Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Climate Change

16 Cities That Are Leading the Way in the Climate Change Fight

By Elana Schor | Oct 20, 2009 | No Comments

Long before Congress started to take the threat of climate change seriously, American mayors were already recognizing the need to decrease fossil-fuel consumption, promote efficiency, and generally create more livable places. Scott Smith of Mesa, AZ, the 1000th U.S. mayor to endorse emissions-reduction targets. (Photo: East Valley Trib) Scott Smith, the mayor of Mesa, Arizona, […]

What the Virginia Campaign Can Teach Us About Transportation Policy

By Ryan Avent | Oct 19, 2009 | 2 Comments

However the Virginia off-year gubernatorial race ends up — and at the moment it looks as though Republican Bob McDonnell will reclaim the governor’s mansion for the GOP after years of Democratic dominance — the media will frame the story as a referendum on the policies of national Democrats. Virginian rivals Creigh Deeds (D, at […]

New Study Shows $56 Billion in Hidden Health Damage from Autos

By Elana Schor | Oct 19, 2009 | 1 Comment

Transportation’s effects on public health are rarely discussed by policy-makers, but they remain very real — and the National Research Council (NRC) put a number on them today, reporting that cars and trucks have about $56 billion in "hidden" health costs that are not reflected in the price of oil or electricity. (Photo: MetroDCLiving.com) In […]

Rep. Earl Blumenauer: Announcing the Livable Communities Task Force

By Earl Blumenauer | Oct 19, 2009 | 2 Comments

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) (Photo: Airdye.com) With much excitement, today we are launching the Livable Communities Task Force — an official initiative of the House Democratic Caucus that will work to improve community livability and Americans’ quality of life. This means reducing the nation’s dependence on oil, protecting the environment, improving public health and investing […]

Transportation Allowances in the Climate Bill: A Tale of Two Modes

By Elana Schor | Oct 16, 2009 | No Comments

To understand why the climate change bill is a top priority for urbanists, it’s crucial to understand the emissions allowances that the legislation distributes. The allowances essentially put the "trade" in "cap-and-trade" — whichever industry or state government holds them can benefit from their monetary value or use them to emit pollution under the "cap." […]

Electrification in the Climate Bill: Thinking Bigger Than a Car

By Elana Schor | Oct 14, 2009 | No Comments

At today’s Senate energy committee hearing on climate change, there was much talk about electricity — how it could be generated under a cap-and-trade system and how prices could remain within consumers’ reach even as the nation begins to put a price on carbon. An electrified rail line. (Photo: Metrolinx) In fact, Sen. Mary Landrieu […]

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