Moving Toward Sustainable Prosperity

The world’s urban population is expected to grow to 6.3 billion by 2050, putting even more pressure on developing country cities.

As national governments shift to green transit technologies, what role will electric vehicles play?

On January 5, the Financial Times* reported that China was considering merging its two large state-owned rail manufacturing companies: the China North Locomotive and Rolling [Read More...]

Here is another installment in our series of blog posts on rail developments.  Like the earlier posts in the series, this is drawn from our [Read More...]

According to the consulting firm SCI Verkehr, worldwide operations and capital budgets for passenger and freight rail were a combined $590 billion in 2008. Another [Read More...]

As U.S. investment in rail and transit has shrunk over the decades, other countries have stepped in to fill the gap. Many countries in Europe [Read More...]

This blog post was co-authored by Michael Renner and Gary Gardner The Worldwatch Institute has produced two companion reports that assess the state of rail [Read More...]

The United Steelworkers Union (USW) has long recognized that environmental health and economic wellbeing are inseparable. As long ago as 1990, the USW declared “the [Read More...]

In quick order, China has climbed to the top of global rankings of producers and consumers of such key commodities as steel, aluminum, cement, and [Read More...]

Actions have consequences. But so does inaction. This is particularly true in the field of climate policy. Environmental advocates have long complained that by failing [Read More...]

In Shanghai, alternative sources of energy are combined with alternative means of travel at Hongqiao Railway Station. The station is part of the Shanghai-Beijing high-speed line. Its awnings are covered with solar PV panels.

High-tech equipment, precision instruments, and miles of electrical wiring at the Siemens production facility in Krefeld, Germany, might fool you into thinking that what’s being [Read More...]

I admit it was in part the thrill of speed that made me take the Maglev train from Shanghai to nearby Pudong International Airport. I [Read More...]

I’m attending an international symposium here in Shanghai (“Beyond the Crisis: From Recovery to Long-term Sustainable Development of the World Economy”) co-hosted by Germany’s Friedrich [Read More...]

The solar industry will be a key means for humanity to halt its race to the climate precipice. But the industry relies on extremely toxic materials. To be truly ‘clean and green’–all the way from its supply chains through product manufacturing, use, and end-of-life disposal–it will need to stick to responsible practices and protect those who often find themselves on the frontline of exposure—the world’s workers.