Climate Cities

Umbra on renting hybrids and sharing cars

Dear Umbra, Do you know of any car-rental companies that offer hybrids? I have heard of a bunch in environmentally friendly California, but my quick search in the Boston area […]

Bill Walsh, founder of the Healthy Building Network, answers questions

Bill Walsh. What work do you do? I’m the founder and national coordinator of the Healthy Building Network. How does it relate to the environment? The Healthy Building Network is […]

Karen Hundt, Chattanooga urban planner, answers questions

Karen Hundt. What work do you do? I am the director of the Planning & Design Studio in Chattanooga, Tenn. We are a division of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning […]

Emily Gertz sends dispatches from Verdopolis, a confab on future green cities

Emily Gertz is a regular contributor to WorldChanging.com, and an internet content and strategy consultant for nonprofits. She has written on environmental policy for BushGreenwatch, and on the intersections of […]

Run Away, Train

D.C. approves stricter regs on transporting toxic chemicals Worried about a possible catastrophic release of toxic chemicals that one study says could kill up to 100,000 people, Washington, D.C.’s 13-member […]

Good job them.

Via Worldchanging, where they are quite enamored of Vancouver, I see the city's 21 Places for the 21st Century contest.

Participants are encouraged to choose a favourite public place or site, and then propose a change or improvement to it. Changes can be abstract or concrete; permanent, temporary, or seasonal. Your chosen public space may be large or small, as may your change. Ideas for activities or programmes to be offered in a public place are also welcome. You're only limited by your imagination.

Dreamy.

What if every city in North America held a similar contest?

And to Sprawl a Good Night

Urban sprawl imperils species, report says If you needed one more reason to hate urban sprawl, we’re happy to help: It’s imperiling species left and right. According to a report […]

Take It E.V.

Electric vehicles catching on in China; Smart cars coming to U.S. All the talk these days is about hybrid and hydrogen cars, but in China, where air pollution is an […]

Next Up: Hybrid Zambonis

Canada vows to get tough on vehicle CO2 emissions The greenhouse-gas emissions of cars and trucks in Canada will be cut by 25 percent by 2010, according to a duo […]

The Truck Stops Here

New electrical hook-ups at truck stops prevent diesel pollution Long-haul truckers, hardy though they may be, occasionally need rest. Traditionally they have pulled into truck stops and taken naps with […]