[Originally posted to polis] Do you have a favorite public work of art? Or least favorite? Whose work would you like to see more of? Or less?

Great public art doesn’t always share the qualities that are thrilling in galleries. I like Georg Baselitz statues, but I would feel uncomfortable viewing some of them in the presence of children and grandparents. At the same time, it can be uncomfortable when public art is boring or just not appealing. This is subjective, but it is also why thinking about public art is important — it enters the lives of many different people, few of whom have any say in the matter.

Not having a say can be good if it exposes us to delightful things we never knew existed. There is a hit-or-miss quality that keeps things interesting, as long as they don’t become static. To keep this from happening, maybe there should be some kind of periodic review for public works of art. This could be a chance for people who experience them to voice their opinions. If a piece turns out to be well loved, it could be preserved. If people are repelled or indifferent, maybe it could be moved to make way for something new. Allowing for a constant stream of work, and keeping the ones that fit, might improve upon the places we move through each day.

It’s nice to see interactive public art, with people stopping to look closer when they’re late for work, kids playing on sculptures, friends posing for funny pictures, couples hiding away, or skateboarders jumping on and off. Art doesn’t have to be social in this way, but it can be great for public spaces when it is.

Credits: I can’t remember where I found this picture of a skateboarder in Philadelphia’s Love Park, but I hope, since I’m not making any money, the photographer won’t mind that I post it. Please let me me know if you have any leads.

A recent report from the Worldwatch Institute projects that China will meet its ambitious renewable energy goals for 2020 through significant investments in hydro, wind, biomass, and solar power. Of particular note is the use of solar hot water by ten percent of Chinese households, which could affect global energy use as companies begin to export these inexpensive units.

However, Howard French and Li Zhen’s article in the New York Times (part of a series on pollution in China) paints a different picture of China’s renewable energy progress. Titled Far From Beijing’s Reach, Officials Bend Energy Rules, this article identifies widespread breaches of policy at the local level, making it increasingly unlikely that China will meet its energy reduction goals without meaningful intervention by the national government to assure compliance.

This highlights the importance of effective policy enforcement in creating the conditions necessary for sustainable business practices to take root.

Quoted from the Worldwatch Institute’s review of Powering China’s Development: China has become a global leader in renewable energy. It is expected to invest more than $10 billion in new renewable energy capacity in 2007, second only to Germany. Most of this is for small hydropower, solar hot water, and wind power.

SustainlaneLane ranked the most populous 50 cities in the United States according to sustainability factors such as commuting, air quality, and green buildings. Their findings and methodology are featured on the SustainLane 2006 US City Rankings web page.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) Vulnerability and Adaptation Project works to prepare nations around the world to mitigate and manage the effects of climate change through informed policy.

Quoted: National development policies that take the changing climate into account will provide an essential foundation for enabling effective action on adaptation.  WRI’s Vulnerability and Adaptation (V&A) project tackles questions of how policy design can respond to the range of challenges raised by climate vulnerability.

The Merton Rule website provides a thorough description of the rule (see below) and how it is influencing the move toward low-carbon planning in the United Kingdom. It includes a list of boroughs that have adopted Merton Rule policies, as well as resources (e.g., documents, case studies, and events) for other communities interested in following suit. The site is a great source of information on environmental planning, which fits in well with Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s call for all new houses to be carbon neutral by 2016.

Quoted: The ‘Merton Rule’ is the groundbreaking planning policy, pioneered by the London Borough of Merton, which requires the use of renewable energy onsite to reduce annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the built environment.

Sfenvironment.org provides a wealth of information/resources for improving and maintaining the city’s environmental wellbeing. The site reflects the innovative, dynamic nature of San Francisco’s Department of the Environment. Topics include: Urban Nature, Zero Waste, Toxics Reduction, Water, Energy, Air Quality, Transportation, Green Building, and Eco Business.

Quoted: SF Environment’s mission is to improve, enhance, and preserve the environment, and to promote San Francisco’s long-term wellbeing by developing innovative, practical and wide-ranging environmental programs in recycling, toxics reduction, environmental justice, energy efficiency, commute alternatives, and urban forest.

The Mayors for Climate Protection website (www.coolmayors.org) offers a variety of resources for reducing CO2 emissions in cities throughout the world. It also includes profiles of the growing list of U.S. mayors who have signed on to this initiative.

Quoted: Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels launched The US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement on February 16, 2005, the day the Kyoto Protocol went into effect in 141 countries, without US participation. The agreement calls for Seattle and other U.S. cities that have signed the agreement to meet or beat the goals of the Kyoto protocol, which call for a 7 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Close to 300 cities have signed the agreement.

London is planning to make the 2012 Olympics the most environmentally friendly in history, restoring the natural ecosystem and installing new sustainable infrastructure in the 500-acre Lower Lea Valley. The city “aims to deliver on environmental objectives and carbon use, biodiversity and waste.” For more information and pictures, visit the Green Games section of the London 2012 Olympics Web site.