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The average person in the Emirates puts more demand on the global ecosystem than any other, giving the country the world's largest per-capita "ecological footprint," WWF data shows. The United States runs second.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/15/ap/tech/mainD8MLT9N00.shtml
Still, the US has something like 60 times their population. Feel better now? :rolleyes:

Link to WWF report:
http://assets.panda.org/downloads/living_planet_report.pdf

Hi Tarabell:

___I have to wonder why we the US is so high as well? I mean we aren’t running A/C for 80% of the year although I am sure heating our homes for 30 + % of the year doesn’t help. With ~ 20% of our energy needs being provided by Nuclear and another 30% by NG and renewable, there has to be something good from the report?

___What scares me was the following excerpt:

“A moderate business-as-usual scenario, based on United Nations projections
showing slow, steady growth of economies and populations, suggests that by mid-century,
humanity’s demand on nature will be twice the biosphere’s productive capacity. At this level of ecological deficit, exhaustion of ecological assets and large-scale ecosystem collapse become increasingly likely.”

___That report goes in deep and I am just getting my hands around it now.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

The US is so high because we use A/C more than even European countries. Remember the heat wave a couple of years ago they had? I think 10,000 died. They don't use A/C like we do, neither do they drive as much. The developing world is trading their bikes for cars

In my neck of the woods, I see/hear a lot of AC units running when the outside temp is under 70F. People simply don't think about it, that they could save money and breathe healthier air by just opening a couple windows. How common do you think it is for people to turn the AC down or off when they leave for a few hours? I suspect it is more common for people to leave the AC on so their home is nice and cool when they return. If it is given any thought whatsoever, that is.

I'd love to see legislation requiring high efficiency appliances and HVAC in rental housing. Most of the time the property owners won't be paying to run the appliances and HVAC, so initial cost is their only concern. I'd love to see efficient construction practices become commonplace, and consist of more than just stuffing in more insulation. Passive solar, for example.

The US is so high because we use A/C more than even European countries. My company's world headquarters are in Zug, Switzerland. They do not have air conditioning. It's a seven-story commercial office building housing one of the world's largest and best building controls company and when it's hot outside, they open the windows and sweat.

And it's not just the office building. My manager was over there over the summer and he stayed at the newest hotel in the area: no air conditioning.

Hi Tony:

___The next time you get the chance to speak with some of your overseas counterparts, can you find out if their locale is more moderate (temperature wise) then what we experience in the US? I remember reading early US history where the settlers thought the temps and weather were darn near inhospitable vs. what their previous countries of origin offered throughout much of Europe. I know they have had some tremendous heat waves over the last 3 - 5 years but overall, I bet the Atlantic is holding their overall temps lower then the Pacific does ours on average? Except for the Middle East which is just to far away from the Atlantic to receive any type of cooling over that great a distance …

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Wayne, if you look at a thermal map of the world, The Sahara and the Middle East is clearly the thermal equator, even though it's well north of the geographical equator.

The US is so high because we use A/C more than even European countries.
So very true. Most people in this part of the country run their AC year-round, including the heat-pumps in the winter. Heat pumps are only efficient down into the 40's. When it dips into the 30's it is supplimented by energy gulping heat strips which make it worse.

Including our home system :(

So very true. Most people in this part of the country run their AC year-round, including the heat-pumps in the winter. Heat pumps are only efficient down into the 40's. When it dips into the 30's it is supplimented by energy gulping heat strips which make it worse.

Including our home system :(

Somebody needs a ground loop!

Remember the heat wave a couple of years ago they had? I think 10,000 died.

I underestimated the European death toll from the 2003 Heat Wave: 35,000-50,000. :(

Check out the maps on 2003 European Heat Wave (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_European_heat_wave) - France got the brunt of it (14,000 deaths). They could relase Is Paris Burning, but change the theme from Hitler's plans to destroy the city to climate change.l

I confess to getting a little distracted (again) and did some research on this topic. Google is a wonderful tool for this sort of thing. So here’s more than anyone ever wanted to know about this (In some places I cut/pasted excerpts from articles for convenience):

Most of Europe is further north on the globe than the US and most of it actually lies at Canadian latitudes. However, Europe is indeed warmer and wetter than Canada and parts of the US. (It would have to be in order to be as agriculturally productive as it is and support the population it does.) This is due to the winds and North Atlantic Current (near Ireland) with contribution from the warm Gulf Stream traveling northward. So it’s quite true that the early settlers found the NE and Midwest winters to be inhospitable, compared to where they came from. Even a couple centuries before them, the Italian voyagers were surprised to see this was not the semi-tropical climate they expected to go with silks and spices.

An example of how wind and ocean affects climate: Southern Cal and South Carolina which are at the same latitude, clearly have quite different summers – Santa Monica being much cooler and foggier than Myrtle Beach. But look at the respective ocean temperatures. The Pacific Ocean water temp off LA in August is 70 degrees, while at the same time, SC’s Atlantic coastal water temp is 83 degrees. During the summer, both places get a sea breeze. But the sea breeze is going to cool Santa Monica much more than Myrtle Beach since the California breeze is blowing over much cooler water.

Some other city pairs that are on the same latitude but which have quite different climates: Athens and Washington DC. Paris and Vancouver. Rome and Chicago. Also Portland ME, and Cannes (southern France). Again, the reason for such a climate difference between these cities lies in other factors besides latitude, which really only determines day length.

Here’s how the wind and ocean factors contribute to the difference between Western Europe and Eastern North America: Because winds generally blow from the west in both places, eastern North America in winter gets air from a frigid continent, whereas Europe gets air from the relatively warm North Atlantic. The traditional explanation has been that a lot of that maritime heat comes from the Gulf of Mexico and other southern climes via the Gulf Stream and other northward-flowing currents. But a new study actually traces the warming influence to the Rocky Mountains. The mountains steer prevailing winds southward over warm regions of the Atlantic, where the air picks up heat before veering northward toward Europe. So this is what keeps northern Europe about 5-10°C warmer in the winter than comparable latitudes elsewhere – except, of course, when it fails. Which is where climate changes (due to El Nino) as well as global warming changes become a big concern.

Hi Tarabell:

___Thank you as that was a perfect conclusion to anything I could have possibly asked! Very interesting how the Rockies steer weather both here in the US and Europe yet they are so far west of the Atlantic.

___Thank you very much!

___Wayne

Actually, I’m just getting warmed up :o

Now, having said the above, I think the difference in energy consumption between the US and the rest of the globe has less to do with our climate and more to do with other reasons. I believe most of the US’s status as front runner can be attributed to the acceleration of resources going to larger residential housing, larger commercial structures, and consumer goods and electronics in the last 20-30 years. We build so much bigger structures that require more resources--lumber, wire, nails, pipes, plastic, and concrete—let alone heating, cooling and maintaining. And then we stuff them with so much more electronics, energy-using devices, and consumer goods that didn’t even exist a few years ago.

I’ll try to expand further on MHO soon in a separate thread.

Hi Tarabell:

___Something else which you have opened up my eyes too … Since Europe is far more energy conscious then we are in terms of both household and transportation consumption, I have no doubt that the PHEV will make a far bigger impact over there then it will in the states in the short term. With the somewhat poor emissions of all the on the road diesel’s but in countries not entirely Nuke averse for electricity production, Europe will probably be running PHEV-10’s, 20’s, and 40’s in quantity long before we ever will? They are already driving relatively expensive but very fuel efficient smaller automobiles and downsizing ICE’s w/ an added Li-Ion pack and large MGSet would fit their daily driving lifestyles far better then ours. We really should be taking the lead on this however given how much we “throw away” today :(

___Good Luck

___Wayne

It's been mentioned in the past, but Europe has more walkable communities, neighborhood stores, mass transit then the US. The "big box stores" encourage more car travel, along with our zoning.