The Daily Dig: Bogus Car Study Edition

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• Speaking to students in Shanghai, President Obama expressed optimism about the future of Chinese-American relations and spoke of the “burden of leadership” that bore on both nations with regard to climate-change policy. He also called China’s high-speed rail development “fine work.” (ENS)
• Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim says that Latin America must invest in infrastructure, including water treatment and alternative energy products, to create employment and promote growth. Slim is banking on the potential of deepwater and land-based drilling in Mexico. (Reuters)
• The Obama administration wants to set and enforce safety standards on the nation’s subway and light-rail systems, which to date has been the domain of regional and state bodies. Transportation Secretary LaHood will present the plan to Congress next month. (NYTimes)
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• East LA finally has its trains. The area has been heavily dependent on public transportation for years, and local leaders hope the new connection will spark development. (LATimes)
• An economist says that if we built cars today at the weight, horsepower and torque we built them at in 1980, cars today would be 50% more fuel efficient. This review says says the study is a total bust. (Jalopnik - pic via)

• William Langewiesche has a new book about Capt. Sully’s landing on the Hudson, and with it he hopes to dispell a number of myths about air travel. He thinks any number of pilots could have made the landing, and that Airbus didn’t get adequate credit for the flight-control system on its 320. (Time)
• Following a crash between a helicopter and a private plane that killed 9, the FAA has re-zoned the airspace over the Hudson River to separate low-flying local traffic from higher-altitude, long-distance flights. (Time)
• “We’re trundling along in the infrastructure equivalent of a jalopy,” says Bob Herbert. Consider this an opportunity to secure the future with innovative transportation systems, energy production, and employment opportunities. Do it for the kids. (NYTimes)
• You may have noticed that Google Maps are much more comprehensive than they used to be, with listings for business and civic resources popping up all over the place. Others, like OpenStreetMap and WikiMapia are doing similar things. (NYTimes)
• Aside from the high cost, other forces may be keeping down the number of people signing up for alternative energy through their utilities. In one program, the majority of payments went into marketing and administration, which isn’t good enough for those who pay more to soothe their consciences. (NYTimes)
• The Bloomberg administration recently announced its 100th zoning change since 2002, which is a testament to the reformation of New York into a more sustainable city with a higher quality of life. (Observer)