Next Stop: California:The Benefits of High-Speed Rail Around the World and What's in Store for CaliforniaAs California moves toward construction of a new high-speed rail network, the state has much to learn from experiences abroad. High-speed rail lines have operated for more than 45 years in Japan and for three decades in Europe, providing a wealth of information about what California can expect from high-speed rail. Next Stop: California describes the benefits achieved - and the challenges faced - by nations around the world that have built high-speed rail systems. (June 2010) |
Georgia's Transportation Crossroads:Why the Peach State Should Invest in Transit for the 21st CenturyGeorgia is in a transportation crisis. Roadway congestion wastes time and energy, tailpipe pollution causes health and environmental problems, and our oil dependence only grows. Expanding public transportation can provide more Georgians with alternatives to driving, while addressing these problems and laying the foundation for an efficient transportation system for the 21st century. Public transportation already helps hundreds of thousands of Georgians get where they need to go. But Georgia’s transit systems are disjointed, under-funded, and fall far short of their potential. Scores of good transit projects are waiting in the wings, while the problems affecting our transportation system only multiply. The state must reshape its transportation planning and funding priorities to address its decades-long underinvestment in transit. (June 2010) |
The Nuclear Bailout:President Obama’s high risk gamble on new reactors undermines the fight against global warmingIn February 2010, the Obama administration announced that it would help finance two new nuclear reactors at the Vogtle nuclear power station in Georgia, offering an $8.33 billion loan guarantee to Georgia Power (a subsidiary of Southern Company) and two other companies invested in the project. This report concludes that this loan is an expensive gamble. New nuclear reactors are not cheap, not clean, and will set America back in the race against global warming. Most importantly, they are not necessary. Clean energy technologies can begin cutting global warming pollution right away, do so at lower cost and with less risk, and will create more jobs in the process. (June 2010) |
Charging Ahead:Curbing Oil Consumption with Plug-In CarsAmerica's current fleet of cars and trucks leaves us dependent on oil, and contributes to air pollution that fuels global warming and harms our health. Charging Ahead, explores the potential of plug-in hybrids, which can get up to 100 miles per gallon of gasoline, and electric vehicles, which use no gasoline at all, to address our energy and global warming challenges. It also tracks the progress of auto manufacturers in the race to produce plug-in cars. (June 2010) |
Working with the Sun:How Solar Power Can Protect North Carolina’s Environment and Create New JobsSolar power can curb pollution, protecting public health and North Carolina’s environment. It can also drive North Carolina’s economy forward – creating jobs that can’t be outsourced, and launching new companies to manufacture and install solar power equipment. If the state developed its solar resources on a trajectory to supply 14 percent of the state’s electricity consumption by the year 2030, it would prevent the emission of millions of tons of pollution that contributes to global warming and respiratory health problems, save billions of gallons of water, and create more than 28,000 good-paying jobs. To realize these benefits, North Carolina should nurture and expand demand for solar energy while helping to incubate local solar businesses. (May 2010) |
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