Government Policy and Engineering, December 2009

NASA and Google are claiming to have developed ways “to monitor both the carbon and dioxide pollution and the levels of forest destruction that contribute to global warming.”

The timing is good as the world awaits a possible “climate deal” at the Copenhagen United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009.

NASA’s technology would be a satellite that would be launched to provide worldwide carbon dioxide monitoring. Google “has rolled out a new program called Earth Engine, which essentially is a massive storehouse for satellite and other data that forest countries will be able to access for free.”
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This week U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood “released a comprehensive update to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).”

The manual sets the standards for road safety throughout the country and updates are part of a continued effort to improve safety on United States roads and bridges.
Read more from BikePortland.org

The updates to the MUTCD are the first since 2003 and according to BikePortland.org could “make it easier for city traffic engineers across the country to implement signs, signals, and markings that improve conditions for biking and walking.”

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The AP is reporting on a new bill passed by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives that could benefit engineering and construction firms.

The bill is “aimed at spurring job growth,” but needs to be passed by the U.S. Senate. The bill would allocated billions for public works and for state and local governments. The bill will likely not be voted on until the beginning of 2010. Read article

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