Climate 411

Global Warming by the Numbers

By / Bio / Published: January 24, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.

I’ve always liked statistics – hard numbers. They can evoke pictures that are both vivid and concrete. For example, did you know that there was a 45 percent increase in the world’s solar capacity in 2005? Or that China is ranked #2 as a global producer of solar cells? (Japan is first; The U.S. ranks fourth.)

These and many other interesting statistics can be found on our newly updated Global Warming by the Numbers page. Which stats jump out most for you?

Posted in What Others are Saying / Comments are closed

We’re Back, and Faster Now!

By / Bio / Published: January 22, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.

We’re sorry that many of you had trouble getting to our pages in recent weeks. Over the long weekend, we switched to a new service that is more reliable and offers more features.

While the pages should be much faster now, there is one remaining inconvenience: If you have registered to post comments, you will need to re-register. We think everything is working smoothly (thank you, Porter!), but if you notice any other problems, please let us know.

We’re glad to have the page-loading troubles behind us, and thanks for your patience.

Posted in News / Comments are closed

Emissions Standards not a "Patchwork"

By / Bio / Published: January 15, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.

Just before Christmas – after two years of stalling – the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) denied California’s request to set its own, tougher vehicle-emissions standards. In denying the request, EPA Administrator Johnson said:

The Bush Administration is moving forward with a clear national solution – not a confusing patchwork of state rules – to reduce America’s climate footprint from vehicles."

What’s wrong with this statement? Well, among other things, the word "patchwork". Under the Clean Air Act, there are only two possible standards for motor vehicles:

  1. Federal standards
  2. California standards, which are tougher than federal standards and other states may adopt.

A choice between two options is hardly a "confusing patchwork". So where did this idea come from?

Read More »

Posted in Cars and Pollution / Comments are closed

How to Pick a Better Bulb

By / Bio / Published: January 11, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.

Yesterday, the New York Times ran a story about light bulbs. If you only read the beginning of the article, you might think it was saying that compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) have poor quality light. But in fact, its conclusion – after testing a wide array of bulbs – was that some are better than others.

It’s true – some are better than others. For information on CFLs and how they differ, check out our online guide, How to Pick a Better Bulb.

Posted in News / Read 2 Responses

Our Best Posts on the Basic Science of Global Warming

By / Bio / Published: January 9, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.

When we first launched the Climate 411 blog, we posted a lot of useful articles on the basic science of climate change. I often want to link to them in other posts, but I have trouble finding them. If I have trouble finding them, you all certainly must, so here are the links, all in one place.

The Greenhouse Effect Explained
The Water Vapor Fallacy
Picturing a ton of CO2
Picturing 21 Million Barrels of Oil

How We Know Humans Cause Global Warming
1. A 175-year-old Puzzle
2. What Chemistry Tells Us
3. Causes of Past Climate Change
4. The Medieval Warming Period
5. The Only Explanation Left

Action Needed to Stop Global Warming
1. How Warm is Too Warm?
2. Worldwide Emissions Target
3. U.S. Emissions Target
4. Technologies to Get Us There

Posted in Basic Science of Global Warming / Read 1 Response

How Much Water Do You Use?

By / Bio / Published: January 8, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.

water dropsWhen you save water, you save energy – and vice versa. Carbon calculators can give you some idea of your carbon footprint, but most don’t take into account your water usage. How much water do you use? Now you can find out.

A new Web site, H2O Conserve, offers an H2O Calculator. I tried it, and it said I used 479.88 gallons per day (I do?). The average American uses 1189.3 gallons of water per day, so I guess it’s not as bad as it sounds.

The site also includes a comprehensive tips section for learning how to use less water.

Posted in News / Read 1 Response