Empowering Older Adults for Energy Efficiency: Educational Imperatives & Initiatives

1. Empowering Older Adults for Energy Efficiency: Educational Imperatives & Initiatives David Burdick, PhD, Director, Stockton Center on Successful Aging South Jersey Energy Symposium: Implementing the Energy Master Plan The William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at the Richard Stockton College of NJ March 31, 2009

2. Intersections of Age and Environment • Key Concepts … Lewin’s Behavioral Model • Psychologists and the Environment • B = f (P, E) … circa 1930s (“Behavior is a function of the person and the environment”) • B = f (P, E, P x E) … circa 1960s (“Behavior is a function of the person, the environment, and the complex interaction of person and environment.”) • Environment & Aging Taskforce, AGHE … circa 2009. (The Association for Gerontology in Higher Education recognizes the need to encourage gerontology programs to consider environment.)

3. Intersections of Age and Environment • Key Conference Concepts … NJ’s Energy MasterPlan • The Generation, Distribution, & Utilization of Power … • Using new approaches and paradigms … • To reduce waste, reduce greenhouse emissions, to(hopefully) slow or reverse global warming, in order to avoid widespread environmental degradation, severe/dangerous weather phenomena, sea-level rises, species extinction, or worse.

4. Intersections of Age and Environment • Key Concepts … NJ’s Energy Master Plan • Generation: • Alternate Sources: Carbon/Fossil Fuels, Nuclear, Wind, Solar, Biofuels, Hydro, etc. • Co-Generation and other Hybrid concepts • Distribution: Smart Grids, Microgrids, etc. • Utilization: Energy Star, Smart House, Hybrid Cars, Educated Consumers (off-peak use), etc.

5. Intersection of Aging with Global Warming • “We cannot know the shape of history in the next forty years, but one prediction is safe: namely, population aging will take place rapidly, both in advanced industrialized countries as well as in the developing world.” (Moody, 2009 - PPAR) Intersecting Megatrends:Global Warming and Global Aging

6. Key Concepts of Aging: Distribution • Population Distribution: Global Aging is clear • World population over 65+ will double by 2050 • Fastest in Europe, U.S., Japan (1st to Industrialize in 20th Century). • L.E. at Birth from approx. 40 in 1900 to approx. 80 in 2000! Centenarians # almost 60,000 in U.S. today. • In the U.S. 65+ comprised 3% of pop in 1900, 10% in 1975, 13% now, probably 20% in 2050. • In 2050 the world will have 2 Bill inhabitants 60+ • For the first time our population will have more 60+ than 18 and Under! • Consequences? Intersecting Megatrends:Global Warming and Global Aging

7. Key Concepts of Aging: Generation • The Aging Baby Boomers • 70 Million Strong. The “Biggest Generation” • Nearly 2x Size of Prior of Subsequent Generation • Some Unique Characteristics in their youth: • Hot Pants and Disco; neighborhood recycling • Jetsons, Star Trek (“Carbon Units”), • In their youth, they fully embraced the old African Proverb: “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem” • How about when they grow old? tersecting Megatrends:Global Warming and Global Aging

8. Key Concepts of Aging: Utilization • Our Utilization of Energy … Fossil Fuels and Older Adults • The 20th Century involved incredibly wasteful use of resources • Disengagement, Mandatory Retirement • Throw-Away Society & “Why Survive”? • So, why change? Intersecting Megatrends:Global Warming and Global Aging

9. Power and Empowerment • Generate … • Generation … Can the “Biggest Generation” become the “Greatest Generation II”? (Encore Careers, Environmental Stewards, Legacy Leaving). • Generativity … Erikson’s notion of a complete life. • Intergenerational … Solidarity, Cooperation, Exchange • How else can we link our concepts to reach our Energy Plan goals? Wide-scale citizen involvement is needed, and older adults are a unique and growing segment of our population. Aging and Environment: Gray and Green – Perfect Together

10. Aging and Environment: Gray and Green – Perfect Together • Carbon Units, Carbon Fuels, Carbon Sequestering

11. Empowering Older Adults …. Smart Grids • “Clearly, citizen involvement on a large scale is needed to address pressing issues of environmental conservation and sustainability … the older population can constitute a special resource for environmental action in the form of volunteerism and civic engagement” (Pillemer & Wagenet, 2008 – PPAR) Aging and Environment: Gray and Green – Perfect Together

12. Smart Grid Alternative Energy: The Civic Enterprise Public Policy Bowling Alone AoA NAAS Research / Education Government Urban Institute WHCoA Health Benefits of Social Engagement CNCS NGA OAA Senior Corps Successful Aging WUSTL Experience Wave HSPH Temple University Troops to Teachers SCORE GSA Experience Corps NCCCR n4a Get Involved Partnerships for Public Service Generations United Lifelong Access Libraries Hands On Network NCOA Leadership Network ITN ReServe GIA Respectability New Directions Nat’l Aging Orgs Civic Ventures Purpose Prize ASA VolunteerMatch BreakThrough Award Executive Service Corps Bridgestar OLLI Atlantic Philanthropies Elderhostel Peace Corps Encore AARP/ Best 50+ Employers Taproot Templeton PrimeTime UPS MetLife Connectors PBS Life Part 2 MacArthur Case Corporate Citizenship Successful Aging Initiative WSJ Encore Virginia G. Piper Sherry Lansing Company Volunteer Programs Points of Light The Open Road Annie E. Casey The Conference Board Regeneration JEoA Business Foundations Media Greg O’Neill, www.civicengagement.org

13. Government: The Environmental Protection Agency • The Environmental Protection Agency Senior Initiative • Older Adults are more susceptible to environmental extremes, hazards, toxins. • Older Adults can be part of the solution: • Spend more time in homes than other age groups. • Home energy use accounts for about 30% of U.S. carbon emissions. • Several innovative citizen involvement efforts currently underway EPA Older adult Programs

14. As a major change agent, source of research, education, service, Higher Education must play a special and central role. • Stockton Center on Successful Aging Events: (Sustainability & Empowerment • Americans Face Up to the Nation's Finances, Andrew Yarrow, Ph.D., VP of Public Agenda (Washington, DC). April 16, 6pm, Alton Auditorium • Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Kathleen Sullivan, PhD, University of Notre Dame. April 29, 6pm, Alton Auditorium., • Gray and Green: Selected • Older Adult Education Programs Higher Education’s ROLE

15. Intersections of Age and Environment • Reference and Resources • Generations United: www.gu.org • Hudson, R.B. (ed.) (2008 Spring). Public Policy and Aging Report: Special Issue on Environment and Aging. National Academy on an Aging Society, 18 (2), 28 pgs. Available for purchase at: www.agingsociety.org * Note: this is the source of all citations using “PPAR” in slides. • Krach, Constance A. & Victoria A. Velkoff, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, Series P23-199RV. Centenarians in the United States.U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1999. Available online: http://www.census.gov/prod/99pubs/p23-199.pdf • Stockton Center on Successful Aging (http://www.stockton.edu/scosa . • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Aging Initiative (http://www.epa.gov/aging)