The concept of the smart city is one that holds a lot of promise and potential in terms of how computerized, networked public infrastructure might improve energy efficiency, resource management, and the overall quality of life in cities. Cisco created an interactive infographic showcasing its smart, connected City of the Future. The company also recently announced the addition of a whole new suite of technologies and services that are aimed at helping utilities modernize their grids.

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Despite UPS headquarters being 20 years old, the company just announced that it has become the first in the package delivery and logistics industry to gain LEED Gold Certification from the US Green Building Council. UPS submitted the building for review in May 2011 (shortly after the appointment of Chief Sustainability Officer Scott Wicker) and [...]

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Looking for a good how-to book on sustainable transportation planning? An excellent place to start is with Jeffrey Tumlin’s new book which provides a comprehensive, entertaining and profusely illustrated guide to “creating vibrant, healthy and resilient communities.” 3p obtained a review copy of Sustainable Transportation Planning, published as an e-book this month by John Wiley [...]

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It’s time for citizens and politicians to treat each other like adults. With all the talk of failing politics in Washington, and the birth of new political movements over the past few years, conditions are ripe for increased citizen engagement. This piece recommends diversifying transportation modes as a way to begin reuniting Americans.

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By Sarah Blackhouse Future360 motors to Irvine, California to explore the latest in green transportation. We see how two technologies — Fisker Karma and Pulse Plug — are cutting carbon and driving sustainable transportation forward.

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As we seek to discover new methods of generating and harnessing energy, there is one source that is worth discussing: the human body.

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3p is proud to partner with the Presidio Graduate School’s Macroeconomics course on a blogging series about “the economics of sustainability.” This post is part of that series. To follow along, please click here. By Amanda Irene Rohlich In a rare showing of cooperation on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public [...]

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The Federal Aviation Administration is awarding $7.7 million in contracts to eight companies who will help the agency develop and approve sustainably-sourced “drop-in” jet fuels that can be used without changing aircraft engine systems or airport fueling infrastructure. The funds are being distributed by the Department of Transportation’s John A. Volpe Center. “These new green [...]

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Here’s an idea: Let’s flood the global market with our cheap dirty coal! We won’t be burning and polluting the atmosphere here, merely transporting the coal on 1.5-mile long trains through densely populated areas of the Pacific Northwest, where it will be exported to China. We’ll boost our exports, help our balance of trade and [...]

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With its first mass produced all electric vehicle, the i3, BMW has completely redesigned the EV concept. Instead of taking a car and simply swamping out the combustion engine for an electric drive system, BMW has rethought and redesigned the entire vehicle based on it’s most promising application – as an emission-free urban mode of transport that’s just as intelligent as it’s owner is likely to be.

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In political circles, making space for pedestrians, cyclists and nature falls under the purview of “transportation enhancement” activities. Last year, enhancement investments totaled close to $900 million, funds that drove the creation of urban trails, open space parks and the one of the largest build-out of bicycle lanes the country has ever seen. Unfortunately, it seems the future of all enhancement funding now hangs in the balance.

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Shipping lines, shipbuilders, banks, insurers and shippers have joined forces on a major sustainability initiative “designed to help the industry make long-term plans for future success.” Officially launched on Monday, they call it the Sustainable Shipping Initiative/Vision 2040. The thrust of the initiative is that “radical changes” are needed to make the global shipping industry [...]

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Staxxon, a development-stage start-up based in Montclair, NJ, has developed a vertical folding container. The Staxxon system allows a standard 20-foot container to fold flat into a mere wisp of its usual footprint. It folds into itself much like those white cardboard packing boxes used for storage and on moving day.

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Apple Skin Skies examines the idea that our atmosphere is thin relative to the size of the planet and the number of humans on its surface. A connection is drawn between the thickness of an apple skin relative to its diameter and how with this simple mental exercise it becomes more clear how human activity could bring about global warming.

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India has always boasted the longest rail network in the world.  That network is also the fourth most heavily used in the world, transporting over 6 billion passengers and 350 million tons of freight annually. Many cities, however, are in desperate need of a public transport overhaul and the sector is riddled with issues like [...]

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One of the biggest problems with casual carpooling is that in most cases you really don’t know who you’ll be riding with. It can be a great person and the beginning of wonderful friendship (hey, that’s how Harry met Sally!), but you might also find yourself riding eight hours with some weirdo making it your [...]

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When auto makers get serious about developing a performance car, they invariably take a trip to Germany’s fabled test track, the Nürburgring Nordschleife, to gather data to engineer a true drivers car. The track is a popular test ground since it offers 40 left-hand bends, 50 right-hand bends with extreme gradients to fully put a [...]

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Plug In America, a very vocal, electric vehicle (“EV”) advocacy group, has issued an “action alert” to its members, after Costco Corporation announced that it would be removing its EV charging stations in California. “Costco corporate officials have told Plug In America that the company has decided not to participate in the California Energy Commission [...]

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Auto companies with electric vehicle offerings are increasingly taking the opportunity to build links between their vehicles and renewable energy. Perhaps in response to those who say (incorrectly) that EVs do nothing to help mitigate carbon emissions – due to a prevalence of coal-fired electricity generation – manufacturers are forging strategic partnerships with solar companies [...]

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In June, I wrote about whether the US was right to seek an exemption from the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) for US airlines. The cap-and-trade scheme, designed to curb CO2 emissions, is being vigorously opposed by the American Air Transport Association, and a month on, it seems things are no less fractious, [...]

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American Airlines’ blockbuster narrowbody aircraft order this month places a huge emphasis on achieving major gains in fuel efficiency over a short period of time. AA says that the order for 460 jets—with options and purchase rights for an additional 465—from Airbus and Boeing will “replace and transform” its fleet within about five years. The [...]

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An International Maritime Organization panel adopted what it calls mandatory design and operational measures to reduce greenhouse gases from international shipping. According to the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee, which has met 62 times on this issue, this month’s action is the “first ever mandatory greenhouse gas reduction regime for an international industry sector.” It [...]

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In January, I wrote a piece for Triple Pundit prompted by President Obama’s State of the Union address, in which he outlined a goal to put a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015. I asked the question – is there is enough lithium supply to meet Obama’s EV goal? Since lithium-ion and lithium-polymer [...]

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For some a lifetime trolley-bus pass might sound like the third-place prize in a contest where $1 million goes to the first-place winner. Or maybe the wrong choice of doors in a Let’s Make a Deal episode. For urban dwellers it might be the economic incentive that gets unnecessary and polluting cars off of crowded [...]

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Sales figures for the Nissan LEAF and the Chevrolet Volt are being closely watched. Since both cars represent a new breed of vehicle, the relative success of either one may possibly represent the dominant technology for years to come. Whereas the LEAF is an all electric vehicle, the VOLT is a plug-in hybrid (more on [...]

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While the economy remains in the doldrums and job growth continues to stutter, the bicycle industry, at least, seems to have recovered from the woes of the recession. The National Bicycle Dealers Association details that in 2010, bicycle sales were up 15% over the previous year, bolstering the industry to $6 billion in annual sales. [...]

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Freight handling stakeholders in port areas and the Environmental Protection Agency have launched an initiative that’s designed to help clear the air in the nation’s port areas. It’s called the EPA SmartWay Drayage Program and it has potential for a nationwide solution to port pollution. It builds on clean truck programs that have been around [...]

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Here’s another amenity coming soon to an apartment complex near you: electric vehicle charging stations. Car Charging Group and Equity Residential have teamed up to solve the problem of how to conveniently charge your new EV if you happen to rent an apartment. Car Charging, in business since 2008, owns and operates EV charging services [...]

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A number of articles published this week paint a negative picture of electric cars based on a British study published earlier this month. The study attempts a comparative life-cycle assessment (LCA) of conventional, hybrid and electric cars and prompted “downer” headlines such as, “Electric Cars May Not Be So Green After All” and “More Bad [...]

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The Detroit News reported last week that General Motors CEO, Dan Akerson, would like to see the federal gasoline tax boosted by as much as $1 per gallon in order to encourage drivers to choose more fuel efficient vehicles. If you are a politician in office today, it’s of course anathema to talk about raising [...]

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