Pennsylvania's ridges make wind energy a rising presence in the state's energy profile. And demand for wind turbines is creating new jobs, often housed in the old steel complexes.

Skyrocketing energy costs have fueled fresh interest in the four-day workweek across the United States as a means to help workers as well as employers cope with the surge. In Birmingham, Alabama, city officials decided to implement a four-day week starting July 1 for some 2,400 municipal employees and later in the year for around 1,000 police and firefighters.

GreenGov Conference 2008 is an operations-greening conference in Washington, D.C. for government agencies at all levels. Themes like "Show me the funding," "Green purchasing," and "Green buildings" will provide information for agencies working to make their operations more efficient.

Oregon's renewable energy mandates and tax credits are stimulating lots of activity in related industries, with even greater growth expected in the next year. "We’re already seeing a huge increase in investments in renewable energy," said state Rep. Jackie Dingfelder (D-Portland), who worked to pass the state renewable energy standard. "Between renewable energy and the biofuels bill, we’re seeing lots of new jobs."

In the third year of a new holiday tradition, Oxford, Bond and Regent Streets in London were made pedestrian-only for one day. A representative of businesses on the street said, "The day was about giving something back to the shoppers and we would love to see many more car- free days, and not just at Christmas." Under current rules, two car-free days are allowed each year but the New West End Company wants to increase it to three or more, with a longer term plan that sees Oxford Street largely pedestrianised with westbound buses rerouted to avoid it.

The emerging green economy holds great promise for America’s cities, and especially for our low-income, heavily minority urban communities. Every aspect of clean energy development, from manufacturing to construction to operating and maintenance, can create good jobs, clean up the air and water, and save saving consumers money on their energy bills. This report is designed as a framework for states, cities and neighborhoods to attain that promise.

The push to go green in Richmond (CA) continues apace. The City Council has declared the town a "green business economic development zone;" a Green Chamber of Commerce hosts workshops for citizens, and students in city-funded construction training program RichmondBUILD are setting up solar installations around town.

Starting Wednesday, a new City ordinance requires every service station in the city selling diesel to also sell a biodiesel-diesel blend. This comes in tandem with an ongoing initiative that is developing partnerships with eastern Oregon farmers to grow the energy crops needed to meet the biofuel mandate.

Short video about Amsterdam's new "CityCargo" freight streetcar program, which promises to reduce truck traffic (and pollution) in the central city by transporting inbound freight via a local distribution network of streetcars and electric trucks.

A small number of US cities are attracting significant investment from the rapidly growing global wind energy industry. This article explores how one city --Portland, Oregon-- came to be well-positioned for this lucrative segment of the 'green economy'.