Climate Change Indicators in the United States (PDF)

 the second edition of EPA's Climate Change Indicators in the United States (PDF) (84 pp, 18.2MB), published in 2012. This report presents 26 indicators, each describing trends related to the causes and effects of climate change. It focuses primarily on the United States, but in some cases global trends are presented to provide context or a basis for comparison. The online version will be updated periodically as new data become available, and thus may differ from the printed version available below. You can find all the latest indicators using the tabs at the top of this Web page.

Get the Report

Order print copies or send inquiries by emailing:climateindicators@epa.gov.

2012 Edition

Full Report (PDF) (84 pp, 18.2MB)
Technical Documentation (PDF) (180 pp, 2.5MB)
Summary Brochure (PDF) (4 pp, 6.4MB)

Individual Sections

• Front cover, table of contents, and acknowledgments (PDF) (4 pp, 534K)
• Introduction (PDF) (3 pp, 2.9MB)
• Summary of Key Points (PDF) (4 pp, 391K)
• Greenhouse Gases (PDF) (12 pp, 3.0MB)
• Weather and Climate (PDF) (14 pp, 2.7MB)
• Oceans (PDF) (10 pp, 2.4MB)
• Snow and Ice (PDF) (14 pp, 4.4MB)
• Society and Ecosystems (PDF) (14 pp, 3.4MB)
• Climate Change Indicators and Human Health (PDF) (1 pg, 154K)
• Resources, endnotes, and back cover (PDF) (8 pp, 2.2MB)

The 2012 edition includes three new indicators and provides updates and revisions to several existing indicators since the 2010 edition.

2010 Edition

The first edition of EPA's Climate Change Indicators in the United Statesreport is available below.

Full Report (PDF) (80 pp, 13.2MB)
Technical Documentation (PDF) (150 pp, 719K)

Additional Information

For more information and/or to contact EPA about the Climate Change Indicators in the United States report, please email climateindicators@epa.gov.

For more information about environmental indicators, view EPA's Report on the Environment.

Thank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Energy. Feel free to comment in the section below or contact Scotts Contracting- St Louis Home Improvement Projects and Energy Reducing Needs Get Your Green Building Tips and Resources at St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog

GreenBuild Kitchen Project Using Habitat For Humanity Building Materials

Every project has a must have, in the case of this Kitchen project the 6 must haves were accomplished and the total job costs were under $150.00 saving the Home Owner $350.00 of her budget!  Sound impossible? Here is how I accomplished this task by adding an Eat-In Kitchen Counter Top along one wall :)

1. A more user friendly kitchen Layout
2. Additional Counter Space
3. Seating and Eating area for the Grand-kids
4. Final Project must blend with existing kitchen decor
5. Open Floor Plan-More Space
6. Budget of $500.00  

I learned long ago in my college drafting classes that a good plan not only speeds up the construction process it helps the Home Owner visualize the end result. My initial inspection of the existing kitchen revealed: 

1. The existing counter was congested with cooking appliances and left little room for food prep.  
2. A small 4 person table that the Grand Kids utilized for eating and homework robbed the kitchen of valuable floor space.

I came up with the plan in the 2nd photo and presented it to the homeowner a few weeks prior to the project.

• I explained that by replacing the existing 4 person kitchen table with an Eat In Counter would open up 20 square feet of kitchen floor area and created 10 square feet of additional counter space, bringing the total counter space to 30 square feet and creating a more open floor plan in the Kitchen.

CAD 3D Counter Top Wall Bracing Detail
by Green Builder Scotts Contracting, StLouis Renewable Energy

• By utilizing wall braces instead of support posts for the eat in counter creates more floor space.  The eye is tricked  by the openness since it can see the floor along the Kitchen Wall.

CAD 3D Eat-In Kitchen Counter Top
Layout Plan- by Scotts Contracting

Once the Home Owner and I have a plan to go from we then started the quest of looking for materials.  After a couple of trips through Home Depot shopping for building materials we decided to make the trip to Habitat for Humanity ReStore -see Map

For those who have never been on a Treasure Hunt for Building Materials in a Habitat for Humanity Restore.  I'd like to show you just a few of the Jewels we found and incorporated in this Kitchen Project for under $16.00- 

• Keeping with the Decor of the existing kitchen we found a perfect Counter top with Wood Trim that matched the existing counter top and butcher block.
• 3 Stair Way Spindles that were incorporated into wall bracing used to support the new counter.

The addition of the small counter top
created 6 Benefits for the Home Owner
using $16.00 worth of Materials
and a couple of hours time!

All the Materials minus the Glue was from Salvaged Building Materials purchased for $16.00 at Habitat For Humanity Restore StLouis!  I very happily report that all the must haves were met for under $150.00 saving the Home Owner $350.00 of her budget! 

Projects Greatest Achievement / Personal Notes:

1. I realize that being the smallest kid in the house is very challenging while eating.  Booster seats are generally needed so they can easily reach their food or studies.  When I seen the mismatched stools for the counter I realized that the tallest stool was a perfect size for the smallest grandchild!  No modifications were needed.  In time the child will grown and we can cut the legs off the stool for a more uniform appearance.  But until then we made the little girls ego happy since she now has the biggest chair!  See the Facebook Pictures of the Grand Kids utilizing their new kitchen counter-Being the smallest girl is tuff, when I told her the biggest stool was hers; it made her day!
2. Sharon, Home Owner stated that it not only made her kitchen user friendly and open.  When she is having feasts for family gatherings she could utilize the new counter for food staging and eliminate the extra tables brought in that cluttered up the kitchen.  She also stated that all her friends are commenting on the new look of her kitchen on the above facebook page!
3. Saving the Client $350.00

If you have a challenging building project in the StLouis area and need Design Build Assistance feel free contact me via the contact form on the right, via main web page, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus.


Here are few Twitter Comments about the project:

Scotts Contracting ‏@StLHandyMan-@habitatstl Thank You- #Countertop #StairwaySpindles incorporated into #BreakfastBar #Kitchen #Green #Upcycle pic.twitter.com/iAzRCDuuW2

Scotts Contracting ‏@StLHandyMan-@habitatstl Thank You for the Materials.Everything matched perfectly to the existing decor in the Kitchen- #Upcycling #BuildingMaterials :)

Scotts Contracting ‏@StLHandyMan-@habitatstl Thank You, made my job easier! Home Owners quote: "New Favorite Store- #Restore on #ForestPark" -6th project w/ ur materials!

Thank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Energy. Feel free to comment in the section below or contact Scotts Contracting- St Louis Home Improvement Projects and Energy Reducing Needs Get Your Green Building Tips and Resources at St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog

July 31st-Join Us to Take Back St. Louis!

End an era of public taxpayer dollars going to fossil fuel companies, their big bankers, lawyers and lobbyists, and require a plan to invest public money in and open land for renewable energy and sustainability projects!

Join Us to Turn In 36,000 Signatures to Take Back St. Louis!

Wednesday, July 31st at 10:00AM

Meet at Poelker Park (Tucker and Market across from City Hall)

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/556724787706661/

After 8 months of hard work, the time has finally come! Join us in a celebration rally to turn-in over 36,000 signatures to the Board of Elections and begin to Take Back St. Louis from big corporations. 

The Take Back St. Louis initiative will end an era of public taxpayer dollars going to fossil fuel companies, their big bankers, lawyers and lobbyists, and require a plan to invest public money in and open land for renewable energy and sustainability projects. 

Instead of an economy based on corporations who bankrupt miners, cause climate change and steal money from the public schools, join us in support of the creation of a green economy for St. Louis! 

For more information, call 314-862-2249 and check out www.TakeBackStLouis.com.

Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment, www.organizemo.org
join@organizemo.org  - 314) 862-2249 - 438 N. Skinker, St. Louis, MO 63130

Twitter: https://twitter.com/organizemo
Facebook: Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment (MORE)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Missourians-Organizing-for-Reform-and-Empowerment-MORE/251179843555


#Solar #RenewableEnergy #Conservation #Weatherization #Home #BigOil #FossilFuel #DirtyCoal #PeaBody 

Tuck-pointing and Acid Clean-Up of Shady Jacks Building Preservation Front Entrance Make Over

Just Finished the Tuck-pointing and Acid Clean-Up of Shady Jacks Building Preservation Front Entrance Make Over.   Getting another 100 years of Service from this Masonry Brick Building will not be an issue now!  

There are some BIG plans for this building.  Stay Tuned for further details. Hint: #Sports  and #Fitness 

No rest for the wicked and its onto another project Tuesday!  We will be finishing up the project started last summer- I'll be performing: #weldingservices  #carpentryservices  and #flooringservices  as well as a little #hvacservices  while we finish up the Benton Rehab Project- to see the prior projects photos and details of work completed so far check out the Green Blog at the last blog posting here: http://stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com/2013/01/benton-rehab-flooring-custom-floor-patch.html


Thank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Energy. Feel free to comment in the section below or contact Scotts Contracting- St Louis Home Improvement Projects and Energy Reducing Needs Get Your Green Building Tips and Resources at St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog

Importance of Keystone,Springers,Voussoirs-Architectural Arches StLouis Brick Building

Keystone (architecture)

Decorative Lion Head Keystone

Location of Keystone-Architectural Arch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: 

A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece 

at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which 

is the final piece placed during construction 

and locks all the stones into position, allowing 

the arch to bear weight. 

Although a masonry arch or vault cannot be 

self-supporting until the keystone is placed, 

the keystone experiences the least stress 

of any of the voussoirs, 

due to its position at the apex.

Keystone, Springers, Voussoirs StLouis Brick Building

Voussoir

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A voussoir (pronounced /vuˈswɑr/) is a wedge-shaped element, 

typically a stone, used in building an arch or vault.

Although each unit in an arch or vault is a voussoir, 

two units are of distinct functional importance: 

the keystone and the springer. 

• The keystone is the center stone or masonry unit 

            at the apex of an arch. 

• The springer is the lowermost voussoir, 

located where the curve of the arch springs from the 

vertical support or abutment of the wall or pier.

The word is a mason's term borrowed in Middle English from 

French verbs connoting a "turn" (OED). Each wedge-shaped 

voussoir turns aside the thrust of the mass above, transferring 

it from stone to stone to the springer's bottom face ('impost'), 

which is horizontal and passes the thrust on to the supports. 

Voussoir arches distribute weight efficiently and take maximum 

advantage of the compressive strength of stone, as in an arch bridge.

In Eastern Romanesque and Arab architecture the voussoirs are 

often in alternating colors, usually red and white.

During the 18th and 19th centuries British bricklayers became 

aware that by thickening the vertical mortar joint between regularly 

shaped bricks from bottom to top they could construct an elliptical 

arch of useful strength over either a standard 'former' or over 

specially constructed timber false work, (work to be removed following 

the construction of the prime). The bricks used in such an arch 

are often referred to as 'voussoirs'.

StLouis Building Preservation-Tuckpointing-Architectural Arches

Day 1 Work Photos showing the Architectural Details and how the Brick Mortar had eroded away in the 100+ year life of the building.  


Note: Mortar has eroded to the point that the Key Stones will loose their position and start the Domino Effect and allow the Entire wall to collapse.

When #MortarJoints  have deterriorated to this point it takes quite a bit of effort and patience to completely fill the voids {Tuck-pointing} to hold the #Bricks  in place.

#architecture   #BuildingPreservation   #Keystone  #BrickBuildings   #Tuck-pointing   #MasonryServices  #StLouisMo   #ShadyJacksSaloon  #DowntownStLouis  #Keystone #Springer #Voussoirs #StLouisArchitecture 

With 65%+ of the Mortar gone Keystones, Springers, and Voussoirs fall out of place creating a Domino Effect and will eventually lead to #BrickBuildingCollapse

Side View of Overhead Architectural Details in need of Tuck-pointing

View of Overhead Architectural Details in need of Tuck-pointing

Mortar almost completely eroded from Bricks-
Luckily the Keystones are still in place and the
Architectural Arches are holding their own!

Scaffolding is a must have for Brick and Masonry Work

End Day 1-StLouis Building Preservation-Tuck-pointing 

Here is a video of the view of the Downtown, StLouis Area from the perch on the Scaffolding in the Prior Pics.  Rather than listen to the Traffic on I-170 we have our Radio Dial on KSHE95.

Here is one of the many final pics on the Project:

Tuck-pointing and Acid Clean-Up of Shady Jacks Building Preservation Front Entrance Make Over

Just Finished the Tuck-pointing and Acid Clean-Up of Shady Jacks Building Preservation Front Entrance Make Over.   Getting another 100 years of Service from this Masonry Brick Building will not be an issue now!  

There are some BIG plans for this building.  Stay Tuned for further details. Hint: #Sports  and #Fitness 

No rest for the wicked and its onto another project Tuesday!  We will be finishing up the project started last summer- I'll be performing: #weldingservices  #carpentryservices  & #flooringservices  as well as a little #hvacservices  while we finish up the Benton Rehab Project- to see the prior projects photos and details of work completed so far check out the Green Blog at the last blog posting here: http://stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com/2013/01/benton-rehab-flooring-custom-floor-patch.html

Thank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Energy. Feel free to comment in the section below or contact Scotts Contracting- St Louis Home Improvement Projects and Energy Reducing Needs Get Your Green Building Tips and Resources at St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog

StLouis Property Owner Public Meeting Notice-Set The PACE StLouis

Low Cost Financing for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Upgrades now Available to City of StLouis Residential and Commercial Building Owners.

• Who: StLouis Propety Owners

• What: Public Meeting Financing for Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Financing Resources

• Where: SLDC- 1520 Market St, StLouis MO

• When: July 17, 2013

The City's Set the PACE St. Louis program is a great opportunity. If building owners use this financing tool, it will promote energy efficiency, save money, help the environment and create jobs. Mayor Francis G. Slay

• Streamlined qualification process
• Low, fixed payments
• Over 150,000 eligible products
• Positive cash flow through energy savings
• Balance transfers to new property owner upon sale
• Interest is tax deductible*
  *Consult your tax attorney or accountant

Eligible Projects

• Energy Efficiency Products
• Renewable Energy Systems
• Water Efficiency Systems

Public Meeting for

Property Owners

July 17th, 2013 at 6:00 pm - 

St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC)
1520 Market Street, St Louis MO (google map)

View Larger Map

Thank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Energy. Feel free to comment in the section below or contact Scotts Contracting- St Louis Home Improvement Projects and Energy Reducing Needs Get Your Green Building Tips and Resources at St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog