Portland bicycle planners have often employed the phrase, "Build It and They Will Come" to explain their approach to building a bicycling infrastructure from scratch in the early 1990s when there appeared to be limited demand. Some 15 years later it is easy to see their logic. The City did indeed build a vast network of bicycling facilities, and cyclists have come in droves. Two recent articles are showing that the-build-it-and-they-will-come theory may also hold true in other cities, as well.

Geothermal energy, which takes less space than solar or wind farms and provides consistent baseline energy, is getting increased attention despite the high upfront costs. A new geothermal plant near Reno, Nevada produces more than enough electricity to power every home in Reno, population 221,000.

On October 27, the council of the town of Chapel Hill passed this resolution, recognizing the challenge of peak oil. The council recognized an obligation to inform the citizens of the potential risks, and directed that the issue be integrated into the Sustainability Committee's Sustainability Work Plan.

On October 22, 2008, the City Council of Nevada City passed this resolution recognizing the problem of peak oil and authorizing the creation of an "Energy Solutions Task Force." The coordination of the task force is assigned to local nonprofit community groups.

On October 22, 2008, the City council of Nevada City, California voted to adopt resolution #2008-58 regarding future energy scarcity and Peak Oil. Specifically, the resolution supports continued efforts to reduce the City's dependence on petroleum, natural gas, and other forms of energy imported to the area. The resolution also calls for the formation of an Energy Solutions Task Force to investigate local vulnerabilities to more expensive and less available energy inputs, and to suggest specific local mitigation strategies.

Eugene, the second largest city in Oregon, has adopted two recommendations from its sustainability commission to move the city's facilities and operations toward carbon neutrality.

An interview with David MacLeod of Sustainable Bellingham about the formation and goals of the joint Bellingham / Whatcom County Energy Resource Scarcity / Peak Oil task force.

Whether it is plastered on the side of a bus to promote public transit or peering out from the window of a locally-owned business, support for sustainability is gaining ground in Whatcom County. As one potential solution to globally diminishing natural resources, sustainability, among other things, will be studied as part of an Energy Resource Scarcity Task Force.

The atmosphere in the U.S. is right for growth in mass transit, but those who are trying to make the shift are finding that the funding is not there - due to years of neglect, underfunding, and now systemic economic problems that are threatening many new and existing plans.

The Climate Registry, a nonprofit organization devoted to reducing greenhouse emissions, is hosting the first in a series of forums that will approach climate policy on a more focused, regional level. This forum, taking place in Boston, Mass., will bring together Northeast state governmental leaders, Registry Members and industry and academic stakeholders to address climate change policies and how they will affect the Northeast. Industry representatives will discuss how they will prepare for the future and the opportunities they see in this changing environment.