Interesting stats on EVs and energy use in the US, developments in wind and tidal power, a plastic recycling microfactory, and an "unprecedented collapse" in EU fossil fuel generation.
Meanwhile, in “They Paved Paradise to Put Up a Parking Lot” news, a recently released collection of online maps shows how much land in US cities is used as parking lots.
According to The Parking Reform Network, the non-profit group that created the 86 maps, Wichita, Kansas is 35% parking lot while Las Vegas is 32% and San Bernadino, California is a brain-melting 49% parking lot.
On average, cities with 1 million or more residents dedicated at least 22% of its downtown area to parking space. On the Parking Reform Network website, the group points out that this parking is "often clustered around main streets, office districts, and historical cores, creating a dead zone around the city’s most valuable and walkable areas that limits residential and commercial growth."
Imagine the possibilities if people decided to take back most of that land from empty parked cars and use it for housing and green space instead? 🌳🚵🚶👪🌲
A new study suggests that switching to a reusable packaging paradigm can reduce greenhouse emissions from plastic by up to 69% – AND use up to 70% less water.
