Climate News
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
The Fisk Generating Station in Pilsen is the second biggest greenhouse gas emitter in Chicago, after the Crawford power plant. Photo credit: Flickr User- swanksalot.
Communities in the United States have a useful new data resource to help them with climate and sustainability planning. The U.S. EPA requires facilities emitting over 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually to report emissions, and it has just released 2010 reported data to the public.
The maps and charts at http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgdata/index.html can help a community identify large sources of emissions in their area. This is especially important in small communities, where a large emitter, such as a power plant or landfill that supplies the region, might make up the majority of the community’s greenhouse gas footprint.
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Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
Workshop participants discuss how families can save money by reducing their carbon footprint.
Last week, 11 community leaders who provide financial education and homeowner counseling spent two days in a “train-the-trainer” workshop learning how to incorporate CNT’s Equity Express Green Financial Education into their programs.
Once clients have defined their financial goals and begun to keep track of their expenses, the next step is to determine how they can save money on their limited income. One option is to make smarter consumer choices.
Equity Express is a six-session curriculum that focuses on ways people can save money in the areas of energy, transportation, telecom, and food, which together represent 40 percent of a typical family budget. By making smarter consumer choices, former Equity Express workshop participants have decreased monthly expenses from $20 to $200 per month.
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Friday, November 4th, 2011
Livability Solutions is now accepting applications for free technical assistance.
Applications are now being accepted from local, regional, state, and tribal governments and community-based organizations for free technical assistance in implementing smart growth initiatives. Up to 12 recipients will receive a two-day workshop with members of Livability Solutions, a partnership among CNT and 10 other organizations, who have expertise in planning projects that protect the environment, improve public health, facilitate job creation and economic opportunity, and improve overall quality of life. The application deadline is November 22, 2011, and grantees will be announced on December 22, 2011.
Please visit Livability Solutions for the complete details.
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Thursday, September 29th, 2011
The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has awarded a grant to CNT and 10 other partners to provide technical assistance to communities that are planning and implementing smart growth initiatives. The technical assistance grant is aimed at helping communities overcome barriers, “such as outdated zoning codes and other local regulations, lack of consensus around where and how to grow, and misconceptions about sustainable communities development approaches,” according to the US EPA website. The technical assistance provided by the group will take the form of one- and two-day workshops with public officials and engaged residents to address these common challenges. All communities that have received Sustainable Communities grants are eligible for this technical assistance. Read more »
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Friday, September 16th, 2011
Oberlin's enthusiasm for alternative transportation and environmental stewardship have made it a laboratory for big ideas throughout its history. Photo courtesy of Oberlin College Archives
Can a town completely eliminate its greenhouse gases produced by transportation by 2050? It’s a bold goal and one that CNT is presenting a roadmap for today at the “Northern Ohio’s Clean Energy Future” conference in Oberlin, Ohio. As part of a three person panel on “Community Wide Energy Transformation,” we will recommend actions big and small to bring the town of Oberlin to that zero carbon goal—from a new bike lane to the grocery store to a regional transit system that makes it possible to live in Oberlin without a car. Hosted at Oberlin College, the event will be attended by US Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, Oberlin Distinguished Professor David Orr, and other political and policy leaders across Ohio and the nation. Read more »
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Monday, August 22nd, 2011
Maybe you’ve heard of I-GO Car Sharing. Did you know I-GO® is an affiliate of CNT? Read all about Chicago’s non-profit car-sharing organization in this profile of I-GO CEO Sharon Feigon in today’s Chicago Tribune. I-GO is a perfect example of what CNT is all about: identifying ideas that can cut costs and environmental impact, testing those ideas in the real world, and bringing them to scale. Read more »
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Wednesday, June 15th, 2011
Case studies for sustainability often involve really big places, like Portland or San Francisco. But a much different place hopes to demonstrate that it can be a model for energy efficient mobility: Oberlin, Ohio, population 8,761. Small towns and rural areas face some unique transportation challenges, and Oberlin hopes to demonstrate solutions that can be used in other communities.
CNT is helping Oberlin identify local strengths for sustainable transportation, such as its walkable downtown, biodiesel conversion station, and abundance of bicycles. But like many communities, Oberlin’s transit service has been cut in recent years and many residents own a car just to reach jobs and shopping. Earlier this month, CNT interviewed local leaders and community members about ways the town can overcome those challenges as it cuts the carbon impact from residents and workers traveling to, from, and within Oberlin. Read more »
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Tuesday, May 10th, 2011
The recent release of the first ever scorecard of energy and environmental performance for federal government operations is a landmark step toward improving government sustainability. The White House Executive Order 13514, which was signed in October 2009, requires all federal agencies to appoint a sustainability director, take inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, and work to meet sustainability targets.
The scorecard, released in April, shows that the federal government operations resulted in emissions of 121 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e)—over three times more than the emissions caused by all residents and businesses in Chicago in a year. Of this federal total, 55%— 66 MMTCO2e— is covered by reduction targets under Executive Order 13514, with the remaining (largely defense-related) emissions tracked, but not targeted for mitigation. Read more »
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Thursday, March 17th, 2011
CNT and the North Side Community Federal Credit Union recently sponsored a two-day “train the trainer” program for financial counselors to reduce their clients’ household expenses and environmental impact. As part of CNT’s Equity Express program, the workshop illustrated that economic and environmental sustainability go hand in hand. Read more »
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Monday, February 7th, 2011
CNT staff presented our recommendations for the next Mayor of Chicago at the Field Museum.
CNT led a discussion about sustainability and the future of Chicago with Field Museum staff last week. The discussion was part of CNT’s outreach around Investing in a Better Chicago, our 22 policy recommendations for the city’s next mayor and City Council to strengthen the region’s economic and environmental sustainability. The event at the Field Museum is one of the numerous “house parties” CNT is organizing across the city to help make sustainability a key part of Chicago’s historic election. Read more »
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