Climate Clips: Where the region is building housing, and what it means for the climate

For the US, reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions will require changes in our urban development patterns. In this article, the Brookings Institution analyzes where the Washington region has — and has not — built homes from 1990 through 2019, focusing particularly on proximity to public transit and jobs.

See the full story at Greater Greater Washington.

More DMV News

Cleaner School Buses are on the Way in Virginia, but Funding Questions Loom
Energy News Network
No school district left behind. That’s the story in a nutshell after Virginia distributed $10.5 million statewide this month to encourage schools to replace dirty diesel buses with models powered by electricity or propane.

State Adding Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Maryland Matters
The Hogan administration announced Thursday that $3.7 million in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is being awarded to 37 sites using funds from Maryland’s settlement with Volkswagen for air pollution violations.

State Grant Reenergizes FCPS Pivot to Electric School Buses
Reston Now
19 school districts, including FCPS, will collectively receive more than $10 million in the latest round of allocations from Virginia’s Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust — enough to replace 83 diesel school buses with electric and propane-fueled vehicles, Gov. Ralph Northam announced last Wednesday (Aug. 19).

Virginia Project Shows Benefits, Costs of Ditching Fossil Fuels in Low-Income Homes
Energy News Network
A partnership between two Charlottesville groups helped eight low-income homeowners switch to electric heating and appliances, cutting emissions and saving money at the same time.

National and International News

Companies and Cities are Taking the Lead on Clean Energy Purchases. When Will Market Rules Catch Up?
Canary Media
Simply securing the renewable energy credits needed to cover your annual energy spend is no longer the final goal for companies, cities, and other major energy buyers seeking to take tangible steps to combat climate change.

In a Summer of Deadly Deluges, New Research Shows How Global Warming Fuels Flooding
Inside Climate News
While global warming shifts some parts of the world into an age of persistent fires, others have been ravaged by intensifying rainfall and deadly floods, a sure sign that Earth’s water cycle is becoming more volatile, with increasingly intense rain and floods punctuating longer dry periods.

Power Industry Pushes Priorities as US Congress Crafts Budget Package
S&P Global
The $3.5 trillion budget resolution that the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Aug. 24 will open the door for Democrats to pursue a nationwide clean electricity program that encourages utilities to expand the amount of generation provided by carbon-free sources.

Federal Fleet Electrification Faces Delays
E & E News
Shortly after his inauguration, President Biden set an ambitious goal to electrify the entire federal fleet. Now, his agencies are drafting a plan to phase out hundreds of thousands of internal combustion engines, which analysts say could save the government billions of dollars and make a dent in one of the most intractable carbon-emitting sectors.

‘How is it Sustainable if Only 1% Can Afford Your Food?’: The Man on a Quest to Change Farming
The Guardian
Chris Newman, founder of Virginia-based Sylvanaqua Farms, on why feeding people needs to be at the heart of sustainable farming.