[Vision2020] Three

[Art Deco]

 <http://www.earthweek.com>C
<http://www.earthweek.com/2012/ew120608/ew120608a.html#>
  * U.S. Cities Dithering on Climate Change Impacts June 8, 2012 *

 MIT study says that while many U.S. cities are taking action to prepare
for climate change impacts, their efforts as a whole still lag compared to
communities located elsewhere in the world.
 While cities around the world are reporting more and more impacts from
climate change, a new study suggests those in the United States are less
prepared for what lies ahead than their international counterparts.

According to researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in
partnership with the ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA, 74
percent of U.S. cities have perceived changes in the climate.

These include increased storm intensity, higher temperatures and more
precipitation.

The researchers also found that U.S. cities were the least active in
assessing their vulnerabilities and risks from the changing climate, while
those in Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Canada were the most aggressive
in planning for it.

Many climate experts blame an orchestrated campaign of misinformation by
the energy industry for a lack of resolve among politicians to cope with
climate change, or to even acknowledge that it exists.
_____________________________

* Trees Expanding Across Tundra as Arctic Climate Warms June 8, 2012 *

 “The speed and magnitude of the observed change is far greater than we
expected.” — Prof. Bruce Forbes of the Arctic Center, University of Lapland.
 The greenhouse-driven warming of the Arctic appears to be allowing small
trees to emerge across parts of the tundra landscape, according to a new
study.

Scientists from the University of Oxford and the University of Lapland
found that low tundra shrubs, many of which are willow and alder species,
have rapidly grown into small trees over the last 50 years.

The findings were made across Russia’s northwest Arctic coast, and could
indicate what is in store across the rest of the Arctic tundra region.

The researchers say that the darker color of the expanding trees probably
means the region will absorb even more heat from sunlight that previously
would have been reflected back into space.

This, in turn, could cause the Arctic to heat up even more than the record
warming the region has experienced under climate change.

The researchers also say that forests to the south could also expand
northward into the tundra as the warming climate allows them to survive in
formerly inhospitable environments.
______________________________

     <http://www.spokesman.com/> June 10, 2012
Americans slow to act on saving energy Poll shows people know but
don’t practice
Matthew Daly
Associated Press

WASHINGTON – When it comes to saving energy, people in the United States
know that driving a fuel-efficient car accomplishes more than turning off
the lights at home.

But that doesn’t mean they’ll do it.

A new poll shows that while most of those questioned understand effective
ways to save energy, they have a hard time adopting them.

Six in 10 surveyed say driving a more fuel-efficient car would save a large
amount of energy, but only 1 in 4 says that’s easy to do, according to the
poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. People also are
skeptical of carpooling or installing better home insulation, rating them
as effective but impractical.

On the other end of spectrum, 8 in 10 say they easily can turn off the
lights when they leave a room, and 6 in 10 have no problem turning up the
thermostat in summer or down in winter, although fewer than half think
those easy steps save large amounts of energy.

Even those who support conservation don’t always practice it.

Cindy Shriner, a retired teacher from Lafayette, Ind., buys
energy-efficient light bulbs and her 2009 Subaru Impreza gets nearly 30
miles per gallon on the highway.

Still, she keeps her house at about 73 degrees year-round, despite
government recommendations to turn thermostats to 68 degrees in winter and
78 degrees in summer.

“I’m terrible,” Shriner, 60, said in an interview. “In all honesty we have
extreme weather in all seasons” in Indiana, she said, and her thermostat
settings keep her comfortable.

The public looks to large institutions for leadership in saving energy,
believing that individuals alone can’t make much of a difference. Nearly
two-thirds look to the energy industry to show the way toward energy
conservation, and nearly 6 in 10 say the government should play a leading
role. Democrats, college graduates and people under 50 are the most likely
to hold industry is responsible for increasing energy savings.

The poll, paid for by a grant to the AP-NORC Center from the Joyce
Foundation, shows that just 4 in 10 questioned think their own actions can
significantly affect the country’s energy problems. Some 15 percent say
individual actions make “a very large difference,” while 7 percent say
individual action makes no difference at all.

On some energy topics, people are in the dark.

Only 1 in 3 reports knowing a lot or a great deal about the government’s
Energy Star product labels, which are meant to help consumers choose
energy-efficient appliances and other products. Even fewer, 25 percent,
report detailed knowledge about fuel-efficiency standards for cars. Not
even 20 percent know a lot or a great deal about rebates for energy-saving
products, home renovation tax credits or home energy audits.

About 6 in 10 people cite lack of knowledge about energy-saving products as
a major reason they don’t do more to conserve.

Lacking hard data, nearly half of those questioned say they use somewhat or
a lot less energy than others in their community, while only 9 percent
think their consumption is above average.

Overall energy use by people in the United States is four times the world
average, according to the Energy Information Administration, but Americans
use less energy per person than people in countries such as Canada, Norway
and Iceland. Average energy use by Americans declined by about 9 percent
from 2005 to 2009, largely because of increased efficiency of appliances
and machinery, and the economic downturn, the EIA said.
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