Environment

Jared Diamond On Environmental And Social Sustainability

An interview with the author of Guns, Germs, and Steel and Collapse on topics from water resources to long-range planning and the U.S.'s isolationism.

January 25, 2006 - Albuquerque Weekly Alibi

Political Climate Change In Canada

Conservative leader Stephen Harper, who will become Canada's new prime minister has promised to opt out of the Kyoto treaty.

January 24, 2006 - Calgary Sun

What Is Permaculture?

According to one advocate, a doctrine individuals can practice in all walks of life, making a tangible difference in promoting sustainability at a local level.

January 24, 2006 - The Austin Chronicle

UN Releases Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

"The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment", commissioned by the UN and released January 19, spelled out a grim future for humanity and the earth -- but it also showed how this future can be avoided.

January 23, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

Sierra Club Wins Farmland Preservation Fee

Successful litigation by a Sierra Club chapter in California's Central Valley results in $17.5 million to purchase conservation easements in San Joaquin County, as well as the establishment of a farmland preservation fee in the City of Stockton.

January 23, 2006 - The Stockton Record

Ex-EPA Chiefs Warn Bush About Global Warming

Former chiefs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) -- five Republicans and one Democrat -- criticise the Bush administration's response to global warming.

January 22, 2006 - The Guardian Unlimited

Plan To Scrap Old Ships Stirs Pollution Worries

A proposal to haul old ships to Oregon for salvage and recycling presents a classic case of economic development versus environmental protection.

January 21, 2006 - The Christian Science Monitor

Lester Brown on 'Designing Sustainable Cities'

In "Plan B 2.0, Rescuing a Planet under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble", Lester Brown explores how city design fits into larger, global environmental issues.

January 19, 2006 - Earth Policy Institute

The Top Sources Of Pollution Inhalation

A new study reveals some surprising results about how people inhale the most air pollution on a daily basis.

January 18, 2006 - Scientific American

Congestion Charges Begin In Stockholm, Met With Disfavor

Europe's second congestion pricing program has been put into effect. Unlike London's (a plan promoted by mayor-to-be Ken Livingston), the Stockholm program was initiated by the city's Green Party, though with the support of Social Democrats.

January 11, 2006 - Reuters (on-line)

Schools Curb Energy Costs By Building Green

School officials in Oregon are learning a thing or two from a prototype uber-green classroom near Salem, which uses a large skylight and other technologies to enhance and regulate the natural light coming into the space.

January 5, 2006 - The Oregonian

BioWillie: Star Power And Alternative Fuels

Willie Nelson's concern for family farmers and disdain for the Iraq war led him to market a new brand of biodesil fuel, BioWillie, now sold at 13 gas stations in the Southwest.

January 5, 2006 - The New York Times

New Orleans' Catastrophic Solid Waste Problem

So much garbage was left behind by Katrina that if stacked in 1-yard cubes, the waste would wrap around the Earth more than once.

January 5, 2006 - The Chicago Tribune

A New Greenhouse-gas Emissions Market Emerges

Market-based programs to buy and sell pollutants that contribute to global warming are gaining popularity.

January 5, 2006 - The Christian Science Monitor

Top Five Environmental Stories Of 2005

The big green stories of the year, as reported by Grist Magazine, involved hurricanes, climate change, Bush follies, and oh yeah, one or two good things.

January 4, 2006 - Grist Magazine

The Negative Side Of Brownfield Development

Is the government's focus on brownfield development a distraction from other toxic sites that are more dangerous, but have less commercial appeal?

January 3, 2006 - The Boston Globe

Clean Air, Cheap Energy, Or Jobs?

Closing a massive coal-fired power planet will result in cleaner air, more expensive energy, and a massive job and royalty income loss for the Hopi Tribe and Navajo Nations.

January 3, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

Building Industry May Sue Air District Over Aggressive New Pollution Fee Rule

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District in December, 2005 approved the Indirect Source Rule, making it the first Air District in the US to regulate land uses, much to the ire of the building industry. Will they take the Air District to court?

January 2, 2006 - The Stockton Record

A Laboratory For Sustainable Urban Living

Portland activists are trying to preserve a seven-acre community farm as a model for environmentally sound living.

January 1, 2006 - Willamette Week

Contaminating A Neighborhood -- And A Reputation

A Connecticut suburb could have so much underground lead that 114 houses may be demolished –- but is the threat real?

December 29, 2005 - New Haven Advocate

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.