Hot Times, Summer in the City –
Be Sun Smart
A man bathes in the sun in Washington Square Park. (EPA Photo/Kasia Broussalian)
By Bonnie Bellow
The warm weather and the official approach of summer have pulled New Yorkers out of their apartments and into the streets. Everywhere you look, people are soaking up the sun – stretched out on park lawns, grabbing lunch on city benches, perched on stoops or just walking. The sun brings warmth and feelings of well being, but it can also bring skin cancer. How many of the millions of people out and about in New York every day think to apply sunscreen or grab a hat before going out? City dwellers need to be aware that just taking precautions when they go to the beach is not enough to prevent what can be a deadly disease. Eighty percent of the sun’s UV rays can pass through light clouds, mist and fog, and snow can reflect more than 80 percent of the sun’s damaging ultraviolet radiation. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States and, according to the Centers for Disease Control, is on the rise among young adults. Everyone needs to be concerned about skin cancer and act to prevent it, no matter who they are or where they live.
I first learned about skin cancer in my 20’s, when to my surprise, an irritation on my forehead turned out to be a basal cell skin cancer. Light skinned and freckled, I roasted as a small child on Long Island beaches and spent my teen years cultivating a lovely tan by smearing myself with baby oil and using a reflector to increase the glow. I paid the price. Luckily for me, the skin cancers that have appeared on my face and chest periodically throughout my adult life have been non-invasive. But, they caused discomfort, anxiety and scars and cost thousands over the years in medical bills. And all that sun increased my risk of developing the more serious type of skin cancer, melanoma.
The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has designated the Friday before Memorial Day weekend as Don’t Fry Day to remind everyone to protect their skin while enjoying the outdoors. Check out their website and learn about SunWise, the EPA program that teaches children and their caregivers about how to protect against overexposure to the sun.
I still enjoy the sun, but I take a few minutes each morning, winter and summer, to apply cream containing sunscreen to my face and slather some sunscreen on my hands and arms if they will be exposed. I wear sunglasses and add a hat when I am going to be outdoors for a stretch or at the beach. We all need the sun for our emotional and physical health, but we need to wear it well!
About the author: Bonnie Bellow has been the Region 2 Director of Public Affairs since 1995, responsible for intergovernmental, media and international relations; community engagement; environmental education; Freedom of Information Act requests; social media and public information. She previously served as Public Affairs Director at the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, ran her own media production business and worked as a radio reporter. Bonnie received her Bachelor of Science degree at Northwestern University in Chicago, but is a born and bred New Yorker who lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
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.
An example of standing water, a breeding ground for mosquitoes
By Marcia Anderson
With a warm winter, be prepared for an early pest season, which includes mosquitoes. If something can hold water for more than a few days, it is a mosquito breeding habitat. This article is designed to help you identify stagnant water sources around your home and neighborhood and make some suggestions for their elimination. By reducing mosquito breeding habitats you can reduce mosquito borne diseases, and markedly reduce the need for chemical pesticides.
(Photo via Douglas Allen)
Mosquitoes that live in close association with humans, typically breed in containers that can store water. One non-chemical management approach focuses on reducing the number of mosquitoes near human dwellings and other habitats by minimizing access to water breeding places through the following steps:
1. Mosquito Surveillance: Identify locations and sizes of all stagnant water bodies, including areas with open cisterns, water barrels, basins, catchment basins, storm drains, blocked roof gutters, and all water retaining containers. These are all important mosquito larval habitats.
2. Sanitation: An essential component of mosquito management is the removal or destruction of domestic breeding sites. The fact is that all mosquitoes need water to breed. By eliminating all standing water and water collecting containers, you can reduce the number of mosquitoes in your backyard. Remove or destroy domestic breeding sites, such as: Discarded appliances, car parts, plastic bags, tarps, food containers, tires or any other debris capable of holding water.
Plastics Management:. Plastics are not only a huge waste problem, but also a key breeding ground for mosquitoes and other disease carrying pests. Many mosquitoes will breed in as little as a bottle-cap full of rainwater. Tires are also a major breeding site for mosquitoes. Removal of abandoned tires from inhabited areas is imperative to mosquito vector control projects. read more…
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 Melissa Dimas
New York City receives millions of visitors every year. They come to see the Statue of Liberty, the Great White Way and the towering skyscrapers, but I’d like to think, and maybe it’s because I live here, that the people who reside in New York City and the communities they form are reason enough to visit New York City.
Last week, a delegation from India’s Ministry of Environment and Forest in Delhi, as well as the Pollution Control Board in West Bengal and Kolkata visited EPA Region 2 to tour three of our Superfund sites and the communities that surround them. In India, they are currently designing all aspects of their Superfund program and working on four pilot projects funded by the World Bank. During their tour, we highlighted the important role communities play in EPA’s Superfund process and we wanted the delegation to meet some of the New York City superfund community members. At Newtown Creek, we met with Christine an active member of the community advisory group (CAG), at the Passaic River we met Darryl, a community member working on the actual clean up who received his job through EPA’s superfund job training initiative (SJTI), and at the Gowanus Canal we met Katia, a resident and blogger that helps keep the community informed about all things Gowanus.
The delegation was surprised to see how much EPA Region 2 interacts with the community throughout the Superfund process. They were surprised that EPA’s cleanup process doesn’t just focus on removing contaminants, but also insures the impacted community has a voice in the process. EPA’s Community Involvement Coordinators Wanda Ayala, David Kluesner, and Natalie Loney work hard to make sure the community is informed and the community’s voice is heard. Working with amazing community members like Christine, Darryl, and Katia makes working in New York City as a Community Involvement Coordinator that much more satisfying.
So wherever you live, New York City, Delhi, or Djibouti think about how you participate in your community and how you can play an important role in bettering your community.
About the Author: Melissa Dimas is the International Affairs Program Manager in Region 2. She works with environmental ministries in Latin America to increase public participation and access to environmental information. Melissa joined EPA in 2006. Prior to working at EPA, she received a Masters of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the beautiful country of El Salvador.
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.
Two views of the maps displaying noise data collected.
By Kevin Kubik
This week, I had the pleasure of attending a webinar on Apps and Sensors for Air Pollution sponsored by EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards and EPA’s Office of Resarch and Development. The webinar was designed to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas for those involved in the cutting edge research surrounding air pollution sensors and applications (Apps) that use those sensors.
I found it fascinating to hear about all of the research going on related to sensors and smartphones. The nerd in me loved hearing presenters (other nerds) speaking about the Beer-Lambert Law, micro gas chromatographs, nanotechnology being used in sensor technology, laser-based, particulate matter sensors and so much more. But the one presentation that stuck out was about a Brooklyn-based organization called Habitat Map. I belong to my own community volunteer monitoring group in Monmouth County, NJ. But we are not nearly as organized or advanced as Habitat Map. I’m sure the fact that they were local to the Region attracted my attention, but so did their organization and sophistication.
To quote from Habitat Map’s webpage:
“HabitatMap is a non-profit environmental health justice organization whose goal is to raise awareness about the impact the environment has on human health. Our online mapping and social networking platform is designed to maximize the impact of community voices on city planning and strengthen ties between organizations and activists working to build greener, greater cities. Utilizing our shared advocacy platform participants can:
- Alert the public to environmental health hazards
- Hold polluters accountable for their environmental impacts
- Highlight urban infrastructures that promote healthy living
- Identify future opportunities for sustainable urban development
- Promote policies that enhance equitable access to urban resources”
If you are affiliated with a community-based organization or you are a high school or college educator, you might want to contact Habitat Map. They conduct community mapping workshops and teach and develop curricula for high school and college students.
But the coolest part of the Habitat Map presentation was Aircasting!!! read more…
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.
Do You Use NYC Drinking Water Fountains?
By Kevin Hurley
Recently I have been making a concerted effort to carry a reusable water container to avoid the need to purchase a single-use plastic bottle. However, finding a public water fountain to fill-up at is not always the easiest thing to do when you live in NYC. Generally speaking, over the past few decades, water fountains throughout the country have been fading from our city’s public landscapes. The need to “Bring Back the Water Fountain” is a healthy, affordable, and sustainable way to get more residents of our city to consume NYC’s tap water. But how do we make folks more aware of this priceless resource?
NYC Water-On-the Go Drinking Fountain
There are a lot of great programs and initiatives occurring within our city aimed at increasing awareness and accessibility to our world renowned drinking water. For starters, TapIt is trying to build a widespread partnership of cafes in the city that will make clean tap water accessible to the public. Additionally, the 100 Fountains Project, in partnership with NYC, is a global design competition which seeks to install 100 new fully operational drinking fountains through the city. The hope of this project is to revive the public drinking fountain.
The return of summer also signals the return of the NYC Water-On-the-Go program, where outdoor drinking water stations are hooked up to the city’s fire hydrants for the drinking and filling of water bottles. Want to find where the stations will be and when? There’s an app for that…sorry android users.
While there are some great projects occurring within NYC, other cities looking to promote their high-quality tap water and reduce single-use bottled water consumption are coming up with some innovative ideas. I really like what San Francisco is doing with their “DrinkTap Project.” The city is installing sleek, blue tap stations throughout the city where residents and visitors alike can easily refill their reusable containers. Check out the map / video (and catchy song) that the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has put together in order to help spread the word.
I am a frequent user of the water fountains in NYC, well to be honest, one water fountain in particular. Whenever I exercise in central park, I am sure to make a stop for some cold, clean NYC water. Nothing beats some high quality H2O, especially after logging a few miles in the park. If you have ever walked around the west side of the Central Park reservoir loop you may have stumbled onto my go-to water fountain. I really need to branch out and find some new water fountains across the city…
Any suggestions?
About the Author: Kevin has been working as a Grants Management Specialist with the EPA since 2007, and is currently on detail serving as special assistant to the Regional Administrator. He grew up in South Jersey, went to school outside of Baltimore, and received a Masters in Public Policy from Rutgers University. Kevin currently resides in the Upper East Side of Manhattan where you can usually find him exercising or playing outdoor ice hockey in Central Park.
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 Marcia Anderson
Several months ago I received an e-mail from a city resident who was getting bites at night that she thought were from a spider. Large, and itchy, but with a burning sensation that told her they weren’t mosquito bites. The problem escalated until she had over 40 red welts on her legs. “I was getting groups of about 5-20 ‘bites’ every night, and my husband had none, and he wore boxers! Also, after the first few nights, I was wearing heavy sweat pants to bed tucked into my socks, and still found marks! “
Carpet beetles are cariophites, which means they live on dead organic materials
She cleaned and vacuumed everything in the bedroom and changed the sheets, but the next morning she still had a few bites. She then went on the internet, and found that this was NOT the work of a spider, but possibly bed bugs. They quarantined the bedroom after thoroughly cleaning and spraying everything with over-the-counter pesticides, but no evidence of ANY bugs was found. She checked the sheets for blood spots, actual bugs – dead or alive, and shed skins, but found none.
One pest company had given her a quote of $1200 to come and treat for bed bugs, but a second pest company suspected carpet beetles instead of bed bugs due to the fact that the wife was getting the ‘bites’ and the husband was not. Some people are allergic to carpet beetles and some are not, however, almost everyone has some allergy to bed bugs. The pest company arrived, and upon inspection, no bed bugs were found, however, a few dead carpet beetles were discovered.
Just like bed bugs: 1.) carpet beetles are attracted to you when you are sleeping because of the CO2 gas you exhale, 2.) carpet beetles are very shy, so they are hard to find, and 3.) carpet beetles also usually come out in the wee hours of the morning. The difference is: bed bugs bite, but carpet beetles eat natural fibers, like wool blankets, natural fibers and feathers, and do not bite. read more…
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 Walter Mugdan
My day job is managing the toxic waste cleanup programs for US EPA Region 2. Alas, these cleanups are complicated and expensive, and can take years — even decades – to be completed. Consequently job satisfaction, while high, is generally pretty slow in coming.
So what to do for a quicker fix? Answer: take a “busman’s holiday.” I spend much of my own time working to clean up and restore one little remnant of the natural world remaining in a corner of our huge metropolis.
For the past 10 years I’ve been the president of the Udalls Cove Preservation Committee (UCPC), a local conservation group in northeastern Queens County. UCPC was founded in 1969 with the mission of preserving, conserving and restoring the last undeveloped wetlands and woodlands of the Udalls Cove watershed.
The product of UCPC’s labors is Udalls Cove Park, a small New York City nature preserve nestled between several densely settled bedroom communities. Udalls Cove is the eastern arm of Little Neck Bay, part of Long Island Sound. At the head of the cove, where the park begins, is a thriving salt marsh. The park is long and narrow, extending south over a mile along the valley of a small creek. The creek runs down a steep-sided, wooded ravine, into a freshwater pond and out through the marsh to the open waters of the cove.
For the first 20 years of UCPC’s existence our primary focus was to preserve these 100+ undeveloped acres and protect them from further filling. There were plans to fill in much of the area for residential and commercial development. The salt marsh was to be turned into a golf course. Streets were mapped and a sewer was installed along the length of the ravine. Indeed, six acres of the ravine were filled with concrete rubble to enable construction of a planned mini-mall before UCPC could stop the dumping and have the area included in the newly designated park.
Starting in the early 1990s, UCPC volunteers began to focus on restoration. It started with reforestation of that six acre parcel in the ravine. The young trees – all native species appropriate for the area — were lovingly cared for and now make up a beautiful forest standing 20-30 feet tall, just a stone’s throw from Northern Boulevard, a major thoroughfare.
Since 2003, UCPC has invested over $185,000 in a series of increasingly ambitious cleanup and restoration projects. Nearly 1.5 million pounds of concrete rubble were removed from a section of the ravine and the area was replanted with native trees and shrubs. A successful erosion control project now protects another hillside and the creek below. Attractive wooden railings have been installed along park boundaries, reminding residents these are not just “vacant lots.” read more…
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 Alyssa Arcaya and Alexandre Remnek
Alyssa: As the Water Program Coordinator, I work on making sure we’re implementing the water-related portion of EPA’s Strategic Plan in Region 2. Through this work, I’ve learned how EPA translates its broad strategic goals into concrete actions that help protect human health and the environment. Because of this, I was especially interested to read EPA’s new strategy for managing water resources in the face of climate change: the National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change. The draft strategy considers the impacts of climate change on water resources and serves as a roadmap for EPA’s future activities by exploring actions that the Agency should take to create a “climate ready” national water program. It also helps our regional office determine the steps we need to integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation into our core programs and activities.
Alexi: While studying biogeochemistry at Cornell a decade ago, my work focused on watershed modeling. One of the challenges I faced was figuring out how to incorporate future environmental changes in our modeling and planning efforts. Now, in my work as the Climate and Water Coordinator at EPA Region 2, I consider the ways that global climate change will impact EPA’s planning and regulatory work in our water programs. Climate change has serious implications for water resources. Warmer air and water temperatures can cause changes in precipitation patterns, increase evaporation and increase the frequency of more extreme weather events. New York City is expected to receive more precipitation on average, some of which will reach us through more frequent storm events. This means increased flooding, higher storm surge and erosion of beaches and coastal areas, which puts much of New York’s valuable infrastructure and development at risk.
The National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change presents key actions that can help New York City and the rest of the country understand and address the potential impacts of climate change on water resources. The strategy addresses five core elements, including infrastructure, watersheds and wetlands, coastal and ocean waters, water quality and working with tribes to preserve and adapt their culture, natural resources and economies to climate change. read more…
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.
Sustainable Weekend Activities | NYC
May is in full spring swing. Make the most of this weekend with top-rate green activities!
2012 Bike Expo New York – Bike Expo New York (BE NY) gives residents and visitors an unprecedented look at urban cycling. Come join cyclists of all experience levels for live performances, hands-on programming, bike gear giveaways and free classes. Thursday, May 3 – Saturday May 5
Bronx Birding – Let experienced Urban Park Rangers guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in Van Cortlandt Park. Don’t forget to bring your binoculars! Sunday, May 6, 8:00 a.m.
Carousel Opening Day – Celebrate the start of carousel season and the beauty of horses at Willowbrook Park’s Carousel Opening Day! Games, activities and prizes will be available for the whole family. Saturday, May 5, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
GreenDay 2012 – Join NYSERDA, Solar One and many other great environmental organizations for GreenDay 2012! Build a wind-turbine and solar car; join an ecology walk along the East River; learn energy-saving tips to lower your utility bills; learn about green jobs and volunteer opportunities and so much more! Saturday, May 5, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
NYC Safe Disposal – The NYC Department of Sanitation is holding a “SAFE” (Solvents, Automotive, Flammable, Electronics) Disposal Event in Brooklyn this Sunday to provide area residents with a one-stop method to get rid of potentially harmful household products. What a perfect way to put your spring cleaning into high gear! Sunday, May 6, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Plant Starts Giveaway – Since 2002, GreenThumb has been providing organic, non-GMO plants in unique varieties for distribution to community gardens. Come get some plant starts, and learn square foot gardening tips and techniques. Saturday, May 5, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
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 Marcia Anderson
On any normal day, children and child care providers may be potentially exposed to pesticides from indoor and/or outdoor pesticide applications in the child care setting. As a member of the Region 2 EPA Pesticides Program, I took part in a study conducted in one New York City borough to evaluate the manner, type and frequency of pesticides being applied in child care centers (CCCs) in order to improve pest management practices and reduce childhood exposure.
We found that 80% of the CCCs studied, applied pesticides on a scheduled basis. This high frequency of applications show a strong dependence on pesticides being applied as a deterent, or preventative. Since many children spend a large portion of their day at child care facilities it is clear that reducing their exposures in these facilities would greatly reduce all of the children’s cumulative potential exposure to pesticides.
In addition, we found that 58% of child care centers relied on the spraying of pesticides by pest control companies to combat pests. Sprayed chemicals may become airborne and settle on toys, desks, counters, shades and walls. The children and staff may touch contaminated surfaces and unknowingly expose themselves to invisible residues that can remain for days. This means that over half of all the children in the study were at a heightened risk of exposure because pesticide sprays volatilize and become airborne, leading to inhalation exposure, then they settle down on surfaces, leading to additional risk of dermal exposure. When children put toys in their mouths that spray has settled on, or put their fingers in their mouths, the children are at risk for ingestion exposure.
In a study conducted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation it was found that the heaviest applications of registered pesticides in all of New York State, including the upstate agricultural region, occurred in the boroughs of NYC. read more…
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.
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