According to the Environmental Defense Fund www.edf.org, the U.S. has 30 percent of the world’s cars but emits 45 percent of the world’s global automotive CO2 emissions; an estimated 450 million tons are emitted by personal vehicles alone.

So, on the 22nd, give your car the day off. Hop a subway or ride a bike. The planet will be grateful.

The President is a fan of high-speed rail. In June 2008, noting that engineers in China were developing a 300-mph train, he told the U.S. Conference of Mayors, “I don’t want to see the fastest train in the world built halfway around the world in Shanghai. I want to see it built right here in the United States of America.”
The U.S. currently has just one high-speed rail system – the Amtrak Acela Express system that connects Boston to Washington, D.C., via New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Acela trains average 68 miles per hour but do reach 150 mph during the trip.
Internationally, trains are considered “high-speed rail” if they reach 125 mph. But the FRA defines express, regional and emerging high-speed rail as three separate entities.
• High-Speed Rail – Express: Frequent, express service between major population centers 200–600 miles apart with intermediate stops. With top speeds of at least 150 mph, these systems are intended to relieve air and highway capacity constraints.
• High-Speed Rail – Regional: Relatively frequent service between major and moderate population centers 100–500 miles apart with some intermediate stops. Top speeds of 110-150 mph, grade-separated, with some dedicated and some shared track. These systems are designed to relieve highway and, to some extent, air capacity constraints.
• Emerging High-Speed Rail: Developing corridors of 100–500 miles with strong potential for future Regional and/or Express service. Top speeds of 90-110 mph on primarily shared track (eventually using positive train control technology) with advanced grade crossing protection or separation. Intended to develop the passenger rail market and provide some relief to other modes.

In April, the FRA released it’s a plan for development of high-speed rail in the U.S., identifying 10 corridors as potential funding targets.
• Northern New England Corridor—Boston, Portland/Auburn, Maine; Montreal, Canada; Springfield, Mass.; and New Haven, Conn.;
• California Corridor—Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego;
• Pacfic Northwest Corridor—Eugene and Portland, Ore.; and Seattle and Vancouver, Wash.;
• South Central Corridor—Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Okla.; Little Rock, Ark.; and Dallas and San Antonio, Texas;
• Gulf Coast Corridor—Houston, New Orleans and Mobile, Ala.;
• Chicago Hub Corridor—Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo.; Louisville, Ky.; Milwaukee and Minneapolis/St. Paul;
• Florida Corridor—Tampa, Orlando and Miami;
• Southeast Corridor—Richmond, Va.; Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C.; Columbia, S.C.; Atlanta; and Jacksonville, Fla.;
• Keystone Corridor—Pittsburgh, Philadelphia; and
• Empire Corridor—Buffalo and Albany, N.Y.
On June 17, the FRA issued interim guidance to applicants covering grant terms, conditions and procedures until final regulations are issued. The agency will evaluate grant proposals for their ability to make trips quicker and more convenient, reduce congestion on highways and at airports, and meet other environmental, energy and safety goals. The FRA plans to begin awarding grants in mid-September.

“To really make a dent in carbon emissions, solutions are needed that incentivize more concentrated and pedestrian-friendly development patterns that reduce auto dependency,” said ULI Senior Vice President Dean Schwanke, at a press conference announcing the publication.  “Focusing solely on energy efficient vehicles and cleaner fuels will not sufficiently address the problem.”

Schwanke pointed out that as much as two-thirds of the development expected to exist in the U.S. by 2050 is not yet built. As a result, he said, there are significant opportunities to lower transportation-related carbon emissions through more compact development that provides transportation options and attractive urban settings. “Sticking to sprawling development patterns of the past will leave us spending more time behind the wheel, putting more cars on the road and adding to gridlock,” Schwanke noted. “That’s not a good answer to climate change. A much better response is well-planned, compact development that offers a mix of uses and encourages walking, biking and taking public transit. The greenest car is the one that is not needed for every trip to get from one place to another.”

Land use is one of nine categories of strategies considered by Moving Cooler, along with transportation pricing and taxes, public transportation improvements, non-motorized transport such as walking and biking, regulations to moderate vehicle use and speed, intelligent systems, expanded highway capacity and more efficient freight movement. The effectiveness of each strategy in cutting greenhouse gas emissions is measured against a baseline that represents current trends.

Moving Cooler points out that economy-wide pricing measures — such as an increase in the gasoline tax, carbon pricing, and pay-as-you-drive insurance – would produce the most significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, due to the likelihood of substantial shifts in driving behavior mandated by the high costs. However, outside of these pricing measures, the land use strategies produce the most emission reductions of any of the other strategies analyzed. Moreover, the costs of implementing such changes in development patterns are offset by the substantial savings in the cost of vehicle ownership and maintenance, the report adds.

States spend about 10 percent of their operating budgets on energy bills, and EPA says those costs can be greatly reduced through adoption of well-designed state energy management and greenhouse gas reduction programs.

The Clean Energy Lead by Example (LBE) Guide highlights key strategies, resources, and tools
to help states identify the suite of options best suited to their needs. Each of the strategies promoted in the guide, which include facility-level energy efficiency, green power purchases, clean distributed generation, is road-tested and cost-effective.

The LBE guide is provided through EPA’s State Climate and Clean Energy Program, which assists states in developing and implementing clean energy policies and solutions to climate change.

Franklin's electric car is drawing attention

Getting a parking ticket in Franklin, Tenn., just got a whole lot cuter. As part of the city’s “Go Green” effort, the Franklin Police Department purchased an electric car to enforce parking in the historic downtown area and nearby parking garages.

The City’s Municipal Services Action Plan on Alternative Fuel and Energy focuses on adding a variety of alternative fuel vehicles to the city’s fleet for purposes of both fuel efficiency and emissions reduction. Franklin’s Sustainability Task Force that includes initiatives for the entire community has chosen to replace 5 percent of the vehicles registered in the City of Franklin with vehicles that use alternative energy sources by 2012.

“It’s our goal to be one of the top 25 sustainable cities in the country,” Alderman Ken Moore said. “The City’s Sustainability Task Force, made up of citizens and city staff, has been working hard all year to create an action plan and begin this process.  This car symbolizes one of the first of many steps in achieving our goal and leading by example to the rest of our community.”

“I’m proud to say our City staff is working to live green and work green,” said Franklin City Administrator Eric Stuckey. “In our budget for fiscal year 2009-2010, every department laid out sustainability goals and we are well on our way to being a leading city in sustainability in the Southeast. We’ll soon have a full time position focused on sustainability for both our city departments and Franklin as a whole.”

Parking enforcement officer Russell Morris says his new car definitely gets attention.  “People point and look whenever I drive by; sometimes tourists stop taking a photo of the sites and take a picture of my car. It’s been a really good reaction, and it rides well too!”

For more information, contact Franklin Communications Director Milissa Reierson at milissa.reierson@franklintn.gov.

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA has a free webinar for anyone in local government  on How to Make Your School Buses Cleaner this Friday, June 5 at 1-2 p.m. Eastern

You can learn how to make your school buses cleaner, more efficient, and reduce harmful pollution associated with diesel exhaust. Get the tools and resources needed to start a program in your school district to:

• Complete technology retrofits on school buses to burn diesel more efficiently;
• Switch from petroleum diesel to a biodiesel blend; and
• Reduce vehicle idling around school buildings.

The webinar will introduce three toolkits (click to get them immediately) designed to help your school district.  Each toolkit contains a step-by-step guide, fact sheets, outreach materials, case studies, and more.

A few days before the event, participants will be sent an email with instructions on how to participate in the webinar.  You will need a computer with internet access and a phone.