Make Earth Day count and start doing things to help all year long
April 23, 2012 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Earth Day is a great opportunity to appreciate the planet that provides for us all year long. Sierra Club Green Home has seven simple things you can do for the environment this weekend, and hopefully you will incorporate them into your daily life as well!
1) Attend a clean-up in your community. This weekend there are clean-ups going on all around the country. A simple Web search can help you find one in your city or town. If by chance you cannot find one, don’t hesitate to pick up that stray piece of trash that might be blowing down the road.
2) Conserve water. We use a good amount of water through simple everyday tasks such as brushing our teeth, taking showers, and washing the dishes. There is also the amount of water used to produce our food and other products. Try to track how much water you use in one day, and look for areas where you can reduce your water footprint.
How Can we Separate Man Made Greenhouse Gases from Those Naturally Occurring?
April 23, 2012 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
A research team has developed a new monitoring system to analyze and compare emissions from man-made fossil fuels and trace gases in the atmosphere, a technique that likely could be used to monitor the effectiveness of measures regulating greenhouse gases.
The University of Colorado Boulder-led team looked at atmospheric gas measurements taken every two weeks from aircraft over a six-year period over the northeast United States to collect samples of CO2 and other environmentally important gases.
Big Solar
April 23, 2012 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Solar power tends to be big because it covers a large amount of area with its panels. The world’s largest solar thermal power plant (by physical size) is nearly double the size of the original largest in Denmark – is now online in Saudi Arabia, reinforcing the notion that this Saudi Arabia has a lot of oil and a lot of sunlight. As long as the sun shines this sort of power is virtually limitless. Plentiful sun shines down on Saudi Arabia, and the panels that allow this project to run are massive. Each one covers 107 square feet (10 square meters) and weighs 375 pounds (170 kilos). The panels have a transparent coating to enhance their performance, and they also require a special mounting system to keep them bolted to the roofs when Saudi Arabia’s notoriously vicious sandstorms hit Riyadh. Solar thermal power is a technology for harnessing solar energy for thermal (heat) purposes.
15 Agricultural Innovations Protecting the Environment on Earth Day
April 23, 2012 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
For the last 40 years, Earth Day has been celebrated around the world to call attention to some of our most pressing environmental and social problems, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and dwindling natural resources. This year, the Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet highlights 15 agricultural innovations that are already working on the ground to address some of those problems.
4 Ways Get Clean Energy Off the Subsidies Treadmill
April 23, 2012 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
(And why that natural gas boom is no panacea.)
Be Part of the Conversation this Earth Day
April 22, 2012 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
This weekend, people across the US and around the world will celebrate the 42nd annual Earth Day. After four decades, the event that started with 20 million Americans has blossomed into a day of service and celebration for nearly a billion people in every part of the planet. Every year I’m reminded that at the heart of Earth Day there is a simple goal: Help every person see the connections between our lives and the health of our environment.
The first Earth Day was organized as a series of teach-ins to start a discussion about the pollution in our communities, and those small beginnings sparked major changes: the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, which turns 40 this year.
Bringing people together around these issues continues to be essential, and we have been working to expand the conversation on environmentalism to new places. We want mothers and fathers to know how important clean air is to their health and the health of their children. We want African Americans and Latinos to join the conversation about environmental challenges in their communities, so we can address disparities in asthma, cancer and other illnesses, and work for environmental justice. We want you – wherever you live – to start your own conversation about protecting health and the environment.
Fortunately, this Earth Day we have more ways to connect, discuss and act than ever before.
- Use our map to find Earth Day events near you – I’m planning to be on the National Mall meeting the young people who submitted cutting-edge projects to EPA’s People, Prosperity and the Planet Student Design Competition.
- While you’re out and about on Earth Day, snap a picture and submit it to our Environment in a Day 24-hour photo collection.
- Take EPA’s Greenquest quiz. Post your score on the wall and you may get a chance to share your story as a guest blogger for EPA.
- Be a part of the Six Words for the Planet micro-essay project.
- Watch the Look Beneath the Surface Earth Day video, then be a part of our EPA Conversations. You can share your ideas for protecting the environment, and vote on others.
We’re counting on you to tell your friends and family, your local officials, and your entire world about protecting our health and preserving our planet. I hope you’ll lend your voice to these important issues, Earth Day and every day.
About the author: Lisa Jackson is the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Power to the People
April 22, 2012 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Over the last few weeks, I have toured sites that hold an exciting potential for the next chapter in America’s energy future. Most people don’t look at landfills, contaminated industrial sites, or parking lots with a twinkle in their eyes, but I do. I hope you will too.
Solar PV array at Brockton Brightfields installation in MA
As a solar person, I am always on the look-out for prime sites for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. In addition to solar resources, I look for a few simple things: clear southern exposures, flat or gentle grades, and close proximity to power lines. In general, I am looking for space, whether it is an open rooftop or an abandoned rail yard.
With over 13,000 sites and nearly 22 million acres of EPA-tracked potentially contaminated and underutilized properties nationwide, I see an untapped potential for large-scale deployment of renewable energy. That acreage receives a whole lot of sunshine and, in some cases, gets its fair share of wind. For communities interested in renewables, these sites offer a unique value proposition.
In many cases, these properties have blighted the community for years. From the perspective of a renewable energy developer, these sites are attractive due to their proximity to existing distribution or transmission lines, favorable zoning, and potentially lower land costs. With this redevelopment approach, I see the potential to turn these liabilities into community assets by remediating the site and deploying pollution-free energy facilities.
Wind-Turbines-at-Steel-Winds-facility-in-NY
Partnering with DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and remediation experts here at EPA, the RE-Powering team converted our collective knowledge into new tools to guide state and local governments, site owners, clean-up project managers, and other stakeholders through a process for screening potentially contaminated sites and landfills for their suitability for future redevelopment with PV or wind energy.
This knowledge is now bundled in a simple decision-tree format to enable communities to screen sites without needing renewable energy expertise. We built the screening tools to provide quick feedback on whether or not a site could be viable based on technical or economic criteria. The tools provide a thorough check than my quick check during a site walk. Throughout the process, we provide context for each of the criteria and point to additional tools and references to work through the evaluation process. Our goal is to empower communities to bring their vision of a solar array or wind farm one step closer.
While site walks at brownfields and landfills don’t always offer inspiring views, they are the next step in an inspired approach to expanding our American-made, renewable energy generation. Screen your sites. Take a walk. RE-Power America’s Land.
About the author: Katie Brown is the AAAS Science & Technology fellow hosted in the Center for Program Analysis in the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. Prior to her fellowship, Katie worked in the solar industry in product development and at NREL on device design and government-industry partnerships.
Giving New Life To The Dead Zone
April 22, 2012 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
By John Senn
Dead zone. It sounds like something out of a zombie movie, and I wish it was. But dead zones, areas of a water body where aquatic life cannot survive because of low oxygen levels, are very real. Dead zones are generally caused by significant nutrient pollution, and are primarily a problem for bays, lakes and coastal waters since they receive excess nutrients, usually nitrogen and phosphorous, from upstream sources. The largest dead zone in the United States – about 6,500 square miles, or roughly the size of Massachusetts – is in the Gulf of Mexico and occurs every summer because of nutrient pollution from the Mississippi River Basin.
Because the dead zone in the Gulf is such a complex problem, addressing it requires a comprehensive strategy on the part of five federal agencies, the 12 states that comprise the Mississippi River basin, farmers, university scientists and many others. Last week, the group charged with giving new life to the Gulf of Mexico dead zone – the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force – met in Memphis, Tennessee.
This meeting wasn’t your ordinary government get together. Jane Hardisty, who works on agricultural issues for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Indiana, gave a great demonstration – think back to high school earth science classes — about the benefits of leaving soil untilled. Davis Minton, who’s been farming his family’s land in Missouri since he was a boy, talked about how wetlands mitigation can help restore the environment and increase profits. And Suzy Friedman from Environmental Defense Fund discussed how evaluating and adapting land management practices can reduce nutrient pollution.
But my favorite part of the meeting was a trip to Stovall Farms in Clarksdale, Mississippi to see a host of nutrient pollution reduction strategies in action. Stovall Farms, which is also the birthplace of the blues musician Muddy Waters, is a roughly 6,000-acre farm that produces corn, cotton, soybeans and wheat. A number of innovative, cost-effective projects across Stovall Farms, which were partially-funded through EPA’s Section 319 Nonpoint Source Program, are designed to more efficiently using water and prevent nutrient-laden soil from leaving the farm.
Addressing nutrient pollution in the Mississippi River Basin is a tremendous task, but I was heartened by all the hard work that I heard about and saw last week. I’m hopeful that all this great work will someday mean that you’ll only hear the term “dead zone” in zombie movies.
About the author: John Senn is the deputy communications director in EPA’s Office of Water in Washington, D.C. Previously, John was a press officer in EPA’s New York City regional office handling issues related to water and Superfund cleanups. He has also worked in EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation and is a member of the Agency’s emergency response team.
Green Choices Are The Right Choices
April 22, 2012 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
By Lina Younes
Environmental protection takes hard work. Doing the right thing for your environment and your health involves tough choices. Whether you want to save water, save energy, protect natural resources, reduce toxic chemicals, all these actions involve making a choice between a greener option or a less environmentally friendly option. Let me explain.
The greenest option is not always the easiest. For example, you want to save water? You can’t let the water faucet run without end. You can’t take a shower mindlessly. Want some suggestions for water conservation? Turn off the tap while shaving or brushing your teeth. Take showers instead of baths and the shorter the better.
Over the years, many of us have gotten used to recycling used bottles and cans. However, reducing waste from the outset involves a greater effort. What can you save today? For example, instead of using disposable plastic bags for saving food, save leftovers in reusable durable containers. Look for products that have less packaging. These are some suggestions on how to make greener choices for the environment.
Want additional suggestions on how you can help protect natural resources like water, air, land, and energy? Please visit our Website. The choices may seem simple, but there is no doubt that they require a conscious decision if you want to incorporate these actions into your daily lifestyle. Doing so will go a long way to having a healthier environment. What have you done for the environment lately? We would love to hear from you.
About the author: Lina Younes is the Multilingual Outreach and Communications Liaison for EPA. Among her duties, she’s responsible for outreach to Hispanic organizations and media. She spearheaded the team that recently launched EPA’s new Spanish website, www.epa.gov/espanol . She manages EPA’s social media efforts in Spanish. She’s currently the editor of EPA’s new Spanish blog, Conversando acerca de nuestro medio ambiente. Prior to joining the agency, she was the Washington bureau chief for two Puerto Rican newspapers and an international radio broadcaster. She has held other positions in and out of the Federal Government.
La primavera es la época para sembrar…hasta en Greenversations
April 22, 2012 by John McRae · Leave a Comment
Por Kelly Dulka
El blog de Greenversations comenzó el Día del Planeta Tierra en el 2008. Desde entonces hemos compartido 1,500 entradas en 70 categorías diferentes y hemos leído unos 48,000 comentarios de personas como ustedes. Como una de las editoras de Greenversations, siempre he esperado con interés escuchar el sentir de muchos de nuestros lectores regulares y hasta he podido anticipar cuáles de las entradas al blog evocarían mucha interacción. También he visto cómo muchas de nuestras series (como los miércoles científicos y la serie bilingüe de Lina Younes) han tenidos su propios adeptos.
Por eso, después de un profundo análisis y una gran labor, hemos decidido tomar algunos “injertos” de este exitoso blog y sembrarlos. Ahora les pedimos que los alimenten y cuiden de ellos al leerlos y contribuir para que continúen desarrollándose estas conversaciones. A la misma vez, los hemos remozado, llevando todos nuestros blogs bajo un mismo diseño y creando una página donde encontrará todo en un mismo lugar.
Greenversations es ahora oficialmente el nombre de la familia de blogs de EPA y los foros de discusión. Notará que hay algunos elementos nuevos en todos nuestros blogs. Por ejemplo, hemos facilitado el proceso bajo el cual podrá compartir las entradas en Facebook, Twitter, y por correo electrónico así como de otras maneras. También podrá suscribirse a cada blog por correo electrónico o podrá recibir la familia entera de blogs Greenversations en Twitter.
Les exhortamos a que dediquen un momento para explorar todos nuestros blogs y leerlos e interactuar con otros lectores.
Lo que habían conocido como Greenversations (Conversaciones verdes) desde el 2008 ahora se conocerá como “Es nuestro medio ambiente” http://blog.epa.gov/blog/ y continuaremos compartiendo ideas con empleados de EPA en todo el país. Otros blogs existentes ahora aparecerán con un nuevo diseño:
- The Eco-Student (El eco estudiante–para estudiantes entre 12 y 18 años),
- Healthy Waters for EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region (Aguas saludables de la Región del Medio-Atlántico de EPA–acerca de la próxima generación de protección de agua),
- Greening the Apple (Reverdeciendo la Manzana–acerca de la ciudad de New York), y
- State of the Environment Photo Project (Proyecto fotográfico sobre el estado del medio ambiente–donde destacaremos algunas de sus fotos)
Y ahora estamos lanzando unos blogs nuevos:
- Environmental Justice in Action (Justicia ambiental en acción–un blog acerca de los esfuerzos por lograr la justicia ambiental en comunidades que sobrellevan una carga excesiva de contaminación),
- It All Starts with Science (Todo comienza con las ciencias–es lo que solía ser la serie de los miércoles dedicados a las ciencias), y
- Conversando acerca de nuestro medio ambiente (nuestro nuevo blog en español de la popular autora bilingüe de Greenversations, Lina Younes)
Estamos muy entusiasmados por continuar expandiendo nuestros ofertas de blogs y les agradecemos el que nos hayan leído y compartido durante estos años. Hemos convertido a Greenversations en uno de los blogs gubernamentales más robustos e innovadores. ¡Favor de ayudarnos a cuidar de estos nuevos retoños y esperamos verlos en nuestro jardín!
Acerca de la autora: Kelly Dulka trabaja en la Oficina de Comunicaciones de la Red en las Oficinas Centrales de EPA en Washington, DC.
