April 23, 2012 For questions or to subscribe contact Tegan Vaughn @ 913-551-7326, vaughn.tegan@epa.gov.Note: New items are in *asterisks.* 
NEWS
|
*Farmers
Market Promotion Program Grants Available*
Agriculture Deputy Secretary
Kathleen Merrigan recently announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) is seeking grant applicants for the 2012 Farmers Market Promotion
Program. Approximately $10 million is available for marketing operations such
as farmers markets, community supported agriculture and road-side stands. The
grants, which are administered by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS),
are available through a competitive application process on www.grants.gov. The
grants aim to increase the availability of local agricultural products in
communities throughout the county. They will also help strengthen
farmer-to-consumer marketing efforts.
"These grants will put
resources into rural and urban economies, and help strengthen efforts to
provide access to nutritious and affordable foods," said Agriculture
Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. "This program not only supports the
health and well-being of local communities but also the economic health of
their farms and businesses."
Projects that expand healthy food
choices in food deserts or low-income areas (where the percentage of the
population living in poverty is 20 percent or above) will receive additional
consideration. USDA, in coordination with the Departments of the Treasury and
Health and Human Services, seeks to increase access to fresh, healthy and
affordable food choices for all Americans, while expanding market opportunities
for farmers and ranchers. Applications will only be accepted via grants.gov and
must be received by May 21, 2012. Applications that are incomplete, hand-delivered,
or sent via U.S. mail will not be considered. Applicants should start the
grants.gov registration process as soon as possible to meet the deadline.
Contact Carmen Humphrey, Program Manager, by phone: (202) 720-8317, or e-mail:
usdafmppquestions@ams.usda.gov for more information. For more information,
please visit: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2012/04/0117.xml&navid=NEWS_RELEASE&navtype=RT&parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&edeployment_action=retrievecontent.
*Toyota’s Environmental Activities Grant
Program*
Toyota
Motor Corporation (TMC) began accepting applications today for this year's1
Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program, which is designed to support
environmental revitalization and conservation activities aimed at sustainable
development.Similar to previous years, the eligible themes for this grant
remain: 'Biodiversity
Conservation' and 'Global Warming
Countermeasures'. Grants will be provided to NPOs and other private, non-profit
groups (excluding schools) that are promoting practical projects. As before,
the program will bestow both overseas and domestic project grants.
The Toyota
Environmental Activities Grant Program was established in commemoration of
TMC's receipt of the Global 500 Award2 in 1999 from the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP), and has been carried out every year since 2000 as
part of TMC's environmental social contribution activities, with this year marking
the program's 13th year.
Inquiries regarding application procedures and further details about the
program should be addressed to:
Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program Secretariat:
Phone: +81-3-3817-9238 (Mon.-Fri.: 10:00-17:00, Japan Standard Time)
For further details and 2011 Grant Recipients, please visit:
http://www2.toyota.co.jp/en/news/12/04/0423_2.html.
Upcoming Funding Opportunities |
Upcoming Meetings, Conferences & Events |
May 15-17: 15th National Brownfields
Conference— Atlanta, Georgia –
June 20-22: Reclaiming Vacant Properties
Conference— New Orleans,
Louisiana –
*September 7-9: National-International
Urban & Small Farm Conference*—
September 10-12: Missouri Recycling
Association (MORA) Annual Conference— St. Louis, Missouri - http://mora.org/
Upcoming Webinars & Conference Calls |
*Integrated
Pest Management in Child Care Webinar, April 24, 1:00-2:30 p.m. (EDT)*
Please join us at 1:00 – 2:30 EDT on April 24 for a webinar on Integrated Pest
Management in Child Care Settings. This webinar will provide information on how
to reduce exposures to pests and pesticides by addressing underlying conditions
that can lead to infestations rather than relying on pesticides for control of
pests such as cockroaches, rodents, ants and flying insects. To reserve your
seat, go to: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/178245152.
*EPA Webinar on Ozone
Advance, a New Voluntary Air Quality Program, April 24, 2:00-3:00 p.m. (EDT)* On Tuesday, April 24,
2012, from 2:00-3:00pm EDT, EPA will host a webinar on Ozone Advance, anew
voluntary program that encourages ozone attainment areas nationwide to take
near-term, proactive steps to improve air quality and ensure continued health
protection over the long term. Actions undertaken as part of the program could
result in air quality improvements that provide a buffer against future
violations of the ozone standard. Ozone Advance will encourage the use of local
strategies to reduce ground-level ozone and will emphasize coordination with
stakeholders. Recommended for state and local air
regulators and regional planning organizations. More information about
the program is available at the Ozone Advance website. Laura Bunte from
EPA’s Office of Program Planning and Standards will provide an overview of the
final Ozone Advance program guidance. The presentation will include a
discussion of changes EPA made to the draft program based on stakeholder input,
along with a question and answer session.
*EPA
Clean Diesel Projects Community Conference Call, April 24, 1:00-2:00 p.m. (ET)* Intended
Audience: Environmental Justice and Tribal
Communities or Organizations. Conference Line: 1-866-299-3188; code: 919-541-5624#
Purpose: To provide more
information on upcoming activities in EPA's Air Programs and foster a dialog
with communities on their air quality issues. This call will provide an: Overview
of funding availability for Clean Diesel Projects. Connie Ruth of EPA's Office
of Transportation and Air Quality will discuss the current funding
opportunities for reducing diesel emissions. EPA anticipates releasing a
Request for Proposals very soon. nformation about the RFP will be posted at: http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/prgnational.htm; Introduction to the work of the Small Community Advisory
Subcommittee which was established in 1996 by EPA to advise the Administrator
on environmental issues of concern to the residents of smaller communities; Overview
of the May 2012 National Asthma Awareness Month community tools and indoor air
resources; Update
on EPA's Air Programs and regulations. For
more information about the conference call, contact Lena Epps-Price (epps-price.lena@epa.gov) at (919) 541-5573.
Solar Electric Power Association Webinar on
Clean Energy Opportunities: Learn
How CLEAN Programs Can Help You Reach Renewable Energy Goals, April 26, 2
:00-3:00 p.m. (EDT)
Join the Solar Electric Power Association
(SEPA) on Thursday, April 26, 2012, for a webinar on CLEAN Programs: Helping
Utilities Meet Renewable Energy Goals. Clean Local Energy Accessible Now
("CLEAN") programs, also known as feed-in tariffs, are proven,
easy-to-implement policies that help utilities meet renewable energy goals and
help communities capture clean energy jobs and investment opportunities, all
while minimizing administrative burdens on utility staff. This webinar will explain
how to evaluate, design and implement a cost-effective CLEAN program. Speakers
from the Clean Coalition and from City of Palo Alto will provide an overview of
CLEAN programs and a case study of the City of Palo Alto's recently implemented
program, Palo Alto CLEAN. Webinar Details: Thursday, April 26, 2012 from
2:00-3:00 pm EDT (11 am–12 noon PDT). This webinar is free to SEPA members and
media (subject to verification); $125 non-members. Non-members can participate
for free by entering the following discount code: April12-CleanCoalition. To
register, please visit SEPA’s webinars page: http://listserve.icfi.com/t/420843/537750/12286/0/.
Introduction to Grant Anticipation Revenue
Vehicles (GARVEEs) Webinar, May 3, 1:30-3:30 p.m. (EDT)
The provision of Section 122 of Title 23,
U.S.C., GARVEEs permit States to pay debt service and other bond-related
expenses with future Federal-aid highway apportionments. GARVEEs provide the
opportunity to leverage Federal-aid highway funds to accommodate major projects
that might preempt a State’s capital program or to advance phases of various
statewide projects by composite issuance. As of September 30, 2011, 25 States
and 2 territories had issued $15 billion in GARVEEs since enactment of the
National Highway System Act in 1995. This Webinar will help FHWA staff
understand GARVEEs—the fundamentals, advantages, and disadvantages of this
debt-financing tool—and will enable staff to provide better guidance to State
and local partners. To register, please visit: https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webconfid=23960.
Experimental Programs (TE-045, SEP-14, SEP-15)
Process, Successes, Lessons Learned Webinar, April 12 and May 10, 1:30-3:30
p.m. (ET)
*Webinar: In-street
Bicycle Parking—What, When, Where and How Much? May 16, 3:00-4:00 p.m. (ET)*
Communities
face the dilemma of bicycles and pedestrians competing for scarce sidewalk
space. As pedestrian activity increases, wider sidewalks are needed, while as
cycling increases more bicycle parking—traditionally placed on sidewalks—is
also needed. Learn how to scale up bicycle parking to meet growing demand while
avoiding negative impacts to the pedestrian environment. For more information,
please visit: http://www.apbp.org/event/May-16_webinar.
Webinar Series: Improving Children’s Health
through Federal Collaboration, Second Thursday of every month from 2:00-3:30
p.m. (MST)
The Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8,
and the Health Resources and Services Administration, Region VIII, have
organized, in collaboration with other Federal partners, a one-year-long
webinar series titled Improving Children’s Health through Federal
Collaboration. Protecting the health of children where they live, learn and
play is fundamental to making the world a better place for future generations.
The purpose of this webinar series is to encourage coordination, collaboration
and information sharing across government agencies and organizations, health
care providers, educators, and the general public in addressing children health
issues. Please save these dates for the following FREE webinars. For additional
information about each of the webinars, including registration information,
please visit: http://www.epa.gov/region8/humanhealth/children/webinars.html.
May 10, 2012 - Successful Asthma Management
June 14, 2012 - Healthy Homes
August 9, 2012 – Children’s Environmental
Health Research
September 13, 2012 - National Children Study
Other Community Related Information and Events |
*OEJ Launches New EJ
Blog*
EPA's Office of Environmental
Justice is officially launching its new Environmental Justice in Action Blog.
The blog will feature stories on advances in environmental justice across the
country. It is a great resource for environmental justice advocates and
organizations. You can visit the blog at http://blog.epa.gov/ej. Posts will be added every Thursday at 10 a.m.
Eastern Time starting tomorrow, April 19th. Make sure to add your name to the
RSS feed on the right side of the blog to receive our future posts directly to
your email.
*Plan
EJ 2014: Advancing EJ through Title VI of Civil Rights Draft Supplement
Released - Comments Requested* Administrator Jackson has made improving EPA's civil rights
program a priority. Complying with EPA's statutory civil rights obligations is
a critical part of the Agency's efforts to advance environmental justice. As
part of this effort, EPA is pursuing long overdue, vigorous, robust, and
effective implementation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other
nondiscrimination statutes. The Office of Civil Rights (OCR), in consultation
with the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) and the Office of General
Counsel (OGC), have developed a draft implementation plan, "Advancing Environmental
Justice through Title VI". The draft focuses on Title VI and its
integration with Plan EJ 2014. The EPA is asking the public to comment on the
draft supplement to Plan EJ 2014. To view and provide comments on the draft
supplemental, visit http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/plan-ej/ today.
Comments are due no later than 11:59 p.m. Monday, June 19, 2012.
*HUD
Sustainable Communities Challenge Grantee, Memphis*
HUD’s
Sustainable Communities Challenge Grantee, in Memphis recently held a
vibrant forum last week to re-energize its regional economic and redevelopment
strategy, which promises to generate over 1,500 new jobs with over $500 million
worth of investment. Sixty public, private and nonprofit groups are working
together to bolster the regional job market, rehabilitate vacant and blighted
housing, and improve transportation opportunities. See here for
information about Aerotropolis; here for
Secretary’s remarks; and here for
information on the Senator’s speech. Click here for
Secretary Donovan’s remarks in Shelby
County, TN, where he helped to kick off another HUD Grantee’s Mid-South Regional Greenprint and
Sustainability Initiative.
*National-International Urban &
Small Farm Conference (www.growingpowerfarmconference)
September 7-9, 2012 - Request For Workshop
Proposals - Deadline: April 30th, 2012
Growing Power is announcing its request
for proposals for workshop presentations. They are seeking innovative
multi-disciplinary workshop proposals focusing on the 2012 conference theme,
Growing the Good Food Revolution, from folks who are actively operating
urban and small farms and those who are working in areas that support this
emerging area of agriculture and local economic development. Conference
workshops are intended to enhance the skills and broaden the perspective of the
participants. The Growing Food and Justice for All Initiative (GFJI) will also be
holding its Fifth Annual Gathering, Winds of Change: The Power of Unity and
Action!, concurrently with the conference and leading the GFJI Track and
Cultural Activities throughout the conference.
*More Americans Biking
to Work*
The most recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates show that about 730,000 Americans
bike to work as their primary means of transportation, a 50 percent increase
since 2000. This shift is most prevalent in large metro areas, with Denver,
Portland, and Washington, DC among cities reporting the largest gains in
bicyclists. Bicycle commuting is more common in densely populated areas.
College towns, in particular, report high numbers of cyclists. For more
information, please visit: http://www.governing.com/blogs/by-the-numbers/bicycle-commuter-data-for-american-cities.html.
*Americans Choosing
More Urban, Fewer Suburban Housing Options*
A recent article in USA
Today examines how the economic downturn, rising gas prices and
high unemployment rates have affected how Americans consider where they live.
Cities and older suburbs come out ahead. "This could be the end of the
exurb as a place where people aspire to go when they're starting their
families," said William Frey, demographer at The Brookings Institution.
For more information, please visit: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-04-05/sprawl-census-urban/54007292/1/.
*USDA
Seeking Grant Applicants*
*Sprawl
and Smart Growth Ideas in Detroit: A video history lesson*
Below is a link to a short
video animation that provides an easy to understand history lesson of how
Detroit shrank and the infrastructure and public service challenges that the
city now faces as a result. This is a
good example of how to articulate such complex issues and explain the measures
that are taken to address environmental concerns in your community.
*Oregon Greenhouse Gas
Reduction Toolkit*
This new online resource helps local jurisdictions determine what types of
actions and programs they can implement to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions
from transportation activities. Developed by the Oregon Department of
Transportation, the toolkit provides information on transportation programs,
modeling and analysis tools, case studies, and communications strategies. For
more information, please visit: http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP/GHGToolkit.shtml.
*A National
Conversation on the Future of Our Communities: Seeking New Ideas in Community
Planning, Design, and Development*
What's your vision for the future of your community? Join
the Smart Growth Network (SGN) in the first national conversation about how
neighborhoods and regions could be planned, designed, and developed to meet the
needs of current and future generations. This national conversation will occur
over the next 12 to 18 months in a range of media, including a compendium of
emerging issues, webinars, blogs, videos, and more. The first step in starting
the conversation is to build a compendium of new and innovative ideas. SGN is
seeking short papers that discuss a particular issue that communities will be
facing in the next 15 years. -How will neighborhoods and regions be planned, designed,
and developed to meet the needs of current and future generations?
-How can practitioners and organizations best position themselves to navigate
emerging trends?
-What issues do local governments, community leaders, and advocates need to be
prepared to address to ensure strong, healthy, sustainable, and livable
communities?
-How can governments, developers, investors, and others capitalize on
increasing demand for communities that offer their residents choices in how
they live, work, play, and travel?
Papers are due on June 30, 2012. A multidisciplinary review team will select
between 20 and 40 papers to publish in a compendium before the 2013 New
Partners for Smart Growth Conference. Selected papers will be considered for
inclusion in the open and/or closing plenaries. After the conference, authors
might be asked to participate in a webinar hosted by the Smart Growth Network.
Additional information on the national conversation can be found at: www.smartgrowth.org/nationalconversation.Information
about EPA's Brownfields Program can be found at: www.epa.gov/brownfields.
New Webpage for Community Grant Resources
Notification of Indigenous Stakeholder
Outreach on developing EPA's Tribal and Indigenous Peoples Environmental
Justice Guiding Principles and/or Policy
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
is conducting outreach to Native Hawaiians, state-recognized tribes, indigenous
community-based grassroots organizations, tribal colleges, tribal members and
other interested indigenous stakeholders to obtain input on the development of
EPA’s tribal and indigenous peoples environmental justice guiding principles
and/or policy. EPA invites you and your associates to participate in this
public comment period, which extends to April 30, 2012. The notification letter
and the background information on the purpose and objective of this Agency's
planned guiding principles and/or policy are attached, and can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/indigenous/index.html.The Agency is also initiating, through a
separate process, tribal consultation with federally-recognized tribes in
accordance with its Policy on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribes.
Reconnecting America's Federal Funding Matrix
Lists Sustainable Communities Grant Opportunities
Reconnecting America has compiled a Federal
Funding Matrix, which provides a listing of possible funding sources for
creating sustainable communities. The Funding Matrix displays funding
opportunities for states, cities, local governments and organizations, among
others, for planning, implementation, site acquisition, business development,
development financing, and other eligible uses. In working with partners around
the country, Reconnecting America noticed a lack of a comprehensive list of
funding opportunities centered on sustainable communities. They compiled a
matrix that would give organizations an easily accessible, extensive, and
descriptive tool to find funding opportunities to suit their communities. The
matrix provides funding opportunities both inside and outside of the
Sustainable Communities Inter-Agency Partnership of HUD, EPA, and DOT, and
lists opportunities from agencies such as the USDA, US Small Business
Administration, and the Treasury Department. This matrix shows that funding
opportunities for sustainable communities are not limited to only a few
agencies, but that funding stretches beyond traditional sources. Ultimately,
Reconnecting America sought to categorize existing federal funding
opportunities for communities to continue efforts to create complete and
equitable communities. The funding matrix is meant to be a working document and
will be updated as information becomes available. To view the matrix, please
visit: http://reconnectingamerica.org/resource-center/federal-grant-opportunities/?utm_source=Federal+Grant+Matrix&utm_campaign=FedGrantAnnounce&utm_medium=email.
Nominations Now Being Accepted for 2012
Outstanding Achievement Awards
Each year the Missouri Waste Control Coalition
presents its Outstanding Achievement Awards during its annual conference.
This year the conference will be held June 17-19, 2012 at the Lodge of Four
Seasons, Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. The award presentations will take
place on Monday, June 18 during lunch. Eligibility: is open to any business
both for profit and non-profit, industry, government entity or individual,
citizens group and solid waste operation located within the State of Missouri.
Application: Describe in 500 words or fewer on the form below how the
nominated project meets the criteria established in its category. Please
provide a photo of the project and/or the project team to mwcc@sbcglobal.net.
Click here for the Form. The Categories for
Outstanding Achievement: Environmental Innovation, Environmental Stewardship,
Environmental Leadership, and Lifetime Achievement Award. The deadline is May
1, 2012.
The US EPA FY12 Environmental Workforce
Development and Job Training Grant RFP Guidelines have been issued.
This notice announces the availability of
funds and solicits proposals from eligible entities, including non-profit
organizations, to deliver environmental workforce development and job training
programs that recruit, train, and place local, unemployed and under-employed
residents with the skills needed to secure full-time employment in the
environmental field, with a focus on solid and hazardous waste remediation,
environmental health and safety, and wastewater-related training. Proposals are
due April 12, 2012. For more information, go to: http://www.epa.gov/oswer/docs/grants/epa-oswer-oblr-12-03.pdf
HUD Funds Grassroots
Plans for Community Revitalization
The U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development has allocated $5 million in Choice Neighborhoods Planning
Grants to help communities begin the comprehensive neighborhood planning
process to transform, rehabilitate and preserve public housing and
privately-owned HUD-assisted housing. The Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants
will enable communities to create a comprehensive transformation plan to
transform distressed public and/or assisted housing. The funding is intended to
help communities transform distressed public and assisted housing into
sustainable, mixed-income housing that connects to key services, such as
education and transportation, and supports positive outcomes for the
neighborhood’s families. Eligible applicants are public housing authorities,
local governments, tribal entities, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit
developers that apply jointly with a public entity. Applicants must demonstrate
their plan to revitalize the neighborhood through public-private partnerships
that seek to develop high-quality public schools and early learning programs,
improve public transportation, and improve access to jobs and well-functioning
services. Applicants have until May 1, 2012 to apply for the FY2012 Choice
Neighborhoods Planning Grants. HUD anticipates awarding approximately 17-20
grants with a maximum award of $300,000 each. For more information, please
visit: http://www.sustainablecitynetwork.com/topic_channels/building_housing/article_61867b56-6738-11e1-8a82-001a4bcf6878.html?utm_source=SCN+InBox+e-Newsletter&utm_campaign=4d614f8786-Newsletter_3-7-2012_PW&utm_medium=email
2012 Summit on Health Disparities: Call for
Abstracts Forthcoming
The 2012 Summit on the Science of Eliminating
Health Disparities will soon release a call for conference presentation
abstracts. Proposals should reflect the broad summit theme of integrating
science, policy, and practice to build a healthier society.
Abstracts will be accepted under three
categories: i) integrated panel presentations, ii) oral presentations, and iii)
poster presentations.
Abstracts for oral and poster presentations
will be limited to 300 words and 500 words for integrated panel proposals.
Each presentation should fall under one of three tracks: Translational
and Transdisciplinary Research; Capacity-Building and Infrastructure; or
Outreach Partnerships, Collaborations, and Opportunities. Additional details,
including submission guidelines, themes and topics will be forthcoming in the
official call for abstracts. For any specific inquiries, send an e-mail to: 2012Summit@mail.nih.gov.
Partnerships for Environmental Public Health
(PEPH) Evaluation Metrics Manual
The Partnerships for Environmental Public
Health (PEPH) Evaluation Metrics Manual has been updated by the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). The Manual provides a
valuable collection of ideas and real world examples to measure and document
achievement in conducting environmental public health programs. While it was
designed with PEPH grantees in mind, community groups, advocates, and others
seeking to measure successes in public health outreach programs may also find
it useful. NIEHS intends for the Manual to be a living document, and that will
be updated periodically. Future versions might include additional evaluation
approaches, such as cost-benefit analyses and econometric evaluations; new
programmatic approaches, such as social media; and new examples of metrics
drawn from the ever expanding network of PEPH grantees. The Manual is available
at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/pephmetrics.
Report Shows How Sustainability
in Buildings Advances Resiliency
Pushing Americans to Get Smarter About How and
Where They Build
A recent article written by Greg Hanscom
reports on efforts by FEMA and the Green Building Council to incorporate
"climate resiliency" into green building certification criteria in
recognition of the increasing effects of climate change. With the impacts of
increasingly frequent severe storms already being felt across the country, and
in the growing emergency response costs to government at all levels, FEMA
recently joined the U.S. Green Building Council and researchers from the
University of Michigan to roll out a new report [PDF] called Green Building and Climate
Resilience. For more information, please visit: http://grist.org/cities/gimme-bomb-shelter-fema-pushes-for-baking-disaster-planning-into-green-building/ .
How Green Building Is Transforming Real Estate
In a recent article, William Pentland
notes a crescendo in the clamor for green buildings in the upscale, commercial
market.
As
the fascination with green design gains momentum; environmentally minded
practices become the standard. Nowhere is that more apparent than in commercial
real estate, where in recent years, the market for sustainable products has
skyrocketed – driven more by demand than government regulation. For more
information, please visit: http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2012/03/18/the-brilliant-economics-of-green-buildings/.
Transportation Experts See Bright Future for
Rail
In a recent article, Jeff McMahon explores the
potential of passenger rail in coming years as automobiles and airplanes
"become a little more obsolete." Transportation officials from three
major cities – Chicago, Denver, and Washington, D.C. – came together last week
to discuss how to spruce up U.S. transit centers. At the center of that
discussion was a consensus that Americans will soon look to the train station
first when traveling from one city to another – or, as McMahon puts it,
"that U.S. transit centers are about to become much more crowded."
For more information, please visit: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2012/03/15/u-s-poised-for-passenger-rail-boom/ .
Simple Steps to Climate Resilience
In a recent article, Kaid Benfield highlights
nine low-tech steps that he recommends can help communities prepare for the
coming changes in global climate. With average global temperature climbing at
record rates and scientists speculating that average US temperatures could be 3
to 9 degrees higher by the end of the century, climate resilience has become a concern for researchers, planners, academics,
and authorities. Although large-scale coordinated efforts to diminish the
warming trajectory will take time, investment, and leadership, there are
several low-tech initiatives that individuals and groups can implement in their
own communities to prepare for rising temperatures, notes Benfield. For more
information, please visit: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/nine_low-tech_steps_for_commun.html.
Know Your Food, Know Your Farmer Compass
Launched in 2009, the Know Your Farmer,
Know Your Food Initiative has been working with the USDA’s 17 agencies to
coordinate USDA’s work and investments in local and regional food system. The
Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass now allows you to easily navigate the
stories of USDA’s work in local and regional food systems, and will spur ideas
for how to build stronger local and regional food opportunities in your
community. For more information, please visit: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/knowyourfarmer?navid=KNOWYOURFARMER.
Fracking Ruling May Result in More Local Bans
In what may turn out to be a landmark ruling,
the right of Dryden, a New York township adjacent to Cornell University to use
its zoning code to ban the controversial drilling technique known fracking was
upheld by the N.Y. State Supreme Court. Pro Publica asserts that the Feb.
21 "decision could set a national precedent for how local governments can
regulate gas drilling". Fracking is not the only issue here - of equal
concern is the relationship between local zoning laws and state laws governing
mining. For more information, please visit: http://www.propublica.org/article/new-york-court-affirms-towns-powers-to-ban-fracking.
Public Transportation Use Up Across the Nation
in 2011
Fueled partly by rising gas prices, public
transportation ridership across the USA increased by 2.31% in 2011 over
the previous year, the American Public Transportation Association reports.
Americans last year took 235 million more trips on buses, trains and subways
than in 2010. That's the most ridership since 2008, when gas prices soared to a
national average of $4.11 a gallon in July. Also driving ridership: an
improving economy. Greater use came despite more than eight out of 10 transit
systems either cutting service, increasing fares or both in recent years, says
Michael Melaniphy, the association's president and CEO. For more information,
please visit: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-03-12/public-transit-ridership-up/53490166/1.
How Does Urban Farming Fit into the Big
Picture?
In a recent article, Irmak Turan discusses
agriculture's place in the city, as seen by a handful of Brooklyn activists.
From storm water absorption to community ties, these farms provide more than
just fresh food for earthy hipsters. Advocates of urban farming gathered in
Williamsburg late last month to explore the roles that agriculture can play in
a concrete jungle. Moderated by Nicola Tilley of Edible Geography, the panel featured leaders of projects and organizations
related to urban farms, with focuses as varied as infrastructure and documentary
art. For more information, please visit: http://urbanomnibus.net/2012/03/gardener-on-the-roof-examining-urban-farming/ .
Safe Routes to School Guide: Engineering
The engineering chapter in the 2012 National
Safe Routes to School Guide offers solutions for providing safe routes for
children as they walk and bicycle to school. The engineering chapter is a
toolbox of techniques that work to create safe routes by improving paths,
creating safer crossings and slowing down traffic. It addresses conditions both
around the school itself and along the school route. The entire chapter is
online as a PDF file: http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org/pdf/SRTS-Guide_Engineering.pdf.
New guide for local leaders helps overcome
barriers to address nation’s blighted properties
A new guide for town, city and county leaders
outlines how to build the financial and political support needed to reclaim and
redevelop the thousands of abandoned gas stations, auto body shops, and
industrial facilities nationwide. From Vacancy to Vibrancy focuses on
underground storage tank (UST) sites – properties with buried or partially
buried tanks that have been used to store petroleum or other hazardous
substances. When gas stations, auto body shops, industrial facilities or other
types of development close down, these tanks are often left behind. As they
age, the tanks are prone to leakage and can contaminate both soil and
groundwater, posing a serious environmental threat. The new guide takes aim at
one of the primary reasons these types of properties remain vacant for so long:
many officials just don’t know what to do with them. The new resource provides
an overview of the tools and strategies available to leaders who want to
transform UST sites into economic and community assets. To view the guide,
please visit: http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2012/03/14/from-vacancy-to-vibrancy-a-guide-to-redeveloping-underground-storage-tank-sites-through-area-wide-planning/.
Great Lakes Turbines Get Second Wind
Just months after a proposal to build the
first wind farm to be located offshore on any of the Great Lakes was shelved,
five neighboring states have struck a deal with the Obama administration to
develop offshore wind farms more quickly. Tom Precious reports on the deal,
reached last week between New York, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois,
Pennsylvania, and the Obama Administration to streamline the approval process
for developers looking to build wind turbine projects on the waters of the
Great Lakes. For more information, please visit: http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article788058.ece.
Fireclay Village: A
Model for Sustainable Growth
Utah’s Wasatch Front — a long and narrow
region that houses 80 percent of the state’s population — faces significant
geographical challenges to accommodate future growth. To the east of the
valley, developable land is confined by the steep topography of the Wasatch
Mountain Range. To the west, the valley’s boundary is defined by Utah Lake.
Because of the narrow north-south orientation of the 80-mile long valley,
transportation choices and the orientation of future development are at the
forefront of regional plans. For more information, please visit: http://www.huduser.org/portal/sustainability/newsletter_032312_3.html#1.
Making Sustainable Food More Accessible to
Less Fortunate Americans
As government funding for programs that make
fresh fruits and vegetables available to low-income women and young children
get cut, Sarah Parsons asks how to make the sustainable food movement less
elitist. Parsons bemoans the reductions in government funding for the Women,
Infants and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program, but sees a larger
problem in the fundamental causes that make sustainable food inaccessible to
many, of which "price tags are just a small piece of the very complex puzzle."
For more information, please visit: http://www.good.is/post/let-s-make-sustainable-food-less-elitist/ .
New resource: Oregon toolkit on reducing GHG
emissions from transportation
A toolkit to help local jurisdictions
determine what types of actions and programs they can implement to help reduce
greenhouse gas emissions from transportation has been launched by the Oregon
Department of Transportation. The Oregon Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction
Toolkit, which provides comprehensive information on programs, modeling and
analysis tools, case studies, and communications. Specifically, it provides:
-a searchable database of actions and programs
with research-backed estimates of carbon dioxide emissions reduction potential
and cost effectiveness estimates;
-a Modeling and Analysis Tools Report, which
summarizes the technical tools available to evaluate packages of programs and
actions intended to reduce GHG emissions;
-case studies, which demonstrate the
implementation of some of the actions and programs included in the database;
and
- A communications guide which provides advice
on best practices for talking about climate change.
The toolkit can help officials address issues
such as how parking permit programs affect emissions or what kinds of
investments in bike or pedestrian infrastructure can help achieve local goals,
the agency said in a program summary on the toolkit website. To view the
toolkit, please visit: http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP/GHGToolkit.shtml.
New Partners for Smart Growth Conference
Proceedings now Online
PDF files of nearly all of the PowerPoint
presentations given at the 11th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference
in San Diego in February 2012 are now available for free online at: http://www.newpartners.org/program.html.
Dubuque, Iowa Developing Sustainability
Performance Indicators
The city of Dubuque has asked the University
of Iowa to prepare a set of performance indicators for the town's 11
sustainability principles. The performance indicators will be developed over
the 2011-2012 academic year. A recent interim report includes an updated
project statement, a review on the methodology process, and identifies and
justifies all of the new sustainability indicators. For more information,
please visit: http://www.sustainablecitynetwork.com/pdf_5c7a6ac4-73a3-11e1-9967-001a4bcf6878.html. |
