GreenCityBlueLake Institute

GreenCityBlueLake Institute updated their business hours.

"We need to start focusing on regenerative economies, creating community cooperatives and different kinds of economic systems that make it possible for people to thrive economically while at the same time taking us off the grid."
https://e360.yale.edu/features/unequal-impact-the-deep-links-between-inequality-and-climate-change

Unequal Impact: The Deep Links Between Racism and Climate Change Activist Elizabeth Yeampierre has long focused on the connections between racial injustice and the environment and climate change. In the wake of George Floyd’s killing and the outsized impact of Covid-19 on communities of color, she hopes people may finally be ready to listen.

News start up The Land investigates why recycling failed in Cleveland and what to do next.

City recycling debacle is an opportunity for a "fresh start," solid waste district director says

Toronto gets it. Taking the opportunity to help record numbers of people biking by adding bike lanes all over the city.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-cycling-network-expansion-1.5583262?fbclid=IwAR1yblvsVfkRxWX4de9Vs_RYyKCUl2FY1hzisvY0OS-MQ24Wfj7AFJ5NSAc

Toronto to vote on 25 km cycling network expansion, including lanes on Bloor and Avenue | CBC News Toronto could soon begin work on 25 kilometres of new bike lanes, much of it coming as part of the city’s efforts to open up roads to cyclists amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Sunflowers help bees reproduce, some good news for a change!
https://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=300596&org=DEB&from=news

Bumblebee disease, reproduction shaped by flowering strip plants Flowering strip plants generally benefit bee colony reproduction but may bring disease risks

NPR studied air pollution as traffic dropped by half during the pandemic and found only modest drops in smog. What gives? Turns out trucks and industry far outweigh cars in what goes into our air. Northeast Ohio posted only a slight 3% improvement in air quality. California is making electric trucks and buses a priority.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/05/19/854760999/traffic-is-way-down-due-to-lockdowns-but-air-pollution-not-so-much

Blue skies, less traffic, more wildlife, biking is up and people are flocking to parks. What silver linings do you see in ? https://www.gcbl.org/blog/2020/04/looking-for-silver-linings-wildlife-and-blue-skies-in-cities

Looking for silver linings: Wildlife and blue skies in cities | GreenCityBlueLake In this recent Freshwater article, I write about how we can reasonably expect to make air quality improvements permanent and how it will benefit us all. As a recent cleveland.com opinion piece put it, “we’ve destroyed the myth that telework cannot happen.” For this reason, I’m interested in ...

The future is plastic-less.

https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2020/04/29/mayor-frank-jackson-confirms-all-cleveland-recyclables-are-going-to-a-landfill

Mayor Frank Jackson Confirms: All Cleveland Recyclables are Going to a Landfill Mayor Frank Jackson admitted Tuesday that all the recyclable material gathered each week as part of the city's curbside waste collection program is going to...

Cleveland is part of an international study on green redevelopment strategies. The author looks at how green can be more inclusive, and compares progress to date in the Gordon Square and Cleveland EcoVillage developments in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.
http://www.bcnuej.org/2020/04/21/will-clevelands-greening-efforts-perpetuate-racial-inequalities/

Will Cleveland’s Greening Efforts Perpetuate Racial Inequalities? If equity is not a priority, Cleveland’s vision of becoming a “green city on a blue lake” risks falling victim to the injustices of green gentrification.

Researchers on climate change are looking at the impact of when leaves open in the forest, and have earlier times like Thoreau's to compare.

As Thoreau counseled, “Shall I not have intelligence with the earth? Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself?”

Image: Ann Rosenthal "A Quarantine Art and Science Collaboration," Carnegie Museum of Natural History

https://carnegiemnh.org/art-and-science-ann-rosenthal/

Today is a perfect day for a nature walk around the neighborhood. It's the final day of CityNatureChallenge so snap some pictures of plants and animals and upload them using the iNaturalist.org mobile app. Show off Cleveland's . Here are two native, spring ephemerals and one invasive species that I spotted on a hike around the on Saturday.

Happy ! We appreciate all the Ohioans planting native trees this April.
https://www.ohionativeplantmonth.org/2020-tree-challenge

100,000 Tree Challenge! — Ohio Native Plant Month Flowers of the Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) and white flower form of the Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis ‘Alba’)

City Nature Challenge is a fun way to observe nature. Download iNaturalist.org​ to your smartphone, and start snapping pictures of plants and animals you see on your neighborhood walks. It starts Friday, April 24 and ends on the 27th.
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2020-cleveland-akron-canton

City Nature Challenge 2020: Cleveland-Akron-Canton COVID-19 UPDATE: Cleveland, Akron, and Canton are still participating in the City Nature Challenge 2020 but with some modifications to keep our participants safe. Firstly, this year’s CNC is no longer a competition. Instead, we want to embrace the healing power of nature and encourage the collabor...

Golden anniversaries are a time for reflection. Young Earth Day One activists gave voice to the concerns of everyday Americans. Today, as we reflect on how their generation built a movement, we watch as it passes the baton to the current generation rallying to stop global climate change and local inequities.
https://www.gcbl.org/blog/2020/04/climate-action-on-earthday-50-look-back-and-ahead

Climate Action on EarthDay 50: Look back and ahead | GreenCityBlueLake The Kent State shootings came on the heels of another pivotal event in American history. On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans gathered to observe the first Earth Day, a peaceful protest against widespread environmental degradation. The Cuyahoga River flows through Kent and Cleveland, where the in...

At this 50th anniversary of and during let's work smart for a sustainable recovery.

Guest Column: Looking at the environmental silver lining, and lessons learned, in coronavirus Guest columnist Marc Lefkowitz, director of Green City/Blue Lake, reflects on COVID-19's positive impact on the environment and the lessons we can take away moving forward.

Tune in this week as Cleveland Museum of Natural History launches . By focusing on small areas, sometimes familiar, sometimes overlooked, we can better understand how to protect the biodiversity around us. It's the perfect way to start your celebration.



https://www.gcbl.org/blog/2020/04/would-you-protectcle

Would you ProtectCLE? | GreenCityBlueLake The Life in One Cubic Foot project was launched by photographer David Liittschwager. Teaming up with The Smithsonian, Seneca Park Zoo, and National Geographic, Liittschwager set out to travel the globe in search of the perfect spots to place…a metal cube. What, you ask, does a wire-frame cube pain...

Rather than give up on gains like the current 30% cleaner air, we need a plan that saves lives and permanently reduces air pollution from vehicles. Telework policies, renewed support for public transit, and bike friendly streets are three ways we plan for a safe, post-Covid-19 return.
https://airnow.gov/

"Disregarding an emerging scientific link between dirty air and Covid-19 death rates, the Trump administration declined on Tuesday to tighten a regulation on industrial soot emissions that came up for review ahead of the coronavirus pandemic." https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/climate/coronavirus-soot-clean-air-regulations.html

‘Unbelievable’ Timing: As Coronavirus Rages, Trump Disregards Advice to Tighten Clean Air Rules Despite an emerging link between air pollution and Covid-19 death rates, the Trump administration will decline to tighten standards on soot emissions.

The Himalayas are visible for the first time in 30 years for residents of Punjab. In other news, Delhi, the world's most polluted city, has best air quality all year.
https://www.greenmatters.com/p/himalayas-visible-india-coronavirus-air-pollution

Himalayas Visible From 100 Miles Away as Air Quality Improves During Coronavirus Lockdowns India's drastic air quality improvements have cleared up skies, making the Himalayan mountains visible from more than 100 miles away.

“We can all appreciate the need for additional caution and flexibility in a time of crisis, but this brazen directive is an abdication of the EPA’s responsibility to protect our health,” former EPA Administrator and current Executive Director of Natural Resources Defense Council, Gina McCarthy confirms.

EPA Issues Unprecedented “License to Pollute” During Pandemic Amidst a public health crisis, the agency will indefinitely suspend environmental protections that help keep our air and water safe.

April 22 is the golden anniversary of Earth Day! GreenCityBlueLake Institute and uGO are sponsoring the Challenge during Earth Week. We are looking for a few commuters in University Circle who will leave their cars parked at home and try a new mode. Participants who meet the challenge requirements will receive a $100 gift card to L'Albatros! Apply to participate by Friday, March 20th.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/earthweek50ditchyourcar

We encourage participants to try the sustainable transportation app Gohio Commute

As it stands, Ohio law does not require motorists to yield to pedestrians waiting to cross the street.

https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200226/senate-votes-to-make-drivers-stop-for-people-waiting-to-use-crosswalk?template=ampart&fbclid=IwAR3QwpKOvyrVFveKvMSvmM6wTJ-DtVgcOI4fjiqGjdyWArvNm66VcoCodFA&__twitter_impression=true

Senate votes to make drivers stop for people waiting to use crosswalk Ohio drivers would have to stop for people waiting at the curb to enter a crosswalk if a bill passed unanimously by the state Senate on Wednesday becomes

One of the lessons from this study is, *think twice* before ordering an Uber or Lyft, because if you're doing it for environmental reasons, there are greener options.
https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/ride-hailing-problem-climate

Ride-Hailing is a Problem for the Climate. Here's Why. Ride-hailing services are increasing carbon pollution. What can be done?

There is so much happening in the Cleveland/Cuyahoga River Valley...find out how it all ties together at this gathering.

On Wednesday, February 26 at Forest City Brewery from 5:00pm - 8:00pm join us for a project open house where attendees will have the opportunity to view draft priority projects, the plan framework, and other project based updates. Come to learn more and share your feedback for the Vision for the Valley!

The region's transportation agency, NOACA, is developing a new pedestrian and bicycle plan, and wants to hear from residents of Northeast Ohio, regardless of their age, experience or activity level. The plan will identify areas of need for pedestrians and bicyclists, and act to address these needs.

Take the survey!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/activate2020

ACTIVATE Public Survey Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

RTA wants to hear from you. How can transit be improved? What part does land-use have to play in the equation?

http://www.riderta.com/strategicplan

Strategic Plan | Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority RTA is planning for the future and needs your help! We are creating a strategic plan for capital improvements and enhancing the customer experience through the year 2030. Your ideas will help shape RTA for years to come.

Congratulations, Lakewood, you're an inspiration.

Lakewood commits to 100 percent renewable energy City Council last week made a commitment for Lakewood to use 100 percent clean, renewable energy in its city facilities by 2025, as well as going communitywide by 2035.

Getting a start on a , Nashville is taking measurable steps -- *requiring* developers to plant trees.
https://www.nashvilletreeconservationcorps.org/treenews/bl1416-passes-3rd-reading-tree-density-increases-in-nashville-60

BL1416 Passes Becomes Law: Tree Density Increases in Nashville +60% — Nashville Tree Conservation Corps Nashville Passes Tree Law: BL2018-1416

Y2K prep may have become a sort of goofy joke, but it does provide some lessons for how to confront climate change. “It was an example where people with expertise said there’s a problem and then they elevated that problem through the right channels."
https://www.geologyscience.info/why-arent-we-tackling-climate-change-like-we-did-y2k/

Why aren't we tackling climate change like we did Y2K? Why aren't we tackling climate change like we did Y2K?

Dedicated bus lanes work. They improve travel speeds for transit. Also, in the case of the Euclid Corridor, they leverage billions in new investment.
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2020/02/greater-cleveland-rta-considers-west-25th-street-bus-line-similar-to-euclid-avenues-healthline.html

Greater Cleveland RTA considers West 25th Street bus line similar to Euclid Avenue’s Healthline The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s board proposes developing a system of dedicated bus lanes along Cleveland’s West 25th Street corridor similar to Euclid Avenue’s Healthline.