intellecafe

Modelling Crowd Dymanics

2011-12-30T08:06:00.001-08:00

http://www.economist.com/node/21541709?fsrc=nlw%7Cnewe%7C12-30-2011%7Cnew_on_the_economist

How to make even less out of what little you have

2011-12-23T10:17:00.001-08:00

Here's a perfect example of what NOT to do if you're mayor of a city in need of civic improvements. It's the functional equivalent of shouting "no new jobs!" at a rally in downtown Detroit, and it's just more proof of the fallacies inherent in libertarian ideology. I love stories like this because they point out the inevitable consequences of narrow-minded and, quite frankly, loony partisan

Political Advertising

2011-11-28T10:08:00.001-08:00

DAVID BERNSTEIN has an interesting take on the Mitt Romney ad controversy that I think is wrong in one important way. The ad, as we all know by now, shows Barack Obama saying "If we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose", without noting that the clip dates from the 2008 campaign rather than the present, and that Mr Obama's line was in fact "Sen. McCain's campaign actually said,

Visual chart of unemployment from 2007 to 2010

2010-08-05T15:41:00.001-07:00

I thought this was interesting, it's a map of the US showing you the decline in employment between 2007 and 2010. There is something about a map that hits you slightly harder than a news article spouting off numbers. http://cohort11.americanobserver.net/latoyaegwuekwe/multimediafinal.html

Amtrak is now saying the right things. Will they start doing the right things?

2010-05-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

Promise of Amtrak’s first truly optimistic intercity service expansion in years, along the Western end of the Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle routes, rescued generally dim prospects in the preceding months of 2009, which were punctuated by three lackluster, unimaginative and pessimistic proposals for expanding services. The picture has brightened further in the first quarter of 2010.This March

Here’s an idea.

2010-05-20T12:47:00.001-07:00

Let Amtrak submit its grossly flawed report, with all of the figures as gospel. Then, spend some more money and some more time (After all, Amtrak wants four years or more to restore this service, so to them time is not a factor.), and find a credible passenger rail consulting firm to create a real route analysis, using real world numbers, and then take that report and beat Amtrak over the head

Choo choo...

2010-05-20T08:40:00.001-07:00

And here's a response from an advocacy group to Amtrak's feasibility study for bringing the Pioneer Line back on track. Notice their suggestion for re-routing the line from it's former overland route (via Greeley) through Boulder and Ft. Collins instead (an option not included in the feasibility study), which they say would generate better revenues. http://www.pioneertrain.com/

http://www.inside-lane.com/

2010-05-20T08:10:00.000-07:00

Study: High-speed rail would work in Colorado

2010-04-13T09:36:00.001-07:00

High-speed rail is feasible along Colorado's interstate 70 and 25 corridors and would generate billions in economic benefit for the state, a new study says. The study — sponsored by the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Rocky Mountain Rail Authority (RMRA) — says there are several options for high-speed rail between Fort Collins and Pueblo along I-25 and between Eagle County and

Some details on health reform - to keep us from straying too far the issues

2010-03-26T14:55:00.001-07:00

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVEREDMar 25th 2010Barack Obama has transformed health reform from near death to fact. Sohow will Obamacare change America's health system?THE Barack Obama who addressed Americans at near midnight on March 21st had every right to gloat. After a year in which his proposals forhealth reform were savaged by Republicans and leftists alike, anddeclared dead half a dozen times by

Tandja could have avoided this

2010-02-19T10:10:00.001-08:00

What is to come for les gents en brusse? Hopefully the ministries will continue to function, not that their beneficiaries were ever in the countryside anyway. A day after soldiers in Niger overthrew President Mamadou Tandja, the military junta on Friday identified its chief as Squadron Leader Salou Djibo and said civil servants would run ministries and regions until a new government was

How will we recharge all the electric cars?

2010-02-01T10:56:00.001-08:00

Jan 29th 2010 | From The Economist online IN THE ten years since hybrid electric vehicles first hit the highways and byways of America, they have come to represent 2.5% of new car sales. Yet, in places like Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, DC, every other car seems to be a Toyota Prius. That is because hybrids like the Prius have sold overwhelmingly where well-heeled

Proclamation 44, Series of 2009

2009-11-30T07:37:00.001-08:00

BE IT PROCLAIMED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER: Section 1. That Denverites, civic associations, businesses, community-based organizations and neighborhoods are encouraged to support locally-produced healthy food including community gardens, greenhouses for food production and aquaculture, farmers' markets, urban farms, orchards, home gardens, Community and Neighborhood

2009-11-18T16:14:00.000-08:00

2009-11-18T16:11:00.000-08:00

New transmission line in southern Colorado

2009-11-18T15:45:00.001-08:00

Wednesday, Nov. 18 2009 La Veta Pass Power Line Plan Sparks Debate Utilities say they need a new transmission line in southern Colorado to make renewable energy possible. Residents fear it will destroy the landscape they love. CPR's Megan Verlee talks to Ryan Warner. Then Ryan talks to L.A. Times reporter Judith Lewis about moving power generation closer to population centers.

Air Toxics and oil in Colorado

2009-11-16T08:06:00.001-08:00

After seeing Split Estate and talking after the screening with Daniel Thau Teitelbaum, a toxicologist and one of the central people in the documentary, I started to explore the issue in more depth. Below is a link from the Garfield County website detailing the recent health risk assessments conducted with regard to oil and gas facilities: http://www.garfield-county.com/Index.aspx?page=1334

The world’s wetlands are big sources of greenhouse gases

2009-11-06T11:03:00.001-08:00

PEATY wetlands emit about 1.3 billion tonnes of CO2 a year as a result of human activity that drains them and thus exposes them to the oxidative effect of the atmosphere. This figure does not include the effect of fire on dried-up bogs, which can double the amount. That, at least, is the conclusion of a report published by Wetlands International, a lobby group, this week. Drained peat occupies

T bonds, China and Free Trade

2009-09-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Treasury_security Top Foreign holders of U.S. Treasuries As of June 2009: Holder / Total China / $776.4 billion Japan / $711.8 billion United Kingdom / $214.0 billion Oil Exporters / $191.0 billion Caribbean / $189.7 billion Brazil / $139.8 billion ECONOMIC VANDALISMSep 17th 2009A protectionist move that is bad politics, bad economics, bad

Article on a recent study of ecosystems and the world without us

2009-09-01T11:09:00.001-07:00

NOT AS FRAGILE AS THEY LOOKAug 31st 2009Leave them alone, and damaged ecosystems will bounce back fastCONVENTIONAL wisdom is often a poor guide. For one thing it suggests that human damage to the world's species, habitats and ecosystems isterminal: that when things are lost, they are lost for ever. But oilspills of the sort that now threaten the Timor Sea, forest fires like those that recently

Libby Montana - Results of 2007 Epidemiological Studies

2009-08-21T10:21:00.001-07:00

Libby, Montana is the site of a large vermiculite deposit that was mined between 1920 and 1990 to extract vermiculite for commercial applications such as insulation, gardening products, and construction materials. The Libby vermiculite deposit also contains amphibole minerals including tremolite, actinolite, richterite, and winchite. Historically, Libby mine workers experienced high exposures to

On the feature-creep of technology and modern life in general

2009-08-14T12:51:00.001-07:00

"Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." - Antoine de Saint Exupéry or, more appropriately stated with less unnecessary intricacy, "Less is more." - Mies van der Rohe, architect and leader of the Bauhaus movement in Germany

It is not wise for Democrats to bash health insurers

2009-08-13T10:08:00.001-07:00

FRIEND OR FOE?Economist, Aug 13th 2009 "I AM not a Nazi, I'm not being paid to be here, and I'm not un-American!" The elderly man who uttered those angry words on the afternoon of August 10th was clearly boiling over. He and several hundred others had gathered in a poorly ventilated hall in North Arlington, New Jersey, to berate Steven Rothman, their Democratic congressman, for advocating

2009-08-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

Health Care Reform - Straight Up

2009-08-13T09:36:00.001-07:00

In an ideal democracy, we would read this, be convinced of the need for reform and then be motivated to contact our representatives to urge them to promote it. But in the real world, we should at least all be able to take an unfiltered look at the straight facts and decide for ourselves whether the actual proposal itself is viable. I hope that at least this puts the plan in perspective and helps

It is possible to prevent the collapse of commercial fish stocks

2009-08-03T12:35:00.001-07:00

Aug 3rd 2009From Economist.com BORIS WORM, a marine biologist, has spent much of his academic life studying fish. In 2006 he came to the depressing conclusion that by 2048 the world's commercial fisheries would have collapsed. Fish would no longer be on the menu. But Dr Worm is no pessimist and on July 31st he published a more encouraging piece of work in Science. It suggests that, with proper

EPA awards $2.8 million in Recovery Act funding in Colorado to reduce diesel emissions and create jobs

2009-07-24T09:48:00.001-07:00

(Denver, Colo. – July 24, 2009) In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, reduce diesel emissions and protect human health and the environment for people of Colorado,the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $2.8 million in grants to the Denver Regional Air Quality Council, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the City and County of

The growing political and economic clout of Arctic peoples

2009-07-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

The Economist July 18th 2009LAST month Greenland celebrated the devolution of more powers from Denmark but translating nominal political power for the mostly Inuit population into real independence will take a long time, and economic clout. The Inuit of Canada won some powers a decade ago, while the Sami, Komi and Sakha peoples also have some autonomy. Climate change, oddly, may boost Inuit

What happened to the great train stations?

2009-06-30T09:56:00.001-07:00

EARLIER this week, The Infrastructurist offered up two image collections showcasing beautiful American train stations. They're all amazing. Atlanta's Terminal Station (pictured), with its twin Italianate towers, and Savannah's Union Station, with its Spanish Renaissance-style towers, are especially striking. But both the Savannah and Atlanta stations—indeed, all 17 of the stations The

New Rail Lines Spur Urban Revival

2009-06-15T10:31:00.001-07:00

AMY CORTESE, NYTJune 13, 2009The use of public transportation has been rising. In 2007, Americans took 10.3 billion trips on public transit, the highest number in 50 years, according to the American Public Transportation Association. And the Obama administration has pledged $8 billion toward high-speed rail projects as part of its economic stimulus program. But some communities have been taking

Rulings drain protections for state waterways

2009-05-26T09:47:00.001-07:00

Supreme Court decisions and the Bush years limited the Clean Water Act's scope, but guidelines are changing. By Mark JaffeThe Denver Post Posted: 05/10/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT Click on image to enlarge The north tributary of Newlin Gulch in North Castle Pines was — for a time — a creek without a country. The stream was ruled not among "the waters of the United States" by the U.S. Army

Allowing profitability to guide sustainability - an example

2009-05-19T06:53:00.001-07:00

GROWING ON TREESLifted from The Economist, May 18th 2009A MOST unusual document landed on your correspondent's desk recently: a financial report[1] from a rainforest. Iwokrama, a 370,000-hectare rainforest in central Guyana, announced that it was in profit. It added, more intriguingly, that rainforests had entered the "global economy".Iwokrama is part of the largest expanse of undisturbed

Colorado and TABOR

2009-05-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

Could the Mountain State be turning even bluer? A recent vote in an historically Republican stronghold demonstrates a progressive shift. A Colorado Springs TABOR repeal vote was on the April 7, 2009 ballot in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was narrowly approved with 50.62% of votes in support and 49.38% against.Government spending in Colorado Springs is governed by two separate TABOR provisions:

Colorado's "New Energy" Economic Strategy

2009-05-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

Colorado kept a razor sharp focus in building the New Energy Economy as a strategy for spurring green jobs and economic development amidst the economic recession, according to advocates and businesses at a state capitol briefing on the 2009 legislative session.Groups hailed the leadership of Gov. Bill Ritter and the state legislature for passing over a dozen pieces of legislation to advance a

Another Denver Amenity Goes up in Smoke

2009-04-22T08:35:00.001-07:00

In reponse to the replies I received recently on my editorial to the Denver Post, which is the origianlly posted message that follows, I'd like to provide further background on Philip Anschutz, so as to develop my points on the nature of his character and ambitions: Anschutz, a Republican donor and major supporter of George W. Bush's administration, has been an active patron of a number of

A Crash Course in Present-day International Water Economics

2009-04-15T11:52:00.001-07:00

Sin aqua non Apr 8th 2009 | ISTANBULFrom The Economist print edition Water shortages are a growing problem, but not for the reasons most people think Panos THE overthrow of Madagascar's president in mid-March was partly caused by water problems—in South Korea. Worried by the difficulties of increasing food supplies in its water-stressed homeland, Daewoo, a South Korean conglomerate, signed a

Environmental values

2009-04-13T13:17:00.001-07:00

How to ensure the environment is properly accounted for ANY attempt to put an economic value on fresh air, clean water or tropical rainforests can offend the delicate sensibilities of those who argue that the conservation of nature is a moral duty. Yet although the best things in life appear to be free, that does not mean they are without financial value. It simply means that nobody asks you to

Transit Agencies in Bind Due to SILO Deals and AIG Collapse

2009-04-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

by Joseph HenchmanFederal Officials Encouraged Leasebacks, Then Made Them Worthless for CreditorsFiscal Fact No. 153IntroductionMajor newspapers are reporting on a financing crisis that is hitting many transit systems in the United States late this month. The situation is a result of (1) a series of leaseback transactions these agencies conducted which included heavy termination penalties, (2)

Oakland's Interactive Fruitvale District Map concept could be applied to Denver Alameda Station Area

2009-01-08T11:13:00.001-08:00

Something like this would be ideal for the Alameda Station Area: http://oaklandcvb.com/map.cfm?bid=19&vid=0&cid=0

Value Capture

2009-01-08T09:49:00.001-08:00

Value capture refers to a type of innovative public financing in which increases in private land values generated by a new public investment are all or in part "captured" through a land related tax to pay for that investment or other public projects. Value capture refers to the process by which all or a portion of increments in land value attributed to "community interventions" rather than

More on the West Wash Park Rezoning

2009-01-08T09:33:00.001-08:00

Just a couple more recent scoops on the issue... (I think the Dec 19th blurb is the editorial that was referencd in the recent WWPNA newsletter, but I'm not sure) http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/19/carroll-its-dangerous-to-call---but-still-safer/ http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/16/council-oks-downzoning-at-wash-park/

Council clashes over West Wash Park zoning plan - RMN November 18

2009-01-08T09:06:00.001-08:00

Things are heating up over a contentious proposal that affects the property rights of thousands of homeowners in Denver's West Washington Park neighborhood. Mayor John Hickenlooper was thrust into the middle of it Tuesday. During the mayor's weekly meeting with City Council members, one councilman demanded a letter of explanation from Planning Director Peter Park, and another complained that

Noise from Oil and Gas Operation

2009-01-07T09:47:00.001-08:00

I recently came across this study, which cites two reports that have determined actual decibel ranges for certain oil and gas activities: http://www.earthworksaction.org/noiseresources.cfm#FOOTNOTE4

Fwd: Barack Obama has chosen a team of heavyweights

2008-12-29T11:55:00.001-08:00

I thought this was an interesting little blurb on the team that will be entering the white house cabinet. BARACK OBAMADec 22nd 2008Barack Obama has chosen a team of heavyweightsWHEN Barack Obama nominated Hillary Clinton to be his secretary ofstate, the phrase of the week was "team of rivals". But as Mr Obama fills out his cabinet, the new term might be "all-star team". Mr Obamahas convinced

The Truth About Green Jobs - When they're coming, who will get them, and how to prevent their outsourcing.

2008-12-15T09:27:00.001-08:00

by David Roberts of Mother Jones November/December 2008 Issue More and more Democrats are framing climate change as "a moment of opportunity for innovation and job creation," as Obama has put it, that can revitalize the flagging US economy. But occasionally, enthusiasm outpaces reality. Let's sift through a few of the more popular claims.[ 1 ] Green jobs are everywhere!Does the administrative

Rule Eases a Mandate Under a Law on Wildlife

2008-12-12T09:57:00.001-08:00

Published: December 11, 2008 Associated Press Some had feared far-flung commercial fallout from the protection of polar bears. The rule, quickly challenged by environmental groups, lets the Army Corps of Engineers or the Federal Highway Administration in many cases rely on their own personnel in deciding what impact a project would have on a fish, bird, plant, animal or insect

The Bush Years: A Legacy of Failure for Our Public Lands

2008-11-24T13:30:00.001-08:00

Recent report on the administration's public lands policies. Written bythe person who could be the next Secretary of the Interior The Bush Years: A Legacy of Failure for Our Public Lands Wednesday, 22 October 2008 18:19 Over the last seven and half years, the Bush Administration has pushed a concerted strategy of reducing the protections for our public lands, parks and forests

Uproar Over Federal Drilling Leases and Air Quality Near Parks

2008-11-19T09:56:00.001-08:00

BLM moves to allow drilling nearer to national park resources: http://travel.msn.com/Guides/greenarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=732551>1=45002And EPA follows suit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/18/AR2008111803813.html?hpid=topnews The Environmental Protection Agency is finalizing new air-quality rulesthat would make it easier to build coal-fired power plants,

Best Practices for Managing Parking in Denver

2008-08-19T08:46:00.001-07:00

I attended the recent presentation "Best Practices for Managing Parking" in which Jeff Tumlin of Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates and Joe Kott of Wilbur Smith Associates described a veritable laundry list of strategies for incorporating New Urbanist principles into parking design. The meeting was held at the Denver City & County Building on August 14th. The concepts and strategies were

Bush could weaken Endangered Species Act

2008-08-12T08:36:00.001-07:00

The Bush administration wants federal agencies to decide for themselves whether highways, dams, mines and other construction projects might harm endangered animals and plants. New regulations, which don't require the approval of Congress, would reduce the mandatory, independent reviews government scientists have been performing for 35 years, according to a draft first obtained by The Associated

EPA e-mail tells staff not to talk to investigators

2008-07-29T12:13:00.001-07:00

The Environmental Protection Agency is telling its pollution enforcement officials not to talk with congressional investigators, reporters and even the agency's own inspector general, according to an internal e-mail provided to the Associated Press. The June 16 message instructs 11 managers in the EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, the branch of the agency charged with

The Red Knot

2008-07-11T08:14:00.001-07:00

I recently saw a PBS documentary about the Red Knot called "Crash: A Tale of Two Species". It is probably one of the most informative shows I've seen, and it goes into some depth on species interdependence. Below are links to the Nature website and a clip of the film on YouTube. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/crash-a-tale-of-two-species/introduction/592/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-

2008-07-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to view a screening of the AIA documentary "Transit-Oriented Development: Re-shaping the Great American City" at the UC Denver campus and to hear Peter Park speak in person about the process.One of the points he made which resonated with me was that the public often has a preconception of what density is and that the initial visioning process must begin by exploring

The Prius of trucks

2008-05-20T08:29:00.001-07:00

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/05/port-of-los-ang.html Port of Los Angeles and South Coast Air Quality Management District Introduce Heavy-Duty Electric Drayage Truck The Nautilus E-30 electric drayage truck. The Port of Los Angeles and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) introduced an all-electric heavy-duty short-haul drayage truck—the

Denver's Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative

2008-05-08T10:45:00.001-07:00

This is really exciting. I think Denver's OED is actually starting to get it. How it's implemented remains to be seen, but how cool is this? The map below displays OED's DNMI staff assignments by neighborhood.http://www.milehigh.com/NeighborhoodMarketplace

EPA publishes Billings/Laurel air quality plan

2008-04-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

EPA publishes Billings/Laurel air quality plan (Denver, Colo. -- April 21, 2008) EPA today announced publication of a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) for the Billings/Laurel Air Quality Area to keep air quality within the health limits for sulfur dioxide (SO2). This FIP supplements those portions of the State Implementation Plan (SIP) rejected by EPA in 2002 and 2003. The

Menards settles with EPA after destroying stretch of Big Sioux tributary

2008-04-16T07:59:00.001-07:00

---------- Forwarded message ---------- 1,390 feet of Big Sioux River tributary eliminated (Denver, Colo. – April 15, 2008) Menard, Inc., of Eau Claire, Wis., has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $68,125 for destroying a stretch of a tributary, or stream, of the Big Sioux River in Sioux Falls, S.D. In addition, under the terms of an administrative order issued in March 2006, Menards will restore

HB 1141 - Sufficient Water Supplies

2008-04-07T11:11:00.001-07:00

...better late than never. This Bill, which the Colorado Environmental Coalition is supporting, seems similar to California's AB 610. It is intended as a measure to ensure a reliable water supply before new development occurs. Better water supply planning has long been a persistent need in semi-arid states like Colorado, and this measure desperately needs to be passed. It's good to see the

Green taxes

2008-03-31T17:16:00.001-07:00

Mar 31st 2008From Economist.com POLITICIANS and bigwigs from over 190 countries gathered for a UN climate-change summit in Bangkok starting on Monday March 31st. International efforts are being stepped up as the scientific outlook becomes increasingly pessimistic. At national level, however, environmentally-related taxes in many countries have fallen. Across the OECD as a whole, such taxes made

EPA proposes to add mine site near Creede to Superfund List

2008-03-19T15:09:00.001-07:00

(Denver, Colo. - March 19, 2008) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing the addition of the Nelson Tunnel/Commodore Waste Rock site near Creede, Colo., to the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. The draining mine adit and waste rock pile are located about one mile above the town of Creede in Mineral County, Colo. Today's announcement begins a

AP probe finds drugs in drinking water

2008-03-11T17:12:00.001-07:00

By JEFF DONN, MARTHA MENDOZA and JUSTIN PRITCHARD, Associated Press Writers Sun Mar 9, 5:03 PM ET A vast array of pharmaceuticals

Some good news as of late

2008-03-06T15:12:00.001-08:00

Humpback whales and dolphins are swimming more serenely thanks to a February 29 federal court ruling limiting the U.S. Navy's use of deadly sonar blasts off the coast of Hawaii. In response to a suit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity and allies and argued by Earthjustice, the court declared that "there is little disagreement that sonar can cause injury, death, and behavioral

Saving Endangered Wildlife - Poachers and Peddlers

2008-03-06T13:33:00.001-08:00

Here's an example of some recent conversation about harnessing market forces of personal self interest (rather than enacting protectionist strategies) to stave off the increasing amount of poaching of highly endangered species. The part about the three factors that determine the longer-term success of prohibitions is worth the read alone.Is this a viable solution? Whether it is or not, there is

Is going solar really worth it?

2008-02-17T18:42:00.001-08:00

Hmmm... very interesting article about the full cost of domestic solar power. I've been interested in how much it would be, and here's one (fairly extensive and thoughtful) take on that. Perhaps it's for these reasons that the trend has not caught on. SUNNY SIDE DOWNFeb 15th 2008Going solar is a luxury few can affordIT'S not easy being green--nor is it cheap. With the best will (andsome of the

Cities wait for global warming guidelines

2008-02-12T14:19:00.001-08:00

Some are setting interim standards By Charles Levin Monday, February 11, 2008 Recent laws designed to assess whether proposed developments increase greenhouse gas emissions have perplexed local planning officials, delayed projects and raised concern about possible litigation. Under California Senate Bill 97, the state must adopt guidelines for assessing pollutants that increase global warming.

The Progressive Choice

2008-01-31T08:15:00.000-08:00

I believe in Barack Obama because he has the power, as a populist and a statesman, to unite the parties. As opposed to Hillary, who appears more polished and has cast herself as maintaining a sharper policy focus, Obama has delivered a consistent message that the responsibility of bringing the country up rests on the people themselves. This conveys a considerable amount of power to the people,

One Step Closer to National Greenhouse Gas Regulations

2008-01-28T10:46:00.001-08:00

Congress has directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish national mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Congress inserted the requirement into the omnibus budget bill, HR 2764 (Public Law No. 110-161), which was signed into law last month. Most observers assumed that a national GHG reporting program would be part of more comprehensive federal emissions

Consumption and the Story of Stuff

2008-01-17T15:45:00.001-08:00

Interesting. This film has made its way into academic circles. Here's the response from one political ecologist (i.e. social geographer) on a user group I get emails from. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sean Pummill I have never commented on this list before and none of you know who I am. However, "The Story of Stuff" has pushed the right buttons, and I just have to mention a few

A COMPARISON OF METHODS FOR ASSESSING HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANT RISK IN COMMUNITIES

2008-01-03T17:23:00.000-08:00

LINK TO FULL TEXT(Please contact JSchnabel@gmail.com for figures, Bibliography and appendices) A thesis submitted to the faculty of San Francisco State UniversityIn partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree ofMaster of ArtsGeography: Natural Resource ManagementByJoshua M. SchnabelSan Francisco, CaliforniaDecember, 2007Copyright byJoshua M. Schnabel2007

FW: Energy pleas ignore an important bit of economics

2007-12-17T11:08:00.001-08:00

This is an interesting notion, if a bit scary and counter intuitive. It would stand to reason that a decreases in cost due to greater efficiency would spur demand and thus higher usage. This would in turn offset the ecological benefits from increases in energy efficiency. Energy pleas ignore an important bit of economicsDec 17th 2007Economist.comENERGY efficiency is probably the most popular

Green fun facts

2007-12-07T16:04:00.001-08:00

Every so often at my work I get to hear about exciting new developments in the environmental field. I thought I could share a couple with you. First off, here's the link to a NYT article about recycling wastewater to potable drinking water, an idea which is gaining popularity and which drought-prone Namibia has evidently been doing for years. And, as an added bonus, if you were curious about

see it: studio1500 design launches

2007-10-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

Having trouble seeing this email? Try this link Announcing the launch of studio1500 studio1500 is a design firm formed through the collaborative efforts of Erik Schmitt and Julio Martinez, two former Pentagram designers with over eighteen years of combined experience. Our focus is on branding, packaging, print and environmental

GHGs and Land Use Decisions

2007-09-18T16:07:00.001-07:00

BUSINESS LAW BUSINESS LAW: Bill to include greenhouse gases in planning likely to carry into 2008 Monday, September 17, 2007 BY WILLIAM JASON STAFF REPORTER Debate in the California state legislature will likely carry over into next year on a bill that would require planners to use greenhouse gas emissions as a basis for land-use decisions in order to achieve targeted emissions

California Global Warming Settlement Reached

2007-08-23T09:12:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, the California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced that a settlement agreement had been reached with respect to the state's global warming lawsuit against San Bernardino County. This settlement concludes a widely watched CEQA challenge filed by the Attorney General in April that contested the adequacy of San Bernardino's General Plan. The lawsuit contended that the General

Efforts at Improving Climate Modeling

2007-07-31T11:42:00.001-07:00

See this article with graphics and related items at http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9433721 GREY-SKY THINKINGJul 5th 2007Without understanding clouds, understanding the climate is hard. Andclouds are the least understood part of the atmosphere"CLOUDY." As a metaphor, that is not a bad description of the science of climate forecasting. The general trends are clear, but

Recycling Household/Office Waste in California

2007-07-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

Promoting a Healthier Environment: The California Take-It-Back Partnership Take-It-Back Home | Sign Up To Be a Partner | Find a Take-It-Back Site Near You | Resources for Partners | Our Partners | News Media | Links | Contact Us http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/TIB/index.cfm E-Waste Round-Up Events As of February 8, 2006, household wastes such as: batteries, electronic devices and

Corps guidance on wetland jurisdiction after "Rapanos"

2007-07-09T10:57:00.001-07:00

If you haven't seen this already, here is a link to the guidance issued in June by the US Army Corps on jurisdiction over wetlands following the Rapanos court decision: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/guidance/CWAwaters.html It is important to understand this in order to work with the Corps on permitting issues.

Vancouver's EcoDensity Initiative

2007-06-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.vancouver-ecodensity.ca/The Vancouver EcoDensity Initiative Building communities in Vancouver that are green … livable and affordable.

Climate Change and Canada's Arctic Peoples

2007-06-06T10:45:00.001-07:00

ANXIOUSLY WATCHING A DIFFERENT WORLDMay 24th 2007Climate and other changes draw new interest and new misunderstandingsto the Canadian northTHE first thing a visitor notices on entering the office of Nunavut's premier, Paul Okalik, is the polar-bear rug. A vast pelt of glossywhite fur with head intact and fangs bared in a frozen snarl, itdominates the room. Mr Okalik has led Nunavut since the

recent article on carbon trading

2007-05-15T08:00:00.001-07:00

GREEN MARKET FORCESMay 12th 2007What hope for carbon-trading schemes?GONE are the days when hemp-shoed Greens hurled invective at besuitedbusinessmen, while corporate leaders derided environmental types for seeking an unattainable utopia. Increasingly the rival sides agree witheach other. Carbon-emissions trading schemes implemented to fostercompliance with greenhouse-gas limits set by the Kyoto

Website Explaining Multiple Regression analysis

2007-04-05T09:30:00.001-07:00

http://mtsu32.mtsu.edu:11308/regression/level3/index.htm

America's Supreme Court rules on the environment

2007-04-04T10:32:00.001-07:00

Apr 4th 2007From Economist.comAmerica's Supreme Court rules on the environment AFP/Reuters THROUGHOUT George Bush's presidency, the federal government has refused to countenance any regulation of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Whenever the subject comes up, officials tend to mumble about uncertainties. But on Monday April 2nd, in its most important environmental decision for

Senator Dianne Feinstein responds to global warming

2007-03-21T11:44:00.001-07:00

Thank you for writing to share your thoughts about globalwarming and to express your support for the "Global WarmingPollution Reduction Act" (S. 309). I appreciate hearing from youon this important subject and I welcome the opportunity to respond. I share your concerns about global warming and believethat there is convincing evidence that global warming is occurring.In order to avoid

GREENPRINT DENVER

2007-03-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.greenprintdenver.org/

Preliminary Study Design - Masters Thesis

2007-03-16T15:39:00.000-07:00

The working draft of my original study design can be found at http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=d32ncqj_3d5dcdw.

Association of Environmental Professionals White Paper on Global Climate Change

2007-03-13T15:01:00.001-07:00

Comment Draft - March 5, 2007 1Recommendations by the Association of EnvironmentalProfessionals (AEP) on How to Analyze GreenhouseGas Emissions and Global Climate Change in CEQA DocumentsComment DraftMarch 5, 2007Principal Authors: Michael Hendrix & Cori Wilson, Michael Brandman AssociatesContributing Authors: Tony Held, Ph.D., Terry Rivasplata, et al., Jones & StokesIntroductionThe American

Department of Local Affairs Office of Smart Growth - Colorado

2007-03-08T15:03:00.001-08:00

http://dola.colorado.gov/dlg/osg/index.htm

CropLife Foundation - Pesticide Use Database

2007-03-08T13:57:00.001-08:00

http://www.croplifefoundation.org/cpri_pestuse_2002.asp

Texas Environmental Profiles

2007-03-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

http://www.texasep.org/html/cnty/prfls/cnty_prfls_56.html

Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases Factoids

2007-03-07T08:55:00.001-08:00

Some interesting factoids: Global emission of CO2 in 2004 from all fossil fuel consumption was 27,043 million metric tons California emission of CO2 in 2004 was 492 million metric tons, approximately 2% of the global total The average human being produces approximately 900

Greenhouse Gas Reduction: Waste Reduction, Recycling, Composting

2007-03-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

From: Robert Eckard While I agree with you that these are problems, it is, however, necessary to take a first step. California's first step has been significant. We have a republican governor who is relying upon the recommendations of state staff and CA researchers and pushing through legislation that facilitates greenhouse gas reductions. This is a positive. Sure,

CCTA Countywide Model website

2007-02-26T08:37:00.000-08:00

The web address of the Contra Costa County ‘interactive’ traffic modeling site is:http://gis.camsys.com/ccta_local_review/cctareg.htmOnce there, enter your info (user name & jurisdiction), then on the login screen, enter the following:User Name – CCTAPassword – contracostaOnce on the website, you can zoom into the area of interest and then pick from the dropdown menu

My Take on the "Politics of Global Warming"

2007-02-13T14:44:00.001-08:00

Thankfully, neoconservative commentators like Mark Steyn represent the growing minority on this issue, as m ost of the world's policy makers have already consented to the analysis embodied in the UNEP's recent report ( http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM2feb07.pdf) on climate change. Good News: Even despite the glacial pace of US Federal policy on the issue, progressive states such as Oregon and

Climate change and investing in alternatives

2007-02-12T11:53:00.001-08:00

Investor ComplacencyTHE scientific consensus in favour of man-made global warming seems clear. There is also evidence that voters are increasingly inclined to believe in the phenomenon, even in America.This might lead one to believe that politicians will be forced to take action. But, as Tim Bond, of Barclays Capital, points out, the futures markets appear to be saying something different. The

Fwd: CEQAmap is now FREE to all Users

2007-02-11T21:10:00.001-08:00

CEQAdocs.com, a Web-based publishing house,has released a FREE version of CEQAmap,California's only digital database ofenvironment and planning related documents.This unique service is utilized by everyone involved in the development of projects thatmight impact the Californiaenvironment. Current users include scientists,engineers, attorneys, agency staff, faculty andstudents, newspaper

The Climate Change Meta-Narrative is Heating Up

2007-02-08T15:32:00.001-08:00

A gloomy UN-backed report is publishedFeb 8th 2007From The Economist print editionTHE fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), published in Paris on February 2nd, is important, unsurprising and will probably be uncontroversial. It is important because the IPCC is the body set up under the auspices of the United Nations so that governments should have an

Community Guide to Development Impact Analysis by Mary Edwards

2007-02-07T16:03:00.001-08:00

http://www.lic.wisc.edu/shapingdane/facilitation/all_resources/impacts/analysis_traffic.htm

Methods Beyond Impact Fees - Government Grants and Other Funding Sources 2

2007-02-06T10:32:00.001-08:00

Click on Image to View Detailed Table:

Methods Beyond Impact Fees - Government Grants and Other Funding Sources 1

2007-02-06T10:31:00.001-08:00

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Methods Beyond Impact Fees - Public Financing Mechanisms

2007-02-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

Click on Image to View Detailed Table: