Land and Real Estate Resources

Amtrak Infrastructure on Brink, DOT Warns

The national passenger rail service risks a "major point of failure" if infrastructure needs remain unaddressed, the U.S. Department of Transportation warned in a scathing report made public today.

Mexico to Preserve Thousands of Acres of Rain Forest in Historic Land Expropriation

The Mexican conservation organization Pronatura brokered the sale of 370,000 acres of rain forest in the Yucatan to the U.S.-based Nature Conservancy and other groups for the purposes of protecting the land from development. The land was sold by a group of Mayan farmers, and is home to a plethora of rare plant and animal species. Environmental News Network/Associated Press (11/15)

The Rise of the Bottomless Hot Water Heaters

Facing increased fuel prices, more Americans are choosing tankless water heating units, despite higher upfront costs.

Hyundai Now a Contender

The rollout of the redesigned Hyundai Sonata is a sign of how much more cutthroat the U.S. auto market could become, with most experts convinced that China will soon follow South Korea with inexpensive products of its own. (By Greg Schneider, The Washington Post)

Property Rights Law May Alter Oregon Landscape

Under the measure, property owners who can prove that environmental or zoning rules have hurt their investments can force the government to compensate them.

Automakers Put Hydrogen Power On the Fast Track

After a century of dependence on oil-based fuel, the auto industry is finally giving consumers a serious look at a future with little or no gasoline power.

Farmers Being Moved Aside by China's Real Estate Boom

A two-tiered property system favors city dwellers while handicapping the farmers once at the core of Chinese society.

Private Guard at Home Site Charged With Arson

A 21-year-old security guard who worked at a new subdivision in southern Maryland was arrested in connection with the worst case of residential arson in the state's history.

Trees for Democracy

I believe the Nobel Committee recognized the links between the environment, democracy and peace and sought to bring them to worldwide attention with the Peace Prize that I am accepting today.

Rivals Join To Develop Hybrid-Car Technology

General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler AG are throwing their combined weight behind a new hybrid technology for cars and trucks, setting the stage for what had been a niche product to spread to the mainstream for American consumers.

China's great leap upward

As the Middle Kingdom bounds onto the world stage, it's turning wholesale to foreign architects to trumpet its arrival.

Deadly Leak Underscores Concerns About Rail Safety

Ten months ago, government safety officials warned about the vulnerability of the nation's 60,000 pressurized rail tank cars.

Can a gasoholic reform?

If you don't understand the point of a hybrid SUV, allow Ford's new Escape to demonstrate.

Bush's Budget Transforms the War on Poverty Into a War on the Poor

President Bush refers to himself as a wartime president, and he has shown resolve not to back down on the battlefield. But the budget he released this week waves a flag of surrender in another war, the 40-year "war on poverty."

Half the world will live in cities in 2 years: UN

Half the world's population will live in or around cities in two years, and in poorer countries, that will be the case by 2017, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a report. He also said the number of old people is growing very quickly worldwide, noting the growth will require "far-reaching economic and social adjustments in most countries." CBC.ca (2/16)

'Protecting land can avert war'

A decline in land quality is emerging as a major reason for wars in Africa, according to Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai, who last week was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. For example, she said the diminishing quality of land for cattle-herders was a major reason for Somalia's anarchy. Some wars could be avoided in the future if a better job is done at preserving the quality of land, she said. BBC (12/16)

Killing Off Housing for the Poor

The Bush administration pays lip service to ending homelessness — while undermining the programs that keep people off the streets.

U.S. Audit Faults Federal Regulators on Rail Safety

America's four biggest railroads suffer from substantial and systemic safety problems, according to a new federal audit.

Lexus Hopes Gasoline + Electricity = Glitz -- Guilt

Toyota Motor Corp., whose fuel-efficient Prius compact was the world's first gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle when it went on sale in Japan in 1997, is about to launch the first luxury hybrid: the Lexus RX 400h sport utility vehicle.

GM, Energy Dept. to Make Fuel Cell Vehicles

General Motors Corp. and the U.S. Energy Department have signed a five-year, $88 million deal to build a fleet of 40 hydrogen fuel vehicles, the world's largest automaker said Wednesday.

After the Flood

The new early-warning system in Thailand is the cell phone, and it spread panic over Monday's earthquake.

Urban Dwellers Mainly Cause Global Warning, but See Little of It

United Nations Environment Programme chief Klaus Toepfer warned that while those living in urban areas may not see the effects of global warming first-hand, the energy consuming lifestyles of the world's city-dwellers are largely responsible for the worldwide phenomenon. Toepfer's comments were delivered at the launch of the "One Planet Many People" atlas, which highlights satellite images of the past and present to inform readers of the dangers human activity can place on the environment. Environmental News Network/Associated Press (6/6)

Half the world will live in cities in 2 years: UN

Half the world's population will live in or around cities in two years, and in poorer countries, that will be the case by 2017, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a report. He also said the number of old people is growing very quickly worldwide, noting the growth will require "far-reaching economic and social adjustments in most countries." CBC.ca (2/16)

At Play in the Fields of the Bronx

With outdoor space to run in and to contemplate the possibilities of the world around them, there's no telling where students imaginations might wander.

Scientists Prove Less Trees, Less Rain

The area along the Amazon River in South America has seen less rain as a direct result of deforestation, Australian scientists have found. The study is "the first demonstration that deforestation has an observable affect on rainfall," said Ann Henderson-Sellers, director of environment at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. Environmental News Network/Reuters (3/11)

Military Base Closings Will Sting, Panel Chairman Says

Anthony J. Principi also promised to provide a "clear-eyed reality check" of the decisions to shutter or shrink military bases around the country.

EarthTalk: Combatting Sprawl with 'Smart Growth'

Sprawl is the tendency of cities to expand into outlying agricultural and rural lands, creating developed suburbs where there was once open space.

Hybrid-Car Tinkerers Scoff at No-Plug-In Rule

The idea of making hybrid cars that can be plugged in to wall outlets is supported by a diverse group of interests, from neoconservatives to utilities.

Access to Land Essential to Eradicating Poverty, Experts Say

Experts gathered at the International Land Coalition Global Assembly in Bolivia said access to land and family farming can sometimes aid development more than massive agricultural operations, particularly when education, credit and access to markets is available. Attendees at the assembly, which met for the first time outside of Rome, sought ways to enhance sustainable development to help meet the United Nations Millennium Development goal of cutting the number of people living in extreme poverty in half by 2015. Inter Press Service News Agency (3/24)

Pataki's Various Shades of Green

The environmental record of Gov. George E. Pataki includes formidable achievements in land preservation and sometimes-halting steps on regulation and enforcement.

Proposal in Congress Seeks Better Estimates of Mileage

The plan seeks a better way of measuring automobile fuel economy, to bring more realism to the stickers on the windows of new cars.

The Sagebrush Solution

Instead of allowing a solution beneficial to ranchers and environmentalists, the Bush administration seems to prefer a land war.

Your Land Is My Land

To the candidates for Sandra Day O'Connor's job: I recommend a trip to my hometown of Pittsburgh to see the long-term effects of eminent domain.

Honda FCX: What a Gas! A Week in Suburbia With a Hydrogen Honda

The FCX is the first zero-emission, hydrogen-driven vehicle to be street-ready with license plates and no rough edges, a test bed for green technology worth well over $1 million.

Republican Lawmakers Fire Back at Judiciary

Congressional Republicans announced efforts directed at overturning two recent Supreme Court decisions, one on eminent domain and another on the Ten Commandments.

The Affordable-Housing Crisis

Congress is realizing that millions of poor families are no longer able to buy or rent decent homes and an affordable-housing fund makes perfect sense.

Justices Uphold Taking Property for Development

The Supreme Court ruled that fostering economic development is an appropriate use of the power of eminent domain.

Mayors from Around World Sign 'Urban Environmental Accords'

Mayors from around the globe met in California to sign agreements pledging to focus on improving the environment in several areas including energy, environmental health and water. "My expectation is that this is the beginning of our work together. We hold ourselves accountable," San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said as attendees closed out the United Nations World Environment Day conference. Environmental News Network/Associated Press (6/6)

U.N. Urges 'Green' Planning for Burgeoning Cities

Annan highlights importance of "green" cities on World Environment Day: The increasing number of people living in the world's rapidly growing urban centers encouraged United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to highlight the importance of building "green" cities to reduce harm to the environment and create better living standards. Environmental News Network/Reuters (6/6)

China Mulls Smog Tax for Big Cars, Report Says

The Chinese government may soon pass legislation allowing for a "big car" tax aimed at encouraging Chinese drivers to buy more environmentally friendly vehicles to reduce smog in cities, the Associated Press reports. Environmental News Network/Associated Press (6/27)

Hybrid Cars Burning Gas in the Drive for Power

Surprisingly, hybrid technology is being used to satisfy the American appetite for acceleration and bulk.

The Road to Hell Is Clogged With Righteous Hybrids

While new privileges are allowing for more fuel-efficient cars on the road, I'm afraid the net effect will be dirtier air and more gasoline consumption.

Fuel Rule Change for Big S.U.V.'s Seen as Unlikely

The fuel economy regulations that the Bush administration is expected to abandon would have almost solely affected the troubled domestic auto industry.

The Green Machine That Could Be Detroit

As the urban fad fades, Sean Combs is remixing business with a perfume and women's line.

Air pollution fight faces trouble

China, faced with a growing health hazard due to pollution, is expected to require that cars in the country use low-sulfur fuels, but this plan does not go over well with an increasingly car-loving public, environmental officials said. As car sales in China are booming, consumers seem to be more interested in cars as a status symbol than in fuel efficiency and clean vehicles, officials noted. The Hindu/Associated Press (7/15)

Fuel Economy Plan Bypasses California to Help Out Detroit

The Bush administration said that its fuel economy proposal would lower gas bills for sport utility vehicles, but the plan conflicts with air quality rules passed by California.

More Retailers Building Environmentally Friendly Stores

Retailers are among the busiest builders on the American landscape, and they receive criticism for everything from the style of the structures to the traffic they attract. Driven by a mix of reasons from public relations to saving money to a desire to be more responsible, a growing number are experimenting with more environmentally sensitive and energy efficient stores.

States to the Rescue

It's obvious that state governments are taking the problems of global warming and oil dependency much more seriously than the Bush administration.

Slight Shift for S.U.V. in New Rule on Mileage

The White House released a plan to overhaul fuel economy regulations for sport utility vehicles. Environmental groups responded with harsh criticism.

Louisiana in Limbo

The Bush administration has rejected the most broadly supported plan for rebuilding New Orleans while offering nothing to take its place.

Common Soap Antiseptic Found in U.S. Crop Fields

A chemical widely used to make soap "antiseptic" survives sewage treatment and is being spread onto farmland and released into water, with unknown effects, researchers reported Tuesday.

Honda Bets on Natural Gas Cars

Selling cars powered by natural gas to American drivers is no small challenge for Honda Motor Co. Natural-gas stations are few and far between, and until recently the vehicles were nearly as expensive to fuel up as their gasoline-powered counterparts.

In New Orleans, Each Resident Is Master of Plan to Rebuild

In the face of one of the most daunting urban reconstruction projects in American history, a freewheeling approach to getting back to normal is put to the test.

A Reprieve for Public Lands

The administration’s policy of indiscriminately fast-tracking leases in fragile wilderness areas needs a fresh look.

Energy, climate concerns shape new generation of skyscrapers

Greenwire, 4 October 2006 - It is a city in constant motion. The sidewalks of Midtown are ringing with white noise at noon. Traffic cops brazenly wade into the streets and direct the crush of taxis, buses, bicycles and pedestrians. Vendors hawk Broadway posters, Central Park pictures and famously salty pretzels. Tourists tilt upward to snap pictures of Times Square, Rockefeller Center and Trump Tower.

Mega-Resort Proposal Draws Criticism in British Virgin Islands

Residents have criticized a luxury resort and marina project planned for a sparsely developed spit of land in the British Virgin Islands, saying it would distort the local housing market and destroy wildlife habitats.

In Japan, Rural Economies Wane as Cities Thrive

Since the 1990s, a growing economic disparity has emerged between prosperous cities and depressed rural areas.

Calculating Energy Bill’s Real Figures

Auto policy experts were still struggling on Monday to determine exactly what the effects would be under the energy compromise reached by Congressional leaders last week.

Two Million Acres of Wilderness

The Bush administration has mainly regarded public lands as a commercial asset, exploiting them for resources like natural gas.