CleanTechnica » cities http://cleantechnica.com Clean Tech News & Views: Solar Energy News. Wind Energy News. EV News. & More. Tue, 30 Dec 2014 23:01:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1 Catalyzing Action At The September 2014 UN Climate Summit http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/29/catalyzing-action-september-2014-un-climate-summit/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/29/catalyzing-action-september-2014-un-climate-summit/#comments Mon, 29 Sep 2014 09:57:05 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=72416 Almost everyone in the media has taken a stab at summarizing, if not snap-judging, the results of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s one-day UN climate summit last week. The meeting had a real name, but Robert N. Stavins in his New York Times runup to the conference was the only writer I observed using it: “Catalyzing Action.”

Catalyzing Action At The September 2014 UN Climate Summit was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/29/catalyzing-action-september-2014-un-climate-summit/feed/ 1 A Rarely Tapped City Strategy for Boosting Local Renewable Energy http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/02/rarely-tapped-city-strategy-boosting-local-renewable-energy/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/02/rarely-tapped-city-strategy-boosting-local-renewable-energy/#comments Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:41:22 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=71425 Many cities served by private utilities think they have little capacity to encourage local renewable energy development.  But a largely untapped tool – utility franchise contracts – may hold the key. There are two kinds of city energy systems: publicly owned or privately owned. Cities with municipal utilities already have the power to implement the

A Rarely Tapped City Strategy for Boosting Local Renewable Energy was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/02/rarely-tapped-city-strategy-boosting-local-renewable-energy/feed/ 0 City Summer Heat Has Intensified With Climate Change http://cleantechnica.com/2014/08/25/city-summer-heat-intensified-climate-change/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/08/25/city-summer-heat-intensified-climate-change/#comments Mon, 25 Aug 2014 07:50:12 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=70964 Mid-August. A great time for four researchers from Climate Central to publish their new report on urban heat islands—areas with high daily urban vs. rural temperature differences. Almost anybody over 60 will tell you the organization of leading scientists and journalists is right on. My city’s stats are just above. Though summers in the U.S.

City Summer Heat Has Intensified With Climate Change was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/08/25/city-summer-heat-intensified-climate-change/feed/ 0 What Your City Can Do To Fight Climate Change http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/24/city-can-fight-climate-change/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/24/city-can-fight-climate-change/#comments Tue, 24 Jun 2014 10:31:11 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=68555 The Obama administration is pushing power plant regulations to reduce carbon emissions and most states have some sort of renewable energy policy. But there’s plenty of opportunity left for action at the local level; action that can also boost the local economy. The following presentation by ILSR’s Director of Democratic Energy John Farrell to the

What Your City Can Do To Fight Climate Change was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/24/city-can-fight-climate-change/feed/ 1 Suburban Sprawl Cancels Out Benefits Of Dense City Living http://cleantechnica.com/2014/01/09/suburban-sprawl-cancels-benefits-dense-city-living/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/01/09/suburban-sprawl-cancels-benefits-dense-city-living/#comments Thu, 09 Jan 2014 12:10:46 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=61112 Originally published by ClimateProgress by Kiley Kroh While densely-populated cities produce less greenhouse gas emissions per person, the suburban sprawl around these cities — and the increased driving, bigger homes, and higher emissions from goods and services that accompany suburban living — essentially cancels out that benefit, according to new research from the University of California at

Suburban Sprawl Cancels Out Benefits Of Dense City Living was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/01/09/suburban-sprawl-cancels-benefits-dense-city-living/feed/ 1 Study Confirms: Drivers View People More Negatively http://cleantechnica.com/2014/01/02/study-confirms-drivers-view-people-negatively/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/01/02/study-confirms-drivers-view-people-negatively/#comments Thu, 02 Jan 2014 11:00:18 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=60755 Following up on the discussion Lloyd Alter of TreeHugger and I have been having, new research confirms what I think was the key point of Lloyd’s article on the electric car revolution vs fixing our cities — that cars and cities simply don’t work well together. Even more bluntly, the point is that cars are bad

Study Confirms: Drivers View People More Negatively was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/01/02/study-confirms-drivers-view-people-negatively/feed/ 3 Cleantech Developments Stimulating Renewable Energy Growth http://cleantechnica.com/2013/12/12/cleantech-developments-stimulating-renewable-energy-growth/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/12/12/cleantech-developments-stimulating-renewable-energy-growth/#comments Thu, 12 Dec 2013 18:42:10 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=60079 Senior editor at the outstanding progressive news outlet AlterNet, Tara Lohan, recently contacted me because she was writing a story on “which developments in clean tech are the most promising in terms of making renewable energy more prevalent.” She asked if I had any suggestions. If you know me and know how easy it is to

Cleantech Developments Stimulating Renewable Energy Growth was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/12/12/cleantech-developments-stimulating-renewable-energy-growth/feed/ 16 Best Electric Vehicles Cities — ChargePoint’s Refreshing Ranking http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/28/best-electric-vehicles-cities-chargepoints-refreshing-ranking/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/28/best-electric-vehicles-cities-chargepoints-refreshing-ranking/#comments Mon, 28 Oct 2013 18:38:28 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=58339 Originally published on EV Obsession. I’m a big fan of ranking… just like the rest of you. However, I generally hate that most rankings are presented in absolute terms rather than relative terms. For example, there are many rankings of the “best electric car cities” based on the total number of electric cars, total number

Best Electric Vehicles Cities — ChargePoint’s Refreshing Ranking was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/28/best-electric-vehicles-cities-chargepoints-refreshing-ranking/feed/ 2 Choimobi Yokohama — Electric Carsharing Program For Yokohama Uses Ultracompact EVs From Toyota http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/02/choimobi-yokohama-electric-carsharing-program-yokohama-uses-ultracompact-evs-toyota/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/02/choimobi-yokohama-electric-carsharing-program-yokohama-uses-ultracompact-evs-toyota/#comments Wed, 02 Oct 2013 22:19:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=57094 A new partnership between Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and the City of Yokohama — Choimobie Yokohama — is the newest addition to the Yokohama Mobility Project ZERO program (YMPZ). The Japanese word describing the idea of ‘easy mobility’ is “Choimobi.” The YMPZ program intends to develop low-emission transportation possibilities for residents of the city. Residents can

Choimobi Yokohama — Electric Carsharing Program For Yokohama Uses Ultracompact EVs From Toyota was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/02/choimobi-yokohama-electric-carsharing-program-yokohama-uses-ultracompact-evs-toyota/feed/ 8 Cleantech Buffet (Commercial Solar In China, Greenbuild 2013…) http://cleantechnica.com/2013/09/25/commercial-solar-china-greenbuild-2013/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/09/25/commercial-solar-china-greenbuild-2013/#comments Wed, 25 Sep 2013 21:45:16 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=56904 Here’s some more cleantech eatin’s for your eatin’ pleasure. Enjoy! Solar Why Some Big Utilities Are Embracing Small-Scale Solar A handful of US utilities have discovered they can save money by encouraging small rooftop solar projects—the same projects utility industry leaders have insisted were too expensive and unreliable to be practical. PV Goes Commercial Rooftop

Cleantech Buffet (Commercial Solar In China, Greenbuild 2013…) was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/09/25/commercial-solar-china-greenbuild-2013/feed/ 0 Cleantech Buffet (2nd Porsche PHEV, Bike Elevator For Treehouse…) http://cleantechnica.com/2013/09/24/porsche-phev-bike-elevator-treehouse/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/09/24/porsche-phev-bike-elevator-treehouse/#comments Tue, 24 Sep 2013 16:31:03 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=56658 Some top cleantech munchings that we haven’t covered: EVs 260½-EV Parade — New World Record Norway is a clear EV leader. It is likely the most EV-friendly country in the world, which is why it was no surprise to see Tesla roll out its entry into Europe in Norway, while also opening a nationwide Supercharger network. Another

Cleantech Buffet (2nd Porsche PHEV, Bike Elevator For Treehouse…) was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/09/24/porsche-phev-bike-elevator-treehouse/feed/ 0 Bike-sharing Programs Growing In US http://cleantechnica.com/2013/09/20/bike-sharing-programs-growing-us/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/09/20/bike-sharing-programs-growing-us/#comments Fri, 20 Sep 2013 15:35:17 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=56598 People for Bikes recently published an infographic with many compelling facts about the increasing popularity of bike-sharing programs in American cities. They say currently there are 1,700 sharing stations with 17,000 bikes for sharing or short-term rental. For example, San Francisco has 700 bikes at 70 stations.  Other cities they list with similar programs are

Bike-sharing Programs Growing In US was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/09/20/bike-sharing-programs-growing-us/feed/ 0 Cleantech Buffet Leftovers http://cleantechnica.com/2013/09/20/cleantech-buffet-leftovers/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/09/20/cleantech-buffet-leftovers/#comments Fri, 20 Sep 2013 08:01:18 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=56611 Being on a whirlwind work trip around Ukraine for about one week, I got way behind on my normal news routine and cleantech buffets. Apologies. To catch up, I’m posting 3 (yes, 3!) cleantech buffets this morning. Here’s the third one, on cleantech leftovers not covering in the first two buffets. Energy Efficiency & Conservation

Cleantech Buffet Leftovers was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/09/20/cleantech-buffet-leftovers/feed/ 0 Car Hater To EV Lover (What Made Me Into An Electric Car Lover?) http://cleantechnica.com/2013/05/26/car-hater-to-ev-lover-what-made-me-into-an-electric-car-lover/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/05/26/car-hater-to-ev-lover-what-made-me-into-an-electric-car-lover/#comments Sun, 26 May 2013 14:00:29 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=52094 Here’s a short version of how I changed from being ‘ugh’ about cars to ‘meh’ about electric cars to a super EV enthusiast. Check her out: I’m not going to lie — I’ve got issues with cars. My master’s degree is in city and regional planning. From my experience studying that (before, during, and after graduate

Car Hater To EV Lover (What Made Me Into An Electric Car Lover?) was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/05/26/car-hater-to-ev-lover-what-made-me-into-an-electric-car-lover/feed/ 27 Electric Bikes, A Rising Force On Urban Transit Landscape — 38 Million Units Per Year By 2020, Navigant Reports http://cleantechnica.com/2013/04/29/electric-bikes-arrive-on-global-tranist-landscape-growth-accelerating-by/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/04/29/electric-bikes-arrive-on-global-tranist-landscape-growth-accelerating-by/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:00:47 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=50944 Efforts to transition rapidly to renewable and clean energy solutions while satisfying growing urban mobility needs are key factors accelerating the sale and use of electric bicycles. Widely used in Asia Pacific and Europe, the electric bicycle is well-established in those areas as a sound and serviceable means of dealing with stepped up congestion due

Electric Bikes, A Rising Force On Urban Transit Landscape — 38 Million Units Per Year By 2020, Navigant Reports was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/04/29/electric-bikes-arrive-on-global-tranist-landscape-growth-accelerating-by/feed/ 3 Three Unequal Choices For A Local (Renewable) Energy Future http://cleantechnica.com/2013/04/22/three-unequal-choices-for-a-local-renewable-energy-future/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/04/22/three-unequal-choices-for-a-local-renewable-energy-future/#comments Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:28:11 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=50967 Earth Day highlights the need for a sustainable energy future, and experience suggests that there are only three meaningful choices for communities trying to increase local control of a greener energy future. But the three policies – deregulation (“customer choice”), municipal aggregation (“city choice”), and municipal utilities (“city ownership”) – are not equal.  Two recent

Three Unequal Choices For A Local (Renewable) Energy Future was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/04/22/three-unequal-choices-for-a-local-renewable-energy-future/feed/ 0 Decade-Long Study Confirms Significant Public Health Advantages Of Walkability http://cleantechnica.com/2013/03/11/decade-long-study-confirms-significant-public-health-advantages-of-walkability/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/03/11/decade-long-study-confirms-significant-public-health-advantages-of-walkability/#comments Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:30:05 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=49385 A new decade-long study from the University of Melbourne has found that when the overall walkability of an area is increased, simply put, people walk more, even well after the “novelty” may have worn off, and their health and wellbeing is improved as a result. This is the first study to provide long-term evidence of

Decade-Long Study Confirms Significant Public Health Advantages Of Walkability was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/03/11/decade-long-study-confirms-significant-public-health-advantages-of-walkability/feed/ 0 What A Mayor Can Do To Green A City (VIDEO) http://cleantechnica.com/2013/03/02/what-a-mayor-can-do-to-green-a-city-video/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/03/02/what-a-mayor-can-do-to-green-a-city-video/#comments Sat, 02 Mar 2013 21:15:23 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=49075 Here’s another great video from Future360 on “what a mayor can do to green a city.” Below the video, you can also see a text summary from Future360. Before the reposts, I’ll just note that Mayor Villaraigosa of LA and Former Mayor Miller of Toronto have been tremendous green leaders in many, many arenas — which

What A Mayor Can Do To Green A City (VIDEO) was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/03/02/what-a-mayor-can-do-to-green-a-city-video/feed/ 0 How A City Can Get More Clean, Local Energy http://cleantechnica.com/2013/02/21/how-a-city-can-get-more-clean-local-energy/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/02/21/how-a-city-can-get-more-clean-local-energy/#comments Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:00:15 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=48665 Like many cities attempting to solve climate change at a local level, Minneapolis is finding the prospect more challenging that it may have imagined. The lion’s share of emissions (two-thirds in the case of Minneapolis) come from electricity and gas sold by two monopoly, corporate utilities. Minnesota’s state-level policy is helping: a renewable energy standard

How A City Can Get More Clean, Local Energy was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/02/21/how-a-city-can-get-more-clean-local-energy/feed/ 0 Masdar — Manufactured Silicon Valley Of Cleantech? http://cleantechnica.com/2013/02/13/what-is-masdar/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/02/13/what-is-masdar/#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:01:21 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=48202 I recently had the chance to visit Masdar City as part of a VIP Media trip to Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. Naturally, if someone pays for me to visit their home, I’m cautious of propaganda, smooth-talking, and candy of all sorts. But even with my cautious and skeptical face on, I have to declare that Masdar

Masdar — Manufactured Silicon Valley Of Cleantech? was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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