Efficiency Built Into Waxman-Markey
The Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill is best known for its extensive provisions for a cap and trade system to set a price on carbon emissions and gradually reduce them over time. But in the bill’s more than 900 pages (be careful when you download it!) are some interesting provisions that mandate significant improvements to energy codes that govern building construction.
It is hard to exaggerate the importance of building codes. Every decision that goes into building any structure in the United States and Canada—from wiring to plumbing and paint to siding—is completely conditioned by them. If you are inside a building right now take a minute and look around. Each aspect of your environment is the process of an accretion of innovation and politics geared primarily at safety and comfort—and reducing costs.
- Cap and Trade
- Climate
- Efficiency
- Energy
- Economy
- Policy
- Solutions
- British Columbia
- Cascadia
- Oregon
- United States
- US Northwest
- Washington
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Parking Policies Can Reduce Car Use
While putting together an analysis of gasoline consumption, I have been trying to figure out just why Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) in the Northwest has been dropping. Part of the challenge of explaining downward VMT is that it has typically never happened in a sustained way. But, in the last year or so it has been sustained, defying the conventional wisdom of transportation planners. One factor that comes to mind is how easy (or difficult) it is to park.
But before I talk about how parking might affect VMT I have two confessions.
- Climate
- Efficiency
- Energy
- Policy
- Sprawl & Transportation
- Cascadia
- Idaho
- Oregon
- United States
- US Northwest
- Washington
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