A pair of recent surveys suggest that as Americans get smarter on energy and environmental issues, they’re less willing to take action. Separate surveys from the polling firm GfK Roper and the nonprofit ecoAmerica show that Americans’ knowledge of environmental issues is rising, but their sense of how much they are willing to do – and how much of a difference their actions might make – is decreasing. The good news, says GfK, whose latest survey looks back at 20 years’ worth of data, is that “Americans are in a much better place in terms of levels of environmental knowledge. Seventy-three percent of Americans say they know a lot or fair amount about environmental issues and problems – up 20 percentage points since 1995. In addition, fewer people now agree with the statement, ‘I am very confused about what’s good and what’s bad for the environment’ (18% in 2011, down 21 percentage points since 1990).” The bad news: Increased environmental knowledge may have contributed to a reduced sense that individual action holds the solution to environmental problems. [Read this article]

Despite how digital we are, the amount of paper generated annually in the United States is astounding: according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2009 report, “Municipal Solid Waste in the United States,” we use 68 million tons of paper and paperboard per year to generate more than 2 billion books, 350 million magazines and 24 billion newspapers. Four million of those tons come from office workers, each of whom uses some 10,000 sheets of copy paper every year. Fortunately, the recycling rate for paper and paper products in the U.S. is high: more than 60 percent was recycled in 2009, according to the solid waste report. However, there is always room for improvement: according to the EPA, 90 percent of the municipal solid waste generated in offices is paper. If you are wondering how to recycle office paper and minimize waste at your workplace, consider these tips and issues. [Read this article]

How did the Climate and Energy Project (CEP), a small environmental organization that has received Recovery Act funding, achieve $2.3 million in savings annually for Kansans? They found a way to bring together community groups in an effort to foster energy efficient behavior. CEP engaged Kansas residents through the Take Charge Challenge, a 9-month competition in which residents across 16 communities competed against each other to save the most energy and money. These communities held over 1,000 events and programs involving over 400,000 Kansans. Community leadership got together to develop strategies on how to best get their friends and families to reduce energy waste, including changing their lightbulbs or weatherizing their houses.
Participants were saving money by saving energy… and winning. The prize? Four communities each received a $100,000 energy efficiency or renewable energy grant. [Read this article]

To reconnect Americans to nature, the Obama administration is promoting 100 projects nationwide – two in each state – such as new urban parks, wildlife refuges and walking trails as well as completing gaps in Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail and restoring the Bronx’ Harlem River. The projects are part of President Obama’s Great Outdoors Initiative, announced last year, and result from 50 meetings between state leaders and senior federal officials. They won’t receive new federal funding but technical support and guidance. “These projects represent what states believe are among the best investments in the nation to support a healthy, active population, conserve wildlife and working lands, and create travel, tourism and outdoor-recreation jobs across the nation,” Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said in announcing the final 50-State America’s Great Outdoors Report. “The America’s Great Outdoors Initiative turns the conventional wisdom about the federal government’s role in conservation on its head,” Salazar said. “Rather than dictate policies or conservation strategies from Washington, it supports grassroots, locally driven initiatives.” [Read this article]

The first annual Metro Atlanta Kids Recycle Day is scheduled for Saturday, November 12th. The event will be hosted by Live Thrive and The Little Green Path Foundation, and will be held at the Atlanta Civic Center. This is a drop off event where volunteers will remove all items to be recycled from cars, and attendees can drive away once their items have been cleared. One of the event’s objectives is to help children improve their understanding about recycling and reusing. Through the support of Ernst & Young, children at the event will receive a coloring book about recycling to help increase their knowledge about the concept. The event and the recycling services are free, except for a $10 per television fee. Items such as books, equipment, coats and bikes are also encouraged for recycling. [Read this article]