Greenhouse Gas Emission Impacts of Carsharing in North America

by: Mineta Transportation Institute, San José State University   

This report presents the results of a study evaluating the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission changes that result from individuals participating in a carsharing organization. The principle of carsharing is simple: individuals gain the benefits of private vehicle use without the costs and responsibilities of ownership. Carsharing is most common in major urban areas where transportation alternatives are easily accessible. Individuals typically access vehicles by joining an organization that maintains a fleet of cars and light trucks deployed in lots located within neighborhoods, public transit stations, employment centers, and colleges/universities. 
Read more: http://www.smartgrowth.org/library/article.asp?resource=4716

 

China Said to Be Top Energy User in 2009

With a population of 1.3 billion and economic growth that reached 11.9 percent in the first quarter of 2010, China has overtaken the U.S. as the top energy consumer for 2009, says the International Energy Agency (IEA). According to reporter Jenny Barchfield, China's ''flood of new office towers, shopping malls, hotels and apartment complexes are straining generating stations in cities, where demand exceeds supply – forcing the government to order rolling blackouts during the summer."
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7752

Article courtesy of Smart Growth News

Virginia Beach Businesses Lead Another Campaign for Light Rail

Light Rail Now recently held its first meeting, where it rallied support for a long-envisioned 10-mile Virginia Beach light-rail line that would link with Norfolk's 7.4-mile Tide line opening next May. Formed by the business community in 1993, the non-partisan Virginia Beach Vision organization lost a light-rail referendum in 1999, and the loss has now inspired its inclusive Light Rail Now nonprofit to run the campaign.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7747

Article courtesy of Smart Growth News

Senate Banking Committee Passes Livable Communities Act

The Senate Banking Committee on August 3 passed Chairman Chris Dodd's (D-CT) Livable Communities Act (S. 1619) to improve the coordination between our housing, community development, transportation, energy, and environmental policies to help create better places to live, work and raise families. The bill will promote sustainable development and enable communities to cut traffic congestion; reduce greenhouse gas emissions and oil consumption; protect farmland and green spaces; revitalize existing Main Streets and urban centers; spur economic development; and create more affordable housing.  www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7745

Article courtesy of Smart Growth Network State by State and International News Headlines

 

Blumenauer Introduces Transportation and Housing Affordability Transparency Act

Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore), Chair of the Livable Communities Task Force, recently introduced legislation to provide homebuyers with information on the actual cost of their homes, which includes the cost of transportation. The average family spends about half of its income on transportation and housing, but transportation costs can vary based on a home's location. While housing affordability traditionally has been measured by the extent to which a household can cover the purchase price of a home, Blumenauer has introduced the Transportation and Housing Affordability Transparency Act, or ''THAT Act,'' to create a transportation affordability index that will provide information about the costs associated with the location of a home.
http://68.236.127.4/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103608739644%26s=10826%26e=001jxilQm6x24i51ZG0gypE2228dzxcyM-r6U1Eefvi3gq-ehInATuSt12ex8qU19K4LwG6lDTCx_N_NMKxKTUlCnRSP29T1TiijytoDU0P2PR2evgQ-0vMEN7DEyPkkUicfNmKfwuX_JsGBvn2Wly1C69NQE2vxnud
Article courtesy of Smart Growth Network State by State and International News Headlines

Deadly bat disease on track to wipe out a species in the Northeast

A deadly disease is destroying Northeast bat populations so rapidly that one of New England’s most common species is likely to disappear within 20 years, Boston University and other scientists conclude in a study published today.

 

White nose syndrome is named for a fungus that appears on hibernating bats’ noses, wings, and other body parts. Scientists believe the fungus irritates bats so greatly they wake up during hibernation, expending precious body fat in the process. Many of the flying mammals then leave caves and mines only to die as they search for food on barren winter landscapes.

 

Read more:  http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/greenblog/2010/08/bat_illness_may_wipe_out_a_new.html

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe by Beth Daley

 

Mangrove forests in worldwide decline

Gland, Switzerland / Washington, DC - More than one in six mangrove species worldwide are in danger of extinction due to coastal development and other factors, including climate change, logging, and agriculture, according to the first-ever global assessment on the conservation status of mangroves for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™.

 

Mangrove forests grow where saltwater meets the shore in tropical and subtropical regions, thus serving as an interface between terrestrial, fresh-water and marine ecosystems. These forests provide at least $1.6 billion each year in ecosystem services.

Read more:  http://www.conservation.org/newsroom/pressreleases/Pages/Report-Mangroves-Worldwide-Decline-IUCN.aspx

Article courtesy of  Conservation International