It's About How and Where We Build: Connecting Energy and Smart Growth

In recent years, energy issues have become a growing concern for Americans. Largely missing from present energy discussions, however, is the role that land-use practices have on energy consumption and the use of alternative energy resources. By efficiently locating development, we can reduce the amount of energy needed for transportation and for other infrastructure as compared with spread-out, suburban development. Moreover, by including greater use of energy efficient design, these "smart growth" land-use practices could become even smarter -- and better achieve their goals of environmental protection, economic prosperity, and community livability. The smart growth land-use and energy efficiency movements are intrinsically linked, yet these two fields have mostly operated in separate worlds. Greater coordination between these two professions is warranted, yet substantial barriers exist. A recent survey reveals that planners' technical knowledge of energy issues is limited, as is their inclusion of energy factors in comprehensive planning, zoning, and development review. Heightened concern about foreign oil dependence, climate change, and the other ill effects of fossil fuel usage makes the energy-land-use collaboration especially important. Recently, there have been some hopeful signs of collaboration between energy professionals and community developers

Energy Solutions for a Livable Community

A briefing co-sponsored by the House Livable Communities Task Force, the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, and Smart Growth America examined how improved land use and building design could protect our nation's energy supplies and enhance community livability

Energy and Smart Growth: It's about How and Where We Build

By efficiently locating development, smarter growth land use policies and practices offer a viable way to reduce U.S. energy consumption. Moreover, by increasing attention on how we build, in addition to where we build, smart growth could become even more energy smart. The smart growth and energy efficiency movements thus are intrinsically linked, yet these two fields have mostly operated in separate worlds. Through greater use of energy efficient design, and renewable energy resources, the smart growth movement could better achieve its goals of environmental protection, economic security and prosperity, and community livability. In short, green building and smart growth should go hand in hand. Heightened concern about foreign oil dependence, climate change, and other ill effects of fossil fuel usage makes the energy-smart growth collaboration especially important. Strengthening this collaboration will involve overcoming some hurdles, however, and funders can play an important role in assisting these movements to gain strength from each other. This paper contends there is much to be gained by expanding the smart growth movement to include greater attention on energy. It provides a brief background on current energy trends and programs, relevant to smart growth. It then presents a framework for understanding the connections between energy and land use which focuses on two primary issues: how to build, which involves neighborhood and building design, and where to build, meaning that location matters. The final section offers suggestions to funders interesting in helping accelerate the merger of these fields

Wildlife and Human Diseases: Symptoms of Endangered Marine Ecosystems & Climate Change

The Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard Medical School; Wildlife Trust; the Consortium for Conservation Medicine; and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute hosted a Congressional briefing entitled "Wildlife and Human Diseases: Symptoms of Endangered Marine Ecosystems and Climate Change." The marine coastal environment is being subjected to increased pressure from residential, recreational, and commercial development. The combined effects of spills, leaks and accidents associated with oil extraction and transport further weakens coastal ecosystems leaving them vulnerable to injury. These disturbances, in conjunction with new stresses posed by climate change, is adversely affecting the health of marine life. An increase in disease among marine species raises significant concern on the part of scientists, environmental researchers, and policymakers who believe such events herald heightened risk to wildlife and humans

The Public Health Effects of Sprawl: A Compelling Case for Addressing Public Health in Transportation and Land Use Policy

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute, in conjunction with the Senate Smart Growth Task Force, held a Congressional briefing to explore the relationship between public health, transportation and land-use. New studies indicate that improvements in land use and community design could help moderate many of the chronic diseases of the 21st century -- high blood pressure, obesity, and asthma -- by providing transportation options that increase physical activity and reduce air pollution. The panel discussed the need to adequately address health considerations in transportation and land-use decisions, and the specific policy measures that could move us toward healthier land-use patterns and healthier communities. The Senate Smart Growth Task Force founded by Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and Jim Jeffords (I-VT) co-sponsored this briefing. In her opening remarks, Kris Sarri, legislative assistant to Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a member of the Task Force, invited Senate offices to join the task force. Established in 1999, the Task Force provides Senators with a forum for education and coordination of efforts concerning sustainable growth patterns. The overall goal of the Task Force is to determine and promote ways the federal government can help states and localities to address their own growth management issues. On the date of the briefing 20 Senators or 1/5th of the Senate were listed as members of the Task Force

Healthy Communities for Young and Old: How Transit and Better Community Design Help The Most Vulnerable Generations

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute held a Congressional Briefing to examine ways to protect and enhance the health and well-being of the youngest and oldest members of society through improvements in the way our communities and transportation systems are designed. Mobility for the young and old is especially limited in the United States due to our heavy reliance on personal automobiles. Several major health problems, including obesity, asthma, and social isolation, are exacerbated by our overdependence on this single mode of transportation and the spread-out land-use patterns that developed around the automobile. The briefing highlighted the need to provide alternatives to the car, including transit, walking, and other options as well as to support the use of such modes through improved community design. Briefing speakers described transportation and land use policies and programs that could help to alleviate health problems and better address the needs of youth and the elderly

The roots of prejudice against the Negro in the United States

This item was digitized by the Internet Archive

The Crisis in Children's Environmental Health: Policy Implications

Among the most vulnerable to environmental health hazards are the youngest members of society --children. Damage to children's health is an unacceptable byproduct of our heavy dependence on fossil fuels, coupled with environmental standards that fail to take into account children's unique physiology or routes of exposure. Policymakers need to consider the smaller body weight of children, their particular habits, and their increased sensitivity to environmental contaminants when drafting environmental regulations. Preventing illness and chronic disease in youth will result in substantial health cost savings. Moreover, initiatives that promote cleaner forms of energy and alternative transportation can protect children's health by minimizing exposure to hazardous constituents and maximizing opportunities for exercise

Media Blitz: Children and the Effects of Television Advertising

Watching television is nearly a universal phenomenon for the youth of modem America and other first-world countries. With the viewing of television comes the blitz of commercial advertising. Each year, children are exposed to approximately 20,000 commercial messages, or three hours a week of television advertising (Adler, Lesser, Meringoff, Robertson, Rossiter, and Ward, 1980). Society has two broad types of responsibility toward its youth. First are the precautions set in place to shield children from predatory exploitation by adults. For instance, child labor laws were enacted to prevent abuses of children in the work place. Second, society has recognized its most valuable resource is children and provides special services under the broad category of education. Constructive use of these services facilitate children\u27s mental, emotional, and physical growth and maturation (Melody, 1973)

Once women embrace stem, there’s no going back to the old culture of ‘pink-collar’ jobs

The influx of women from the former Soviet Union, with their strong science and engineering culture, altered gender norms in Israel, write Naomi Friedman-Sokuler and Claudia Seni