Climate & Resilience: Page 39


  • flooding urban city climate change
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    SC National Guard. (2018). "180925-Z-XH297-1108" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
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    Funding is a key barrier to cities' climate plan progress: report

    About 43% of cities worldwide lack a climate adaptation plan, with 25% noting budget constraints as an obstacle, nonprofit CDP reports. But neglecting to address climate change comes with a financial cost too, experts warn.

    By Katie Pyzyk • May 17, 2021
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Coalition seeks to highlight composting as key urban infrastructure

    Given the Biden administration's focus on climate, environmental justice and infrastructure investment, advocates and trade groups view now as an apt time to pursue $200 million across a decade to help expand U.S. composting.

    By Maria Rachal • May 13, 2021
  • smart city, smart cities Explore the Trendline
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    jamesteohart via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Smart Cities Dive

    From worsening climate change to a shifting transportation landscape and the housing affordability crisis, cities have their work cut out for them.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff
  • NREL app expected to significantly speed up US residential solar permitting

    A new app designed by NREL will address a key concern among solar contractors with near-instantaneous permit decisions for residential installations in the majority of U.S. jurisdictions.

    By Emma Penrod • May 10, 2021
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    How housing and property conditions can affect neighborhood stability

    Companies, owners, teams and players all measure success based on a goal or metric. In isolation, those goals and metrics often make sense—for example, percentage increase in top line sales year over year, or reduction in overhead costs year over year, or number of games won in a season, or batting average or bringing home the championship trophy.

    By Michael Halpern • May 10, 2021
  • Capitol Hill
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    The image by Андрей Бобровский is licensed under CC BY 3.0
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    ‘We are simply not ready’ for EV charging at scale, House Republicans say, warning of China dependence

    During a hearing Wednesday on major clean-transportation legislation — part of the Biden administration's $174 billion proposal to bolster electric vehicles — Republicans said the plan strips away consumer choice.

    By Robert Walton • May 7, 2021
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    Drew Angerer via Getty Images
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    DC traffic deaths climb as Vision Zero funding remains in limbo

    Traffic-related fatalities in the nation's capital are well above the number seen by this date last year. Meanwhile, funding allocations for a new law to bring fatalities to zero by 2024 are still undetermined. 

    By Maria Rachal • Updated April 30, 2021
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    Graeme Robertson via Getty Images
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    Just transition needed in transit electrification, labor leaders say

    Transit worker representatives said agencies and the federal government should provide training and give workers a voice, otherwise major job losses could follow.

    By Chris Teale • April 27, 2021
  • Pittsburgh pursues sustainable deconstruction policy to salvage building materials

    Following similar steps in Portland, Oregon, and Milwaukee, Pittsburgh is betting that recovering materials from condemned buildings instead of demolishing them will support the city's climate and equity goals.

    By Maria Rachal • April 26, 2021
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    Courtesy of Verizon
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    Verizon-backed accelerator taps emerging tech to support climate justice

    A new initiative aims to use 5G, big data and AI to help vulnerable communities build resiliency against the worst impacts of climate change. 

    By Chris Teale • April 26, 2021
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    Screenshot via Greentown Labs Houston

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    Cleantech incubator part of Houston’s goal to be ‘energy transition capital’

    One year after the city unveiled its Climate Action Plan, the incubator said it has 30 startups ready to move into its 40,000-square-foot Greentown Labs space.

    By Chris Teale • April 23, 2021
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    Drew Angerer via Getty Images
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    New York to revive curbside composting as city lags on zero waste goal

    Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Earth Day the city is reviving multiple programs cut during the pandemic. But the city is not yet taking the steps many elected officials and advocates believe are necessary to achieve a key 2030 target.

    By Cole Rosengren • April 22, 2021
  • LA Mayor Garcetti State of the City 2021
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    Garcetti, Eric. (2021). "State of the City 2021" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
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    3 key investments in LA Mayor Garcetti’s proposed ‘justice budget’

    As the city recovers from the financial blows of the pandemic, the FY22 budget calls for record funding to address homelessness, a guaranteed basic income pilot and the exploration of a reparations commission. 

    By Cailin Crowe • April 22, 2021
  • President Biden, Biden, executive order, climate
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    Retrieved from The White House/YouTube on January 29, 2021
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    Biden pledges to halve US carbon emissions by 2030

    The United States will work to cut greenhouse gas emissions 50-52% by 2030, relative to 2005 levels, sending clear signals to business and world leaders. 

    By Robert Walton • April 22, 2021
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    Buttigieg defends climate elements of American Jobs plan

    The transportation secretary told the Senate Appropriations Committee that President Joe Biden's infrastructure plan aims to have the country off fossil fuels and toward net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

    By Kim Slowey • April 21, 2021
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    Courtesy of Spin
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    Spin begins electrifying operations, eyeing carbon neutrality

    The Ford-owned micromobility company said it will start using electric vans in its two largest markets, having achieved carbon neutrality in 2020 by using carbon offsets and supporting environmental projects. 

    By Chris Teale • April 21, 2021
  • GE Renewable Energy's wind turbine generator, Haliade-X
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    Courtesy of GE Renewable Energy
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    Clean energy jobs ‘hit hard’ by COVID-19 in 2020: report

    Research from Environment Entrepreneurs found the sector shed 307,000 jobs but rebounded in the second half of the year — and could be set for major recovery in 2021.

    By Chris Teale • April 20, 2021
  • Equitable energy transition will require more than funding and job training, researchers say

    Utilities, governments must ensure clean energy jobs provide stable, middle-class earnings, according to a new guide from Inclusive Economics and the Bloomberg Philanthropies American Cities Climate Challenge.

    By Emma Penrod • April 19, 2021
  • homeless encampment milwaukee tent city
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    Miller, Charles Edward. (2019). "Homeless Encampment Milwaukee Wisconsin 8-30-19_2538" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
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    Cities spend millions on homeless encampment response: report

    Local governments spend up to $8.5 million a year in response to encampments, according to the first federal encampment study, as a lack of affordable housing remains a key reason people are unhoused. 

    By Cailin Crowe • April 15, 2021
  • flooding urban city climate change
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    SC National Guard. (2018). "180925-Z-XH297-1108" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
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    Businesses urge Biden admin to set ambitious federal climate target

    Apple, Lime and hundreds of other businesses and investors signed a letter calling for the U.S. to cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030.

    By Cailin Crowe • April 13, 2021
  • baltimore syline
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    jimmyweee. (2016). "Baltimore" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
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    Baltimore resilience corps could be model for cities

    Local leaders, the Rockefeller Foundation and other partners shared learning lessons from the corps' first six months, including how to leverage the program post-pandemic. 

    By Cailin Crowe • April 9, 2021
  • Food waste
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    The image by Starr is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Advocates call for $650M in federal funds to curb food waste in states, cities

    Atlanta, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Madison, WI are among the groups calling for annual investments through at least 2030 for food waste diversion infrastructure and other strategies.

    By Maria Rachal • April 8, 2021
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    The image by Jennifer C. is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Opinion

    US building codes need a major retrofit to meet climate goals and spare consumers

    The International Code Council, which recently rolled back local governments' say in energy efficiency regulations for buildings, needs to adapt to the times or step aside, writes Energy Innovation's Sara Baldwin.

    By Sara Baldwin • April 7, 2021
  • First Solar's Series 6 modules deployed in a project in Kern County, California
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    Permission granted by First Solar
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    Local governments set record for new renewable energy procurement in 2020, groups report

    Transactions last year grew renewable capacity 23% from 2019's totals, according to World Resources Institute and Rocky Mountain Institute data.

    By Chris Teale • April 5, 2021
  • President Joe Biden speaking about the American Jobs Plan
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    Retrieved from Twitter.
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    How the American Jobs Plan aims to shape 4 pillars of city infrastructure

    The administration's package looks to inject billions of dollars into the country's digital infrastructure, water, transportation and housing needs, with emphasis on racial equity and climate resilience.

    By Smart Cities Dive Team • April 1, 2021
  • MBTA
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    Lawrence, Jason. (2017). "New Flyer DE60LFR" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
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    Boston pilots free public transit in bid for equitable COVID recovery

    The city is one of many turning to zero-fare programs, which could entice riders back onto public transit following the pandemic. But concerns over lost fare revenue may remain a deterrent.

    By Cailin Crowe • March 31, 2021