Gore Blames Obama and Media for Lack of Climate Progress
Has President Obama done enough to combat climate change? Former Vice President Al Gore certainly doesn’t think so, and has ignited a firestorm in the media following his article in Rolling Stone in which he lays into Obama for his mediocre achievements in climate and energy policy. “Firestorm” may be a bit of a stretch, but his article is very critical of United States politics, mainstream media, and the mediocre climate policy... Read More
The Fukushima Nuclear Crisis and Risk Perceptions
The earthquake and ensuing tsunami that occurred in Japan last month was a horrific event. The ongoing atomic crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power station is also alarming, but I think a good bit of perspective on actual vs. perceived risk is in order before rushing energy decisions that could affect the fate of the planet. We are facing unprecedented, multiple challenges at once. The first challenge is finding ways in which to dramatically slow... Read More
Irrational Fear of Smart Meters in California
A smart meter is an improved electricity or gas meter that allows the energy utility and the home user to monitor energy usage in real-time. It will help reduce energy consumption. That is a good thing. But not to some people as it turns out. A paranoid anti-smart meter alliance has sprung up in Northern California. Comprised of Tea Party libertarians and left-wing health-alarmists, this loose movement has been successful at blocking installation... Read More
Making Sense of Public Attitudes Toward Global Warming and Climate Change
What do Americans REALLY think? Dr. Jon Krosnick, a Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment, is a social psychologist who studies how the American public’s beliefs and attitudes regarding environmental policy issues form, change over time, and influence peoples’s behavior. His most recent work offers some important clarity to what has become a confusing public discourse, how Americans feel about... Read More
Americans have no idea of how to reduce energy consumption, study finds
Most Americans think that they can save energy (and help the planet) by making small changes to their behavior that don’t offer much savings in reality, according to a new study in PNAS. Nearly 20% of participants named activities such as turning off lights, which don’t actually result in very much energy savings. People neglected to mention much more important actions, such as buying energy efficient appliances or weatherizing their... Read More
Countdown to Copenhagen (part 3)
Check Your Head The climate change conference at Copenhagen begins in just a few days. Delegates from countries all over the world will be gathering to discuss the next steps of global climate mitigation and adaption targets to be put in place for 2012 when the Kyoto Protocol will expire. In just the last few weeks, there has been a lot of activity. A number of industrialized nations have put forth more aggressive emission reduction targets for the... Read More
