ICLEI Links: 2 October 2015
Welcome to the latest edition of ICLEI Links, our roundup of sustainability-related news and commentary from around the web!
City Stories
8 cities that show you what the future will look like – historically, cities have grown by accident. Now, we are starting to think holistically and plan for the long term. This stylish feature in Wired looks at projects in eight cities, including ICLEI Member Medellin’s cable car network.
Road to Paris: why local stories matter – Rajkot, Thane and Hyderebad are mentioned in this article, which argues that, with the COP21 outcome unlikely to meet the scientific targets, we should remind ourselves of how much local governments are doing.
What is the world’s most vulnerable city? – with rising sea levels, desertification, and other natural hazards, a growing number of cities are in danger of being overwhelmed. This article looks at a number of them and considers how the increased threat can be countered.
10 Greenest Cities in the World – Australian home improvement company, Halfprice.com.au, has put together a list of the top 10 most energy efficient cities in the world. Lots of ICLEI Member cities made the cut!
31 days of a new normal – some thoughts from Cape Town Partnership on why Johannesburg’s decision to host the EcoMobility World Festival 2015 bodes well for the future.
China’s sponge cities: soaking up water to reduce flood risks – rather than funneling rainwater away, cities – especially in China – are making efforts to harvest it and put it to use for irrigation and other purposes. Known as “sponge cities”, these cities also face a decreased risk of flooding.
Climate Change Stories
720 million people could be drawn back into extreme poverty by climate change – according to a new report by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), the UK’s leading independent think tank on international development and humanitarian issues.
Elon Musk Says Climate Change Refugees Will Dwarf Current Crisis – Musk made the comments in Berlin, arguing that the scale of potential refugees from the impacts of climate change is in the hundreds of millions.
China pledges $2bn for developing world – on the occasion of the Sustainable Development Summit, China also announced that it would cancel debts for the world’s least developed nations.
Energy Stories
Shell Exits Arctic as Oil Slump Forces Industry to Retrench – the decision is mainly based on the global slump in oil prices, although campaigners against fossil fuels are claiming this as a victory.
RE100: lighting the way to a better future – a look at the cities that are pioneering 100% renewable energy, including Vancouver.
In Pakistan, solar water heaters help a town move away from wood – an interesting story on how the establishment of one solar heater has started a conversation in a town in Northwest Pakistan.
French unveil ‘world first’ hydrogen-powered electric bike emitting only pure water – the cost is projected to be around 2,000 euros. It sounds exciting, but the claims have yet to be verified and the bike is not yet in production.
