Within this blog post, I wanted to make my reader aware of an important government sponsored site, the United States Environmental Protection Agency or EPA. Their motto is “40 years of protecting health and the environment.”
This site easily gives readers ways to learn about various issues through tabs such as Learn the Issues, Science and Technology, Laws and Regulations, About EPA, and Newsroom. The site also includes a search box and an A-Z index. Besides just the basic internet site accessed through a computer, the EPA offers mobile apps for EPA Today, Apps, Connect through twitter, facebook and other social networking sites, and Environmental tips.
¿No hablo ingles? [You don’t speak English?] No problem! The EPA offers their site in Spanish, traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean.
Readers, I’m sure that if you have been following this blog that you are concerned about what you can do locally to help the environment. Well the EPA has suggestions for you athttp://www.epa.gov/epahome/acting.htm.
How the EPA is working in West Virginia:
COAL MINING
MOUNTAIN TOP MINING
COAL WASTE IMPOUNDMENTS
NATURAL GAS EXTRATION
CHESAPEAKE BAY
CARBON SEQUESTRATION
Interested in finding information about the state you’re from? Click here then click on your state on the map.
The Seven Priorities for the EPA in the future include:
1.Taking action on climate change
2.Improving air quality-“American communities face serious health and environmental challenges from air pollution. We have already proposed stronger ambient air quality standards for ozone, which will help millions of American breathe easier and live healthier. Building on that, EPA will develop a comprehensive strategy for a cleaner and more efficient power sector, with strong but achievable emission reduction goals for SO2, NOx, mercury and other air toxics. We will strengthen our ambient air quality standards for pollutants such as PM, SO2 and NO2 and will achieve additional reductions in air toxics from a range of industrial facilities. Improved monitoring, permitting and enforcement will be critical building blocks for air quality improvement.”
3.Assuring the safety of chemicals
4.Cleaning up our communities
5.Protecting America’s waters- “America’s waterbodies are imperiled as never before. Water quality and enforcement programs face complex challenges, from nutrient loadings and stormwater runoff, to invasive species and drinking water contaminants. These challenges demand both traditional and innovative strategies. We will continue comprehensive watershed protection programs for the Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes. We will initiate measures to address post-construction runoff, water quality impairment from surface mining, and stronger drinking water protection. Recovery Act funding will expand construction of water infrastructure, and we will work with states to develop nutrient limits and launch an Urban Waters initiative. We will also revamp enforcement strategies to achieve greater compliance across the board.”
6.Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and working for Environmental Justice
7.Building strong state and tribal partnerships
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Blog Post 4: Disposable versus Cloth Diapers
As the population grows, it is a given that there will be more babies. Reader, I will now ask you an obvious question: What comes from having a lot of babies? A need for to provide for them, feed them, and give them with the proper way of disposing of their feces. The more babies there are, the more poop there will be, that’s also a given.
Parents are now faced with whether to use disposable or cloth diapers. There are various issues that they must consider when making this decision. According to thenewparentsguide.com, “The greatest concern for parents is to keep their baby’s skin dry, healthy and free from diaper rash. Many things can cause diaper rash. Prolonged wetness, lack of air circulation, soap, chemical and dye allergies, ammonia formed by bacteria that interacts with urine left sitting against the skin and the growth of microbes in the diaper area can all be irritating and cause rashes.”
Cons of using Disposable Diapers:
“dyes, sodium polyacrylate (the super absorbent gel), and dioxin, which is a by-product of bleaching paper. Sodium polyacrylate has been linked in the past to toxic shock syndrome, allergic reactions and is very harmful and potentially lethal to pets. Some dyes and dioxin. according to the Environmental Protection Agency [are] known to cause damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver. The Food & Drug Administration has received reports that fragrances in disposables caused headaches, dizziness and rashes. Problems reported to the Consumer Protection Agency regarding disposables include, chemical burns, noxious chemical and insecticide odors, babies pulling disposables apart and putting pieces of plastic into their noses and mouth, choking on tab papers and linings, plastic melting onto the skin, and ink staining the skin. Plastic tabs can also tear skin if the diaper is not properly put on the baby.”
The Negative Environmental Impact from using Disposable diapers:
According to therealdiaperassociation.org,
“The manufacture and use of disposable diapers amounts to 2.3 times more water wasted than cloth.”
“Over 92% of all single-use diapers end up in a landfill.”
“Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste. In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.”
“In 1988, nearly $300 million dollars were spent annually just to discard disposable diapers, whereas cotton diapers are reused 50 to 200 times before being turned into rags.”
“No one knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it is estimated to be about 250-500 years.”
Finally, according to thenewparentsguide.com, “it is estimated that roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of 2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills annually. It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone.”
“The untreated waste placed in landfills by dirty disposable diapers is also a possible danger to contaminating ground water.”
Parents are now faced with whether to use disposable or cloth diapers. There are various issues that they must consider when making this decision. According to thenewparentsguide.com, “The greatest concern for parents is to keep their baby’s skin dry, healthy and free from diaper rash. Many things can cause diaper rash. Prolonged wetness, lack of air circulation, soap, chemical and dye allergies, ammonia formed by bacteria that interacts with urine left sitting against the skin and the growth of microbes in the diaper area can all be irritating and cause rashes.”
Cons of using Disposable Diapers:
“dyes, sodium polyacrylate (the super absorbent gel), and dioxin, which is a by-product of bleaching paper. Sodium polyacrylate has been linked in the past to toxic shock syndrome, allergic reactions and is very harmful and potentially lethal to pets. Some dyes and dioxin. according to the Environmental Protection Agency [are] known to cause damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver. The Food & Drug Administration has received reports that fragrances in disposables caused headaches, dizziness and rashes. Problems reported to the Consumer Protection Agency regarding disposables include, chemical burns, noxious chemical and insecticide odors, babies pulling disposables apart and putting pieces of plastic into their noses and mouth, choking on tab papers and linings, plastic melting onto the skin, and ink staining the skin. Plastic tabs can also tear skin if the diaper is not properly put on the baby.”
The Negative Environmental Impact from using Disposable diapers:
According to therealdiaperassociation.org,
“The manufacture and use of disposable diapers amounts to 2.3 times more water wasted than cloth.”
“Over 92% of all single-use diapers end up in a landfill.”
“Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste. In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.”
“In 1988, nearly $300 million dollars were spent annually just to discard disposable diapers, whereas cotton diapers are reused 50 to 200 times before being turned into rags.”
“No one knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it is estimated to be about 250-500 years.”
Finally, according to thenewparentsguide.com, “it is estimated that roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of 2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills annually. It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone.”
“The untreated waste placed in landfills by dirty disposable diapers is also a possible danger to contaminating ground water.”
Monday, February 7, 2011
Blog Post 3: Consequences to Wetlands
Overpopulation has always been causing a major decline in the world’s necessary wetlands.According to dictionary.com, a wetland is defined as “an area of swampy or marshy land, esp[ecially] considered as part of an ecological system.” In addition, it is a “low-lying area of land that is saturated with moisture, especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife. Marshes, swamps, and bogs are examples of wetlands.”
Wetlands are important for many reasons. For starters, wetlands are ecosystems- “ecological commun[ities that come] together with its environment, [to] function as a unit.” For example, wetlands depend on every organism within it from the tiniest bacteria to the animals at the top of the food chain in order for it to thrive and be maintained. In addition, wetlands are “the transitional zones between land and water environments,” (pacificislandtravel.com). Wetlands also help with flood control by collecting excess rainfall and then releasing it slowly over time. Wetlands provide the main area where rice is grown and “coastal wetlands are spawning grounds for commercial fish harvests,” (pacificislandtravel.com).
Reasons for the decline of wetlands:
Around three-quarters of the world’s population live near some type of water such as oceans, rivers, lakes, and many coastal marshes. Therefore, many bogs and wetlands have been filled in, regardless of the consequences in order to meet the demand for buildable land. The more people that overpopulate an area, the more waste products, especially sewage and highway runoff contaminate the remaining wetlands that haven’t been filled in and hurt the ecosystem as well as endanger the wildlife.
Wetlands are often perceived as worthless, mosquito-invested swamps. According to http://www.pacificislandtravel.com/nature_gallery/lossofwetlands.html, “half of the world’s wetlands have already been drained for agricultural use or as building sites. New Zealand has lost 90 percent of it’s marshy terrain, and more than 70 percent of European wetlands have disappeared. Even the immense peat bogs of England and Ireland, once thought to be an inexhaustible source of fuel, are 90 percent depleted.”
Some statistics concerning the wetlands in the U.S. include “more than half of all native wetlands have been drained, filled, or polluted since colonial times. One estimate puts the rate of wetland loss at 60 acres per hour since 1780. One-third of all endangered plants and animals in the U.S. are wetland species,” (pacificislandtravel.com) The Florida Everglades are the wetlands that have been unhealthily tampered with the most in the U.S. “Less than half of the original 4 million acres of marshland remains and most of that is dissected with canals, spillways, and pumping stations.” In addition, “acreage [in the Everglades] that was dried out for agricultural use has lost up to 6 feet of topsoil,”(pacificislandtravel.com).
Wetlands are important for many reasons. For starters, wetlands are ecosystems- “ecological commun[ities that come] together with its environment, [to] function as a unit.” For example, wetlands depend on every organism within it from the tiniest bacteria to the animals at the top of the food chain in order for it to thrive and be maintained. In addition, wetlands are “the transitional zones between land and water environments,” (pacificislandtravel.com). Wetlands also help with flood control by collecting excess rainfall and then releasing it slowly over time. Wetlands provide the main area where rice is grown and “coastal wetlands are spawning grounds for commercial fish harvests,” (pacificislandtravel.com).
Reasons for the decline of wetlands:
Around three-quarters of the world’s population live near some type of water such as oceans, rivers, lakes, and many coastal marshes. Therefore, many bogs and wetlands have been filled in, regardless of the consequences in order to meet the demand for buildable land. The more people that overpopulate an area, the more waste products, especially sewage and highway runoff contaminate the remaining wetlands that haven’t been filled in and hurt the ecosystem as well as endanger the wildlife.
Wetlands are often perceived as worthless, mosquito-invested swamps. According to http://www.pacificislandtravel.com/nature_gallery/lossofwetlands.html, “half of the world’s wetlands have already been drained for agricultural use or as building sites. New Zealand has lost 90 percent of it’s marshy terrain, and more than 70 percent of European wetlands have disappeared. Even the immense peat bogs of England and Ireland, once thought to be an inexhaustible source of fuel, are 90 percent depleted.”
Some statistics concerning the wetlands in the U.S. include “more than half of all native wetlands have been drained, filled, or polluted since colonial times. One estimate puts the rate of wetland loss at 60 acres per hour since 1780. One-third of all endangered plants and animals in the U.S. are wetland species,” (pacificislandtravel.com) The Florida Everglades are the wetlands that have been unhealthily tampered with the most in the U.S. “Less than half of the original 4 million acres of marshland remains and most of that is dissected with canals, spillways, and pumping stations.” In addition, “acreage [in the Everglades] that was dried out for agricultural use has lost up to 6 feet of topsoil,”(pacificislandtravel.com).
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Blog Post Two: Describing Recycling
Recycling is now one of the popular solutions to sustaining our resources. Recycling stimulates the growth of new, green technologies, reduces the size of landfills, reduces harmful toxic gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, and makes it possible for energy to be saved from making new materials. According to dictionary.com, recycling is defined as “to treat or process (used or waste materials) so as to make suitable for reuse,” and “to reclaim (packaging or products with a limited useful life) for further use.” Green technologies are defined by dictionary.com as “any technology that is environmentally friendlier than a comparable existing technology.” For example, solar and wind operated power is greener than burning fossil fuels.
An alarming statistic I came across is “if every American household recycled just one out of every ten HDPE bottles they used, we’d keep 200 million pounds of the plastic out of landfills every year,” (http://www.oberlin.edu/recycle/facts.html). For more statistics about all the things that are recycled and what if scenarios, visit http://www.oberlin.edu/recycle/facts.html.
According to the Office of Sustainability at WVU
“During a typical semester [at WVU], campus buildings average 10 tons of paper and 150 pounds of plastic per week (summer numbers are slightly lower). Since the program began, WVU has recycled more than a ton of plastic bottles. This is very impressive considering that it takes 17 empty bottles to make a pound which calculates 34,000 bottles to a single ton.” To view recycling achievements at WVU for 2007, 2008, and 2009, click on the year you want to view.
The recyclables at WVU include paper, #1 plastic, cardboard, and aluminum.
Interested in some myths and facts about recycling? Click here to learn more: http://wecan.wvu.edu/sustainability/recycling/mythsfacts
Recycling around the world varies from country to country. For example, “Austria heads the EU [European Commission]in its recycling efforts with approximately 60% of its waste being recycled,” while “Greece falls short with only 10% of its waste being recycled and the remaining 90% going to the landfills,”
(http://www.environment-green.com/More_Recycling_Facts_and_Statistics.html).
An alarming statistic I came across is “if every American household recycled just one out of every ten HDPE bottles they used, we’d keep 200 million pounds of the plastic out of landfills every year,” (http://www.oberlin.edu/recycle/facts.html). For more statistics about all the things that are recycled and what if scenarios, visit http://www.oberlin.edu/recycle/facts.html.
According to the Office of Sustainability at WVU
“During a typical semester [at WVU], campus buildings average 10 tons of paper and 150 pounds of plastic per week (summer numbers are slightly lower). Since the program began, WVU has recycled more than a ton of plastic bottles. This is very impressive considering that it takes 17 empty bottles to make a pound which calculates 34,000 bottles to a single ton.” To view recycling achievements at WVU for 2007, 2008, and 2009, click on the year you want to view.
The recyclables at WVU include paper, #1 plastic, cardboard, and aluminum.
Interested in some myths and facts about recycling? Click here to learn more: http://wecan.wvu.edu/sustainability/recycling/mythsfacts
Recycling around the world varies from country to country. For example, “Austria heads the EU [European Commission]in its recycling efforts with approximately 60% of its waste being recycled,” while “Greece falls short with only 10% of its waste being recycled and the remaining 90% going to the landfills,”
(http://www.environment-green.com/More_Recycling_Facts_and_Statistics.html).
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