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...major space players would probably be our erstwhile enemies China and Russia. The International Space Station shows that international cooperation is possible, at least on a small scale. Rather than try to leapfrog so far past China that they’ll never catch us, we should instead co-opt them into our plans for planetary exploration and let them help cover costs. It’s not too much of a stretch to hope that cooperation on space issues could lead to further cooperation on energy and climate issues as well...
President Obama touched down in the Czech Republic at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday, two hours ahead of schedule, raising expectations that he might opt for a night on the town. Indeed, as soon as the motorcade arrived at his downtown hotel, agents began preparing for an imminent departure to an undisclosed dinner location. But the first couple chose to stay in, opting for an early night after four grueling days on the road...
...kinds of human frailties are revealing how to help people change - not only through mandates or financial incentives but also via subtler nudges that preserve our freedom to make choices while encouraging us to make better ones, from automatic-enrollment 401(k) plans that require us to opt out if we don't want to save for retirement to smart meters that warn us about how much energy we're using. These nudges can trigger huge changes; in a 2001 study, only 36% of women joined a 401(k) plan when they had to sign up for it, but when...
Social norms help explain the attraction of opt-out 401(k)s as well: it's not just that we're too lazy to check a box but also that we assume the default is the accepted thing to do. Obama's push to weatherize millions of homes - another stimulus bonanza - will require new norms. In Oregon, a countywide program to upgrade windows and insulation at almost no cost to homeowners got a tepid response. But after an intense mobilization campaign - through citizen councils, churches and Girl Scouts who went door-to-door asking residents why they hadn't weatherized...
...need to change our hearts like that. Opt-out 401(k)s, simpler mortgage applications, programmable thermostats and cost-effective medical protocols can help us do the right things even if we remain ignorant, lazy, greedy and obsessed with childish things. It doesn't matter if we save energy because we care about the earth or our money or our neighbors; we just need to save energy. The government just needs to provide the right rules, incentives and nudges to help us make the right choices. It would be nice if Obama could change our social norms so that green...