ASC's Intersections Newsletter — May 24th, 2024
Nora’s Note
Legacy and resiliency. Arch Street Communications joined the annual Waterfront Conference this week to honor the memory of Heather Morgan, landscape architect, colleague, and friend, and to help sponsor the third annual Heather M. Morgan Climate Risk Adaptation Lecture, this year featuring Laurian Farrell, Deputy Commissioner for Coastal Resilience at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. The Waterfront Alliance’s annual event, held at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park City, brings together experts, planners, and advocates from across industries to tackle core questions of access and resilience for waterfront communities. Meaningful community engagement is a cornerstone of ASC's coastal resiliency work in New York and beyond, and we are proud to be part of this critical conversation.
Transportation
MTA rolls out new electric bus fleet for Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn. The MTA will deploy 60 new all-electric buses in these boroughs, aligning with their plan for a 100% zero-emission fleet by 2040 and reducing emissions by 500,000 metric tons annually. Funded by nearly $70 million from the Federal Transit Administration, including $20 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the first buses will serve historically marginalized neighborhoods with poor air quality. Read more about the MTA’s new public transit infrastructure plans. (Source: Gothamist)
Mass Transit Mag: USDOT awards $1.7 million in research funding to UC-Davis for Climate Change and Transportation Research Center
Route Fifty: Feds open the door to $2B in Northeast Corridor rail improvements
Chicago Tribune: As EV popularity grows, Illinois corn farmers turn to aviation as a possible market for ethanol
Climate
Community solar development in western Maine gets $2.9 million boost. The Center for an Ecology-Based Economy is developing community solar projects in western Maine through the Maine Community Power Cooperative. This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and aims to reduce energy costs for residents, especially low-income households. In addition to lower electricity bills, the project will create jobs and training opportunities in the solar energy sector. Read more to learn about how this development will benefit low-income communities and sustainability in Maine. (Source: Sun Journal)
NPR: Researchers aim to figure out how to harvest food and electricity off the same land
Inside Climate News: At State’s Energy Summit, Wyoming Promises to ‘Make Sure Our Fossil Fuels Have a Future’
EHN: Florida shifts focus from climate change to energy security in new legislation
Economic Development
Community colleges offer clean energy training as climate-related jobs expand across America. Institutions are offering specialized training programs tailored to the evolving needs of industries combating climate change. Abundant opportunities in clean energy arise from investment driven by legislation like the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Despite challenges like declining enrollment and rapid technological change, community colleges are adapting by integrating climate-related coursework into existing programs or offering certificates or pathways for further study. Read more about how education provides the skills needed for students seeking climate careers. (Source: Associated Press)
Augusta Free Press: Virginia receives more than $551M in funding for housing assistance
Route Fifty: From foster care to secure housing: How vouchers help young adults build self-sufficiency
Business Insider: Student-loan borrowers just got 2 extra months to benefit from a temporary debt relief reform
Digital
Efforts to reform federal broadband subsidy gain traction. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), initially launched during COVID-related assistance-based funding, has provided affordable access to internet and technology to low-income households across the country. Funding for this program is set to run out imminently, and a bipartisan group of legislators is working together to find a sustainable source of funding by tweaking the eligibility criteria as well as ensuring that the program is being utilized by the correct demographic and preventing unnecessary spending. Read more about what the ACP accomplishes. (Source: Route Fifty)
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