Shari Shapiro: Citizen Reporter

• Tax Gas Now

  To stimulate the green technology, repair infrastructure, fund transit and save the world, tax gas now.  At this moment, the price of gasoline, our carbon based friend, is $46.28.  At this price, green energy technologies like wind and solar are not competitive.  Energy efficiency improvements on houses do not make economic sense because energy is just too darned cheap. Thus continues our dependency on oil which is contributing to global warming and funding our frenemies in the middle east.  What to do? 

  Tax gas now.

  Here's how to do it:

  First, set a price of crude where energy efficiencies will make economic sense.  Then set a floating tax which will tax up to that price point--i.e. up to that price point, the difference between the market price of oil and the set point will be tax revenue,  after that price point, there will be no need for the tax because the market price of oil will be high enough for green ...read full post

  
  
  Comments (0)  |  January 22, 2009

• Mixed Use Is The New Green

  For a while now, my dear husband, Director of Planning and Urban Design at Barton Partners, Seth Shapiro has been going on and on that Mixed Use is the New Green.  His specialty is reconceptualizing malls into mixed use "places." His theory is that:

   While the proliferation of green building methodologies is to be commended, without a comprehensive evaluation of our land use patterns in conjunction with better building standards, we run the risk of not fully addressing the need for sustainable development.  Conventional suburban land use can achieve green status (even LEED gold) and yet, do nothing to reduce vehicle miles traveled or promote healthier lifestyles, which include the ability or at least have the option to walk from place to place.   Therefore, until we approach a planning policy that mandates mixed uses and appropriate densities around existing infrastructure, we will never ...read full post

  
  
  Comments (0)  |  January 8, 2009

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