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Monday, June 18, 2012

Gen X may have taken biggest hit in downturn

U.S. Census Bureau

Between 2005 and 2010, Generation X saw the biggest percent decline in median household net worth.

By Allison Linn

Almost everyone in America has good reason to throw a little pity party whenever they think about what the economic turmoil of recent years has done to their financial situation. A government report released Monday finds that the 35- to 44-year-old members of Generation X?may have the most cause to feel sorry for themselves.

The Census Bureau study found that between 2005 and 2010, households led by 35- to 44-year-olds saw the biggest percent decline in median household net worth. For those households, median net worth declined 59 percent, from $80,521 in 2005 to $33,200 in 2010, adjusted in constant?2010 dollars.

In?terms of actual dollars lost, 45- to 54-year-olds took the biggest hit. For households in that age range, median net worth declined by $54,881, to $90,434. That?s a 38 percent drop from 2005, calculated in 2010 dollars.

Overall, the study found that median household net worth?in the United States declined by 35 percent between 2005 and 2010, to $66,740. The housing bust and stock market declines were mainly to blame for the drop.

The Census report is based on the annual Survey of Income and Program Participation, which takes a detailed look at the financial situation of Americans from all walks of life. The survey uses the renter or owner of record in each household to determine what age group the household falls into.

The Census data comes a week after the Federal Reserve released a separate survey showing that the median net worth of the American family dropped 39 percent from about $126,000 in 2007 to $77,000 in 2010.

The Census study looks at a?slightly longer period and offers detailed breakdown by race, age, education level and region. But the two studies come to the?same sobering conclusion: We?ve lost a lot of economic ground in recent years, and it will take a long time to work our way back.

Are you better or worse off financially than you were in 2005?

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Mason environmentalist awarded Blue Planet Prize for lifetime achievement in conservation

Public release date: 18-Jun-2012
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Contact: Tara Laskowski
tlaskows@gmu.edu
703-993-8815
George Mason University

Thomas Lovejoy, University Professor of Environmental Science and Policy at George Mason University, was awarded the 21st annual Blue Planet Prize, the international environmental award sponsored by the Asahi Glass Foundation in Japan.

The Blue Planet prizes are awarded to individuals or organizations each year that make outstanding achievements in scientific research and its application in helping to solve global environmental problems. Lovejoy accepted the award during a press conference in Rio on June 17, and will receive a prize of 50 million Yen (approximately $626,000).

He received the award for pioneering work in biodiversity science and conservation, including how human-caused habitat fragmentation causes biodiversity loss.

"It's a pleasure to join in congratulating both our esteemed faculty member and the commitments to biodiversity which he so ably represents," says Peter Stearns, Provost of George Mason University. "His work is a central part of our larger educational and research program on sustainability."

Lovejoy's career spans multiple decades and includes many creative and important contributions to research on the severe impact of land use on biodiversity and ecosystems. He began his career in the mid-60s, researching ecosystems in the Amazon rainforest. This led to the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, the largest long-term experiment in the history of landscape ecology. Now in its 33rd year, the project was responsible for showing that fragmentation of animal habitats is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, along with climate change.

Lovejoy was one of the first to point out that the Amazon rainforest was in crisis and was a pioneer in educating the public of this problem. His work in policy included the first published projection of global extinction rates.

Lovejoy also developed "debt-for-nature swaps," in which a portion of a nation's foreign debt is forgiven in exchange for investments in conservation. Debt-for-nature swaps are now among the largest sources of financing to support international environmental projects.

Lovejoy has been decorated twice by Brazil and in 2011, along with other environmentalists, was awarded the first Joao Pedro Cardoso Medal of the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, for his work worldwide in conservation and environmental policy.

"I am delighted by the recognition of the importance of biological diversity. I am also humbled and honored to become a Blue Planet Prize Laureate and thereby join so many distinguished Laureates since the inception of the prize," says Lovejoy. "Much of what I am being honored for was achieved in collaboration with others, so I salute and thank them for their help and inspiration."

Two Blue Planet Prizes are awarded each year, one to an individual and the other to an organization. The other recipients were William Rees (Canada) and Mathis Wackernagel (Switzerland) for their development and advancement of the Ecological Footprint, a comprehensive accounting system for comparing human demand on ecosystems to ecosystems' capacity to self-renew.

###

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Mason environmentalist awarded Blue Planet Prize for lifetime achievement in conservation Public release date: 18-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Tara Laskowski
tlaskows@gmu.edu
703-993-8815
George Mason University

Thomas Lovejoy, University Professor of Environmental Science and Policy at George Mason University, was awarded the 21st annual Blue Planet Prize, the international environmental award sponsored by the Asahi Glass Foundation in Japan.

The Blue Planet prizes are awarded to individuals or organizations each year that make outstanding achievements in scientific research and its application in helping to solve global environmental problems. Lovejoy accepted the award during a press conference in Rio on June 17, and will receive a prize of 50 million Yen (approximately $626,000).

He received the award for pioneering work in biodiversity science and conservation, including how human-caused habitat fragmentation causes biodiversity loss.

"It's a pleasure to join in congratulating both our esteemed faculty member and the commitments to biodiversity which he so ably represents," says Peter Stearns, Provost of George Mason University. "His work is a central part of our larger educational and research program on sustainability."

Lovejoy's career spans multiple decades and includes many creative and important contributions to research on the severe impact of land use on biodiversity and ecosystems. He began his career in the mid-60s, researching ecosystems in the Amazon rainforest. This led to the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, the largest long-term experiment in the history of landscape ecology. Now in its 33rd year, the project was responsible for showing that fragmentation of animal habitats is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, along with climate change.

Lovejoy was one of the first to point out that the Amazon rainforest was in crisis and was a pioneer in educating the public of this problem. His work in policy included the first published projection of global extinction rates.

Lovejoy also developed "debt-for-nature swaps," in which a portion of a nation's foreign debt is forgiven in exchange for investments in conservation. Debt-for-nature swaps are now among the largest sources of financing to support international environmental projects.

Lovejoy has been decorated twice by Brazil and in 2011, along with other environmentalists, was awarded the first Joao Pedro Cardoso Medal of the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, for his work worldwide in conservation and environmental policy.

"I am delighted by the recognition of the importance of biological diversity. I am also humbled and honored to become a Blue Planet Prize Laureate and thereby join so many distinguished Laureates since the inception of the prize," says Lovejoy. "Much of what I am being honored for was achieved in collaboration with others, so I salute and thank them for their help and inspiration."

Two Blue Planet Prizes are awarded each year, one to an individual and the other to an organization. The other recipients were William Rees (Canada) and Mathis Wackernagel (Switzerland) for their development and advancement of the Ecological Footprint, a comprehensive accounting system for comparing human demand on ecosystems to ecosystems' capacity to self-renew.

###

[ | E-mail | Share ]
?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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Sunday, June 17, 2012

Top 10 Tech This Week [PICS]

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Wildfire destroys most homes in Colo. history

A Erickson Air Crane firefighting helicopter flys to a pond to refill its tank while fighting the High Park wildfire, west of Fort Collins, Colo., on Friday, June 15, 2012. The wildfire started Saturday and has burned over 50,000 acres. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

A Erickson Air Crane firefighting helicopter refills its tank in a rancher's pond while fighting the High Park wildfire west of Fort Collins, Colo., on Friday, June 15, 2012. The wildfire started Saturday and has burned over 50,000 acres. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

A thunderhead builds over the High Park wildfire and Fort Collins, Colo., on Friday, June 15, 2012. Rain could assist in fighting the wildfire that started Saturday and has burned over 50,000 acres. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

A sign warns motorist of the closure of Highway 14 through Poudre Canyon as columns of smoke rise in the distance from the High Park wildfire west of Fort Collins, Colo., on Friday, June 15, 2012. The wildfire started Saturday and has burned over 50,000 acres. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

DENVER (AP) ? Crews in northern Colorado braced for powerful fire-fanning winds as they battle a blaze that has scorched about 85 square miles of mountainous forest land and destroyed at least 181 homes, the most in state history.

The destructiveness of the High Park Fire burning 15 miles west of Fort Collins surpassed the Fourmile Canyon wildfire, which destroyed 169 homes west of Boulder in September 2010.

More than 1,630 personnel worked on the fire Saturday, officials said in a late-night news release. That was an increase of more than 100 firefighters from a day earlier.

The lightning-caused blaze, which is believed to have killed a 62-year-old woman whose body was found in her cabin, was 45 percent contained, Cpl. Julie Berney of the Larimer County sheriff's office said Sunday. The fire's incident commander said full containment could be two to four weeks away.

Fire information officer Brett Haberstick said crews have made progress in containing a 200-acre spot fire that erupted Thursday afternoon north of the Cache La Poudre River, a critical line of defense against northward growth.

"Two 20-person hotshot crews worked throughout the day to secure lines around the perimeter of this spot fire," the officials said in a release.

Firefighters have extinguished other incursions north of the river, but the most recent one appeared to be more serious.

National Weather Service meteorologist Kyle Fredin said some rain was expected in the fire zone Saturday evening, but it will not be enough to put the fire out.

"We need a rain that will really last all day," he said. "But it's better than dry wind at this point."

Crews faced difficult conditions Sunday with wind gusts expected to hit 50 mph along ridge tops and in Poudre Canyon and temperatures in the 90-degree range.

The fire was reported June 9 and has since raced through large swaths of private and U.S. Forest Service land. It was 45 percent contained late Saturday.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who oversees the Forest Service, met with fire managers in Fort Collins on Saturday and said "fighting this fire is going to require us to be aggressive, persistent and also patient.

"We're going to continue to work to make our forests more resilient. We're going to continue to ensure that adequate resources are provided for fighting fires and we are going to continue to make sure that we encourage appropriate stewardship of our forests," he said.

Vilsack praised Congress for allowing the government to contract additional aircraft ? particularly heavy tankers ? to fight wildfires across the West. But he called on lawmakers for budget certainty to help plan for future fires.

Vilsack is scheduled to hold a news conference with U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell in Albuquerque on Sunday.

Meanwhile in New Mexico, questions were being raised about whether bureaucratic red tape prevented firefighters from saving more homes affected by the Little Bear Fire after federal officials released transcripts of the firefighters' response.

Congressman Steve Pearce said Friday in an interview with KOB-TV (http://bit.ly/Mga1yx) that he believed federal officials could have done more after lightning sparked the fire outside the resort town of Ruidoso on June 4. Days later, high winds sent embers more than a mile from the blaze's end, causing the inferno to grow.

But officials released transcripts of the response on the Lincoln National Forest website that suggested firefighters were attacking the blaze as soon as it was a quarter of an acre.

The fire has destroyed 242 homes and commercial structures. It had burned 59 square miles and was 60 percent contained as of Saturday night.

Parts of the area received up to three-quarters of an inch of rain Saturday, aiding the firefight but causing flash flood warnings as a result of burned over forest. Lincoln County Emergency Services ordered an evacuation for residents in low-lying areas and around creeks or streams, but they were allowed to return home in the evening.

In Arizona, a blaze in the Tonto National Forest that doubled in size to 3,100 acres. Officials said Saturday night that the fire was 15 percent contained and firefighters continued to battle unseasonably dry fuels, high temperatures and low humidity.

On Friday, a crew member broke his leg fighting the blaze, which was burning in a remote, mountainous area about 70 miles northeast of Phoenix.

___

Associated Press writer Russell Contreras in Albuquerque contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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Kate Middleton Wears Another Zara Dress, Attends Kid-Friendly Event

Kate Middleton proves yet again that she's just like the rest of us. Well, sort of.

Like many women, Kate opted out of watching the football game with her husband on Friday. Instead, she joined 150 kids for a performance of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" in London's Kensington Gardens.

The Duchess' outfit choice was another another nod to the common folk: a teal Zara dress paired with a black blazer from Whistles. She accessorized the low-key look with black satin pumps and clutch and a pair of drop earrings.

Kate's been known to wear a High Street look every now and then (and even some some thrifted and repeated pieces), so we already knew that girl could rock a Zara dress just as well as one of her Alexander McQueen confections. But some of her more democratic sartorial choices have caused people to question her style icon status.

Do you think her look was high-low perfection or not princess-y enough?

PHOTO:

kate middleton dress

Check out some more pictures from Kate Middleton's kid-friendly outing below.

Want more? Be sure to check out HuffPost Style on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Pinterest.

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