In recognition of the upcoming 43rd Earth Day (April 22, 2013) and accompanying Earth Week (April 16-22), the U.S. Census Bureau released a series of statistics relating to energy and the environment on Tuesday. We've collected them and have them below.
Fun fact: Earth Day was created by Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970 after the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill that dumped 100,000 barrels of crude into the Santa Barbara Channel off of California. The first Earth Day in 1970 led to the creation of the EPA and laws like the Clean Air and Endangered Species acts, and the day of recognition is still going strong.
Here's that data:
2.3 million
Estimated number of occupied housing units across the country heated by wood in 2011, which is more than 2.0 percent of all homes.
40,063
Estimated number of occupied housing units across the country totally heated by solar energy in 2011.
57.0 million
Estimated number of occupied housing units across the country heated by utility gas in 2011, which is about half of all homes.
88%
Estimated percent of newly built single-family homes across the country with air-conditioning in 2011. In 1974, it was 48 percent.
25.5 minutes
Estimated average time for workers age 16 and older across the country spent getting to work in 2011, up from 25.1 minutes in 2009 and 25.3 minutes in 2010.
32.2 minutes
Estimated average time for workers age 16 and older in Maryland spent getting to work in 2011, the longest commute time in the nation. That’s up from 31.8 minutes in 2010.
16.9 minutes
Estimated average time workers age 16 and older in North Dakota and South Dakota spent getting to work in 2011, tied for the shortest one-way commute time in the nation.
49,174
Number of workers employed in nuclear electric power generation across the U.S. in2010, up from 41,502 in 2009. They had an average salary of $109,021, down from $110,355 in 2009.
53,525
Number of workers employed in forestry and logging across the U.S. in 2010, up from 53,003 in 2009. They had an average salary of $37,215, up from $35,128 in 2009.
19,061 trillion Btu
The energy consumption in the U.S. manufacturing sector in 2010, down almost 10 percent from the 21,098 trillion Btu (British thermal units) consumed in 2006.
-46%
The drop in the consumption of residual fuel oil in the U.S. manufacturing sector in 2010, going from 314 trillion Btu in 2006 down to 170 trillion Btu consumed in 2010.
2,480 square feet
The average size of a single-family house built in 2011.
$267,900
The average sales price of a new single-family home in 2011. In 2008, the average sales price was $292,600.
9,000
The number of multifamily buildings built across the U.S. in 2011. Of these, 51 percent had at least 10 units.
$1.5 billion
Estimated revenue for “waste collection – hazardous waste management collection services” in 2011 for estimated sources of revenue for U.S. employer firms.
$6.3 billion
Estimated revenue for “waste treatment and disposal – hazardous waste treatment and disposal services” in 2011 for estimated sources of revenue for U.S. employer firms. This was up 9.2 percent from 2010.
$6.3 billion
Estimated revenue for “local, fixed-route passenger transportation, by road and transit rail” in 2011 for estimated sources of revenue for employer firms. This is up 4.8 percent from 2010.
37.3 million
The July 1, 2011, population of the coastal portion of states stretching from North Carolina to Texas ― the area most threatened by Atlantic hurricanes. Approximately 12 percent of the nation’s population live in these areas.
15
The number of hurricanes to hit Florida’s Monroe County from 1960 to 2008, the most in the country. The estimated population on July 1, 2011, of 73,873 is up 1.1 percent from the 73,090 counted on the last Census Day (April 1, 2010). Lafourche Parish in Louisiana and Carteret County in North Carolina have each seen 14 hurricanes from 1960 to 2008. Lafourche’s 2011 estimated population 96,666 and has risen 0.4 percent since the 2010 Census. Carteret’s 2011 estimated population of 67,373 has risen 1.4 percent.
And Democratic victories.
They should drive them further?
They can thank me for paying taxes.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/la-pn-obama-alternative-fuel-research-20130315,0,4015057.story And Dan, the president doesn't set the gas price, the economy does. And the Keystone pipeline is to take Canadian oil to the gulf to be shipped to other countries. That oil is not for us and will not help our fuel prices. Most people are aware of that. Stop watching Faux news
This has been born out of the Occupy Movement. I think it is pretty powerful stuff, these people are playing within the rules to make a difference. http://strikedebt.org/rjupdate-2/
Matilda, i think you missed the point about my mentioning obama and gas prices. Back when he was campaigning for his first term, he did a lot of talking about the high price of gas and blamed President Bush for this problem. The media agreed with him and had many news articles, highlighting personal accounts of how people had to cut back on this and that because of the high price of petrol. Now gas prices are higher than they ever have been, and it's a huge drain on the economy. Since HE is the president, the president no longer has any influence on the price of gas...it's all supply and demand, etc. Funny how that works, isn't it? You won't see anybody in the media call him out for this hypocrisy, because they pretty much parrot whatever the administration tells them. Faux news? lol.
wow. I didn't even think a liberal could be so low as to disrespect our Veterans by saying something so ridiculous. You might want to hit the history books and read about our American armed forces. If not for the sacrifice of our Veterans, you wouldn't be paying taxes...you would be working in a labor camp.
it's tough to beat the low information voters that make up the Democratic voting bloc. "Where's my Obama phone?!"
lmao
1-The sons and daughters of TPARTY moralists coming out of the closet, Or their next door neighbors kids being ridiculed and ostracized because they are not related to the hypocrites. 2-Portman-Cheney Haggard -log cabin hypocrites vs Charlatan religous Politician hypocrits waging war on women and gays that are not log cabin or Zionists! 3-- The merits of clean coal and safe nuclear vs HIGH GAS PRICES or better abortion? Any discussion for the wing nuts is based on abortion and now high gas prices that is the fault of the black guy the bad news gas prices are falling look for another 20 anti abortion bills unless the POTUS and his blue dog advisors gets weak kneed on the big 3!
who is too big to jail-banksters or millions of Americans!
No need to fret much longer, the partners of TWIT and also the Bush family in Bainland China or as u say Bainskyland are most likely be the first to use TESLA patents it also means they will start junking their hundreds of newly built Coal plants which are dirtier than anything in Europe and here combined they will do it because thanks to u and all the TPARTY supporters demanding Wal mart shoddy shite they can. If they do not they lose their magnificent rivers that is the life blood and about 70% of their population from pollution,that's the good the bad news is the radiation from 1-2-3 reactors across the pond will negate much of the good news but the day of reckoning comes at least they can see theiir way home which on many days now is impossible. Thanks for asking? Are u by chance a log cabin GOP ER?
We know where yer black 666 heart is!
every 'investment' Obama has made with our money has turned to dung.
Get real!