Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Commentary: Federal Transportation Policy Is Undermining Progress on Climate
Democrats and Republicans remain deeply committed to antiquated policy that undermines any action we take on climate change: spending billions to build new highways, encouraging more and more driving.
September 18, 2019
Climate Change Fight Dies in Texas Oil Region
An oil-rich region of West Texas is about to get more than half a billion dollars in highway funds so it can continue to pump more crude and frack natural gas — perpetuating a cycle that is causing the destruction of human civilization.
August 28, 2019
Mayors Seek Transit Funds To Fight Climate Change (And What’s Happening in This Picture)
A coalition of mayors wants Congress to declare a "Marshall Plan" against climate change by spending on mass transit to curb air pollution in their cities.
The mayors of Atlanta, Honolulu, St. Paul, Pittsburgh, and Portland, Ore., implored senators at a climate hearing on Capitol Hill last week to invest in renewable-energy programs in order to create jobs and fund bus and rail systems, with the goal of weening people off gas-polluting vehicles.
July 23, 2019
Boondoggle: Portland Takes a Step Backward
Portland has made bold moves toward becoming a good place to get around without a car. But it's about to make a huge mistake in the Rose Quarter.
June 28, 2019
Highway Boondoggles: Tar Heel State’s Road Expansion Disaster
It's the first of nine installments! This edition focuses on North Carolina’s plan to complete the southern half of a loop highway around Raleigh. It's a boondoggle with epic environmental repercussions.
June 19, 2019
Federal unSAFE Rollbacks Would Have Dire Consequences for Air Quality
The federal proposal poses some very serious problems; litigation might delay them, but few want to talk about other solutions
June 6, 2019
Vancouver Unveils Boldest Climate Action Plan
The city's plans to put U.S. regions to shame, calling for 90 percent of residents to be in walking distance of "daily needs."
April 25, 2019
Survey: Americans Want DOTs to Factor Climate Change in Their Decisions
Should we continue to let state transportation departments spend tens of billions of dollars in federal funds each year without regard to how highway expansions contribute to climate change? Right now U.S. DOT is looking to inject some accountability into a process that has created a very carbon-intensive transportation system, and a new poll suggests most Americans would welcome that.
August 5, 2016
The New Climate Villain Is Cheap Oil
Long-term climate prospects brightened somewhat in 2015. Pope Francis put climate care on the moral and political agenda. President Obama rejected the Keystone XL dirty-oil pipeline. Denialist heads of state were routed in Canada and Australia, and their brethren in the U.S. faced growing ridicule. To cap it off, nearly 200 nations signed the UN Paris accord, committing to cutting emissions. Meanwhile, U.S. coal use took another double-digit plunge. And U.S. electricity generation from zero-carbon photovoltaic solar cells continued to soar and has now grown 20-fold in just five years.
January 11, 2016
The New Way to “Screw Obama” — Poisoning Your Neighbors’ Air
Warning: The crazies are getting crazier.
July 8, 2014