Greenversations

Every so often I wake up with the “The Three R’s” by Jack Johnson stuck in my head. Given where I work it’s an appropriate mantra to be bopping around to. I guess that part of my brain that runs on kids tunes doesn’t need coffee.

“Reduce, reuse, recycle…”

There are worse tunes to have on repeat in your brain, way worse! I’m grateful the catchy number exists on the less than glamorous subject of waste disposal. Perhaps it’s the warm-up to my workday. Fitting.

The concept of the three R’s has been around for a long time and the three arrows are a recognizable icon, but there’s a new kid in town and they need to make some room.

How about accomplishing all three, while making something really cool? Two weeks ago I posed a challenge to encourage readers to submit photos and accounts of an upcycled product they created. As promised, it’s time to show off your goods! Congratulations to Dennis Mijares who submitted this photo on January 31, 2012 on Flickr of purses made from plastic bags.

Upcycling is like a landfill diet, why toss what we can use? Who knew that waste could look so good? I hope these photos inspire you to give it a try, do share photos of what you create! Professionally constructed to kids crafts alike are welcome. I must admit, I’m a little disappointed I didn’t see any cardboard mantelpieces…

Talk to a friend about it and ask them if they’ve heard of the concept. Be sure to share that it’s good for us by cutting down on waste, helps spread environmental awareness and action and can even support local artisans and communities.

It’s a great idea for a community or school fundraiser, start an upcycling project and let us know how it goes!

If you haven’t Picked the 5 actions you can do for our environment where you live, get on it! Join the 4,000 likes on Facebook and the 8,222 others around the world who have made the official pledge. Share your story and inspire others to do the same!

About the author: Jeanethe Falvey writes from EPA’s Office of External Affairs and Environmental Education, as the project-lead for Pick 5 and the State of the Environment, two projects geared towards learning, sharing and gaining a greater collective connection to our environment.

By Maryann Helferty

When one visits a place, often one hears a language unique to that location. On a warm day last May, I listened to a team of interpreters in a Philadelphia park. We were not learning a spoken language but rather the language of healthy streams, diverse forest and plant communities, even the complex signals of birds.

Here in the mid-Atlantic, many families live in cities and suburbs. Land use patterns distance people from the natural world, making it too easy for youth to adopt sedentary lives, missing out on unstructured outdoor play. Among the many benefits of being outdoors is physical exercise. According to the White House “Let’s Move” Initiative, doctors, teachers, and other professionals agree that outdoor activity is one of the easiest and most fun ways to get–and stay– fit.

Federal agencies in the mid-Atlantic region are promoting new ways to connect youth with healthier lifestyles and with the environment. Environmental education can serve two purposes: training the next generation of environmental stewards and creating active learning opportunities. For example, the Pennsylvania Master Naturalist program trains people with a passion for the natural world. They participate in an intensive training program and use their knowledge to give back to the community through volunteer service. Click on the link below to JUMP into the stream with them!

Since 2010, high school students from Philadelphia, Pa. and Camden NJ have joined an apprentice program to prepare for green jobs in museum education. Trainings for Master Naturalists are held in the field where students experience the value of teamwork and the commitment of learning – in all kinds of weather. The program builds ties between generations as members of the Senior Environment Corps also get involved in service learning. In partnership with a number of federal and state agencies, the Master Naturalist program is coordinated by the Pennsylvania Institute for Conservation Education.  Note the 2012 application deadline is February 17th for the 2012 Philadelphia County sessions. Help spread the word!

When you think of your special place in the Mid-Atlantic, who taught you what made it special? How do you pass on your sense of place to others?

About the author: Maryann Helferty is an Environmental Scientist with the Office of Environmental Innovation for EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region. In her work on drinking water protection and sustainability, she blends science and education tools to promote the Environment, Social Equity and a Sustainable Economy.

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.

By Nancy Stoner

During his State of the Union address, President Obama spoke about the need to develop skills for American workers, to ensure our students and workers get the education and training they need so that we have a workforce ready to take on the jobs of today and tomorrow. This is particularly important right now, because as the President said, this is a make or break moment for the middle class and those trying to reach it.

As EPA and its partners work to protect the environment and public health, we are also working to ensure that American workers have the skills to participate in the burgeoning environmental technology industry, which generated approximately $300 billion in revenues, $43.8 billion in exports, and supported almost 1.7 million jobs in 2008. I recently saw two outstanding examples in Atlanta and San Francisco.

First I visited the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, which works in environmental justice communities in the city. I toured the organization’s nature and educational center, where community members are engaged in various activities, such as trash removal from streams, rain barrel and rain garden construction to reduce water pollution and urban aquaculture and gardening. The alliance also provides educational activities for local teens, such as interpretive urban forest nature hikes and summer camp experiences. Partially supported by environmental justice and urban waters grants from EPA, these activities are exposing youths and local residents to new skills and career possibilities in environmental protection and community revitalization.

On the other side of the country in San Francisco, I visited a center that demonstrates green building, renewable energy and water protection. The EcoCenter at Heron’s Park, which was funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, treats its wastewater using constructed wetlands and ultraviolet sterilization lamps. It also features a green roof, a plant-based wastewater treatment system, rainwater harvesting, and native landscaping, which conserve water and prevent stormwater runoff. I learned that the center partners with San Francisco City College, which provides technical education and a degree in sustainability. Also in an environmental justice community, the EcoCenter offers students and community members the opportunity to gain skills in environmental technology and explore future careers.

These efforts in Atlanta and San Francisco are precisely the type of approach the President is calling for – they will keep our environment, our economy and our people thriving for many generations to come.

About the author: Nancy Stoner is the Acting Assistant Administrator for the EPA’s Office of Water

By Lina Younes

For more than a decade, EPA has had a Spanish presence on the Web in order to provide information to the Spanish-speaking community across the nation. The Agency has always made an effort to provide relevant information on key environmental issues to Hispanics so together, we can fulfill our mission of protecting human health and the environment. However, the Web content in Spanish has only been a fraction of what is readily available on EPA’s main website. After months of hard work of reviewing our Spanish content, we have just given a new “look and feel” to EPA’s Spanish portal.  Not only did we want to make the website more consistent with the experience that many have when they visit our English pages, we also wanted to make sure that we offered the relevant information needed for the Spanish-speaking community to make informed decisions about its health and the environment. Do Spanish-speaking consumers find the environmental information they are looking for when they visit our site? Do small businesses find the information needed to adopt green business practices? Do teachers find useful tools to develop lesson plans that will foster environmental education in and outside of the classroom?

We have also made a concerted effort to bring the new Spanish site into the 21st century by developing the latest social media tools in Spanish and readily displaying them on our site. We are proud of our new page, but we want to hear from you! That’s why in cyber-speak we decided to go with a “beta launch” or also known as a “soft launch.” Why? Because we plan to continue developing this page to make it better. We want to add additional content in Spanish that will serve your needs. We want your feedback regarding how easy it is for you to navigate through our new page and if you find the information you are looking for most often. Do the pictures and graphics convey the intended message or distract you from the information at hand? Are there informational gaps?

So, check it out .  We want to know your opinion. We need your feedback. We welcome constructive criticism. We want to hear from you!

About the author: Lina Younes has been working for EPA since 2002 and currently serves as EPA’s Multilingual Outreach and Communications Liaison in the Office of External Affairs and Environmental Education. Prior to joining EPA, she was the Washington bureau chief for two Puerto Rican newspapers and she has worked for several government agencies.

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.

Each week we write about the science behind environmental protection.Previous Science Wednesdays.

By Marguerite Huber

On Sunday, February 5th 2012, thousands of people descended upon Indianapolis, Indiana to watch Super Bowl XLVI. While millions watched the game, they were probably unaware of the sustainability actions that were put forth at Lucas Oil Stadium.

I spoke with NFL Environmental Program Director, Jack Groh, about what his job entails. He describes his job as incorporating environmental principles into sporting events, all the while making good business decisions. In the 18 years Groh has been with the NFL, they have kept expanding their sustainability actions, moving from just solid waste recycling to green energy seven years ago.

This year the NFL will be offsetting the energy for the stadium with Renewable Energy Credits for an entire month! “We are renting the stadium for a month, so we believe we are responsible for our tenancy,” states Groh. In addition to the stadium, the program will be offsetting the city’s convention center and four major hotels. That’s an estimated total offset of 15,000 megawatt hours.

“Every year there is something new and exciting. We want to push the envelope and look for new impacts and strategies,” Groh proclaims. For example, diverting waste from landfills by promoting recycling and reuse, collecting extra prepared food for donations for soup kitchens, donating building and decorative materials to local organizations, and reducing the impact of greenhouse gases from Super Bowl activities. My favorite is the 2,012 Trees program, which will help plant 2,012 trees in Indianapolis to help offset environmental impacts.

What I found most interesting from talking with Mr. Groh was that he does not spend a lot of time with publicity, which is why many of you may have never heard of this program. “People are amazed that we have been doing this for two decades. We don’t do it to create an image or green presence in the media, but do it because it’s the right thing and a really smart way to run things. Our goal is make the Super Bowl as green as we possibly can make it.” Groh admitted.

Sustainability and sports is a growing trend, even if it is not seen on the surface of our favorite sporting events. I am excited to see how professional leagues will mold the core of their existence into a new form of competition that is not just for teams, but for the professional leagues themselves. With sustainability, everybody wins!

About the author: EPA intern Marguerite Huber is working on Masters in Public Affairs from Indiana University, concentrating in sustainable development.

By Kathy Sykes

The 2012 Rachel Carson contest will focus on water, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. The scientist and author, Rachel Carson, is the inspiration of the EPA’s Rachel Carson intergenerational contest. She wrote that for a child to keep alive an inborn sense of wonder, the companionship of at least one adult is needed to share and rediscover the joy, excitement and mystery of the world.

My friend’s daughter asked her brother what percent of the earth’s water was potable, or drinkable. He correctly guessed 1 percent. But then he said 1% is a lot of water bottles. She then asked me “Where water came from? I referred her to a kid’s site prepared by our Regional office in Kansas City.

Many of my favorite memories as a child were spent near water. It’s hard to decide where I have had the most fun and with whom I should team up and enter this contest.

One memory involves a family trip to Sanibel Island with my brother’s eldest children, Steven and Jessie. Steven was 3 at the time and Jessie was 4. They danced along the shore, playing ring around the rosie as the waves tickled their tiny toes and giggling constantly as they fell into the soft sand. That happy moment was captured by my mother and is my favorite photo. I can still taste the salty air and hear the gentle, lapping waves.

I think you get the idea. Find a partner or two, discover a place, somewhere you want to explore, or recall some place you’ve been. Share a story, a photo, a dance or poem, and enter the Sense of Water contest. It’s good for the heart— and soul. But don’t take my word for it—jump in and make a splash.

About the author: Kathy Sykes is working on sustainability, across the lifespan, in EPA’s Office of Research and Development. She is also representing EPA on the National Prevention Strategy. She launched the Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Contest 6 years ago with sponsoring organizations including Generations United, the Rachel Carson Council Inc, the Dance Exchange, and the National Center for Creative Aging.

By Lina Younes

I don’t know about you, but it takes me forever to put away all the holiday decorations once the festivities are over. While all my family members are eager to put up the Christmas tree and decorations right after Thanksgiving, I just don’t find the same number of enthusiastic helpers available at the beginning of the new year. When I finally came around to putting the decorations away, I realized that I had to do more to remove the clutter and start the overall process of having a healthier home environment.

When I embarked on this project to get some order at home, I decided to break it down by room because otherwise the task seemed overwhelming. I enlisted my youngest to help me clean up the toy room first to recycle or donate many of those objects that were just sitting neglected in a pile.

Then, I decided to apply the same rule in the kitchen. What were the items that we used the most? What are those items that are more seasonal or can be stored for use at a later date? What items can be donated to Good Will? As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, reducing clutter is a great way to implementing Integrated Pest Management practices and keep the pests away.

Then, I tackled my youngest daughter’s room. She had definitely outgrown many clothes that were still in perfectly good condition. There were some good coats and jackets that will definitely keep a child warm this winter. Then I went through my closet to find some things that I have been holding on for years. Those items definitely could be used by someone else so they were classified under “items to be donated” as well.

While organizing, I found several old cell phones in drawers. You can either donate them to some non-profit organizations or recycle them.  There are precious metals and plastics in those phones that can be recycled and turned into new products. That way they don’t end up in a landfill.

So, do you have any plans to make your home healthier? We would like to hear from you. If you want to take a glimpse as how you can protect the air quality in your home, visit our virtual house for some tips.

About the author: Lina Younes has been working for EPA since 2002 and currently serves as EPA’s Multilingual Outreach and Communications Liaison in the Office of External Affairs and Environmental Education. Prior to joining EPA, she was the Washington bureau chief for two Puerto Rican newspapers and she has worked for several government agencies.

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.

Each week we write about the science behind environmental protection.Previous Science Wednesdays.

By Tarlie Townsend

Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland and I have a lot in common. For instance: after getting her medical degree she completed a master’s in public health at Harvard. Just a few days ago, I was looking over the website for that exact degree program!

Hm, I guess maybe we don’t have so much in common after all. Unlike Dr. Brundtland, whose recent talk to EPA staff allowed me to see her up close (and during my first week working in the office!), I wasn’t the youngest and first female Prime Minister of Norway. I also haven’t served as director general for the World Health Organization or as Special Envoy for Climate Change for the UN Secretary General.

But we do share some fundamental interests. Maybe what I should say, then, is that I have a lot to learn from people like her.
Dr. Brundtland’s commitment to sustainable development offers one major example. Although she began her career in medicine, perhaps the most straightforward way to improve human health, her greatest impacts stem from her recognition that a healthy person cannot exist independently of a healthy environment. Rather, we need air we can breathe, water we can drink, food that’s nutritious and non-toxic—and enough of those things. It’s with this realization that she worked to incorporate issues of environmental health and sustainability into policy.

This is inspiring to me for several reasons. As an undergrad considering possible career paths, I’ve questioned whether to pursue public health, environmental science, or science policy. Indeed, a graduate degree requires specialization in some area, but I am seeing now how intrinsically related these fields are—how valuable it is, for instance, for a specialist in environmental science to grasp the relevance of their work to public health and policy, and to collaborate with members of those fields on crucial issues.

Dr. Brundtland addresses EPA staff

Other groups, too, should be involved—businesspeople, for instance. Dr. Brundtland highlighted the value of incorporating sustainability into a company’s business practices: new technologies may simultaneously reduce the environmental impact and improve industrial efficiency, increasing the bottom line in the long run. And since sustainable development is just that sustainable—businesses that apply it may be/are themselves more likely to endure.

In that case, why not pursue business and policy strategies that are both great for business and great for human health?

About the author: Tarlie Townsend – When she’s not pretending to be Dr. Brundtland’s protégé, Tarlie can be found interning with EPA’s Science Communications Team.

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.

By Philip Jalbert

I am very excited and proud to be part of a small team of EPA employees that is taking on an issue that is important to me both professionally and personally. The project is unprecedented in that it addresses a serious health risk: radioactive radon gas. Radon causes lung cancer and kills more than 21,000 Americans every year. An aunt of mine died of lung cancer at 56 – neither she nor anyone in her family ever smoked.

Last summer, the Federal government announced a Federal Radon Action Plan for protecting families from this unseen hazard. It culminated six months of intense and collaborative effort among several major Departments and Agencies. We need more collaboration like this, something not seen often enough in the Federal government.

More than 20 years ago radon debuted as a public health issue when a nuclear power plant worker set off radiation alarms going to work – he had a very high radon level in his home! The plan is the first to take a coordinated long-term approach to reducing the health risk from radon across federal agencies. The plan will focus on the millions of homes and schools the Feds control or influence. We are hoping that our actions will motivate the private sector, state and local governments to take more action.

As a nation we’ve made progress, yet today eight million American households are exposed to more than 4 picocuries of radon per liter of air – EPA’s recommended action level. Last year about 124,000 Americans took action to reduce the radon level in their homes. America’s home builders included radon reducing features in nearly 17% of all new homes. r

We hope this unprecedented plan will make the radon risk more visible, spur action and help save lives; especially those of low-income Americans without the resources to reduce their risk. You can learn more about the plan on our Federal Radon Action Plan website.

I’ve been with EPA since 1983 and first encountered radon while serving the U.S. Navy nuclear submarine program four decades ago. My work on radon since 1989 has been one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done. Test your home, the life you save may be your own.

About the author: Philip Jalbert presently works in EPA’s Indoor Environments Division in Washington, DC.

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.

By Abigail Daken

Several of my coworkers have asked me for tips when they are thinking of replacing their HVAC (heating, cooling and air conditioning) system. Each situation is different, and it can be challenge to think about the best and least costly ways of saving energy. Still, there are some tips that I find apply in almost every instance:

1. Find a good contractor. Keep in mind that the lowest bidder or a poor installation job could cost you money over time. Look for recommendations from sources of consumer advice in your area.  EPA’s ENERGY STAR has some good tips for hiring a contractor.
2. Use EPA’s handy checklist to compare bids from several contractors.
3. Once you pick a contractor, ask them how you can lower your energy bills. Your contractor should evaluate your home to determine your needs and diagnose any current efficiency or comfort problems. Make sure they check to see if you can get a smaller system than your old one since many existing systems are too large for the homes they are in.
4. Whatever type of system you get, consider ENERGY STAR equipment—in most climates these systems will save you money in the long run even if it might cost more up front. The type of system that is right for your home will depend on a lot of factors. If you have a tall, skinny space like a townhouse, or rooms that are rarely used, consider zoning. If you have electric resistance heat, a heat pump will almost certainly save you money.
5. Set up a service contract after your new equipment is installed. A new HVAC system is an expensive investment, like a car, and about a third of your annual energy bills depend on how well it’s working.  Like a car, it needs maintenance to stay efficient.
6. While you are at it…..A major system replacement is a good time to check that your walls and ceiling are well sealed and insulated, and your ducts aren’t leaking into your attic or garage. Many utilities and state energy offices even have programs to help you do so. The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR website has lots of great tips, too.

About the author: Abigail Daken has worked at the EPA since 2008.  She manages setting requirements for ENERGY STAR heating and cooling products, as well as water heaters and dehumidifiers. In her off time, she enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.