In a bold move for local climate action, the Palo Alto City Council voted unanimously on Monday to adopt an ambitious goal: reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030, calculated using a 1990 baseline.

The goal is part of the City's Sustainability and Climate Action Plan,  a draft of which was presented at the Council Meeting. The draft includes over 300 ideas for ways to achieve the "80X30" goal, including a switch from natural gas to electric heating, and a host of transportation and transit-related projects. Council members voted to support the "general framework" of the draft plan, and will formally review it again in the next six months.  

Everyone who spoke during public comments expressed support for the plan, although several speakers had feedback about specific elements. Canopy staff and other local environmental leaders pointed out that the plan currently gives only cursory attention to green infrastructure, and urged city staff to reflect, in the next draft, the key role of urban trees and nature in climate mitigation and adaptation.

Palo Alto has long been a leader and innovator in sustainability, and hopes that the plan, along with the bold emissions reduction goal, will serve as an inspiration and a model for other cities.

Read more from the City of Palo Alto or Palo Alto Weekly. 

New research on urban green space finds that trees make a difference in public safety.

Researchers in three cities around the US looked at how green space plays into reduced rates of crime, finding that the presence of urban greenery equates to "eyes on the street."

But not all green spaces are created equal. The presence of yard trees, a manicured lawn, and shrubs are more powerful indicators in decreasing crime than an uncut or dried-out lawn.

Read more from City Lab... 

What's really going on when trees die from drought? According to new research, it's akin to a "tree heart attack," and some trees are more susceptible than others.

California has lost over 12 million trees to the drought in the past year. Other parts of the world are experiencing similar mass die-offs in the face of extreme heat and drought.

These die-offs could have profound implications for the future of the earth's forests and climate, which is why researchers are trying to learn more about how to predict the effects of drought - and which species are most vulnerable.

Read more about these fascinating findings from the University of Utah...