Cutting Your Own Carbon Footprint Has More Impact Than Previously Thought

Individuals and families who act to reduce their carbon footprint by switching off lights, turning appliances off with surge protector switches or unplugging them, washing clothes and dishes with cooler water, have a much greater impact than has previously been estimated, according to a British study published in the current issue of the journal Energy Policy.

The study concludes that “the figure used by government advisors to estimate the amount of carbon dioxide saved by reducing people’s electricity consumption is up to 60 percent too low.”

For further details on the study conducted by the Grantham Institute for Climate Change, see this report in Science Daily.

Fourth of July Weekend — Not Winter — Is Most Deadly Travel Time

“The vast majority of Americans interviewed in a new national poll believe winter is the most dangerous time for driving, but the truth is this coming Fourth of July weekend often is the deadliest time.”

Survey findings from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Excellence in Rural Safety (CERS) demonstrate that an “overwhelming” 83 percent of Americans consider winter to be “the most dangerous season to be driving on rural roadways.” Just eight percent believe summer is the most dangerous time, while four percent found spring the most dangerous time, and four percent see fall as the most dangerous time.

But as the survey analysts report, “about one-in-three fatalities happen during the three months of summer, a significantly higher fatality rate than the winter months, as well as the overall non-summer rate. Moreover, the Fourth of July is often the most dangerous driving day of the year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Crowded rural roads and holiday-related drinking are among the many factors that contribute to the danger.” [emphasis added]

For further details see Survey Finds Drivers Mistakenly Believe Winter is Most Dangerous Travel Time on the University of Minnesota website, or visit Scientific American’s report on the survey in Americans Underestimate Risks of Driving on Summer Holidays and Rural Roads.

What On Earth Evolved?

“An informative, fun-filled tour through natural and human history” is how Christopher Brodie describes Christopher Lloyd’s What On Earth Evolved: 100 Species That Changed the World in a review for American Scientist.

Worth noting is that when ranking the species in the final chapter of his book, Lloyd ranks human beings sixth in terms of their impact on evolution, each other and the environment. In first place? Earthworms.