Energy

Even in cities without world-class transit systems, transit can reduce car ownership to some extent.

November 18, 2012 - Michael Lewyn

As the Summer months heat up, Sarah Laskow reports on cities' efforts to keep retailers' doors closed.

June 3, 2012 - GOOD Magazine

Nate Berg examines the nexus between water use and energy use, and the need to bring this frequently overlooked connection to the attention of planners and designers.

March 28, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

The Emerald City puts the streetlight of the future to the test – for both safety and feel, and the results could affect how cities everywhere are illuminated in the future, reports William Yardley.

March 14, 2012 - New York Times

A new report highlights the threat posed to a wide range of species by the extraction of fossil fuels in the United States.

January 22, 2012 - CommonDreams

In early 2012, Facebook will launch a yet-to-be-named app that will allow 800 million users to access home energy usage information provided by their utility company. This 'Social Energy Application' will help users manage their energy.

October 20, 2011 - Forbes

DeLorean Motor Company has not only resurrected that iconic car many remember from 'Back to the Future,' but have made it a true car from the future. The 2013 DMC-12 EV will run on lithium-ion batteries, making it fully electric.

October 20, 2011 - Your Atascocita News

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is fighting with Congress to extend a popular federal incentive program. Set to end on December 31 this year, the group states that the program could create 37,400 more jobs and add nearly 500 megawatt.

October 14, 2011 - Forbes

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.

August 14, 2011 - Canadian Business

Studying neighborhoods in Jinan, China, MIT urban studies and planning Professor Dennis Frenchman told MITnews that the country’s biggest challenge is its homogenous urban design.

June 23, 2011 - MITnews

Note: This column was originally titled, "A Stupid Attack on Smart Growth," intended as a pun on 'smart' and 'stupid.' However, that sounds harsh so I retitled it. - T.L. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has a well-financed campaign to discourage communities from considering smart growth as a possible way to conserve energy and reduce pollution emissions. They contend that compact development has little effect on travel activity and so provides minimal benefits. The NAHB states that, “The existing body of research demonstrates no clear link between residential land use and GHG emissions.” But their research actually found the opposite: it indicates that smart growth policies can have significant impacts on travel activity and emissions.

June 9, 2011 - Todd Litman

Climate scientists have warned Chicago's planners that the City will be significantly warmer and wetter by the end of theentury. And from street trees to building standards, that message is infiltrating Chicago's planning and design.

May 23, 2011 - A City Prepares for a Warm Long-Term Forecast

An increasing amount of architecture projects in the U.S. are taking regional concerns like water and energy production into consideration.

May 14, 2011 - Architect

Sustainable design and historic preservation design have sometimes been at odds. But a group of experts says these two goals can work together to improve building sustainability.

March 29, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

Utilizing skilled labor forces, existing manufacturing facilities and generous public incentives, Michigan and Ohio are becoming solar power leaders.

December 2, 2010 - The New York Times

The latest issue of Yes! Magazine focuses on local resilience, and how preparing for a Peak Oil era -- through such efforts as the Transition Town movement -- can be a positive force for community building.

September 24, 2010 - Yes! Magazine

In Portland, two examples of how stealthy implementation of solar-powered technology is changing the rhythm of daily life.

September 2, 2010 - EnzymePDX.com

The satirical newspaper The Onion reports on how the safe transfer of millions of barrels of oil into the energy infrastructure of the United States will result in environmental calamity.

August 13, 2010 - The Onion

While the scale and extent of the oil blowout in the Gulf of Mexico are still unknown, the potential damage could mean a severe blow to the Gulf's $234 billion economy.

May 30, 2010 - CNN Money

In this excerpt from his new book "Eaarth", Bill McKibben discusses how such efforts as the Transition movement and farmer's markets are tapping into our need for neighbors.

April 28, 2010 - AlterNet