Mar 15

Barriers to High Speed Rail in the US

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Photo of high speed rail in Taiwan by dhchen

The New York Times had an interesting article over the weekend on the state of Florida’s recent rejection of federal money to build a high speed rail line between Orlando and Tampa.

This comes on the heels of gubernatorial elections in Wisconsin and Ohio where anti-rail governors who were elected last year similarly rejected federal money.

In spite of the fact that there is strong public support for high speed rail and that rail and public transit have a positive economic impact, the development of this key infrastructure is stagnating.

What are the reasons for this stagnation–particularly when governments overseeing advanced and growing economies in Europe and Asia have less problems generating political consensus around this public investment?

My sense is that much of the problem can be attributed to two factors: 1) the lack of a real coherent national transportation policy and 2) the peculiar decision-making structure of our federalist system.

The second point is quite apparent given the outlandish power that single states have to negatively impact regional plans.   This stems from the fact that the federal government largely defers to states to determine their transportation plans.  In terms of capital improvements like high-speed rail,  states determine plans and federal money is allocated to the extent that projects conform to state plans.

This, of course, is reflective of the first point: the federal government does not have a proper “national plan” nor does it engage in the crucial decision making necessary to implement a serious national rail vision.

Sure, the USDOT develops national plans, but they are secondary to the states when it comes to rail.  In the words of the 2009 National Rail Plan [pdf], the legislative mandate for USDOT planning is “to develop the plan consistent with approved State plans” (23)–not vice versa.

This distinction is crucial.  How can you have a national infrastructure system which is the product of 50 bottom-up decisions.  We can see the impact this might have in a region like the Midwest, where states like Illinois and Minnesota will be negatively impacted by unilateral decisions made in Ohio and Wisconsin.

The feds could deal with this barrier, but it won’t be easy.  Congress would have to pass legislation restricting state autonomy–something that wouldn’t have much support in the current political climate in Washington.

Until this happens, however, high speed rail is likely to be stuck on a slow track.

Oct 16

Madison, Wisconsin Engaged in Zoning Reform

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I don’t know the details about what is going on in Madison, but this article in the State-Journal caught my eye.

Apparently the city is engaged in a re-working of its zoning code with an emphasis on “environmental sustainability.”  Among the changes being discussed in the latest draft:

  • Reducing the minimum parking requirements for commercial buildings.  One of the reasons you see a sea of asphalt surrounding your local Big Box retailer is because traditional zoning codes often require that a minimum proportion of the lot be dedicated to parking.  New Urbanists have been arguing for years that zoning codes should include maximums, rather than minimums.  Too much parking results in a degraded environment and an expectation that automobiles should be the primary mode of transport.

    Photo of Madison: Jon Mallard

    Photo of Madison: Jon Mallard

  • Allowing for urban agriculture and gardening.  According to the article, there will be no prohibition on the siting of community gardens and special permission could be granted for small scale agricultural projects.  This is a nice effort to promote local sustainability and food security.
  • Allows for “granny flats” to be built over garages.  This is another New Urbanist staple.  It diversifies the housing stock in neighborhoods, offers a bit of income to home owners, and can enhance affordability

The process of reform is ongoing, but if this article is any indication Madison appears to be on a positive track.

Nov 04

Greenhouse Gases Increase in 2005, Hit All Time High

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On the heels of the British Stern Report and in anticipation of next week’s climate change meetings in Nairobi, the World Meterological Organization is reporting that global emissions of greenhouse gases has hit an all time high.

The report indicates that  CO2 emissions were up 0.53% last year, Nitrous Oxide emissions were up 0.2%, while methane emissions remained stable.

Oct 31

Global Reaction to the Stern Report

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I have mentioned a couple of times over the past week about the report officially issued yesterday by British economist Sir Nicholas Stern on the economic consequences of climate change. Sir Nicholas was charged by Gordon Brown, Tony Blair’s likely successor as leader of the Labour Party, to produce the study in advance of next week’s UN meetings in Nairobi on climate change.

I thought it would be interesting to see some of the reaction globally to the report. The British paper, The Independent, considers it quite portentous. In an article entitled, “The Day that Changed the Climate,” the reporters portray the report’s unveilling in dramatic terms:

Climate change has been made the world’s biggest priority, with the publication of a stark report showing that the planet faces catastrophe unless urgent measures are taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Future generations may come to regard the apocalyptic report by Sir Nicholas Stern, a former chief economist at the World Bank, as the turning point in combating global warming, or as the missed opportunity.

In the Ugandan paper, The New Vision, expatriate Opio Oloya is using the report to suggest an African continental protocol to maintain and protect forested land. He also suggests that a continental protocol could also deal with the unwanted dumping of hazardous waste.

India–like China–was one of the countries who was not required to reduce CO2 emissions under Kyoto and has, in the interim, seen significant economic growth and an expansion of fossil fuel consumption. Naturally, many in India are not excited about what a post-Kyoto agreement will look like. In the Mumbai Daily News and Analysis, a pro-India commentator suggested:

“This is welcome report but we have to point out that India has already been doing a lot in managing climate change issues,” said Manoj Ladwa, MLS Chase India. “India is the 6th largest investor in renewable energy which is much larger than the UK,” he added. The USA emits 5 per cent of world’s emissions and unless they are ready to take the lead in curbing pollution there is no point in asking countries like India to get on board feel Indian analysts.

“India is in the top five of using solar energy, wind energy etc,” explained Ladwa. “It is very hard to ask a farmer in India who has just seen a glimmer of hope in economic development that they should now pay for the mess the west has created in the last 250 years,” he added.

One can understand India’s position when you consider the reaction of some of the more skeptical Western governments. In Australia, rather than changing the opinion of the government, the Stern report seems to have strengthened Prime Minister John Howard’s opposition to Kyoto. The Age is reporting that he told his MPs not to be “mesmerized” by the report. He is willing to sign on to a successor agreement; but only on the condition that India and China are also obligated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Secretary-General of OPEC–the global oil cartel–had the most indignant response. Reuters is reporting that the Secretary-General is stating that the report was unfounded in both economics and science.

Oct 31

Blagojevich Calls for Recycling of All State-Owned Electronic Waste

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Perhaps he’s wary of Green Party candidate Rich Whitney’s recent rise in the polls in the Illinois governor’s race, but the Governor signed an executive order today mandating that all state agencies recycle their electronic waste in an environmentally responsible manner.
According to the Quad-City Times, Blagojevich wants the legislature to develop a comprehensive state-wide electronics waste recylcing bill in the spring.

It is amazing that there is not more stringent legislation on the disposal of electronic items, considering elements such as mercury and lead that are contained in computers and other consumer electronics.  A perennial problem has been the global trade in “e-waste” to the Global South where there is often a less stringent regulatory environment and despeerate economic conditions.  The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition has been doing good work exposing the hazards this trade in waste poses for people in the developing world.
The main treaty governing the trade in e-waste, the Basel Convention, has not been ratified by the United States. Therefore, when states want to process their e-waste responsibly, they have to develop individual state laws.  A recent study by the National Electronics Recycling Infrastructure Clearinghouse has shown that there is an incredible amount of economic inefficiency and duplication that ensues due to the lack of federal coordination of the nation’s e-waste.

Oct 28

EU Falling Short of Emissions Targets

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According to the Guardian, the European Union is off target to meet its greenhouse gas emission reductions as part of its obligation to the Kyoto Treaty.

Based on current levels of emissions, the EU will reduce emissions to 0.6% of 1990 levels by 2010.  Under Kyoto, they are obliged to reduce emissions to 8% of 1990 levels by 2012.

The countries that are most exceeding their allowances are ones that are experiencing the highest rates of economic growth, like Spain, Portugal and Ireland.  The emissions figures for each individual country can be found on the European Comission’s webpage.

Oct 28

Resisting Mountaintop Removal in Appalachia

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The New York Times has a report today on mountaintop removal and the ways in which citizens in Appalachia are organizing to resist the practice.

Mountaintop removal is a form of coal mining that has became popular and cost-effective for coal companies in the last decade. Instead of drilling into the mountain to mine the coal, this method simply takes the “top” of the mountain to create a more open pit for mining. All of the waste is then dumped into adjacent valleys.

The environmental impacts of this practice are devastating. The loss of trees increases the likelihood for flooding and hyrdological systems are contaminated by the waste.

There was a backlash against the practice in the 1990s, led by such groups as Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, resulted in modest regulations during the late part of the decade. However, under the Bush administration, the rules for depositing the waste have been significantly relaxed, leading to an increase in the employment of the removal technique.

Today’s Times article frames the resistance as a “new” phenomenon whereby residents are appealing to their “faith” as a justification for resisting the practice and are using churches as the insitutional foundation for organizing. The article has a bit of the typical East Coast condescending attitude, implying that “faith” is being used in the absence of “rationality” in guiding citizen criticism of the practice.

In reality, the role of religious institutions as important civic spaces for resisting environmental exploitation is long-standing. In fact, the environmental justice movement in the United States traces its origin to strong community organizing with prominent roles filled by religious leaders. In 1982, the resistance of the predominantly African American residents of Warren County, North Carolina to the siting of a hazardous waste landfill relied upon religious institutions and the 1987 groundbreaking study on “Toxic Waste and Race in the United States” was sponsored by the United Church of Christ.

For more information on the grassroots origins of the environmental justice movement, Robert Bullard’s classic study, Dumping in Dixie, still retains its relevance.

Oct 28

Climate Change Could Cost Countries 20% of GDP

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The British newspaper, The Independent, is reporting on a meeting yesterday of Tony Blair’s cabinet where they heard a presentation by Sir Nicholas Stern–a former World Bank economist–indicating that the effects of climate change will likely have substantial negative impact on the world’s economies.

Sir Nicholas was asked by Gordon Brown to prepare a report on the economic consequences of climate change, which will be released on Monday.

According to the article, the numbers presented by Sir Nicholas were staggering. If a dramatic reversal of course is not taken in the next 15 years countries could be spending upwards of 20% of their gross domestic product on various environmental catastrophes.

Blair is hoping that the economic analysis of Sir Nicholas will convince the United States–the largest emitter of greenhouse gases–to soften its stance on joining international agreements to mitigate climate change. Whether Bush can be convinced of the severity of the issue is questionable. Nevertheless, the report is likely to be a major topic of conversation at next month’s UN Climate Change Conference in Nairobi.

The US will likely have an observer delegation in Nairobi, but I haven’t been able to figure out who will be leading it. There are some North American youth activists travelling to Africa to join with global youth participating in the conference. Follow their blog as the conference commences next month.

Oct 27

Illinois Gubernatorial Candidates on Growth Issues

Chicago, suburbia, sustainability Comments Off

It’s election season here in the United States and in Illinois we are seeing a race for the Governor’s office.  Republican Judy Barr Topinka and Green Party candidate Rich Whitney are battling to unseat incumbent Democrat Rod Blagojevich.

It is an interesting race given the troubles Republicans are having nationally, Blagojevich’s ethics problems, and the fact that Whitney is polling well for a third party candidate.

The latest poll [Oct. 15] by the non-partisan Rasmussen Reports shows Blagojevich 44%, Topinka 36%, and Whitney 9%.  Since that poll was taken, however, one of Blagojevich’s associates pleaded guilty to using his state appointment to take kickbacks from firms with an interest in getting state business and his wife earned six-figures in a real estate deal involving friends who have received no-bid contracts from the state.

One would expect these latest revelations to further erode Blagojevich’s slim lead over Topinka.  He seems to be trying to lay low as he backed out from a previously-scheduled debate with his challengers.

One of the things that has been sorely missing from the campaign has been a discussion of actual public policy challenges facing the state.  The Chicago Tribune has done some good reporting in this regard and had all three candidates answer important questions in relative detail.

One of the major problems facing the northeastern part of the state has been the lack of planning for metropolitan growth.  Roads are inadequate to handle demand and public transit is non-existent.  In theory, state government  has quite a bit of authority to address growth and regional infrastructure.  The Tribune asked each candidate about their transportation plans which are central to regional policy.

The headline of Tribune transportation reporter Jon Hilkevitch’s article–“All candidates lack plans for roads, transit”–pretty much tells the story.,

Governor Blagojevich claims that he has been unable to get Republicans in the legislature to agree to a bond-issue that would raise $2.3 billion for roads and $425 million for transit.  Passage of the bond issue would allow for the state to be eligible for more than $3 billion in federal matching funds.

Topinka wants to put a casino in Chicago to help fund road improvements.  This seems to be her answer to every policy problem, as her casino plan is also supposed to fund schools, offer property tax relief, and supplant part of the state gas tax!  Many observers think that the expansion of gambling in the state is a tough sell.  Daley has unsuccessfully tried in the past to get state authorization for a Chicago casino and the fact that there are already multiple casinos in the state would make it a huge political fight.  Plus, the amount of money she is suggesting could be raised from a Chicago casino is questionable.  Daley claimed two years ago that revenues would be between $200-$700 million.  Topinka’s proposals require at least $4 billion!

Whitney has said that he is dedicated to developing mass transit options
both in the Chicago area, as well as improving rail service downstate.  It is unclear how he would pay for it, however.

In the next week or so I will run down the candidates’ positions on a variety of environmental issues.

Oct 27

10 Most Polluted Places on Earth

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Word

At this time of year, as the Autumn Quarter wanes and the work of writing (and grading) papers and exams occupy our days and nights, those of us in the academic community can ease the anxiety by realizing that the December break is just on the horizion.  The promise of exotic travel after a stressful quarter can keep us focused down the stretch.

With that in mind, it is important to come to the table armed with information about possible destinations for fun and relaxation.  While most people think of Puerto Vallarta, the Bahamas, or some other warm locale as the site for a December holiday, the good folks at the BBC give us some other alternatives to consider.
Susi–a student in my Sustainable Development class–tipped me off to the BBC’s list of the top 10 polluted places on earth.  Reporting on a recent study by the Blacksmith Institute which solicited input from scientists and environmentalists throughout the globe, it seems that Russia has the dubious honor of hosting three sites in the top ten.

Many of the sites on the list are relics of the Soviet military-industrial complex.  Places like Chernobyl, Ukraine join Dzerzinsk, Russia [a major center for chemical weapons production] and the uranium processing  town of Mailuu-Suu, Kyrgystan as toxic reminders of the Cold War.

Developing countries are well-represented on the list as well.  Linfen–the center of the Chinese coal industry–and Ranipet, India are both examples of the dark underbelly of recent economic growth in the two countries.

In the Caribbean, Bajos de Hania in the Dominican Republic made the cut.  Apparently Hania is the site of a shut-down automobile battery “recycling” plant, which happened to emit tons of lead into the community.

This report reminded me of the Top Ten Most Polluted Cities in the US list published by Forbes last year.  The winner:  Los Angeles.

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