DOT co-hosts White House Clean Energy Economy forum

Last year DOT joined with HUD and EPA to establish an Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities. So it was only natural that HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and I would team up yesterday to host the White House's Clean Energy Economy Forum "Livability and Sustainable Communities – Taking Action for a Clean Energy Future."

This gathering of experts focused on creating jobs and spurring development by creating more livable and sustainable communities. You see, an effectively managed transition toward more livable and sustainable communities should also be an engine of economic growth.

Now, as you can see in the video coverage of the meeting, the people who came to the forum already get that we need to change course. But it will take strong Federal leadership to make this critical change a reality.

So, through a set of guiding livability principles, the EPA-DOT-HUD partnership will coordinate federal housing, transportation, and other infrastructure investments to protect the environment, promote equitable development, and help address the challenges of climate change.

We're talking about good outcomes like more walkable, transit-friendly neighborhoods with ready access to affordable housing, to jobs, to medical care and other essential services.

The transportation sector accounts for nearly a third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, more than half of nitrogen oxide emissions, and almost three-quarters of our petroleum consumption. We simply cannot afford--environmentally or economically--to continue on that path.

The good news is that we're already taking steps to accelerate this necessary sea-change. DOT is striking a new balance among all forms of transportation through our successful TIGER grant program. From Dallas to Dubuque, and from Phoenix to Philadelphia, people want more transportation options. These discretionary grants are meeting that demand and making a difference.

And we're not stopping now.

Comments

[Michael E. Bailey]

Having agencies work together to create a unified system of development that will be environmentally friendly and economical is a revolutionary change, and a necessary one. If we are going to meet the Clean Air Act requirements, we must have good transit systems in place becaue we can't continue on the road of one person to one car. That is what has caused so many environmental problems that we have to deal with now. If transit is not there, this new inihtiative will fail or at least be alot harder to implement as can be said for the Clean Air Act. We should also move away from diesel to alternative fuels in the buses. I saw today OCTA was running in service an electric-hybird bus that runs on electricity and CNG. We need hydrogen fueled buses too. All of OCTA's bus fleet except the electric hybirds are either CNG or LNG powered, They don't use diesel any more. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.

[Andrew]

I wish the speakers each had their own video so I could watch the one I want.

[Texas Electricity]

What we really need to do is stop purchasing foreign oil and gas and focus on green energy her in the United States. We have more clean burning natural gas in this company that we know what to do. We could use it for electricity generation, compressed natural gas vehicles, as well as industrial uses.

[jewelry reviews]

If we are going to meet the Clean Air Act requirements, we must have good transit systems in place becaue we can't continue on the road of one person to one car. That is what has caused so many environmental problems that we have to deal with now.