Greenversations

By Aaron Ferster

I’ve been working—and commuting—in Washington, DC since 1996 when I moved to the area from the Bronx for a job writing interpretive signs at the National Zoo.

My wife and I lived just behind the back entrance to the park. It was a five-minute ride to work, but 15-minutes home because of the big hill standing between my office and our apartment. If the traffic light at the bottom of our street was green, I could make it in without a single pedal stroke.

At that time, the notion of partaking in official “Bike to Work Day” festivities seemed almost comical. “It would take me longer to get to the event than it would to actually ride to work,” I bragged. Then a colleague told me about the t-shirts and free coffee.

I’ve been hooked ever since.

Apparently I’m not alone. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest American Community Survey (ACS), the number of Americans who use a bicycle as their primary means of getting to work is up 14 percent since 2007, 36 percent from 2005, and 43 percent since 2000.

That’s all great news for EPA, an organization with a mission to protect human health and the environment. More bike commuting means less air pollution, cleaner skies, and healthier people.

Now that both my place of employment (EPA) and home (the suburbs) are farther apart, coasting to work is no longer an option. But I still fit riding into my commute as often as possible, and Bike to Work Day—which happens on May 20 this year—remains one of my favorite events of the year.

If you’ve been thinking of giving bike commuting a try, Bike to Work Day is a great opportunity. There are always plenty of other riders to draft behind or chat with, and there’s even free coffee and snacks at the end of the ride. Here in DC, local cycling organizations have set up “commuter convoys” from all directions to make it easy to find the best route.

Will you be riding to work on May 20? Why or why not? Use the comments section below to share your thoughts about your own plans and experiences.

About the author: Aaron Ferster is a science writer in EPA’s Office of Research and Development and the editor of Science Wednesday. Follow his progress as he rides in next Friday morning via EPA’s twitter account: @EPAgov.

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 Amanda Sweda

A while back I wrote about my decision to stop using water bottles (Some Habits are Easy to Change and Breaking Old Habits). Some people commented asking why do people even use water bottles. Obviously I can’t speak for other people but those comments got me thinking about the environmental decisions we make. How do we decide anything really?

When my daughter started crawling early this year, I made a list of what rooms in our home needed babyproofing. Right away the cabinet under the kitchen sink was one of my highest priorities.  So I started to organize under the my kitchen sink and I found over 10 different cleaning products that I was going to have to make sure my baby doesn’t get into – something to clean the floor, the oven, the windows, the counter, etc.  I thought to myself…do I really need all of this stuff? Aren’t there cleaning products that are multi-purpose?  Safer? “Greener”?  Can’t I get the number from 10 to something more manageable?

I really thought about what I spent my time cleaning in the kitchen and what was important to me. With a child in the house I want cleaning products that work and are safer health-wise but don’t have a huge list of things I have never heard of…so I decided to go green.  I went to the store and found green cleaning products and decided that I really only needed four for the kitchen on a regular basis – a multipurpose spray cleaner, floor cleaner, dishwashing soap for the sink, and dishwashing detergent.

After I made this decision to go green with my cleaning, I found out about a program at EPA – Design for the Environment (DfE). Turns out DfE is a partnership program geared exactly towards what I cared about – cleaning products that are effective and protective of health and the environment.  Turns out almost every single product I bought has the DfE label and has undergone rigorous criteria to be in the program!  Since tackling the kitchen, I have done the same thing for the cleaning products in the bathroom and other rooms in our home. When my daughter gets older she will have chores and household responsibilities…maybe she will help me decide on which green cleaner to purchase…with the DfE label of course!

About the author: Amanda Sweda works in EPA’s Office of Environmental Information on web related policies and serves on the Environmental Education Web Workgroup. Amanda is a former Social Studies and Deaf Education teacher and her husband is a 3rd grade teacher so education is an important topic in their home.

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 Cindy Walke

This fall marks the 20th anniversary of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and as an avid horsewoman, the anniversary highlights why autumn is still my favorite time of year.  I’m able to get out on the trails with my horse and enjoy all of the sights and smells that the fall season brings.  It’s not uncommon for us to encounter wild turkey, quail, deer, and various little critters scampering in the woods as my horse and I make our way through the wooded trails of the Liberty Watershed in Sykesville, Maryland.  It is truly an amazing sight to see!

When I’m out on the trails, I realize how fragile our ecosystems are.  The freshwater streams and trees provide the habitat that wildlife need in order to thrive.  My life has truly been enriched by these outdoor experiences and I cannot imagine how different they would be without the actions taken under the Clean Air Act.

Title IV of the Clean Air Act, also known as the Acid Rain Program, regulates SO2 and NOx emissions from power plants.  It’s these emissions that cause acid rain, which affects our ecosystems by making our lakes and streams acidic, harming fish populations, and slowing forest growth.  These emissions also contribute to health problems like premature mortality, cardiovascular issues and respiratory diseases like asthma and bronchitis.  The Acid Rain Program has reduced SO2 and NOx emissions and as a result, we can see improvements in our environment.

The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments also addressed toxic air pollutants and urban pollution, established tighter pollution standards for cars and trucks, helped eliminate ozone depleting substances and much more.

In the coming weeks, my colleagues and I will be sharing our personal stories about the outdoor activities we enjoy and how the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments have helped improve our environment, making our favorite activities possible.  Please follow our discussion series on Greenversations, and contribute your own stories about how the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments have improved your enjoyment of your favorite outdoor activities.

About the author: Cindy Walke is the website manager for the Clean Air Markets Division.  One of her favorite fall activities is horseback riding along the beautiful trails of Central Maryland.

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 Mona Casey

As a parent who lost a son at the tender age of 15 to the intentional inhalation of refrigerant, also known as huffing, I can attest that losing a child to something so senseless and preventable is extremely heartbreaking and difficult to accept. Access to the refrigerant is typically gained from your home’s air conditioning (AC) system.

My spouse and I knew nothing about huffing refrigerant. It never occurred to us to include refrigerants in our discussions with our son about drugs and other dangers. Since the untimely death of our son, I have made it my mission to raise awareness of this dangerous trend through education and other changes.

Every year, children die from huffing refrigerant and other chemical vapors. Such vapors can be found in a variety of common household products. By the time a student reaches the 8th grade, one in five will have used inhalants. Fifty-five percent of deaths associated with inhalant abuse are caused by cardiac arrest, which has become known as Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome (SSDS). Twenty-two percent of those who died from SSDS had no prior history of huffing. Other severe consequences include brain damage, loss of muscle control, and destruction of vital organs.

Because the effect of huffing is brief, it can be very difficult to detect if a child is abusing chemicals. However, there are a few tell-tale signs. They include, but are not limited to: slurred speech, disorientation, red or runny eyes or nose, sores around the mouth, nausea and/or loss of appetite, anxiety, excitability, irritability and/or restlessness, sore throat, headache, hoarse voice, chemical odor on breath and/or clothing, hiding plastic or trash bags in unusual places, loss of effectiveness of AC systems, loitering and footprints around AC units, and missing caps on AC units. Anyone handling your AC unit should be EPA-certified.

Refrigerants serve many useful purposes, but when misused, they are extremely dangerous and can be deadly, even in the first use. When speaking to your children about the dangers of drugs, it’s essential to include inhalants, such as refrigerant in your discussion. For other types of common inhalants, visit

About the author: Mona Casey is the mother of the late Charles Ian Gray and founder of the United Parents to Restrict Open Access to Refrigerant. Please contact your local Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning contractor or visit us online for more information.

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 Lina Younes

The leaves in the Washington, DC area will soon reach the full range of the fall spectrum. Since we have been having unseasonably warm weather, we still can see many flowering bushes in bloom in gardens and parks in the area surrounded by the multicolor autumn foliage. In fact, I’m actually looking forward for the temperatures to become steadily cooler so that I can plant bulbs that will blossom in the springtime. I guess I’ll have to be more patient.

As we’re talking about the changes in seasons, we should start to think about taking special steps to protect our gardens. With careful planning this autumn, we will be rewarded with colorful flowers and green lawns next year. We can achieve this goal without resorting to chemicals. We can go green in our yards through greenscaping!

How to greenscape?  Well it boils down to some basic resource conservation issues: reduce, reuse, and recycle. The green 3 R’s. By implementing these principles you can save millions of gallons of water, pesticides, while protecting the environment. First, reduce the production of waste in your gardens. Select native plants and perennials. Secondly, reuse products prolongs the useful life of these materials and delays their final disposal. Thirdly, recycle lawn trimmings and yard debris in a compost pile to be able to feed your lawn with minimal use of chemicals. Some work now will go a long way for a healthier environment.

What are your thoughts on the issue? Any tips? Planning anything special for your garden this year? We love to hear from you.

About the author: Lina Younes has been working for EPA since 2002 and chairs EPA’s Multilingual Communications Task Force. 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.

By Lina Younes

During my youngest daughter’s yearly check up, the nurse asked the traditional lead screening questions regarding possible exposures to lead. “Does my child live in or regularly visit a home, child care or building built before 1950?” “Does my child live or regularly visit a home or child care built before 1978?” “Does my child spend time with anyone that has a job or hobby where they may work with lead?” and several more. Luckily, I was able to answer “no” to all the lead screening questions. However, the questions highlighted the fact that there are multiple possibilities of exposure in addition to lead-based paint.

Childhood lead poisoning remains a major environmental health problem in the United States. Exposure to this toxic metal can harm young children and babies even before they are born. Exposure to high levels of lead can damage the developing brain and nervous system of young children, plus cause serious behavior and learning problems. For years, the main source of lead exposure has been lead-based paint or dust particles from lead-based paint. Although the federal government banned the use of lead in paint in 1978, many homes built before the ban may still have remnants of lead-based paint.

What are some of the other sources of lead? Well, pottery and ceramics made in other countries may have lead. Some folk remedies like greta and azarcón which may be used to treat stomach ailments may also have lead. Furthermore, we’ve also heard of other problems with lead in some imported toys and children’s jewelry.

So, what do you do if you think your child might have been exposed to this toxic metal? Does your child show behavioral problems or developmental problems? The first step to allay your concerns will be to have your child tested for possible lead poisoning. A simple blood test will indicate the course to follow.

During National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week help us to spread the word so we all can protect our children.

About the author: Lina Younes has been working for EPA since 2002 and chairs EPA’s Multilingual Communications Task Force. 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.

By Jeffrey Levy

Wanna work for EPA? The first thing you need to do is find job openings and choose which ones to apply for.

At EPA, like every federal agency, we put our job listings on usajobs.gov.  Normally, you need to go to that site and search for what interests you. For example, here are our job listings .

Recently, we discovered that there’s a RSS feed associated with each search. If you’re not familiar with RSS feeds, that just means we can pull a particular search into various other places. So far, we’re putting them in three new places:

• on Twitter at a new account, @EPAjobs
• on our long-standing Facebook page, which will now also include automated job posts
• in daily emails you can subscribe to

We’re also working on an email subscription service, so you can get a daily email with that day’s listings.

If you have your own Web page or blog, you can also grab our job search widget.  That’ll let your readers easily search for EPA jobs right from our site. Here’s how it’ll look:

All of this is really just the start to help you find EPA jobs and understand what’s it like to work for EPA (I should mention that I love working here, and I’ve got 17 years in so far). Over the next several months, we’re going to revamp our current careers site to really take advantage of social media and multimedia.

Got any ideas on what we should include in the new site? Share ‘em below!

About the author: Jeffrey Levy is EPA’s Director of Web Communications

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 Kerry Hamilton

How would you prepare for a 100+ mile triathlon across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed? If you’re like me, your training regimen is not exactly running 10 miles a day. (Does switching from cookies and cream to strawberry ice cream count? It’s fruit!) Instead, I’m preparing for the Chesapeake Bay Expedition by attending pre-expedition events to lend a hand cleaning up and learning more about the Bay.

The expedition is being led by EPA’s Emerging Leaders Network (ELN), a group of young professionals from across the Agency who are volunteering their time to learn and promote awareness about Chesapeake Bay environmental issues.

To prove I am not a cubicle environ- mentalist, I joined fellow ELNers on July 31st for a cleanup event at Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary. There’s nothing quite like digging my hands into piles of garbage to remind me how important it is for communities to take a role in protecting their backyard! It also humbles me to know that as a researcher and former lab junkie, I’m only a piece of the puzzle in tackling these environmental issues—just one of the reasons I’m most excited to get out there to see the Bay and the people it affects firsthand!

To prepare the Expedition Team, I helped organize a discussion panel with several Bay experts. The panel members were Lee Paddock, an environmental lawyer from the George Washington University faculty; Michael Haire, the EPA headquarters TMDL (a measure of water pollution) guru; Joel Dunne, co-editor of A Sustainable Chesapeake: Better Models for Conservation; and Travis Loop, Public Affairs Director from the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program in Annapolis, MD. This Bay “dream team” painted a picture of the complex factors that affect the health of Chesapeake Bay. Communities, businesses, farmers, scientists, and government agencies all have important roles to play, and we hope to interact with many of these groups along our journey.

Armed with some more knowledge of the issues, I’m ready to get my hands dirty again and participate in the Expedition’s kick-off cleanup on the Anacostia wetlands—part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed right here in DC. ELN will be joining forces with Earth Conservation Corps this Wednesday, August 25th from 9am – 12pm for the cleanup of this neglected treasure right in our own backyard. Consider this your invitation to join! Stay tuned for more lessons learned from the road…we’re just getting started.

Follow the Expedition on:

• Facebook “ELN Chesapeake Bay Expedition”
• Twitter “ELNBayXpedition”
• Flickr

About the author: Kerry Hamilton is a public health fellow in EPA’s Office of Research and Development. As a former soccer player, she is psyched to be watching ELN athletes suffer through the running, biking, and kayaking. She also can’t wait to share lessons learned on the Expedition with others!

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 Amanda Sweda

During the past few years I’ve had some major life events to plan and save money for….first a wedding, then a year later we had a baby….So I try to pinch pennies here and there because it really does add up. Lately I am trying to be better about not only saving money but also reducing the amount of waste I use.

For example, my family makes coffee at home instead of buying it at a coffee shop. This saves us a lot of money. And it cuts down on waste because we reuse our coffee mugs. Making this change was easy. Now, water bottles are another story. At home we drink water from the tap, but we also buy bottled water to use for work and when we are running errands. The water is cold, clean, and ready to go and easy to use. We do recycle the plastic bottle so we are making that effort…but I know I can do more than just recycle…

My inspiration for change…. A kid I heard about but have never met….Ethan Buckelew. Ethan organized his Boy Scout troop and Cub Scout pack to do litter clean-ups in their area. Ethan was inspired after seeing all of the water bottles they collected during the cleanups to do even more to reduce the number of wasted bottles. He asked the troops and pack to help collect water bottles at home and school for recycling (they donate to a charity organization that recycles the bottles and uses the money for projects) but that wasn’t enough for Ethan! He got the troop and pack to start using refillable water bottles on their trips. Ethan even asked his family to make some changes at home. Ethan calculates they were using at least 80 – 100 bottles of water a week so his family switched to using filtered tap water. He calculates that the change alone saves them about $768 a year!

My husband and I don’t use that many bottles but we probably spend anywhere from $100 to $150 a year on water bottles that we don’t really need – and that is not counting the water bottles we buy at a store when we forget to bring our own.….but is it really that hard for me to fill up a reusable water bottle every night and stick it in the fridge so it will be cold in the morning? It can’t be harder then making a trip to the store to buy a case of water that I have to lug up the stairs! So I am challenging my family to use Ethan as a role model and make the same changes. I’ll let you know how we do!

About the author: Amanda Sweda works in EPA’s Office of Environmental Information on web related policies and serves on the Environmental Education Web Workgroup. Amanda is a former Social Studies and Deaf Education teacher and her husband is a 3rd grade teacher so education is an important topic in their home.

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.

For several weeks, my youngest daughter has been trying to persuade me to take her to one of her favorite stories to buy some “best friend” charm bracelets or necklaces to give to her friends at the end of the school year. I had been postponing the trip to the mall simply because I knew it was going to become a costly endeavor. Although the trip to her favorite store was intended to strictly buy the gifts for her friends, I knew that once we were in the door she would quickly identify several “must-haves.” In other words, the trip that originally was going to cost less than $25 could quickly turn into a three digit shopping spree if she had her druthers.

In this case, my procrastination paid off. Why, you may ask? Well, I just saw a blog by the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalling “best friend” charm bracelets due to high levels of cadmium! Although I was not planning on going to store in question to get those bracelets, now I definitely was not going to get those items. As parents, how can we be sure that similar children’s jewelry is not equally contaminated with cadmium or other toxic metals?!

Back in February, I wrote several blog entries on this very issue—the use of  cadmium and lead in cheap toy jewelry. The problem is that the use of these toxic metals, while illegal, seems to be expanding to imported children’s custom jewelry, in general, even when it’s not that “cheap-looking.” We’re no longer talking of those pieces that look like trinkets. Some of this children’s jewelry is actually quite attractive. It’s hard for a child to understand that the cool items can actually be harmful to their health.

Bottom-line, the advice remains the same. Lead and cadmium are both harmful to children’s health. Since children tend to put many things into their mouth, we can’t afford to have these toxic items lying around. These objects should be eliminated from a child’s environment. Monitor recall notices regularly. With increased awareness, we can better protect our children.

About the author: Lina Younes has been working for EPA since 2002 and chairs EPA’s Multilingual Communications Task Force. Prior to joining EPA, she was the Washington bureau chief for two Puerto Rican newspapers and she has worked for several government agencies.