VX News excerpts a recent (December 8th) Westside Urban Forum panel, AI on LA’s Streets: Autonomous Vehicles are Arriving. The panel held in front of an an audience of city officials, planners, engineers, people in real estate, focused upon on the future of AVs in Los Angeles and the latter’s impact on design, land use, and city planning.
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Los Angeles was selected in December by the US Economic Development Agency as a finalist in the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge.
![Clean Transportation: Findings and actions to strengthen the sector in the Metro Vancouver region](https://www.verdexchange.org/sites/default/files/styles/testimonial_scale_crop_81_114/public/field/image/Screen%20Shot%202022-01-06%20at%205.01.09%20PM.png?itok=qVi0vGXF)
As LA County competes for up to $100 million in federal funding to develop and scale blue/green growth innovations for Southern California's goods movement ecosystem, VX News excerpts this report, prepared by Invest Vancouver—a service of the Metro Vancouver Regional District, operating in support of the Metro Vancouver regional economy—on the opportunities and challenges for advancing the region's competetiveness in the global clean transportation sector.
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VX News links this Coalition for Clean Air panel on its 50th anniversary, on California's Water, Clean Air, and Energy Nexus. Fmr. State Water Resources Control Board Chair, Felicia Marcus, fmr.
![Maryam Brown](https://www.verdexchange.org/sites/default/files/styles/testimonial_scale_crop_81_114/public/field/image/Maryam%20Brown.jpeg?itok=lQvflmdC)
As the world’s largest direct air capture plant kicked off operations this September in Iceland, Southern California Gas Company recently announced plans to develop and test new direct air capture technology that both captures C02 and collects water for irrigation.
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With climate change fueling increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters—whether from flooding, wildfire, or extreme heat events—2021 was another record-breaking and deadly year for climate disasters in the US.
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VX News excerpts this offshore wind panel from the recent California Germany Bilateral Energy Conference, with remarks by California Energy Commissioner Karen Douglas; Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Regional Director Doug Boren; Senior Climate Change Program Manager at the Ocean Protection Council, Justine Kimball, and EnBW’s Damian Bednarz
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In November, leaders in new mobility convened at CoMotion LA 2021 for a series of discussions and presentations rethinking how people and goods move in and between cities and places around globe. In a panel moderated by Sarah Busch of the Green Hydrogen Coalition, Shell Hydrogen Commercial Manager Abhishek Banerjee and Underground Storage Market Leader at WSP USA Scyller Borglum discussed how green hydrogen can revolutionize the global supply chain.
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VX News asks CEO of Canada's most successful clean tech accelerator, Jeannette Jackson, to both elaborate on the nonprofit’s ecosystem-wide approach to supporting Canada’s transition to a net-zero economy through innovation and share the competitive advantages that Vancouver BC offers cleantech, agtech, and industrial innovation companies.
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Last month, the World Trade Center Los Angeles and the LA County Economic Development Corporation hosted its 6th annual Select LA Investment Summit to provide international and local business leaders with insights into the region’s investment ecosystem and opportunities for foreign direct investment (FDI). VX News shares these opening remarks by LA Mayor Eric Garcetti and British Consul General in Los Angeles, Emily Cloke, who elaborate on the strategic advant
![Stephen Cheung](https://www.verdexchange.org/sites/default/files/styles/testimonial_scale_crop_81_114/public/field/image/Stephen%20Cheung.jpeg?itok=WgtSo8lQ)
In the lead up to the 2028 Olympic Games, the Los Angeles region is positioned to become the US Capital for international sports entertainment.
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With COP 26 underway, all eyes are on Glasgow to see how world leaders might update the 2015 Paris Climate agreement and undertake ambitious efforts to limit global warming and mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. Leading up to this summit, the Council on Foreign Relationships brought together three experts on climate: Stanford’s Arun Majumdar (pictured), CFR’s Alice C.
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This week, global leaders convene in Glasgow, Scotland, for COP 26, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. Speaking at the inaugural Globe Summit, Former Obama Secretary of State John Kerry, who serves as the Biden Administration’s Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, discusses the role he plays going into COP26 and what he expects to see come out of the negotiations.
![Laurel Firestone](https://www.verdexchange.org/sites/default/files/styles/testimonial_scale_crop_81_114/public/field/image/Laurel%20Firestone.jpeg?itok=r0nMcFiM)
VX News interviewed State Water Resources Control Board Member, Laurel Firestone, who provides insight on water managers across the state are working to adapt to the new normal of chronic water scarcity.
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Jeff Kightlinger highlights the opportunities for advancements in water technology to improve data precision and information sharing and emphasizes interregional collaboration for ensuring a resilient and sustainable water supply as climate change increases water scarcity throughout the western states.
![Aki Soudunsaari](https://www.verdexchange.org/sites/default/files/styles/testimonial_scale_crop_81_114/public/field/image/Aki%20Soudunsaari.jpeg?itok=WAhCCueG)
VX News shares this editorial from Naava CEO Aki Soudunsaari, on the value and benefits of bringing natural elements indoors through biophilic design.
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Port of LA Executive Director Gene Seroka highlights opportunities to accelerate the Port’s plans for zero-emissions operations and reminds readers that with 40 percent of the nation’s exports coming through the Ports of LA & Long Beach, the impacts of capital investment at the Ports are magnified well beyond LA city limits.
![Mark Gold](https://www.verdexchange.org/sites/default/files/styles/testimonial_scale_crop_81_114/public/field/image/Mark%20Gold.jpeg?itok=ZdLR7YHa)
VX News checked in with Mark Gold, CNRA Deputy Secretary for Oceans & Coastal Policy & OPC Director, who updates readers on the status of the Ocean Protection Council’s strategic plan and the Newsom administration’s priorities and responsibilities re California’s Blue Economy.
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VX News excerpts the latest study from Next 10 and the Pacific Institute on the Future of California's Water-Energy-Climate Nexus. Further finding that climate change-fueled droughts are likely to further increase water-related energy use and carbon emissions, the study offers recommendations for reducing water, energy, and greenhouse gas emissions associated with managing California's water supply.
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VX News shares this letter of support for the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework signed by a broad coalition of 65 former mayors and governors representing cities and states across the country