Ho, Ho…Hot?

November 2012 marks the 36th consecutive November and 333rd consecutive month with global temperature higher than the long-term average.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM BROWNFLYNN!

What do you know about climate change?

A new study by Yale University’s Project on Climate Change Communication found that 57% of Americans surveyed received an ‘F’ when it comes to their knowledge of climate change.  Further, the study blames scientists and news media for doing a poor job of communicating information on climate change to the average consumer.

Many people surveyed believe that reducing toxic waste will reduce global warming.  Also, many people were unable to identify that most glaciers are melting and thermal expansion is the reason sea levels are rising.  Ultimately it was found that a major knowledge gap exists between the public and scientific community.

The survey has some suggestions for bridging this gap.  First, educating students in schools about climate change is a good place to start.  75% of respondents felt this subject should be taught in schools, and 68% believe the government should spend more time educating people on climate change.

82% of respondents said they receive most of their information on climate change from the TV; 72% from the newspaper and 64% from the Internet.  This is an unfortunate ratio as climate change doesn’t get much face time on TV.  However, 61% said their first source of information on climate change would be the Internet.

To read the full article, please click here.

What do you think is the best way for Americans to be educated on climate change?  Which media outlet should we look to?  Who’s responsibility is it to educate Americans on climate change? Discuss!

The Climate Scoreboard

On December 9, 2009, The Climate Institute launched its Climate Scoreboard to serve as an online tool that allows the public to track how countries’ current proposals for greenhouse gas emissions reductions would affect future global warming, should they be implemented.

The Institute launched the Scoreboard in conjunction with the negotiations at Copenhagen so that interested parties could watch the progress in international commitments to reduce emissions, but it continues to report on a daily basis since Copenhagen.

According to the Institute, its Scoreboard automatically reports* whether proposals “commit countries to enough greenhouse gas emissions reductions to achieve widely expressed goals, such as limiting future warming to 1.5 to 2.0°C (2.7 to 3.6°F) above pre-industrial temperatures.”

The Scoreboard currently demonstrates that proposals to date would reduce global warming in 2100 below temperatures of a “business as usual” scenario (in which we continue to emit as much as we do today), but these proposals are “not yet ambitious enough to limit temperature increase to 2°C (3.6°F) over pre-industrial temperatures.” 

In other words,–to protect our coastal cities, public health, access to freshwater, food security, species survival and public security–we still have a long way to go.

“No cars allowed”

Vauban, Germany is almost completely car-free, except for the tram that chugs along main street. Most residents don’t own cars and half sold theirs to move here. This upscale suburb on the outskirts of Freiburg was established in 2006 and boasts no street parking, driveways or garages. Owning a car is allowed, but it must be purchased along with a home (and a parking space) in one of two public parking garages on the edge of town, to the tune of $40,000. Vauban is part of a growing trend in Europe and some parts of the United States called ‘smart planning’.