Climate Change

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Hurricane Ike Damage

Insurance Industry Reacting as Flooding Moves From Risk to Certainty

Federal legislation and rising sea levels are changing the way homes are insured against flooding. According to this feature article, in fact, flood insurance "is serving as a kind of advance scout into a more difficult future."

April 18, 2017 - The New York Times Magazine

Washington D.C. - The White House

Next White House Struggle: Whether to Exit the Paris Climate Agreement

Ending Obama's so-called "war on coal" may go international with the exit from the December 2015 Paris Climate Agreement if EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has his way, but he may encounter formidable opposition from Trump's administration and family.

April 18, 2017 - The Washington Post - Energy and Environment

New Facility Captures Atmospheric Carbon and Stores it Underground

On April 7, the illinois Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage commenced operations, taking carbon that corn sequestered from the atmosphere and storing it safely almost a mile and a half underground in a sandstone formation.

April 17, 2017 - The Washington Post

Cedar Rapids Flooding

A Toolbox of Green Infrastructure Solutions to Flooding Risks

A new one-stop shop for green infrastructure solutions is available to planners and engineers challenged by flooding.

April 11, 2017 - CityLab

Shishmaref

Managed Retreat from Sea Level Rise

Coastal communities are battling the near certain rising sea levels. As a result, many are faced with the choice to stay and rebuild their homes or begin the process of "managed retreat" away from vulnerable coastal areas.

April 4, 2017 - WBUR

Coal Extraction

Coal Miners Are Going Back to Work, Proclaims Trump Upon Signing Executive Order

Flanked by coal miners, President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that begins the roll back of his predecessor's signature environmental rule, the Clean Power Plan, and other environmental regulations to facilitate energy production.

March 29, 2017 - The Washington Post

Asperatus

Meet the New Clouds Included in a Long-Awaited Update of the International Cloud Atlas

For the first time in 30 years, a crop of new clouds will enter the canon of cloud varieties recognized by meteorologists all over the world. This is also a good time to talk about climate change.

March 26, 2017 - The Financial Times

Hoover Dam

10 Water Policy and Infrastructure Realities

In celebration of Water Week in the United States, as well as World Water Day, as celebrated by the United Nations, Brookings has complied a list of ten facts about water policy and infrastructure.

March 22, 2017 - Brookings Institution

Coal Mining and Power Station

Carbon Entering the Atmosphere at Highest Rate Yet

Even if carbon emissions are reaching a "plateau," that still represents an unprecedented amount of the gas entering the atmosphere every year.

March 22, 2017 - The Washington Post

Canadian Prime Minister Wins Award for Being Pro-Oil Sands and Pro-Environment

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is treading a fine line between supporting the economy of oil-sands dependent western Canada and fighting climate change, as impossible as that might sound. His efforts were rewarded by the energy industry.

March 14, 2017 - CBC News

Spring Lake, New Jersey

Doubling Down on Infrastructure

The challenge facing the nation's infrastructure is massive in scale, requiring ambition lacking since the New Deal and Eisenhower eras. Building on those historic models, the following op-ed suggests a "WPA 2.0" approach to infrastructure.

February 22, 2017 - Armando Carbonell and Susannah Drake

Oregon State Capitol Building

Cap-and-Trade Back on the Table in Oregon

A new report and hearings by the state's House and Senate environment committees has put a cap-and-trade policy to curb carbon emissions back in play in Salem.

February 22, 2017 - Statesman Journal

UPS LNG Truck

No Left Turns for UPS Trucks

To avoid accidents and conserve fuel, UPS trucks sometimes take circuitous routes on their deliveries, avoiding left turns.

February 19, 2017 - Quartz

Los Angeles Sunset

Los Angeles' Plan to Cool Down

Los Angeles has a heat problem, and it's getting worse. But the Mayor's Office is taking on the challenge.

February 13, 2017 - Los Angeles Times

Climate Change Protest

Republican Coalition Proposes a Carbon Tax to Fight Climate Change

Will a carbon tax have a better chance of success at the federal level if Republicans propose it? We're about to find out.

February 8, 2017 - The New York Times

Sweden

Sweden Targets Carbon Neutrality

As the lawmakers in Washington, D.C. prepare to gut the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, environmentalists got inspiring news from the country of Sweden.

February 5, 2017 - Climate Home

Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station

State-Level Decarbonization Lags Behind

With Donald Trump in office, the struggle against climate change may be up to the states. But are even the greenest states doing enough, especially as they continue shuttering nuclear plants?

February 3, 2017 - The New York Times

Sierra Nevada Drought

Why More than 100 Million Trees Have Died in the Sierra Nevada

Though the drought is ending in much of California, it's too late for the million's of trees that have died due to the ravages of recent water shortages.

February 2, 2017 - The Los Angeles Times

Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper

Recalling Canada's Former, Climate Change-Denying Prime Minister

There are similarities between the policy actions of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government and the nascent Trump Administration. The differences in approach between these two examples are also telling.

January 27, 2017 - The Atlantic

Coit Tower

To Meet Climate Change Goals, San Francisco Tries Networking

San Francisco's Business Council on Climate Change serves as a 'convener' between municipal government and the private sector to tackle issues related to climate change. Writer Andrew Wade spoke with the Council's executive director, Michael Parks.

January 24, 2017 - Doggerel

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

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