Climate change could bring sudden drought to La Paz

As the world warms, scientists expect some ecosystems to gradually migrate up slopes, essentially chasing environmental conditions they need to thrive.

But according to recent research on the historical ecology of the Andes conducted in part by a Westfield State University assistant professor, those steady changes can reach a tipping point in some cases that flips local ecosystems on their head.

The scientists examined fossilized pollen in Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest elevation great lake on the border of Peru and Bolivia, which allowed them to look 370,000 years back in time. They found that in two periods of past warming, the lake shrank by as much as 85 percent, and switched the grassland ecosystem into desert.

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/greenblog/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe- Green Blog posted by Beth Daley

Green Your Kids' School: Waste-Free Lunches

Do you see a lot of waste going on at your children’s schools? This week’s tips are about how to help green your local educational institutions.

Consider starting a waste-free lunch program at your children’s schools to help make trash reduction a priority. On a personal level, avoid resorting to disposables such as plastic bags and paper juice boxes. Instead, choose reusable items. Check out the EPA's handy guide (PDF) for committing to cleaner lunches, cleaner campuses, and a cleaner planet for your kids. 
Article courtesy of The Green Life (green.life@sierraclub.org)

Mayor Bloomberg to Promote Electric Taxis in Cities

City authorities are often better placed than national governments to combat climate change, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said recently. He vowed to promote the use of electric taxis as he takes over the leadership of a global coalition of major cities

www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7837

Article courtesy of Smart Growth

High Lead Levels Found in Urban Gardens

Researchers from Wellesley College have found that urban vegetable gardeners can be exposed to lead contamination even if they use raised beds with clean compost or topsoil. It isn’t the vegetables but the dirt itself that can collect fine lead particles. The lead, from industrial site around the city, can sometimes become airborne and lands in urban gardens, Daniel Brabander and his team of researcher found. The group presented their findings at the 2010 annual meeting of the Geological Society of America.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7844

 

Debate Over Turning a Sea Salt Operation into Smart Growth Development

A 1,436 acre sea salt operation south of San Francisco Bay may be the future site of a smart growth development. The natural evaporation ponds, located in Redwood City, have been in production since 1901. Cargill, who owns the operation, plans to develop this area with the help of Arizona developer DMB Associates. The development will be promoted as a “50/50 balance plan,” a community of 8,000 to 12,000 low-rise, energy efficient apartments, schools, offices, and retail space, mixed with open space and restored wetlands.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7843

Article courtesy of Smart Growth

U.S. Must Fight Its Oil Habits and Price Vulnerability with Efficient Cars, Transit, and Balanced Transportation Outlays

In an unprecedented collaboration between two federal agencies, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) jointly awarded nearly $68 million to help stimulate a new generation of sustainable and livable communities that connect housing, employment and economic development with transportation and other infrastructure improvements. The joint HUD-DOT funding will support 62 local and regional partnerships seeking to create a more holistic and integrated approach to connecting affordable housing, job opportunities and transportation corridors.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7840

Article courtesy of Smart Growth

 

Cross Country Bicycle Network

The U.S. Bicycle Route System is a new project that will connect many of the existing (and envisioned) bicycle routes around the country into an official, national network of cycling routes, linked coast-to-coast across state lines. The project was endorsed by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7848

Article courtesy of Smart Growth Network

DOT- Much More Than Roads and Bridges

Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stated in a Grist Magazine interview that “once politicians begin to listen to their constituents, they will realize a sustainable course is what voters want. They will find constituents way ahead on livability and sustainability, on having cleaner, greener communities, on having walking and biking paths, on having streetcar systems.”
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7828

Article courtesy of Smart Growth Network

 

Smart Mobility for a 21st Century America

A new report on smarter transportation proposes how existing and emerging technologies can squeeze more capacity from over-burdened highways, help commuters avoid traffic delays, and expand and improve transportation options, all while saving money and creating jobs. Many of these smart transportation solutions are already fueling innovation throughout the country. The report proposes that establishing national targets for reducing congestion and emissions through programmatic changes and funding incentives would accelerate the development and implementation of new technologies.   

Resource(s): http://t4america.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/ITS-White-Paper-100710-FINAL.pdf

Article courtesy of Smart Growth Network

EPA Technical Assistance on Sustainable Growth and Development

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has chosen eight communities to receive technical assistance on sustainable growth and development issues. The assistance will help local governments address infrastructure constraints, protect water quality, set development standards, and create options for housing and transportation. EPA will work in collaboration with its partners at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Department of Transportation (DOT) to help communities become more environmentally and economically sustainable as part of the agency’s broader work through the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7822

Article courtesy of Smart Growth Network

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces $2.4 Billion for High Speed Rail Projects

California

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently announced that 54 high-speed rail projects in 23 states will share in $2.4 billion to continue developing America’s first nationwide program of high-speed intercity passenger rail service.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7831

 

Article courtesy of Smart Growth Network