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climate change Archive
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Topsoil in Cities
More than 200 volunteers helped to transform the turf and landscape around Petaluma City Hall into a water-saving area. The project will save the city about 3.5 million gallons of water and $25,000 annually.
All those urbanites growing organic food in the city has a certain appeal for the media, but to the average person, [...]
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Hidden Subsidies Fuel Climate Change
Denver is notorious for its urban sprawl.
At the G20, President Obama said he would phase out fossil fuel subsidies as a way to combat climate change. Recent reports from the International Energy Agency and other institutions point out the scale of those largely hidden subsidies and how they contribute to global warming.
According to Steve Kretzman’s [...] -
Water Conservation and Drought-Tolerant Power
A solar thermal power plant that uses a tower.
Recent disputes over water use in deserts that are well suited for solar thermal power plants have illustrated the need for a holistic approach to urban needs. Solar thermal plants use cheaper technology than photovoltaics (solar panels), but require substantial water because mirrors heat a liquid to [...]
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Reverse Auction Market Could Spawn Renewables
Solar developers expect a reverse auction market to spur a large volume of PV projects in the state.
As California looks for strategies to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals, finding ways to cost-effectively install renewable energy systems could be key. One creative approach recently proposed by the California Public Utilities Commission involves [...]
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India-US Partnerships for Energy Efficiency and Solar Power
The US Department of Energy and the All India Institute of Local Self Government (AIILSG) have launched a joint training program on energy efficient and green cities in Goa, which will train Indian experts, universities, local governments and civic bodies on helping cities to move to solar powered energy.
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Rainwater Harvesting Policies Throughout the US
Photo: “IWS – watercache.com”; 5600 gallon commercial rainwater collection system for LEED Gold rated fire station in Denton, Texas. Rainwater is used to irrigate native plant landscaping around the station.
As battles over water rights rage and profligate water usage continues in many places, policy makers will have to find tools to lead communities towards more [...]
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The Union of Concerned Scientists Climate 2030 Blueprint for the U.S.
The Union of Concerned Scientists recently released Climate 2030 Blueprint analyzes the economic and technological feasibility of meeting stringent targets for reducing global warming emissions, with a cap set at 26% below 2005 levels by 2020, and 56% below 2005 levels by 2030
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Financing for Renewables and Energy Efficiency with AB811
AB 811, passed last summer in the California state legislature, authorizes all cities and counties in California to designate areas where property owners can obtain low-interest government loans for the installation of solar panels and energy efficiency upgrades as long as they are permanently fixed to the property.
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California’s Approach to Land Use and Climate Protection
The passing of Senate Bill 375 in California last year was a landmark occasion marking a new approach to land use and climate protection. The bill, authored by Senate President-Elect Darrell Steinberg, is the first law in the nation to tie billions of dollars in federal and state transportation funds to plans to shorten commutes, build sustainable communities and reduce global warming.
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A Short Guide to Setting Up a City-Scale Retrofit Program
Green For All and COWS have just released A Short Guide to Setting Up a City-Scale Retrofit Program (pdf, 308 KB), a guide to designing and implementing energy efficiency retrofitting programs on a citywide scale. The organizations aim to make these retrofits available to more households and to provide good, entry-level jobs with career tracks that are accessible to low-income communities and communities of color.