Climate Cities

What’s Your Price for Flight?

European Parliament calls for jet-fuel tax to curb enviro impact of flying The European Parliament has voted in favor of a jet-fuel tax to help offset the environmental impact of […]

With Our Tailpipe Between Our Legs

U.S. cars are tops in CO2 emissions The U.S. boasts 30 percent of the world’s cars and is responsible for almost half of global car-caused greenhouse-gas emissions, according to a […]

Nice Package

UPS will test new hydraulic hybrid trucks If you thought the muscled deliveryfolk in tight brown shorts were hot, wait ’til you get a load of their trucks. UPS drivers […]

Vancouver family does it up right.

Six kids, to be exact.

The Vancouver Courier profiles the Spino family -- 2 parents and 6 kids who live in a 3-bedroom condo in downtown Vancouver. It's an interesting read, as well as a good reminder that, for some families, downtown living makes a lot of sense. Says the pater familias:

"I don't see the need for having rooms in houses that you don't use. I don't see why you have two spare bedrooms for visitors that you just use to store boxes. I don't think that's efficient. I don't think that's a responsible way to live...You don't need that space. You don't need skis in the garage or a snowmobile somewhere and stuff in the attic-all that consumerism collecting. I don't think we're occupying a lot of space here. This high-density living is good for the city. It's good for the environment. It's good for the children-it's a fantastic way to live."

Good stuff.

Move Thyself: “Kingdom of bicycles” experiencing identity crisis

So, in case you haven't heard, China's economy has been growing a wee bit. The boom has fueled growth in incomes and is largely responsible for the attendant explosive growth in auto sales and use. Huge growth. The number of cars has grown over 20 times since 1978 and is expected to balloon another five times still by 2020.

Meanwhile, bicycle ridership has fallen at roughly the same rate as auto use has grown, and city planners and officials, eager to keep the boom booming, even at great public cost, have been planning to welcome the auto's continued growth and popularity with more roads.

And though the U.S. still out-cars (and out-roads) China by a wide margin, China's rapid growth has led to bicycles literally being left by the wayside. Urban planning has turned them into seeming second-class forms of transport. (This sounds familiar, America. As Ginsberg might have said: "America, you've given cars all and now cyclists are nothing.")

But back to China. As the Guardian puts it:

Having spent the past decade pursuing a transport policy of four wheels rich, two wheels poor, the Chinese government has suddenly rediscovered the environmental and health benefits of the bicycle.

As described in the state media, apparently the government is finally trying to do something about the unhealthy shift to autos.

China's Vice Minister of Construction, Qiu Baoxing, has lashed [out] at city authorities for making it harder for cyclists to get around, saying the country should retain its title as the "kingdom of bicycles."

Why is green building still so hard?

Recently, Colorado Company magazine highlighted a developer who believes in nothing but “green” building. It was a wonderful article, but it gets at an underlying question: why is this still […]

Train of Thoughtless

Railroad from Beijing to Tibet tries to outmaneuver climate change A railroad connecting Beijing, China, to Lhasa, Tibet, has been completed, despite considerable political and environmental obstacles. The project, conceived […]

That Thing Utah Do!

Bill to sell federal land in Utah could set off cascade of land sales In the American West, many of the fastest-growing regions contain the most federally owned land, which […]

A commute point

Tomorrow is Commute Another Way Day! In Maine, at least (anyone know of this happening elsewhere?), this is an annual event to promote carpools, vanpools, public transit, biking, walking, pogo-sticking, and other eco-friendly alternatives to that long, lonely slog to and from the 9-to-5. According to the CAWD website:

Last year, more than 500 employers and 5,000 commuters got involved statewide, helping to reduce traffic congestion and auto emissions by eliminating 6,000 auto trips; 62,000 auto miles; 1.65 tons of harmful pollution; and $32,000 in commuting costs ... all in a single day!

And you know what else those commuters did? They won prizes! Who doesn't love prizes?

So hop in/on/around/to one of these official Transportation Mode Choices and commute another way!

And speaking of earth-friendly commutes, this week's InterActivist, Don Shaffer, is co-owner of Comet Skateboards -- a San Francisco company making eco-'boards at the world's only solar-powered skateboard factory. Shaffer takes his work home (and then back to work?) by commuting via a skateboard + BART combo.

And as InterActivist this week, he's also taking questions from the Grist peanut gallery -- until the deadline tomorrow at noon (PDT), that is. Ask him about poppin' ollies on the way home from work. Or ask him about his other passion -- providing support to small, local businesses trying to fight corporate cronyism. Ask him anything! We'll publish his answers to selected questions on Friday.

Sustain’t Misbehavin’

Portland, Ore., ranked as most sustainable city in U.S. Portland, Ore., took top honors in SustainLane.com’s 2006 ranking of the sustainability of America’s 50 most populous cities. The rankings were […]