[SXSW Eco] The 2015 SXSW Eco conference wrapped up yesterday, but there is still plenty to talk about! If you weren’t able to attend the event, several videos from the conference’s keynote speakers are now available online. Plus, AEN intern Dillon J. Long has written a couple of blogs about some of the most interesting speakers and panel discussions from the event:

• The Future in 208 Square Feet – Austin’s own Professor Dumpster made a big announcement at SXSW Eco, revealing that he is working on a project to bring affordable micro apartments to the city. Read here>>
• Biotechnology: A Taste of the Future – This blog explores the futuristic world of lab-grown meat. Read here>>

 

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[Air] The EPA tightened its ozone regulations last week, further improving the air quality in cities across the US. However, the regulations did not go as far as many had expected. In the end, the EPA lowered the maximum amount of acceptable ground-level ozone in an any region from 75 parts per billion (ppb) to 70 ppb. Many had expected the EPA to lower it to 65 ppb, putting Austin in nonattainment status and triggering a whole host of potentially costly new federal regulations.Austin’s ozone levels are about 68 ppb. As the Austin American-Statesman reports, Austin has significantly reduced ozone levels on its own over the past several years. Levels have dropped by nearly 10 ppb since 2008.

While many in Austin are happy that the region will remain in attainment, others are asking, ‘At what cost?’ The Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign put out a press release saying, “the EPA’s announcement today brings us one step closer to ensuring cleaner, healthier air for Texas families, but it’s too small a step when lives are at risk.”

What is ozone? Ozone is a key component of smog that forms in the atmosphere when emissions from cars, power plants, and industry “cook” in the sun. Ozone is a public health issue, putting children, the elderly, and people with asthma at risk. More info>>

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[Transportation] Austin is moving forward with several new regulations on ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft. A council committee on Wednesday advanced recommendations that would require Uber and Lyft to conduct fingerprint-based background checks on their drivers and pay an annual fee to the City of Austin. Both companies have questioned their ability to continue operating in Austin if fingerprinting is required. They argue that requiring their drivers to get fingerprinted could dissuade part-time drivers from signing up, interfering with their ability to quickly respond to ride requests. Both companies also already conduct their own background checks on their drivers, but Council Member Ann Kitchen (who is spearheading the city’s regulatory efforts) said that those checks do not adequately protect public safety.

After Wednesday’s meeting, these proposed regulations still have a ways to go before they are actually enacted. The Austin American-Stateman reports that a final, full council vote on the ordinance probably won’t take place until November 16th.More info>>

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[Transportation] After five months of online conversations, face-to-face discussions, and engagement with over 1,000 Central Texas residents, the MobilityATX Findings Report is now available. MobilityATX was an initiative led by several community partners that sought to crowdsource policy solutions to Austin’s transportation problems. The final report lists the most popular ideas, as well as ways for the public to get involved, so that some of them can actually turn into action.

A few of the top ideas include:

• Fully fund the Bicycle Master Plan
• Support Reconnect Austin’s vision of an I-35 that’s buried through the center of downtown
• Dedicated bus lanes in high traffic corridors throughout the city
• Remove all sidewalk exemptions
• Allow for small-scale apartments all over the city, especially in central city neighborhoods

The full list of ideas is available in the report, available here>>

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[Transportation] Looking for the best way to get to the Austin City Limits Music Festival this weekend? RideScout has got you covered. They put together a great list of options, including:

• Car2go – the car-sharing service will have afree drop zone at Bicycle Sport Shop on Lamar Boulevard from 9am to 9pm each day of the festival.
• Capital Metro – as always, CapMetro is providing a free shuttle from Republic Square Park to Zilker Park from 10am to 11pm each day of the festival.
• Austin B-cycle – the bike-sharing service is offering $15 three-day weekend passes and avalet bike parking station (opening at 10:30am each day of the festival).
• Walking and biking – if you live nearby, these are always good options, especially since there are always rows and rows of bike racks at ACL

But there is potential for Austin Energy to go even further, purchasing an additional 300 – 350 MW of solar power. City council will be deciding whether or not to approve this second round of solar contracts at their meeting on October 15th. However, it seems as if this second batch will be much more controversial than the first. Austin Energy has said that they would prefer to wait to buy the additional solar power sometime over the next 10 years, with the expectation that rates will be even lower in the future. The agenda for next week’s city council meeting is available here>>