United States

A major reason given by Keystone XL pipeline supporters is that the Canadian oil it will deliver to Gulf refineries will help make the U.S. 'energy independent', yet data shows that those refineries are now exporting 60% of the gasoline they produce.

March 18, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

When the combined cost of coal and oil extraction equals America's annual budget deficit, how do we account for the cost of prevention? Amy Larkin discusses the "environmental debt" - the coming "centerpiece of our financial troubles."

March 18, 2013 - The Huffington Post

With 35.5 million Americans claiming at least some Irish ancestry (five times more than the population of Ireland), you've got a pretty good chance of finding an Irishman or woman to kiss if you know where to look in the United States.

March 17, 2013 - The Huffington Post

Juliet Eilperin reports that the Obama administration's much lauded proposal to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants will miss an upcoming deadline for finalization, and will likely be revisited.

March 17, 2013 - The Washington Post

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?

March 16, 2013 - The New York Times - The Opinion Pages

It what would be a significant policy shift that could impact major projects that are subject to federal oversight, the Obama administration is expected to guide all federal agencies to consider the impact on global warming in their NEPA reviews.

March 16, 2013 - Bloomberg

Apparently, "one of the oldest home styles in the world" is making a comeback. Alyssa Abkowitz looks at the growing trend in incorporating courtyards into new home designs.

March 16, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

At a visit to the Argonne National Laboratory today, President Obama was expected to unveil his plan to spend $2 billion in oil and gas revenues "to find ways to replace hydrocarbons as the primary fuel for the nation’s cars, trucks and buses."

March 15, 2013 - The New York Times

A new article by city historian Graeme Davison traces the rise and fall of the suburban paradigm from its ideological roots in Victorian England to its current backlash.

March 15, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Bike-share is continuing its march towards world domination, with seemingly every large Midwestern American city now jumping on the bike lending bandwagon, reports Angie Schmitt.

March 15, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

New Census data shows that after a recession induced respite, "Americans have resumed moving from the Northeast and Midwest to the West and South," reports Neil Shah. Four of the nation's fastest growing large metro areas are located in Texas.

March 14, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

The USDA's new Food Access Research Atlas provides a handy guide for assisting policymakers and planners in finding the urban and rural areas with the most formidable obstacles to accessing fresh healthy food, reports Nancy Shute.

March 14, 2013 - NPR

Jordan Rane profiles 8 historic towns from across the country that have overcome significant challenges to become desirable destinations once again.

March 14, 2013 - CNN

Democrats in Congress have returned to long-stalled efforts to craft a federal carbon-pricing scheme. With Obama having indicated in his State of the Union that climate change would be a focus of his administration, is there hope for progress?

March 14, 2013 - Grist

David Moser pens a compelling essay that examines the ways in which sprawling auto-dependent land use patterns exacerbate poverty. As more low-income individuals and families are pushed to the suburbs, "this problem is gaining urgency."

March 13, 2013 - Citytank

Providence, Rhode Island's vision for improving early childhood literacy has been selected as the winner of the Bloomberg Philanthropies' Mayor's Challenge, a nationwide contest seeking innovative and replicable ideas for improving cities.

March 13, 2013 - The New York Times

"Yes it can", at least to some extent appears to be the answer according to the WSJ. While the Keystone XL pipeline can move 830,000 barrels of oil a day, rail shipments are set to double this year to 200,000 barrels. Not so, according to the NRDC.

March 13, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

Should architects recuse themselves from designing buildings that violate human rights? Raphael Sperry says yes, especially when it comes to two building types that are ethically troublesome: execution chambers and supermax prisons.

March 13, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper

You've seen the news reports of skyrocketing gun sales due to the possibility of tightened gun restrictions in the wake of the Newtown, CT tragedy; yet the headlines of vocal opposition to gun control belie America's declining gun ownership rate.

March 12, 2013 - The New York Times

According to a new report, U.S. transit ridership increased to 10.5 billion rides in 2012 - a 1.5% increase over 2011, despite transit shutdowns and reductions caused by Superstorm Sandy. High gas prices, and their volatility, was a major cause.

March 12, 2013 - USA Today