ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of July 18, 2022
Nora's Note
Taking Pride in Inclusivity. Each July, Disability Pride Month commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law in 1990. Since then, ADA has expanded beyond changes in terminology and requirements for Section 508 compliance for websites and has moved disability into the diversity conversation now at the top of agendas in public engagement planning. Each of the one in four adults living with a disability in the United States deserves a seat at the civic planning table—that’s why we stay on top of policy guidance at the National Council on Independent Living, why mobility accessibility and American Sign Language interpreters are part of planning for every public meeting or workshop and why the resources we offer at www.asc-Remote.com are vetted for accessibility. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Transportation
City on-road emissions targets proposed by Biden administration. Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced a new proposal calling for state transportation agencies and metropolitan planning organizations to set clear greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction targets and establish methods to report progress. In 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that transportation made up about 27% of GHG emissions. USDOT's decision complements similar actions taken at the local level, clearly indicating that reducing GHG emissions is a national priority. Read more about the new emissions targets. (Source: Smart Cities Dive)
Transportation Today: Biden administration announces historic ferry funding
Route Fifty: The Deadliest US Metro Areas for Pedestrians
CNBC: Global shipping wants to go green. But a lack of fuel is derailing its best-laid plans
Forbes: The Pillars Of A Net-Zero Transportation Sector—EV Adoption And Clean Energy
Travel + Leisure: How the Department of Transportation Is Helping Families Sit Together on Flights — Without the Fees
Disability Scoop: In First, Feds Issue ‘Bill Of Rights’ For Airline Passengers With Disabilities
Bloomberg: Carmakers Start to Starve Combustion Models Out of Existence
The City: Investigators Advised NYCHA Three Years Ago to Ban E-bikes. 25 Related Fires Later, It’s Finally Taking Action
Energy/Environment
Out-of-service solar panels are about to become a lot more valuable. A new report shows that the solar panel recycling industry will grow more than fifteenfold by 2030. Improved recycling processes fueling this growth will save critical elements such as silver and polysilicon, which aren’t currently separated before panels are disposed of. Experts hope that expanding the reuse of key materials in solar will ease supply chain bottlenecks, create diversity in the market and reduce mining's environmental impact. Read more to discover more about the future of renewable energy. (Source: The Verge)
CNN: Extreme heat is baking a country woefully unprepared for the climate crisis
Buffalo News: New power line that runs through Erie, Niagara counties energizes state's renewable energy goals
Utility Dive: High energy prices, climate, Ukraine conflict and rising demand response potential spur energy efficiency efforts
Grist: Toxic algal blooms are driving up water costs in the Great Lakes
E&E News: Rate of Arctic warming faster than previously thought
CBS News: Kids want to put Montana on trial for unhealthy climate policies
Phys.org: Virtual reality can support and enhance outdoor environmental education
Yahoo News: After Supreme Court limits federal ability to combat climate change, states step in
Economic Development
Over $40B in coronavirus relief funds going towards workforce development. Last week, the White House announced that more than $40 billion in American Rescue Plan funds will go towards workforce development initiatives. The funding will primarily focus on essential sectors currently experiencing worker shortages, with $16 billion allocated for healthcare workers and $12 billion for K-12 educators. Read more to learn how the rest of the funding will be distributed and what policymakers hope to achieve through these investments. (Source: The Hill)
Bronx Times: Street vendors feeling left out and without choice in city’s first rollout of new food permits in 40 years
Pew Stateline: As Sports Betting Grows, States Tackle Teenage Problem Gambling
NY1: Without further parks funding, advocates say system equity is 'an impossible job'
Dartmouth: Study Shows Economic Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
NY Times: Why City Workers in New York Are Quitting in Droves
Bloomberg: The Way We Work Has Changed. So Should Offices
Guardian: US adds 372,000 jobs in June as growth exceeds expectations
Governing: How Much Cyber Insurance Governments Need Depends on Risk
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