Japan cites 'lessons' of nuclear accident

TOKYO — Japan admitted yesterday that it was unprepared for a severe nuclear accident like the tsunami-caused Fukushima disaster, and said damage to the reactors and radiation leakage were worse than it previously thought.

In a report being submitted to the UN nuclear agency, the government also acknowledged reactor design flaws and a need for greater independence for the country’s nuclear regulators. Read more: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2011/06/08/japan_says_it_was_unprepared_for_nuclear_disaster/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe -Green Blog by Associated Press

California Senate votes to ban foam takeout containers

Sandwiches, milkshakes and other food items frequently packaged in foam takeout containers will have to be packaged in other materials under a bill that cleared the state Senate on Thursday. SB 568 by Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) would prohibit food vendors and restaurants from dispensing prepared foods to customers in polystyrene foam beginning Jan. 1, 2014. Read more: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/06/foam-takeout-containers-ban-styrofoam-california.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29

Article courtesy of The Los Angles Times Greenspace by Susan Carpenter

3.4 Earthquake Recorded in South Los angeles

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Southern California -- this just in

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A magnitude 3.4 earthquake occurred early Monday morning in South Los Angeles.

The temblor occurred at 12:07 a.m. and was centered in the Willowbrook area, about nine miles south of downtown Los Angeles.

There were no immediate reports of damage from the small quake.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the temblor was felt across the South Bay, Long Beach and northern Orange County. [Updated, 12:50 a.m. June 6: Residents as far north as Burbank reported feeling the temblor.]

[Updated, 12:50 a.m., June 6: A magnitude 1.5 aftershock was reported at 12:09 a.m. in the Willowbrook area. Four minutes later, a magnitude 1.3 earthquake rumbled through the Santa Monica Mountains west of the 405 Freeway, about halfway between Tarzana in the San Fernando Valley and the stretch of Pacific Coast Highway that connects Pacific Palisades and Malibu.]

-- Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Shelby Grad and Rong-Gong Lin II

Diving into the car pool

Workplace perks, high gas prices drive hike in ride sharing

While many of his co-workers walk as far as a half-mile from parking lot to office, Manish Puri pulls his Honda Accord into a spot about 50 yards from his desk in the IT department at Boston College. The reason for this rock-star treatment is sitting in the passenger seat: a colleague who carpools with him from Malden five days a week.

Puri is among the growing number of local drivers who have taken up carpooling. But, as his experience shows, it’s more than just gas prices getting commuters out of single-occupancy vehicles. In the 21st-century version of ride sharing — driven by climate concerns as well as gas prices — government programs and environmentally conscious employers are providing extra incentives, while Internet technology makes it easier than ever to match riders with drivers. Read more: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2011/05/31/perks_gas_prices_prompt_revival_in_carpooling/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe-Green Blog by Kathleen Pierce/ Globe Correspondent

Massachusetts || Ordinance May Restrict Banks from Street Levels of Retail Areas

Aldermen and planners in the city of Newton have been reviewing the findings of a local task force, which called for special retail overlay districts to promote smart growth. "One problem we will address," said Newton Alderman Ted Hess-Mahan, "is banks on the first floor in high-traffic areas. Banks can afford to pay higher rents, which can drive out the kind of mom-and-pop businesses we want to foster. And banks close at five, meaning they're not really contributing to the neighborhood after hours."

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/newton/2011/05/newton_aldermen_planners_consi.html

Article courtesy of Smart Growth Online Newsletter June 2011

Virginia || Chesterfield County Comprehensive Plan Looks to Promote Infill Development

Infill development would be favored in Chesterfield County's proposed Comprehensive Plan. The plan would also designate more than 50,000 acres in the southern and western reaches of the county as a green zone, with a maximum density of one housing unit per 25 acres http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2011/may/23/tdmain01-chesterfield-looks-to-avoid-more-sprawl-ar-1057235/

Article courtesy of Smart Growth Online Newsletter June 2011

California || Chula Vista Passes Climate Change Plan

http://www.ci.chulavista.ca.us/clean/conservation/climate/documents/ClimateAdaptationStrategiesPlans_FINAL_000.pdf

The City Council of Chula Vista recently approved plans to implement strategies to reduce the community's vulnerability to climate change.

The decision made Chula Vista the first local government in Southern California to adopt a stand-alone, comprehensive climate adaptation plan. Adaptation strategies in the plan include measures to expand the city's urban forests, incorporate "cool" or reflective roofs, promote gray water and other water reuse, and design future development and municipal projects to be resilient to sea level rise.

Article courtesy of Smart Growth Online-Newsletter for June 2011