a sum that hadn't previously been tabulated and came as a surprise to many.
World Bank: Carbon Pricing Key to Tackling Climate Change and Poverty
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim explains why climate change is a poverty issue - and why we must tackle it today to ensure that carbon emissions do not continue rising after 2016. Establishing a world price on carbon will be difficult to achieve.
New U.S. Ocean Policy Balances Industry, Energy, and Recreation
The National Ocean Policy released this week by the White House is being praised by many as a collaborative response to the myriad challenges confronting the nation's oceans. For others, it's just another example of federal overreach.
Striking Images of America Under Water
Graphs and maps can be compelling means to illustrate the dire threat to our cities of rising seas caused by climate change. But for blunt impact, a series of photo illustrations by artist Nickolay Lamm are hard to beat.
Do the Facts Support Fracking Opposition?
Susan Brantley of Penn State University and Anna Meyendorff of University of Michigan pen this op-ed to assess the pros and cons of fracking for natural gas. How does fracking compare to obtaining energy from other sources? Do the facts warrant bans?
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
