The Largest Ever Tropical Reforestation Is Planting 73 Million Trees

A new project should help prevent–or at least slow down–that hot future. If all goes to plan over the next six years, a project led by Conservation International will become the largest tropical reforestation project in history.  https://www.fastcompany.com/40481305/the-largest-ever-tropical-reforestation-is-planting-73-million-trees

Article courtesy of Fast Company the John Converse Townsend

 

Protecting Norfolk from Flooding Won’t Be Cheap: Army Corps Releases Its Plan

The federal government has proposed a $1.8 billion plan to help protect Norfolk, Virginia, from rising seas and increasingly powerful coastal storms by ringing the city with a series of floodwalls, storm surge barriers and tidal gates.  https://insideclimatenews.org/news/30102017/norfolk-sea-level-rising-flood-protection-plan-army-corps-engineers-climate-change
Article courtesy of Inside Climate News by Nicholas Kusnetz

Refitting Lowell’s industrial past for a sustainable future

Lowell, Massachusetts is commonly known as the cradle of the American industrial revolution. This former mill town was once the epicenter of the textile industry and at the forefront of apparel production. The fourth-largest city in Massachusetts, located an hour outside of Boston, Lowell is proud of its manufacturing legacy, but also recognizes the need to modernize their economy. Over the last few years, the city has leveraged its textile traditions to propel cutting-edge economic development strategies, attracting an influx of small-scale businesses to Lowell’s downtown and historic Acre neighborhood.  https://smartgrowthamerica.org/communities-using-small-scale-manufacturing-build-great-places-lowell-ma/
Article courtesy of Smart Growth America by Ellie Dominquez

General Motors' Fleet Plans for the Future

This past week, General Motors (GM) announced plans to introduce two more electrics vehicles within 18 months to their fleet of cars powered by batteries or fuel cells. This move is part of GM's greater goal of having an emissions free fleet. GM executives predict that the automobile industry is moving towards a standard where cars are emissions free with no traffic accidents and no highway congestion. "The future will be profitable," said Mark Reuss, GM's Chief of Global Produce Development. Full article courtesy of the Boston Globe (written by Bill Vlasic of the New York Times).


Massachusetts' Residents are Frustrated with Public Transportation Options; Willing to Pay for Better Transit

In a report issued by MassMoves, a effort by Massachusetts' legislators to better connect with their constituents, voters expressed an interest in expanded rail and bus services and furthermore, they indicated a willingness to pay for improved transit. State legislators sent the survey to 715 voters and 80% said that Massachusetts' transportation system "was not in good shape". Full article courtesy of the Boston Globe (written by Matt Murphy of the State House News Service).


The Future of Mobility in Cities

Written by a group of international NGOs concerned about the future of transportation and sustainable development, this guide calls for developments in technology, operations and service business models to be ones that support livable, sustainable and prosperous cities. Some of these principles include working together with various stakeholders, prioritizing people over vehicles, shared land use for all modes of transportation (driving, biking, walking, transit) and promoting the growth of electric vehicles with an aim towards zero emissions and renewable energy. Full article.

NYC's Tall Order for Greener Buildings

New York City’s building owners are facing a tall order: Mayor Bill de Blasio announced earlier this month that the city will become the first to mandate that existing buildings—from municipal offices to private businesses, hospitals, and apartments—must drastically curb their carbon emissions. Those who don’t comply will face hefty penalties amounting to as much as $2 million a year for a 1 million-square-foot building.  https://www.citylab.com/environment/2017/09/nyc-building-mandate-in-practice/540360/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheAtlanticCities+%28CityLab%29
Article courtesy of City Lab by Linda Poon

Evaporation could power most of the U.S

In the first analysis of evaporation as renewable energy, the scientists found that evaporation-to-power devices on lakes and reservoirs could generate 325 gigawatts of electricity, or about 70 percent of current U.S. production. Evaporated power also could save large amounts of water in drought-prone regions and be available around the clock, getting around some cyclical challenges of solar and wind, they said.  https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060061719
Article courtesy of E&E News by Crista Marchall

Can This Tesla Alum Build the World’s Greenest Battery?

At Tesla, Peter Carlsson spent nearly five years at Elon Musk’s side, locating various parts of the Model S as the electric car company's global supply chain manager. "The overarching goal of Tesla is to help reduce carbon emissions, and that means low cost and high volume," Musk said back in 2006. "We will also serve as an example to the auto industry, proving that the technology really works and customers want to buy electric vehicles."  https://www.wired.com/story/ev-green-battery-factory-in-the-netherlands-competes-with-the-gigafactory/
Article courtesy of Wired by Eric Niiler