Transportation and Climate Change Newsletter - November 2008
Prepared by the Office of Planning, Environment and Realty Federal Highway AdministrationTo view PDF files, you need the Acrobat® Reader®.
Recent Events
MPO Peer Workshop on Planning for Climate Change.On October 27, representatives from several MPOs and State DOTs shared their experiences and challenges in their efforts to integrate climate change considerations into the transportation planning process at a FHWA funded peer exchange. The exchange was held prior to the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA, and facilitated by Resource Systems Group (RSG). Each participant was given an opportunity to report on activities and approaches to climate change within their individual MPO and State DOT. FHWA has held two other peer exchanges on planning for climate change - March 2008, also in Seattle, WA, and September 2008 in Albany, NY. The full report/summary of the March 2008 peer exchange can be found at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/metro/mpoclimstlwa.htm. The summary reports from the other two exchanges will be posted as soon as possible.
State News
Oregon Environmental Council Hosting Workshop on Transportation and Climate Change. Oregon Environmental Council (www.oeconline.org) is hosting a workshop on transportation and climate change. "Cutting Carbs" is a professional development workshop open to interested parties. The one-day workshop will be held on Wednesday, December 3rd at the Doubletree Lloyd Center in Portland. Information and the online registration form can be found at www.oeconline.org/cutting-carbs. (Eligible for AICP "certification maintenance" credits.)
Washington State Department of Transportation Climate Change Weekly Digest.The Washington State DOT has an extensive Climate Change program and the Climate Change Team issues a weekly digest on climate change issues. To view the climate change website go to: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Environment/ClimateChange. To be put on the email list to receive the weekly digest, please send a note to: StarkS@wsdot.wa.gov.
Announcements
CTE Webcast: Transportation and Climate Change: Time to Think, Plan, Mitigate, and Adapt.December 3, 1:00 to 3:00 ET. This live panel discussion will provide an overview of current practice and emerging issues for integrating climate change considerations into transportation planning at the state and regional levels. The panel will provide examples and insights into how agencies can approach mitigation of impacts, adaptation strategies, and policies and projects to address climate change through technology and changes to travel behavior. Issues related to the upcoming federal reauthorization of transportation funding and potential regulatory changes also will be discussed. The Webcast is presented by the Center for Transportation and the Environment at North Carolina State University. To register or for more information, go to: http://cte.ncsu.edu/cte/
Reminders
Annual Transportation Research Board Meeting to Spotlight Transportation, Energy, and Climate Change.The TRB 88th Annual Meeting, January 11-15, 2009, will include more than 60 sessions and workshops that address the meeting's spotlight theme of Transportation, Energy, and Climate Change. The intent of these sessions will be to raise awareness of the implications of both the transportation sector's adverse contributions to climate change, as well as the effect that climate change has had and will continue to have on the transportation systems of tomorrow. Two Sunday workshops are intended for those who wish to gain a broad understanding of the issues related to climate change and transportation—"Climate 101: The Basics of Climate Change" on Sunday morning, and "Climate Change and Transportation 101" on Sunday afternoon. These workshops will provide useful background for the many other sessions related to climate and transportation that will be held during the remainder of the week. For more information on the TRB Annual Meeting, see: http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=9550.
EPA Greenhouse Gas Document Public Comment period closes Nov 28.The Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) solicits public input as EPA considers the specific effects of climate change and potential regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. In the ANPRM, EPA presents and requests comment on the best-available science, requests relevant data, and asks question about the advantages and disadvantages of using the Clean Air Act to potentially regulate stationary and mobile sources of greenhouse gases. This includes questions and reservations regarding the suitability of establishing National Ambient Air Quality Standards for greenhouse gases. The ANPRM also reviews various petitions, lawsuits and court deadlines before the agency, and the profound effect regulating GHGs under the Clean Air Act could have on the economy. A fact sheet is available at: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads/ANPRFactSheet.pdf. The ANPRM is available at: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/anpr.html.
If you have any suggestions for inclusion in future issues of Transportation and Climate Change News, please send them via email to Robert Kafalenos at Robert.Kafalenos@dot.gov.
FHWA HQ Contacts:
Robert Kafalenos, Office of Natural and Human Environment, Robert.Kafalenos@dot.gov.
Diane Turchetta, Office of Planning, Diane.Turchetta@dot.gov.
Rebecca Lupes, Office of Project Development & Environmental Review, Rebecca.Lupes@dot.gov.
