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News Sustainable Cities Through a Grassroots Environmental MovementFriday, May 17, 2013-- The Transition Movement (also known as Transition Towns and Transition Network) is a movement that embodies the need for both global and local solutions in moving off fossil fuel dependence and towards a sustainable economy. Transition is a grassroots movement, of concerned people coming together in their communities to promote sustainable practices in their cities, towns, and villages, while networking with like-minded Transition groups around the world. -- (full text) [Sustainable Cities Collective] Green Transportation Projects Receive $5 Million Boost Thursday, May 16, 2013-- he California Energy Commission approved $4,979,070 to projects that will support increased numbers of cleaner, alternative fuel vehicles on California roadways. The awards were made through the Commission's Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, created by Assembly Bill 118. -- (full text) [Sustainable City Network] EPA Awards $12 Million to Clean Up New England Brownfields Sites Thursday, May 16, 2013-- EPA has awarded $12 million in Brownfield grants to protect peoples health and lead to a cleaner environment in New England communities. The grants, funded by EPAs Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (ARC) grants, provide communities with funding necessary to assess, clean up and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies and leverage jobs while protecting public health and the environment. -- (full text) [EPA] Does Every City Need a Chief Resilience Officer? Thursday, May 16, 2013-- The Rockefeller Foundation, this year celebrating its 100th anniversary, is throwing its weight (and its money) behind this mandate. Today, it's announcing a 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge, a three-year, $100 million prize with one particularly interesting component: The foundation plans to put up the money to hire a Chief Resilience Officer position in 100 cities around the world. Ultimately, though, these cities will have to scrounge up their own funds to keep the job alive. -- (full text) [The Atlantic Cities] EPA's 2013 National Building Competition Friday, May 10, 2013-- Looking to reduce your energy costs while showing your environmental leadership? Join the 2013 ENERGY STAR National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings and compete to cut your energy waste with help from EPAs ENERGY STAR program. Apply by May 31 at 5 P.M. EDT. -- (full text) [Energy Star / EPA] EPA Planning More Stringent Standards For Stormwater at Newly Developed Sites Thursday, May 09, 2013-- The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to propose that new developments have greater stormwater retention ability than what would be required for redeveloped sites, an agency official said April 30. -- (full text) [Bloomberg] New Report Showcases Successful Community Engagement Tactics in 14 US Cities Thursday, May 09, 2013-- A new report from the National League of Cities (NLC) released this week highlights effective community engagement efforts in 14 communities across the United States. The case studies-which focus closely on innovative work in Detroit, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Austin-show new pockets of civic energy emerging in different sectors. The report, Bright Spots in Community Engagement: Case Studies of U.S. Communities Creating Greater Civic Participation from the Bottom Up, was produced in partnership with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. -- (full text) [National League of Cities] EPA Announces Selected Recipients to Receive $62.5 Million to Clean Up Contaminated Sites, Protect Health and the Environment, and Revitalize Communities Nationwide Thursday, May 09, 2013-- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of 240 recipients recommended to receive $62.5 million in grants to protect peoples health and the environment in local communities. These new investments, funded by EPAs Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (ARC) grants, provide communities with funding necessary to assess, cleanup and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies and leverage jobs while protecting public health and the environment. -- (full text) [EPA] Webinar: On-Bill Financing in Kansas and Oregon - It Works! Wednesday, May 08, 2013-- Two successful On-Bill Financing models, Clean Energy Works Oregon and Midwest Energy How$mart®, will be presented during this webinar. Clean Energy Works Oregon has transformed over 2,500 homes with two separate models for financing energy efficiency upgrades. Midwest Energy How$mart® is a utility run program which has financed improvements for over 700 customers in Kansas. Each model will address questions of general program details and results, loan product details, customer service, banking compliance and borrower protections, contractor management, and billing issues. The webinar takes place Thursday May 16th 10:00am PDT/ 1:00pm EDT. -- (full text) [Applied Solutions] Fort Lauderdale Presents Save a Tree, Plant a Tree Wednesday, May 08, 2013-- The City of Fort Lauderdale presents Save a Tree, Plant a Tree, an innovative program that merges environmental protection and resource savings by offering free trees to Fort Lauderdale customers who switch to a paper-free utility billing process. -- (full text) [Alliance for Innovation] Solar So Simple It Is Just a Click Away Tuesday, May 07, 2013-- A new website from another SunShot Incubator company gives potential PV system purchasers a one-stop shop to compare online sales quotes. EnergySage.com is providing prospective solar consumers with more choices and unprecedented levels of transparency into PV prices, as well as product and installer quality. Their competitive online sales quotes -- think Lending Tree or Orbitz for solar -- not only help buyers to make a decision, they also make it easier to make the right decision. -- (full text) [Department of Energy] Study: The Impact of Public Transportation on Real Estate Values Tuesday, May 07, 2013-- The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) held a briefing on the resiliency of residential real estate values located in areas well-connected by public transportation. Although the recent economic crisis had a negative effect on housing prices around the country, property values with good access to public transit remained much closer to their pre-recession levels than properties without access, even within the same city. -- (full text) [Environmental and Energy Study Institute] HUD and Enterprise Showcase Sustainable Construction Design in Indian Country Tuesday, May 07, 2013-- he U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Enterprise Community Partners (Enterprise) showcased Native American communities use of sustainable design and construction strategies today at the National Museum of the American Indian. The event is part of HUDs and Enterprises continuous effort to promote sustainable construction techniques in Indian Country. -- (full text) [US Department of Housing and Urban Development] Energy Efficiency Upgrades Help Build Better Neighborhoods Tuesday, May 07, 2013-- Created in 2010, the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program awarded $508 million in one-time grants to more than 40 state and local governments to create self-sustaining energy efficiency programs -- ensuring that the building upgrade industry will be able to support the demand for energy efficiency improvements long after the initial grants run out. By collaborating with local nonprofits, financial institutions, building efficiency experts and utilities, these programs are making it easier for consumers to access skilled energy efficiency professionals and obtain affordable loans for upgrades. -- (full text) [Department of Energy] Chief's Energy Challenge Monday, May 06, 2013-- The fire departments in Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill and Raleigh, North Carolina have issued this challenge to their peers to reduce their energy by 10% in the first year and by 20% over the next three years. Using best practices and lessons learned from fire fighters that are already in the program, this initiative strives to inspire energy conservation--demonstrating that small changes can make a big difference. -- (full text) [EPA] Eastern Energy Zones Mapping Tool Now Available Monday, May 06, 2013-- The Eastern Interconnection States Planning Council has released the Energy Zones Mapping Tool, a free, web-based interactive tool that will help states and other stakeholders in the Eastern Interconnection identify geographic areas suitable for the development of clean energy resources, which can potentially provide significant amounts of new electric power generation. The EZ Mapping Tool is now available online. EISPC is encouraging states to learn more by participating in demonstration webinars and training sessions on how to apply the tool to their needs and particular areas of interest. Here is the link to the Tool's Webpage: http://eispctools.anl.gov/ -- (full text) [Sustainable City Network / EISPC.anl.gov] FRED - Free Energy Database Friday, May 03, 2013-- Free Energy Data FRED is a new open platform to help state and local governments, energy planners and policy-makers, private industry, and others to effectively visualize, analyze and compare energy-use data to make better energy decisions and sustainable strategies. FRED gathers complex, disparate energy datasets and distills them down into simple, easy-to-understand graphics, useful to a wide audience, from expert energy planners to non-energy professionals and the interested public. FRED strives to become an open exchange where users can compare and share their own data against others in FRED, becoming a resource for energy policy decision-making. -- (full text) [EERE Facebook] Childrens Programs Connect People, Plants and Environment Friday, May 03, 2013-- he Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University announces some new fun and educational programs starting Saturday that will be offered during the open houses taking place at the garden. -- (full text) [Ardmoreite.com] Most Bike-Friendly States Friday, May 03, 2013-- For the sixth year in a row, Washington has been named the nation's most bicycle-friendly state. Colorado and Oregon came in second and third on the yearly list that gives national bragging rights and is closely followed by the cycling community. The rankings are bestowed by the League of American Bicyclists. Begun in 2008, they are based on funding for biking legislation, bike programs and policies, infrastructure, education and planning. -- (full text) [USA Today] Why Walkability Is Critical to Health, Wealth, and Sustainability Friday, May 03, 2013-- In the following interview, we speak with Jeff Speck, author of Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time. Speck is an architect and city planner in Washington, D.C., who oversaw the Mayors' Institute on City Design and served on the Sustainability Task Force of the Department of Homeland Security.We discuss why epidemiologists, economists, and even environmentalists now recognize the benefits of urban living, and look at how walkability in downtown areas further improves our health and wealth while benefiting the environment. -- (full text) [Daily Finance] EPA's Hazardous Waste Determination Program Evaluation Published Thursday, May 02, 2013-- In an effort to improve EPA Hazardous Waste regulations and to increase compliance, EPA worked with a third party evaluator to review the regulatory requirement for generators to determine if their waste materials are hazardous. This review included an assessment of how well the federal regulatory program is working, identification of potential problems that generators have with determining whether their wastes are hazardous, and recommendations to EPA on how EPA can assist generators in complying with regulatory requirements. The reports number one recommendation is for EPA to simplify and improve the regulations and provide sector-specific guidance, to the extent possible. EPA is reviewing the reports recommendations and will consider implementing improvements to the program, as appropriate. -- (full text) [EPA]
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