More than two dozen local businesses were honored last month for their commitment to “green commuting.” Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn honored the 29 businesses for taking part in this year’s Bike to Work Day employer challenge, which rewarded companies that encouraged their employees to commute via bicycle.
See the full story at Fairfax County Local News.
More DMV News
Virginia Makes Exit From Regional Emissions Program Official, Drawing Appeal
The Hill
A coalition of environmental groups have appealed Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) move to withdraw the state from an interstate carbon-capping program after the state government made the pullout official Monday.
Overseeing the DC Region’s Power Grid in the Age of Climate Change
WTOP News
Extreme weather, like the kind the D.C. region experienced over the weekend, highlights the stresses on the local power grid.
Alexandria’s Buses Are Now Free And Frequent. And They’re Setting Ridership Records
DCist
It turns out that more people ride the bus when the trip is free and the service is frequent. At least, that’s the case in Alexandria, where the DASH bus service just set a ridership record at 4.5 million boardings in just one year. (The previous high was 4.3 million boardings in 2015.)
D.C. Households to Receive Millions in Federal Energy Rebates
Washington City Paper
D.C. is set to receive $59.4 million in rebates for energy efficiency upgrades and all-electric appliances through two Home Energy Rebate programs funded by President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The Biden-Harris administration officially opened applications for states to submit their implementation plans last week.
National and International News
White House Proposes New Rule to Speed Up Clean Energy Permitting
Canary Media
The White House has proposed a new rule to streamline permitting for clean energy and other infrastructure projects under the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, a bedrock law that requires federal agencies to conduct an environmental review before approving any major project. The rule would implement the permitting compromise reached under the debt ceiling deal that Congress passed in early June, roll back certain Trump-era changes to NEPA and require agencies to consider environmental justice and climate change in project reviews.
Fleet Electrification Planning a Struggle For Federal Agencies: GAO
Smart Cities Dive
Federal agencies’ fleet electrification efforts come in response to a 2021 Biden administration executive order requiring 100% of new federal light-duty vehicle acquisitions to be ZEVs beginning in 2027 and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to be ZEVs by 2030.
New US Offshore Wind Lease Areas In Central Atlantic Are Inadequate, Groups Say
Utility Dive
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Monday announced it has finalized three new offshore wind lease areas off the coasts of Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, after “extensive” engagement with stakeholders — which one climate group said resulted in the proposed areas being shrunk excessively.
Researchers Link Electric Cars With Better Air Quality & Improved Health
CleanTechnica
It seems axiomatic that breathing clean air is better for the human body than breathing polluted air, just as drinking clean water is better than drinking polluted water, and eating good food is better than eating garbage. Now researchers from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California claim they have found evidence that electric cars lead to better air quality and that, in turn leads to better health outcomes for people living where those electric cars are located.
Air Conditioning: the Benefits, Problems and Alternatives
The Guardian
Much of the Earth sweltered under record-topping temperatures this month. Phoenix, Arizona, broke its record for most 110F (43.3C) days. California’s Death Valley had its highest temperature ever. An airport in coastal Iran saw a heat index of 152F, while Beijing saw a record stretch of 95F days.