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Cities are responsible for nearly 75% of the world’s energy consumption; expectedly, about 90% of future growth will occur in urban areas. However, we consider that cities will be at the forefront of implementing groundbreaking technologies and policies, as evidenced in the initiatives taken by many cities here and worldwide to resolve issues in energy and climate change. In addition to affording energy and environmental benefits, investments in energy efficient and renewable technologies have huge potential to boost local economies, as demonstrated by the recent federal allocation of stimulus funding. Inclined to give priority to stopgap measures, many cities tend to regard comprehensive long-term planning as secondary. However, such solutions would bring multiple benefits to the community. The paper showcases an energy and environment systems model to provide a quantitative vision of technology and management strategy options for effectively deploying energy efficiency and renewable energy for reducing the carbon footprint, while sustainably maintaining the energy demands of the community and the servicing environmental infrastructure. We provide results of a case study completed for New York City, to showcase usefulness of long-term planning for achieving low carbon cities. Combined with appropriate stakeholder participation, such a technology explicit bottom-up approach holds the promise of influencing the current energy planning, environmental regulatory regime, including multimedia aspects of carbon control for cities locally and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using energy flowcharts and ERIC The energy flowchart presents energy supplies and uses in the United States for 2021 (Fig. We propose the use of two diagrams that connect energy directly to climate change and give students a visual representation of energy systems. When used in combination, energy flowcharts and ERIC can help students better grasp the multifaceted systems in which modern energy is embedded. Physics Teaching, Climate Change, and the Fossil Fuel-Dominated Energy System - Diagrams to Enhance Teaching Energy in Physics. [Extracted from the article]