We heard some pretty rational thought and conversation about climate change and about energy on NPR last week, on Science Friday.

Planners will enjoy the story and interviews about the American military's work to save money by energy efficiency. And also to save lives: A retired general spoke about saving $1B and many American lives by vastly reducing the number of shipments of fuel/energy to troops in the field. Fewer trips, less cost and fewer American's killed by attacks during the dangerous trips.

The other segment was on Americans and Climate Change and brought together a recent report from the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication at Yale University and Representative Bob Inglis (R-SC). No one yells at anyone else. It's a nice discussion.

In Getting to Green, G. Rendel takes on the efficiencies of centralizing a campus motor pool. 

A central motor pool could easily be funded for no more than what we're currently spending. Capital costs could come out of a central account, and departments could pay for vehicles used on some sort of charge-back basis. Drive a smaller, more efficient car or truck, get charged less for the day. Done at all well, the University would save money, virtually every department now buying vehicles would save money, and fuel usage (hence greenhouse gas emissions) would be reduced. Design the charge-back schedule appropriately, and the smaller, lighter, more efficient vehicles would get far more use than the larger models that currently make up most of our fleet and account for most of our mileage.

Additionally, having a central motor pool (with a central motor pool manager, properly motivated) might help the campus to consider sorts of vehicles which never seem to make the short list at present. Manufacturers throughout the country are producing highly versatile all-electric work carts and light trucks. A university campus would seem the ideal environment for short-range electric service vehicles, given that on most days, most of our fleet is driven 25 miles or less (in many cases, far less). A campus can (more easily than many other locations) also install electric recharging stations, making electric vehicles that much more convenient.