FROM OTHER SOURCES (#7). NEWS AND FEATURES FOR AND ABOUT AMHERST

Editor’s Note: “From Other Sources” offers links to articles that might be of interest to Amherst readers. We will update this section every other week, emphasizing different timely topics from edition to edition. We have now added a tag for “From Other Sources” so that you can easily find all previous editions/links. Simply click the “From Other Sources” tag from the tag menu, found in the right hand sidebar on every open article.

ENVIRONMENT/CLIMATE

School Bus Purchase Perplexes Amherst Councilors. By Scott Merzbach. (9/10/19). Amherst town councilors are debating whether to buy a new gas- or diesel-powered school bus for the Amherst public schools immediately or to put off the purchase until determining whether adding a second electric bus to the fleet is worthwhile. (from The Daily Hampshire Gazette).

An Increasingly Urbanized Latin America Turns to Electric Buses. by Maria Gallucci. (9/9/19). From Colombia to Argentina, major cities in Latin America are starting to adopt electric bus fleets. In a region with the highest use of buses per person globally, officials believe the transition will help meet climate targets, cut fuel costs, and improve air quality. (from Yale Environment 360).

World Gravely Unprepared For Effects of Climate Crisis. by Damian Carrington. (9/11/19).  Trillions of dollars are needed to avoid ‘climate apartheid’ but this is less than cost of inaction. (from The Guardian).  

To Confront Climate Change We Need an Ecological Democracy. by C.J. Polychroniou (9/11/19). As we confront climate change, we must ask: What would real climate justice look like? And what is the connection between the pursuit of true democracy and the battle to stave off a climatic change catastrophe? (from Truthout)

How To Talk To Your  Kids About Climate Change (And Have Fun Too). by Lucy Goodchild van Hilten. (6/14/19). We can empower children to be part of the solution. (from Yes Magazine).

Benefits of Investing in Climate Adaptation Far Outweigh Costs Commission Says. By Nicholas Kusnetz  (9/10/19).  Images of devastating storm damage and droughts around the world this year have been drawing attention to the risks of global warming, particularly to the world’s poorest people. Cutting emissions is critical to minimizing those risks, but a new report argues that the world needs to devote an equally urgent effort to adapting to the changes that are sure to come. (from Inside Climate News). 

No Debate. Northampton’s Ward Seven Candidates Decry Climate Change. by Bera Dunau. (9/13/19). All three candidates running for the Ward 7 City Council seat affirmed one basic imperative Thursday night: There is a climate emergency. (from The Daily Hampshire Gazette).

HOUSING

Residents Decry Pending Demolition of North Village Apartments.  by Dusty Christensen. (9/11/19). UMass Amherst announced last week that North Village residents have until June 30, 2020, to move out. Their homes will be demolished as part of the university’s plan, set to begin in 2022, to have a private developer build new housing at North Village as well as Lincoln Apartments. (from The Daily Hampshire Gazette).

Luxury Private Student Housing Further Divides Rich And Poor On Campus. by Rebecca Burns.  (8/27/19). Developers are pouring billions into buildings with pools, hot tubs, gyms and saunas.  (from The Hechinger Report).

Why Do America’s New Apartment Buildings All Look The Same? by Justin Fox.  (2/9/19). Cheap stick framing has led to a proliferation of blocky, forgettable mid-rises—and more than a few construction fires. (from Bloomberg News) 

PEOPLE

Hundreds Gather to Honor Francis Crowe. by Jacquelyn Voghel. (9/9/19). At a celebration of Crowe’s life held in Northampton on Sunday, hundreds gathered in what was not only a remembrance, but a dedication to honoring Crowe, who died Aug. 27 at age 100, through her preferred method. (from The Daily Hampshire Gazette).