Greenversations

El otro día trabajaba en un crucigrama del periódico bastante difícil cuando me tropecé con esta clave – palabra con cinco letras para un gas radioactivo inerte. Bien, me dije a mí mismo, creo que sé ésta. Tiene que ser radón. Me hubiera gustado que el resto del crucigrama fuera igual de fácil!

Enero es el Mes Nacional de Acción de Radón y estoy escribiendo este blog para crear conciencia acerca de los peligros del radón. Afortunadamente, aquí puedo ofrecer más información que la clave de un crucigrama.

El radón es un gas que se produce en la naturaleza del uranio radioactivo en el suelo y en las rocas que se encuentra alrededor del mundo entero. Ya que los materiales radioactivos se descomponen y cambian con el tiempo, usted podría pensar que el uranio se desintegra. Sí, de hecho, se desintegra, primero y se convierte en radio, y después de un tiempo, el radio se desintegra en radón. Ya que el radón es un gas, este se mueve fácilmente a través del suelo y fluye desde el suelo hacia la atmosfera y los edificios. ¿Ahora comprende por qué me preocupan los niveles de radón en los hogares?

De hecho, aunque parece una idea descabellada, el radón puede adentrarse fácilmente en su hogar. Tome como ejemplo donde yo vivo, en nuestro frío clima del medio oeste, necesitamos calentar nuestros hogares. Al calentar el aire, el aire tibio sube y crea una mayor presión arriba y una baja presión abajo, que básicamente trabaja como una aspiradora que succiona el suelo debajo de la casa. Es por esta razón que vemos niveles elevados de radón en los sótanos y en los pisos bajos de algunos edificios.

Peor aún es el hecho de que aunque usted no puede ver ni oler el radón, éste si le hace daño. ¿Pensaba que el proceso de desintegración eliminaba el radón? Pues, claro que no lo elimina. El radón es radioactivo, así que también se descompone, y cuando lo hace libera partículas alfa. En sus pulmones, las partículas alfa causan daño al golpear los tejidos. El respirar muchas partículas alfa puede causar serios problemas de salud, incluyendo cáncer. El radón es la segunda causa principal de cáncer pulmonar, y la primera causa de cáncer pulmonar entre las personas que no fuman.

Por su salud y por la salud de su familia, haga la prueba de radón en su hogar. Hacer la prueba es la única manera de saber si los niveles de radón en su hogar están elevados. Si encuentra niveles de radón altos – 4 picocuríes o más – haga los arreglos en su hogar- lo cual también es fácil de hacer. Simplemente mire la página web de radón de la EPA. Me gustaría que el resto del crucigrama hubiera sido tan fácil como es hacer la prueba de radón.

Jack Barnette es un científico ambiental que trabaja para la División de Aire y Radiación en la oficina regional de la EPA en Chicago. El señor Barnette ha trabajado con la EPA desde el 1984, Antes de unirse a la EPA, trabajó para la Agencia Medioambiental del Sstado de Illinois. El señor Barnette trabaja en un número de asuntos del medio ambiente y salud publica incluyendo la calidad del aire interior, protección de radiación, educación en asma y monitoreo del aire.

By Esther Kwon

Among the long list of things my parents told me to be afraid of when I was a child, lead-based paint was never one of them. Perhaps the reason why I was able to grow up without worrying about what was coating the swing set I played on and what kind of paint was on the walls in my room was because of the federal regulations and efforts made since the late 1970s to prevent children and adults from being affected by lead-based paint poisoning. However, it saddens me to know that there are still so many children who are exposed to lead-based paint hazards in and near our homes.

I came to the EPA as an intern to learn about the Agency’s regulatory rulemaking process for six months, but I did not expect to gain so much knowledge about lead hazards and safety practices. For example, I found out about the types of cognitive disorders that could occur in children from lead poisoning, and learned that even a few particles of lead in the dust are enough to poison a child. More than 1 million children are affected by lead poisoning today, and this is especially troublesome, in my opinion, because lead poisoning is 100 percent preventable. Although, as an intern, the scope of power I have at the EPA is extremely limited, I am thankful that I can assist in any way that furthers the Agency’s public health protection and education goals for lead poisoning prevention, including reaching you through this blog.

This week is National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, a week dedicated to educating parents and children on the dangers of lead-based paint exposure and the importance of the health and safety of our homes. To participate, you do not have to donate money or start a march for the cause. You can help by simply spreading the knowledge to your friends and family that lead in paint is still a problem in the US and that lead-based paint exposure can be prevented. Send an E-card on lead-safe work practices or print out a poster and hang it at your work place or at school. You can also find great prevention information and a neat web tool to help parents identify common danger zones for lead in older homes built before 1978. Check it out. Read about the facts and act on them.

About the author: Esther Kwon is an intern for the Lead, Heavy Metals & Inorganics Branch in the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. She will be returning to Smith College in December, where she will be graduating in the spring.

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.

Just last week, I visited Cesar Chavez Elementary School in Hyattsville, Maryland for their Career Day. This time, I was assigned to speak at three separate classes—3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. During my presentations, I discussed the Agency’s mission, the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and different types of jobs at EPA. In order to keep them engaged, I quizzed them on a variety of environmental issues. I was very interested in finding out what they thought about how best to protect the environment.  I was very pleased to see that the kids have definitely mastered the concept of the three R’s “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.” Whenever I asked them about what they could do to help, “picking up trash and recycling” were the first issues highlighted in each of the classes. They also mentioned other useful green tips such as saving water, saving energy, and riding a bike instead of driving a car, to name a few.

At the school, they were incorporating many green habits into practice. One of the classes had even planted their own garden. The teacher mentioned that there were a group of students that lived nearby and regularly took care of it. I was able to see how the children talked about the garden with pride.

It was very inspiring to see that these children have internalized many of the values necessary to protect the planet. Children can be great teachers. In fact, we can learn a lot from them only if we truly listen. That reminds me of a song I heard recently on one of my daughter’s CD. It’s entitled “Wake up, America.” would like to share the chorus:

“Wake up, America. We’re all
In this together
It’s our home
So let’s take care of it
You know that you want to
You know that you got
To wake up America

Tomorrow
Becomes a new day
And everything you do
Matters
Yeah
Everything you do
Matters
In some way”

So, let’s listen to these teachers, TODAY!

If you want to see some key examples of young students who have taken environmental stewardship to the next level, I would recommend you see the projects presented by the winners of the President’s Environmental Youth Awards.  For more information on sponsoring a young person or group, visit our website.

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.

One minute I am sitting in Argentina at the end of my study abroad dreading the return to the Detroit suburbs and the next I am told that I was chosen for an internship at the EPA. I found out quite last minute but that just made it all the more exciting. Good news is I am learning more than I could have imagined and am having a great experience.

One of my favorite experiences so far was working the EPA booth at the Taste of Chicago. This is one of many festivals that bring people from all over to the city during the summer. The EPA often has information and activity booths at festivals all over the country.

Although it was raining, we eagerly unloaded the van of the Environmental Jeopardy board I had worked on for about a week and the Energy Star bike which were our main attractions at the Taste this year. I was a little nervous about how appealing the Jeopardy game would be to kids and told myself I would be happy if kids stayed long enough to answer more than one question. The questions were in categories like Energy Issues, H2O, and Climate Change and the kids got to choose which category they wanted just like real Jeopardy. To my delight most kids wouldn’t leave until they answered all of the questions. There were kids all the way from 4 years old to 18 years old and there wasn’t a moment of silence at my table. It was really rewarding to see that so many kids were interested in the environment. Our EPA kids’ websites are a great place for kids to learn about different environmental issues. With the Energy Star bike on the other end of the table, EPA’s booth turned out to be a great success and seemed to have reached lots of kids of all ages as well as their parents.

My EPA experience will have been short but sweet. Soon I’ll be back in Michigan but I do plan to stay involved with my new found passion for Environmental Education.

About the author: Kelly Archer is an intern working with Environmental Education and Indoor Air Programs in Region 5. She is a junior at Michigan State University working on a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy.

Sobre la autor: Lina M. F. Younes ha trabajado en la EPA desde el 2002 y está a cargo del Grupo de Trabajo sobre Comunicaciones Multilingües. Como periodista, dirigió la oficina en Washington de dos periódicos puertorriqueños y ha laborado en varias agencias gubernamentales.

El fin de semana del Día de la Recordación por los caídos en guerras de Estados Unidos indica el comienzo extraoficial de la época veraniega en el continente estadounidense. Y con esta nueva temporada, muchos estadounidenses reanudan otro ritual veraniego—la excursión a la piscina de la vecindad. Sea al final de una larga jornada de trabajo o durante el fin de semana, muchos niños entusiastas obligan a sus padres a llevarlos a la piscina para un momento de diversión. No lo tomen a mal. ¡Me encanta el verano! Me encantan las cálidas playas arenosas y nadar en la piscina. Sin embargo, con el pasar del tiempo, no sé si se trata de mayor sabiduría o cautela, pero a veces lo tengo que pensar dos veces antes de entrar al agua, especialmente las piscinas infantiles, cuando veo demasiados niñitos envueltos en pañales.

Al investigar el tema de este blog, confirmé mis sospechas. A través de Estados Unidos, ha habido un aumento en el brote de enfermedades relacionadas a las aguas de recreo (RWI, por sus siglas en inglés) en los últimos veinte años asociadas con las piscinas, parques acuáticos, piscinas de agua caliente y otros cuerpos de agua. Uno pensaría que los  antimicrobianos y el cloro usado para tratar el agua de las piscinas sería suficiente para mantener las piscinas seguras de algunos gérmenes y bacterias que se difunden en el agua como el Cripto el E coli.

La realidad es que se necesita algo más que las sustancias químicas para proteger el agua. Una buena dosis de sentido común es esencial. He aquí algunas pautas básicas para la natación sana. En primer lugar—no nade si usted tiene diarrea. Tampoco deje que sus hijos naden si tienen diarrea ya que el agua en la piscina servirá para transmitir los gérmenes y enfermar a los demás. En segundo lugar, evite tragar el agua de la piscina. Esto es algo que los niños pequeños muchas veces hacen inconscientemente, pero tiene que educarles sobre el tema a temprana edad. Las buenas prácticas de higiene son esenciales dentro y fuera de la piscina. Dúchese antes de nadar. Lávese las manos después de ir al baño o de cambiar pañales. Lleve a sus hijos al baño con frecuencia y cámbiele el pañal aún cuando no se lo pidan. Cuando ya los niños dicen tener los deseos de ir al baño, podría ser demasiado tarde. Cambie los pañales en el baño o en el área de cambio de pañales. No lo haga cerca de la piscina. Sobre todo, lave a su hijo (especialmente la parte trasera) con agua y jabón antes de nadar. Suena sencillo, ¿verdad? Es puro sentido común. Con unos pasos sencillos, usted puede protegerse a sí mismo, a su familia y amistades. Y por cierto, antes de ir a la piscina o la playa, ¡acuérdese de la crema de protección solar! Disfrute el verano.

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.

Summer vacation is fast approaching and many parents are looking for activities to entertain their children during the summer months. Now is the best time to plan ahead so you and your children can find fun ways to explore the environment and learn about science at summer camps and children’s museums throughout the country. In the Washington area, there are many museum-related science enrichment opportunities for children. Organizations like 4-H, the Boys and Girls Scouts of America also offer fun and hands-on activities during the summer and year round. In fact, these organizations were engaging youth in environmental protection even before going green became the latest fad.

EPA’s website offers a variety of fun facts and projects for students and educators to learn more about the environment and the importance of science in our daily lives. For example, the Water Science and Technology Office, provides interesting activities, science projects and games. The Agency’s Office of Environmental Education offers educational resources, grants opportunities and fellowships to encourage individuals to learn more about how their actions affect the environment. This knowledge is essential to enable them to make better informed decisions to protect the world we live in.

In speaking with many of my colleagues at EPA and other federal agencies such as NASA,  NOAA,  USGS, there is one common theme in their motivation to pursue a career in the sciences. In the majority of the cases, their love of science did not start in the classroom. It started with personal experiences at home, a trip to the park, a visit to the beach, a fishing trip, a starry spring evening… These simple experiences helped awaken their sense of wonder and awe at an early age. This sense of exploration for the world around us is essential for any researcher or scientist. Why do we see lightning before hearing thunder? Why do certain elements react the way they do? What are the impacts of human activities on the environment?

We don’t have to have Ph.D’s to teach our children to explore their surroundings. There are simple steps we can take to protect our environment. And when you come to think about it, at the heart of many of these activities, you will find science. So let the fun begin!

Sobre la autor: Lina M. F. Younes ha trabajado en la EPA desde el 2002 y está a cargo del Grupo de Trabajo sobre Comunicaciones Multilingües. Como periodista, dirigió la oficina en Washington de dos periódicos puertorriqueños y ha laborado en varias agencias gubernamentales.

Las vacaciones de verano se avecinan rápidamente y muchos padres están buscando actividades para entretener a sus hijos durante esos meses de ocio. Ahora es el momento de planificar con anticipación para encontrar maneras divertidas en las cuales usted y sus hijos pueden explorar el medio ambiente y aprender sobre las ciencias en campamentos de verano y museos de niños en todo el país. En el área de Washington, DC, hay muchas oportunidades para niños de enriquecimiento científico afiliados a museos.  Organizaciones como los 4-H, los Niños y Niñas Exploradores de América también ofrecen una variedad de actividades durante el verano y todo el año. En efecto, estas organizaciones han estado fomentando el civismo ambiental mucho antes de que el movimiento ecológico verde se convirtiera en el último grito de la moda.

El sitio Web de EPA ofrece una variedad de datos y proyectos divertidos para que estudiantes y educadores aprendan más sobre el medio ambiental y el papel importante que desempeñan las ciencias en nuestras vidas cotidianas. Por ejemplo, la Oficina de las Ciencias y Tecnología de Agua brinda actividades interesantes, proyectos de ciencia y juegos. La Oficina de Educación Ambiental de la agencia ofrece recursos educativos, subvenciones y oportunidades para becas de investigación para alentar a los individuos a aprender más sobre cómo sus acciones afectan el medio ambiente. Este conocimiento es esencial para facilitar que tomen decisiones mejor informadas para proteger el mundo donde viven.

Al hablar con muchos de mis colegas en EPA y otras agencias federales tales como la NASA, NOAA, USGS, hay un tema común en su motivación para buscar una carrera en las ciencias. En la mayoría de los casos, su amor por las ciencias no comienzó en el salón de clases. Se despertó a raíz de vivencias personales en el hogar, una excursión al parque, una visita a la playa, un viaje de pesca, una noche estrellada de primavera….Estas experiencias sencillas ayudaron a despertar un sentir de curiosidad y admiración a temprana edad. El sentir de exploración del mundo a nuestro alrededor es esencial para cualquier investigador o científico. ¿Por qué vemos los rayos antes de los truenos? ¿Por qué ciertos elementos reaccionan de cierta manera? ¿Cuáles son los impactos de actividades humanas en el medio ambiente?

No tenemos que tener grandes títulos ni doctorados para enseñar a nuestros hijos a que exploren sus alrededores. Hay pasos sencillos que podemos tomar para proteger nuestro medio ambiente. Y cuando lo pensamos realmente, al centro de muchas de estas actividades encontrarán las ciencias. ¡Diviértanse!

About the author: Kelly Leovic works in EPA’s National Exposure Research Laboratory and manages the Environmental and Community Outreach Program in Research Triangle Park, N.C.
 
I asked this question to the 3rd grade class at Y.E. Smith Elementary School at EPA’s Science Day on December 5th. EPA began hosting the annual Science Day at the downtown Durham school in 2004 as part of our outreach efforts to inspire students’ interest in science and the environment.
 
Twenty-two EPA employees, as well as four community volunteers, participated in EPA’s Science Day, by teaching hands-on environment science activities. Each presenter shared their lesson with three classes, linking their activities to the N.C. Standard Course of Study to supplement the grade level curriculum. Topics ranged from geology to energy consumption to water quality.
 
So, getting back to my 3rd graders…I give each student a fake $1 million dollar bill, a “piece of land,” and colored pencils to draw what they would build on their riverfront property with their million dollars. The idea is that each student’s piece of land is part of the ecosystem and what one person does on their land can affect others as the pieces are assembled. The activity is called “Sum of the Parts” and is from Project WET. As the students complete their million-dollar drawings, we put together the pieces of the river “puzzle” on the floor and then brainstorm about the types of water pollution that could come from what they built on their property. Types of pollution included run-off, litter, oil from boats, fishing line, and my personal favorite, sewage, which I referred to as pee and poop. We then begin to talk about how upstream development and the resulting pollution can affect those downstream.
 
Most of the 3rd graders built huge houses; some even drew “mansions.” Having done this activity with students of all ages, I always enjoy seeing their creativity followed by their recognition that consumption can affect the environment. In comparison, middle schoolers like to build malls and shoe stores, and adults tend toward solar homes and organic gardening. Regardless, “Sum of the Parts” is always a hit because it encourages the students to think about the impact of their personal activities on the environment. Plus, it gives them the opportunity to be creative with their drawings, and, much to their delight, they get to keep the fake $1 million!
 
To learn more about past EPA Science Days, go to the Durham Public Schools Partners in the Community link at http://www.dpsnc.net/channel-4/partners-in-education/epa-science-day. If you are located in the Research Triangle Park area and would like to have EPA come speak at your school or to your community group, check out our Speakers Bureau at www.epa.gov/rtpspeakers. Speaking topics include air quality, climate change, sustainability, and water quality, as well as science fair judging.

About the author: Viccy Salazar joined EPA in 1995. She works in our Seattle office on waste reduction, resource conservation and stewardship issues.

Recycling is hard. Sometimes I don’t even know what to recycle so when it comes time to talk kids about recycling, where do I start?? Well, I had to teach recycling to a bunch of preschoolers on America Recycles Day, here is what I learned.

Make the rules simple –

• Cans, paper, boxes, jars, and bottles go in the recycle bin.
• If it is dirty, clean it or throw it away
• No Lids, they go in the trash.
• No food in the recycle bin – even if it is attached to something else.
• If it is broken – in the trash
• If it can be used again, use it again or donate it to someone who can.

Practice – When we actually practiced, the kids couldn’t remember what went where until they had tried it a few times.

Expect mistakes – use them as a teaching opportunity.

Relate it to protecting the earth and the animals. The kids really wanted to help out.

Try it out with your kids. It was fun, informative and reminded me what to recycle. How did it work?

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.

Lea la versión en español a continuación de esta entrada en inglés. Some links exit EPA or have Spanish content.

As a mother of a four daughters (including a six year old), I’m always on the look out for good family movies we can all enjoy. Trying to satisfy the film tastes of the entire family is not always an easy task. Nonetheless, I’ve noticed something lately. Hollywood has started to incorporate green issues into movies for children with some commercial success. So we can still go to the movies and enjoy the experience while getting something positive out of the movie at the same time.

Just this past weekend, the whole family went to see WALL-E, the computer animated movie about a determined robot or more precisely a Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class unit—hence the name—entrusted with the mission of cleaning up a trash covered planet. I’m not going to talk about the plot. But I must confess that upon reading the reviews, I went to see the movie with some hesitation. The movie was somewhat “dark” by traditional children movie standards. Nonetheless, my six year old enjoyed it, even though the true message went right over her head. My elder daughters were quite moved by the experience. Some of us shed a tear or two. I guess it was a win-win all the way around.

Other family movies with a green twist are Happy Feet and Hoot to name a few. And for the true film enthusiasts in the Washington area, I recommend a yearly green ritual—the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital which usually takes place in March.

So, if going to the movies, a park, or the zoo is your day of family fun, by all means, go ahead and enjoy. Yet, if you prefer to use your computer to teach your kids about environmental awareness, recycling, children environmental health tips, etc., please visit us at www.epa.gov.

Va Al Cine

Sobre la autor: Lina M. F. Younes ha trabajado en la EPA desde el 2002 y está a cargo del Grupo de Trabajo sobre Comunicaciones Multilingües. Como periodista, dirigió la oficina en Washington de dos periódicos puertorriqueños y ha laborado en varias agencias gubernamentales.

Como madre de cuatro hijas (incluyendo la menor que tiene seis años), siempre estoy buscando buenas películas que toda la familia pueda disfrutar. Sin embargo, el encontrar una película que satisfaga los gustos de todo el mundo no siempre es una labor sencilla. No obstante, sí he notado algo en el cine últimamente. Hollywood ha empezado a incorporar temas “verdes” (de perspectiva ecológica) en las películas para niños y han tenido éxito comercial. En ese caso, se puede ir al cine, disfrutar la experiencia y también sacar un mensaje positivo a la vez.

Este pasado fin de semana, fuimos toda la familia a ver WALL-E,
la película de dibujos computarizados animados sobre un robot cuyo nombre proviene de sus siglas en inglés para una unidad para compactar desperdicios – “Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class”. Dicho robot tiene la misión de limpiar toda la basura que cubre el planeta. No voy a hablar sobre la trama de la película. Debo confesar que cuando leí la crítica de la película, fui a verla con cierta vacilación. De primera intención, la película parecía algo lúgubre conforme a las normas tradicionales de películas infantiles. No obstante, a mi pequeña le encantó aunque no entendió su mensaje principal. A mis hijas mayores les conmovió la experiencia y algunas de nosotras también soltamos un par de lágrimas allí. A mi esposo le gustó también. Creo que fue una experiencia positiva para todos.

Otras películas con un mensaje ambientalista son Happy Feet y Hoot por ejemplo. Para los verdaderos amantes del cine ambiental en el área de Washington, recomiendo un ritual anual verde—el Festival de Cina Medioambiental en la Capital Nacional que usualmente se celebra en marzo.

Si va al cine, al parque o al zoológico para una jornada de diversión familiar, definitivamente debe hacerlo. Sin embargo, si prefiere utilizar su computadora para concienciar a los niños sobre la protección ambiental, o el reciclaje, o consejos de salud ambiental infantil, visítenos al www.epa.gov/espanol.