Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Climate Change

Message From Copenhagen: Climate Plan Must Include Walkable Urbanism

By Ben Fried | Dec 9, 2009 | No Comments

The energy-saving benefits of transit aren’t limited to the transportation sector. (Image: Jonathan Rose Companies via Richard Layman) At a panel discussion yesterday at the Copenhagen climate summit, American policymakers and transit experts delivered a clear message: Walkable urban development must be part of any effective plan to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Thanks to […]

EPA Makes it Official: Emissions Threaten Public Health

By Elana Schor | Dec 7, 2009 | 1 Comment

Acting under a Supreme Court mandate, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruled today that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health and contribute to the harmful environmental effects of climate change, paving the way for pollution regulations under the Clean Air Act. (Photo: TreeHugger) “Today, EPA announced that greenhouse gases threaten the health and welfare of […]

Climate’s 17 Undecided Dems Got $2.3M From Transport & Electric Lobbies

By Elana Schor | Nov 30, 2009 | No Comments

The trouble with broad analysis pieces on campaign cash is that they often go for eye-popping numbers while obscuring uncomfortable political realities. For example, Greenwire reported this morning that the 27 senators who remain undecided on the chamber’s pending climate bill took "more than $20 million … over the past two decades from energy interests […]

Higher Gas Prices Alone Won’t Make Cleaner Cars a Reality

By Elana Schor | Nov 20, 2009 | 6 Comments

The average carbon emissions of U.S. vehicles. (Image: EPA) It’s a storyline that the media and the auto industry have embraced: Higher gas prices are the magic ingredient that U.S. carmakers need in order to sell more fuel-efficient vehicles to consumers. The narrative is tempting, especially for those who believe federal gas taxes need to […]

Introducing the Samuelson Gas Tax Increase: A Penny Every Month

By Elana Schor | Nov 17, 2009 | No Comments

Democratic lawmakers are discussing the possibility of a one-year stopgap transportation bill but have yet to reach consensus on how to pay for the measure, Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) said today. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) (Photo: Politics Daily) Carper, speaking at a National Journal policy conference, said the prospects for short-term transport legislation still depend […]

Coal-Burning Electric Utilities Still Commanding Dem Senators’ Attention

By Elana Schor | Nov 13, 2009 | No Comments

As reported here yesterday, transportation is a close second to electric power generation in the not-so-great race to become the nation’s fastest-rising source of emissions. Minnesota roads, like this one, produce a greater share of the state’s pollution than electric utilities. (Photo: MPR) So as the climate change debate heats up in the Senate, it’s […]

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