Drew T. Shindell,  professor of climate sciences at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment.
This Week's Items of Interest
February 24, 2016

Sustainability  - Transportation Funding
California tax board lowers gas tax 2.2 cents per gallon

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California's tax board voted Tuesday to lower the state excise tax on gasoline by 2.2 cents per gallon as of July 1.  Drivers in California overpaid their gas taxes last year under a complicated formula that was used to help bridge a state budget deficit in 2010, Board of Equalization Vice Chairman George Runner said. So the board voted 3-2 to lower the tax to 27.8 cents per gallon for the fiscal year that ends June 30, 2017.  That move would reduce the amount of money going to roads and mass transit programs by about $328 million next year. ( 2.23.2016)
Planet - Climate - Study
Climate 'carbon budget' soon maxed out: study

Paris (AFP) - The window of opportunity for humanity to cap global warming by slashing greenhouse gases is closing faster than previously thought, according to a study released Tuesday.
Earlier estimates of our "carbon budget" -- the amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide we can still put into the atmosphere without warming Earth by more than two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) -- have ranged from 590 billion to 2.4 trillion tonnes.  The new research says the upper limit is actually half that, some 1.24 trillion tonnes of CO2.   (2.23.16)
People - Mode - Bike & Ped
San Diego Is Ready to Go Big on Biking and Walking

The city of San Diego has big ideas for downtown streets. Their draft Downtown Mobility Plan  outlines a network laden with protected bike lanes, pedestrian greenways, curb bulb-outs, road diets and more. If the plan can make it from concept to construction, it will remake the city core for biking and walking.
  "Just getting to this stage is transformative," says Sam Ollinger, executive director of nonprofit advocacy groupBikeSD. "If they implement the plan, it'll absolutely be a game changer for San Diego."(2.22.16)
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People - Leadership - Policy Shaping
Nichols Carries Out World's Leading Climate Change Policy

In 2006, the California legislature charged the state with the Herculean task of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 to better the state's air quality while becoming a global leader in the fight against climate change.
That legislation touched almost every industry in California, a state so large it would be the world's eighth largest economy if it were an independent nation. Its implementation fell to California Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary D. Nichols, whose regulations to carry out the law have influenced national greenhouse gas emission policies.  (2.22.16)
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Planet - Sea Level Change - Study
Sea level rising at fastest pace in 2,800 years

Miami (AFP) - The world's oceans are rising at a faster rate than any time in the past 2,800 years, and might even have fallen without the influence of human-driven climate change, researchers say.  Sea levels rose globally by about 5.5 inches (14 centimeters) from 1900 to 2000, said the study led by Rutgers University, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
(2.23.16) 
Prosperity - Freight Delivery - Drones
Self-driving 'ground drones' are heading to London to make deliveries across the capital

The iconic mopeds of delivery drivers everywhere are set to be ousted by 'ground drones' that can navigate city streets by themselves.  
After more than 3,000 hours of testing in London, Starship Technologies' delivery bots are scheduled to start local deliveries in Greenwich next month.  (2.23.16) 
Prosperity - Energy - Oil Use
Four Steps for Cutting Oil Use in Half in California

California is already on track to reduce oil use 24 percent by 2030. Considering oil use in the state had been on a steady rise for decades prior to its peak in 2007, this might be pretty surprising news. It comes in large part as a result of California's leadership in pioneering clean air and climate change policies, which are fostering technology innovation and driving efficiency improvements throughout California's economy. (2.23.16) 
People - Safety and Environmentally Friendly
San Francisco's Doyle Drive Includes Major Safety Upgrades

A $1 billion replacement and upgrade of Doyle Drive in San Francisco came out of necessity: it was structurally and seismically deficient. 
But the work, now in its second and final phase, also provided an opportunity for project designers to plan major improvements, including an environmentally-friendly design.  Designers also wanted to enhance the beauty of the area.  (2.23.16)
Prosperity - Fuel Quiz
The Ultimate Fuel-saving Device Hoax Quiz
 
Every driver would like to save a few dollars on gas. Consequently, the market for fuel-saving devices -- and fuel-saving hoaxes -- is large. See how well you can separate fact from fiction with our quiz on fuel-saving device hoaxes!  (2.22.16)
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