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By Lou Witt, Indoor Environments Division and Kathy Seikel, Office of Children’s Health ProtectionWith an emphasis on healthy schools, this year’s Children’s Health Month brings back memories of life as a student. When we were children, not many people focused on indoor air quality in schools.…
Each week we write about the science behind environmental protection. Previous Science Wednesdays.By Tanya OtteLots of people like running. I’m not one of them…unless it involves running models! Since I was hired, I’ve been a part of a team that develops and runs models to help understand…
By Doug AndersonIt’s October and here comes the cold weather and the high winter energy bills. I am in the middle of raking leaves and cleaning the gutters at my house and wanted to remind my fellow homeowners about other important projects to do in the fall to help keep your home comfortable and…
By Brittney GordonAs you may have already heard, our light bulbs are changing. They’ll be just as bright but use less energy, cost less, and better protect the environment. Starting in 2012, all screw-based light bulbs sold in the U.S. must meet new federal standards for energy efficiency…
By Lisa GarciaWhen I was six, my father announced that my family would be moving from the Bronx to Caracas, Venezuela. I was nervous and it didn’t help that my 2nd grade classmates told me our family would be living in grass huts. I thought that maybe Venezuela would be like Puerto Rico, where my…
By Kristinn VazquezI have a confession to make. I’m cheap. Most people wouldn’t guess that about me. I do like to spend money on others. But, I’m cheap when it comes to resources at home and at work. I would argue most of us who grew up poor can relate. We’re environmentalists because…
The USGS does not make forecasts about the future potential of a particular resource to resolve national energy needs. It is difficult to determine if oil from the Bakken Formation, or any of the formations we have done assessments on, could offset other sources of oil. A number of logistical and…
Each week we write about the science behind environmental protection. Previous Science Wednesdays.By Jing ZhangAs a kid, science class was always a treasure trove of exciting experiments and new activities. Science activities, from blowing up balloons to learn about air to displacing water to learn…
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- New Invasive Species Conferences added, including : Biodiversity Information Standards - Taxonomic Databases Working Group (TDWG) 2011 Annual Conference -- Oct 16-21, 2011 2011 Alaska Invasive Species Conference -- Oct 19-21, 2011…
By Carly CarrollGoing into classrooms and sharing environmental has always been my favorite part of being an environmental educator. One of my favorite experiences was participating in EPA’s Science Day at an elementary school in North Carolina. The teachers and students were always so happy to…
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- "Non-invasive" Cultivar? Buyer Beware (Oct 7, 2011) Cultivars of popular ornamental woody plants that are being sold in the U.S. as non-invasive are probably anything but, according to an analysis by botanical researchers…
By Karen MarkI recently staffed an EPA booth for the first Rock the Green festival committed to seeking near-zero waste in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I was skeptical at first, a “near-zero waste” event? Not only was I impressed by what I saw but I realized that behavioral changes are the most…
This is cross-posted from The White House BlogBy Al ArmendarizGrowing up in the tightly knit community of El Paso, Texas, I was always sure of a few things.One was that family was of the utmost importance. It’s the kind of place where several generations might live within a few blocks of each…
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- Online Native Plant Center Helps Chesapeake Bay (Jun 13, 2011) A new tool to help citizens in the Chesapeake Bay watershed select native plants is now available. Users of the portal, Native Plant Center can search for native…
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- Invasive Sea Squirt Puts Connecticut's Shellfish Sector on Alert (Sep 29, 2011) The invasive sea squirt, Styela clava, has now been discovered along the Eastern Seaboard as far south as Bridgeport Harbor and poses a…
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- UF-led Study: Invasive Amphibians, Reptiles in Florida Outnumber World (Sep 15, 2011) Florida has the world's worst invasive amphibian and reptile problem, and a new 20-year study led by a University of Florida researcher…
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- Location Matters: For Invasive Aquatic Species, It's Better to Start Upstream (Sep 26, 2011) Researchers have found that a species invasion that starts at the upstream edge of its range may have a major advantage over…
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- Herbicide Resistant Weeds Training Modules / Press Release - Weed Science Society of America Launches Free Training Program on the Causes and Management of Herbicide Resistance in Weeds (Sep 27, 2011) WSSA is introducing a free…
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- Economic Cost of Stink Bugs (Sep 17, 2011) C-SPAN interviews ARS Program Leader Kevin Hackett, IPM Working Group leader Tracy Leskey about the agricultural impact of the pest and the federal response. * See our Species Profile -…
Safe water means water that will not harm you if you come in contact with it. The most common use of this term applies to drinking water, but it could also apply to water for swimming or other uses. To be safe, the water must have sufficiently low concentrations of harmful contaminants to avoid…