Distributed Energy Resources, GHG Emissions, Solar, Sourcing Renewables, Wind  -  July 20, 2019

Weekend reads: a Marshall Plan for climate change; Car-free city centers

It's the weekend! Kick back, stay cool and catch up with these can't-miss articles from around the web:

Mayors call for new 'Marshall Plan,' federal resiliency office to fight climate change (Smart Cities Dive)  Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto this week called for a "Marshall Plan for the Midwest" and a national challenge to fight climate change, while Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell separately urged the creation of a federal department focused on resiliency. The pair joined other mayors on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to testify before the first hearing of U.S. Senate Democrats' Special Committee on the Climate Crisis. Peduto said the plan would help every city and town left behind by the changing economy to create programs and jobs in renewable energy, build a cleaner economy and address the intersection of climate change and inequity. 

Eco-friendly biofuels made from food waste could cut 'flight shame' among air travelers (NBC News)  The average American generates around 1 ton of carbon pollution powering every lightbulb, phone, television, computer and kitchen appliance in their home for two months. But a single round-trip flight from New York to London is all it takes to generate that same amount of carbon pollution, a fact that has left some jetsetters feeling “flight shame,” and a growing number of others even forgoing air travel. The airline industry has expressed concern that flight shame will put a dent in their bottom line.

Scotland Is Now Generating So Much Wind Energy, It Could Power Two Scotlands (Science Alert)  Seeing countless renewable energy records broken and milestones passed has been a constant source of encouraging news for our planet. Now, we have yet another impressive stat to celebrate: in the first half of 2019, Scotland generated enough energy from wind power to supply its homes twice over. Specifically, turbines generated 9.8 million megawatt-hours of electricity between January and June, enough to supply power to 4.47 million homes – not bad for a country that has around 2.6 million homes to its name.

In Norway, Oslo leaders are creating a ‘car-free city center.’ Could Boston be next? (Energy Network News)  Rush hour in the center of Oslo, Norway, is not the snarl of gridlocked cars and frustrated drivers that marks the end of the workday in many cities. At public transit stops, digital signs announce expected arrivals and, at the appointed time, the tram or bus rolls up. A handful of vehicles breeze through intersections, while hundreds of commuters glide by on bicycles or motorized scooters. 

The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe goes solar (High Country News)  In the southwest corner of Colorado, the sun beats down on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation. High desert runs to the horizon in every direction, broken only by imposing mesas and Sleeping Ute Mountain. Just under 2,000 people live on the 580,000-acre-reservation, which sprawls across Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. But as temperatures rise with climate change, utility bills rise with them, and the Ute Mountain Ute tribe has begun transitioning to 100% renewable power — a movement towards energy sovereignty they have been forging for almost a decade. 

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