1.153/1.253/11.543/ESD.222  Transportation Policy, the Environment, and Livable Communities

Fred decided to accept final assignments until the end of the day on Saturday.  If you submit them by the Thursday afternoon default due date, it would be appreciated, but there won't be any penalty for submitting up until the end of the day on Saturday.

Good luck finishing everything!

Forum Resources
A few articles about climate change have been posted on the class forum ( https://stellar.mit.edu/stellar-forums/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=6577).  Feel free to add others. 

Also posted on the forum are details about Monday's divestment panel, Tuesday's planning board meeting about Central Square, and a link to the article about Boston's water supply that Fred mentioned.

Subject Evaluation
Please take a moment to fill out the evaluation (http://web.mit.edu/subjectevaluation/evaluate.html).  Your input will benefit future students.


Thanks for a great semester, everyone.  In the face of such complex challenges (and having just hit a daily average of 400 ppm), our collective insights and dedication have offered some reassuring prospects.

Readings for this week have been posted on Stellar. 

We'll be having an informal dinner on Friday from 5:30 to 7:00, in conjunction with the transportation modeling class.   Hopefully you'll be able to make at least part of it.

The final assignment has been posted on Stellar.  The revised due date is Thursday, May 16th, at 4 PM (though earlier submissions are definitely welcome).

Details for the rescheduled talk by John Heywood are below:

Topic:  “Improving Engines, Vehicles, and Fuels: The Real-World Options”

When:   Wednesday, May 8, 12:00 – 1:00 pm

Location:   Room 4-163 (New room!)

Abstract:

Almost all vehicles in our land-based transportation system use internal combustion engines and petroleum-based fuels.  Over 90 percent of passenger travel is carried out in private (mostly general purpose) light-duty vehicles—cars, SUVs, vans and pick-ups.  This massive passenger-transport system has evolved to its current state over many decades:  evidence that it suits our current “needs and wants” well.

For many reasons—urban sprawl and congestion, growing energy demand, air pollution issues, need for major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions—our transportation system will have to change.  We should be pursuing three parallel paths as we attempt to move forward.  We should improve mainstream engine and vehicle technologies and fuels, to the extent that is cost effective.  We also need to explore promising transitions to alternative transportation technologies and fuels.  We know how to “improve” our current approaches (but at a cost).  However, we have not yet identified low GHG emitting alternative (longer-term) options, and our currently-identified alternatives do not appear that attractive.  For these reasons, and because we will have as yet no good choices we will need to “conserve” to reduce our demand for transportation services and their negative impacts.

This seminar will explore these questions, using specific examples of better mainstream and alternative technologies.

Climate Change Negotiation Simulation
For the first two hours of Friday's class, we will conduct a simulation on international climate change negotiation.  To prepare, please review your assigned role and prepare an outline as described in the Description of In Class Simulation document posted with this week's readings.  Note that the outline will be submitted in lieu of a regular reading response and will be due on Friday at 10 AM.

Cities for Sale Talk
At 4:00 on Friday afternoon, we'll go as a class to the "Cities For Sale: The Right to Housing vs Corporate Real Estate" event that Fred will be speaking at with Tom Angotti.  The talk, in Room 3-333, is scheduled to go until 5:30 if you're able to stay late.

Community Forum on Saturday
If you want to hear more from Tom Angotti, he will be speaking with Cambridge residents at a forum entitled "Planning for a Livable, Affordable and Diverse Cambridge."
Saturday May 4, 3:00 – 5:30 PM
Cambridge Senior Center, 806 Mass. Ave.

Last Class is May 10th
We won't be taking the make-up class option on May 17th.  So our last class will be May 10th, and we'll probably have a class dinner that evening.  Stay tuned for details.

Final Assignment
The final assignment details are almost ready for distribution.  In short, you will be asked to write a policy memo to Gina McCarthy, President Obama's nominee to head the EPA (see http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/20/us-obama-cabinet-epa-energy-idUSBRE91J0ZE20130220), on regulating greenhouse gases.