Greenversations

As the Beach Program Coordinator for EPA’s office in Chicago, I’m often asked whether it’s safe to swim in Lake Michigan. My answer is yes, it is safe to swim in the lake, but there are things that swimmers need to know before they go to the beach to help keep themselves - and others - from getting sick at the beach.

When you’re at the beach, be sure to wash your hands as soon as you leave the water and alwaysbefore eating anything. Don’t feed the birds, as their fecal matter can contribute to poor water quality and may cause beach closures. Also, be sure to use the bathroom facilities when nature calls, and encourage your friends to do the same. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been at the beach and hear people tell their friends they have to go to the bathroom - then watch them get up and walk towards the shore! The most important tip is make sure that you stay out of the water if you are sick, as you may share your illness with others.

Even though many beaches are regularly tested for bacteria levels, it can take up to a day to get water quality samples back from the lab, so water quality results aren’t posted until the following day. Being an informed swimmer will help keep you healthy. I generally tell beach goers that a good rule to follow is to avoid swimming during, and up to a day or two after, a rainstorm. Pollutants, such as fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste, may be washed off the land and into the water during the rain, which could pollute the beach water.

What do you do when you see a sign at the beach that advises against swimming? Swimming in contaminated water can make you sick, ranging from sore throats and diarrhea to more serious illnesses. EPA and CDC are currently studying the relationship between water quality and illness, and the results of the study, due out in 2011, will help better protect swimmers.

In the meantime, you can help make your favorite beaches better during your summer break by volunteering to adopt a beach! Go to the Alliance for the Great Lakes’ website at greatlakes.org to find out how you can become part of their Adopt-a-Beach TM program.  Volunteers help collect data on different aspects of their beach to investigate pollution sources, collect and dispose of litter, and sample water quality. Or visit http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=icc_home in the 24th annual International Coastal Cleanup on September 19. Let’s keep our beaches clean! Do you know of other ways to volunteer to keep our beaches clean? Share your stories and contacts with us here!!

About the author: Holly Wirick started with EPA in 1991 and has served as the Regional Beach Program Coordinator since EPA’s Beach Program was established in 1997.

As it starts to get warmer across the U.S. mainland, we’re beginning to plan more outdoor activities or just think of new ways to communicate with nature in the great outdoors.  Whether it’s gardening, swimming, hiking, fishing, or visiting our national parks, some of these outside activities might lead to some unwanted close encounters. I’m not talking about mountain lions, bears, wolves or snakes. I’m talking about other much smaller creatures—some creepy crawlers or flying insects. I know, I know…not all insects are bad. In fact, many invertebrates are actually good pollinators, like bees and butterflies. Others have a positive impact on the environment such as ladybugs and earthworms. The creepy crawlers I’m concerned about are those pests such as mosquitoes and ticks that can actually carry diseases. Those are the ones we want to avoid at all cost, if possible.

Given the unusually wet days we’ve been having in certain areas of the United States, we can anticipate a larger number of mosquitoes in urban and rural areas. A first piece of advice is to get rid of these flying pests with minimal use of chemicals? The most important thing you can do is remove their habitat (where they live and breed) in areas around your home. You have to eliminate standing water from rain gutters, old tires, toys, any open container where mosquitoes can breed. By the way, mosquitoes do not need a large quantity of water to breed and multiply. Did you know that over 150 mosquitoes can come out of a tablespoon of stagnant water? So, if you have bird baths or wading pools, please change the water at least once a week to prevent mosquito breeding. If you’re going to spend some time outdoors, use an EPA-registered mosquito repellent when necessary. Above all, read the label and follow directions closely. If there have been warnings of increased mosquito borne diseases in your area, such as the West Nile virus, check with your state or local health department for more information on mosquito control measures being taken where you live.

When enjoying the great outdoors, other biting pests such as ticks may carry Lyme disease. Personal protective measures are necessary, but repellents are effective as well. So, don’t let these pests spoil your vacation in the great outdoors.

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.

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.

As I’ve mentioned before, my weekend agenda is pretty much controlled by the activities that my youngest has scheduled. Recently, she was invited to a friend’s birthday party in Pasadena, MD. The home where they were having the party was about 45 minutes from our house. I had never been to the area and it wasn’t until we got there that we discovered the house was right on the Chesapeake Bay! There was a beautiful view of the majestic Chesapeake, the largest estuary in the nation, right at our footsteps.

I started speaking with the mom and she told me how they had recently moved into their new home. She also mentioned that she was looking forward to the spring to start gardening and planting new flowers and trees in her yard. I recommended that she plant native shrubs and trees which would help protect the Bay. Native plants reduce the need to use pesticides and fertilizers. Letting these shrubs grow densely along the waterway prevents non-point source pollution and erosion. Greenscaping techniques are beneficial anywhere you live and near a watershed these techniques have an added value.

There are several simple steps you can take at home to prevent non-point source pollution from harming such a national treasure or any watershed for that matter. As we get closer to Earth Day, we can start to think of ways to encourage our children and communities to get involved in environmental protection. The protection of our waterways is a good place to start. With spring just around the corner, there are many green activities which the entire family will enjoy.

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 he mencionado en el pasado, la agenda de mis fines de semana está controlada mayormente por las actividades que mi hija menor tiene programadas. Recientemente, tenía una invitación para un cumpleaños de una amiguita en Pasadena, MD. La casa donde se celebraba la fiesta estaba a 45 minutos de nuestro hogar. ¡No fue hasta que llegamos que descubrimos que la casa estaba justo en la ribera de la Bahía del Chesapeake! Una hermosa vista del majestuoso Chesapeake, el estuario más grande de la nación, estaba literalmente a sus pies.

Empecé hablar con la mamá de la amiguita y me contó que se habían mudado recientemente a su nueva casa. También mencionó que estaba esperando con interés la llegada de la primavera para dedicarse a la jardinería y sembrar su jardín. Le recomendé que sembrara arbustos y árboles nativos que ayudarían a proteger la Bahía. Cabe señalar que el sembrar plantas nativas reduce la necesidad de tener que utilizar pesticidas y fertilizantes. El dejar que los arbustos crezcan densamente a lo largo de una vía acuática evita la contaminación de escorrentías y la erosión. Mientras que las técnicas de jardinería ecológica son beneficiosas en cualquier lugar, en las proximidades de una cuenca fluvial tienen un valor añadido.

Hay muchas maneras de tomar pasos sencillos en el hogar para evitar que la contaminación de fuentes difusas perjudique este tesoro nacional o cualquier cuenca. A medida que se acerca el Día del Planeta Tierra, debemos empezar a pensar en maneras en las cuales podemos lograr que nuestros hijos y comunidades participen en la protección ambiental. La protección de nuestras vías acuáticas es una buena manera de comenzar. Con la primavera al doblar de la esquina, hay muchas actividades verdes para toda la familia.

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.

As I was getting ready to go to work, I was listening to the gardening segment
on the local news radio station. The announcer was giving advice on how to eliminate those unwanted critters that might invade the home to escape from the winter cold without having to use toxic substances. He recommended using mouse traps, for example, instead of fumigating or using rat poison.

As I listened to his useful tips, I realized that he was basically advocating for Integrated Pest Management,
a practice that here at EPA we highly recommend,

Without having to use toxic chemicals, you can prevent pests from seeking refuge in your home if you create an environment that is not pleasing to them. How, you may ask? Well, basically, be a very inhospitable host. What do I mean by that? Well, don’t give them any food to eat, nothing to drink, and no shelter! I know we wouldn’t welcome these pests knowingly, but frankly, when we leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight, or leave water for our pets overnight, or even let water accumulate under our plant pots or around the home, or we have a cluttered home, we are extending an open invitation to the unwanted critters!!! Why do I mention clutter like newspapers, bags, boxes, etc., because you don’t want to create the perfect hiding place for them nor their relatives….

So, even if you follow these steps and you get a visit from an unwanted guest like these pests, consider using baits and traps so you can keep toxics out of your home. Keep a healthy home for you, your family, as well as your pets.

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.

Mientras me preparaba para ir al trabajo, escuchaba el segmento de jardinería en la estación de radio noticiosa local. El locutor estaba dando consejos sobre cómo eliminar esos animalitos indeseados que suelen invadir su casa para escaparse del frío invernal sin tener que usar sustancias tóxicas. Recomendaba usar ratoneras, por ejemplo, en lugar de fumigar o usar veneno de ratas.

Al escuchar sus conejos útiles, me di cuenta que básicamente estaba abogando a favor del plan para el Manejo Integrado de Plagas, una práctica que aquí en la EPA recomendamos firmemente.

Sin tener que usar sustancias químicas tóxicas, usted puede evitar que las plagas busquen refugio en su hogar al crea un entorno que no sea agradable para ellas. ¿Y, cómo lo haría? Pues, básicamente, sea un anfitrión inhospitalario. ¿Y, a qué me refiero? Bueno, no le dé ni una miga que comer, ni una gota de beber ni le provea albergue! Sé que normalmente no le brindamos la bienvenida a estas plagas a sabiendas, pero francamente, cuando dejamos los trastes sucios en el fregadero por la noche, cuando dejamos el agua para las mascotas por extensas horas disponible, o dejamos que el agua se acumule en los tiestos o alrededor del hogar, o si tenemos muchos papeles amontonados, estamos llamando a gritos a las plagas e invitando estos animales no deseados! ¿Por qué menciono los periódicos, cajas, bolsas amontonadas en particular? Porque usted no quiere crear el refugio perfecto para que las plagas vengan con sus familiares…

Por ende, si sigue estos consejos y todavía recibe una vista de una de estas plagas no deseadas, considere usar cebos y trampas para mantener las sustancias tóxicas fuera del hogar. La protección de su familia está en sus manos. Tampoco se olvide de las mascotas. Hay que cuidarlas también.

About the authors: Bob Dyer and Ella Barnes, Office of International Affairs, have managed work on the reduction of toxic and hazardous wastes in the Arctic under both the multilateral Arctic Contaminants Action Program (ACAP) and the Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation (AMEC) Program for over 10 years. Bob Dyer chaired the ACAP Working Group under the Arctic Council from 2004 to 2008, and Ella Barnes is the U.S. Representative to the ACAP Working Group.

If you stood with me at the northernmost point of the Chukotka Peninsula in Russia, on the shores of the frigid Arctic Ocean, what would we see? A star-filled sky, the Aurora Borealis, whales, walruses, perhaps a lost polar bear… But there is something that the eye cannot see: high concentrations of contaminants, from radioactive materials to pesticides.

A Chukotka family has set up residence in an abandoned hazardous waste tank.

The Arctic is fragile, and is an early warning indicator of the state of the larger planet. Almost all Russian rivers flow to the north, where contaminants accumulate in seaweed, fish, birds, and mammals. Through the subsistence food chain these contaminants quickly find their way into the bodies of indigenous people where they stay for years. Native Americans in the Arctic, who neither produced nor used these chemicals, are at risk.

Since 2004, EPA’s Bob Dyer has chaired and I have represented the U.S. at the Arctic Contaminants Action Program (ACAP), which includes the U.S., Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Russia. Working together with our partners, EPA is helping to greatly reduce environmental contamination in the Arctic.

ACAP, under EPA leadership, organized the effort which to date has resulted in inventory, analysis and safe storeage over 4,000 metric tons of obsolete and prohibited pesticides in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Russia. Prior to this project, the contaminants were released directly into those northward-flowing Russian rivers and transported to the Arctic.

Thanks to the pesticides management program we initiated, Russian regions are now contributing their funds and manpower in development of creative solutions to pesticides storage. For example, they have converted an abandoned missile silo in Altai Krai, Southern Siberia, into an effective storage facility for legacy pesticides.

A Pokrovka former missile hangar was dismantled under the US Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. In 2007 it became an interim storage site for obsolete and prohibited pesticides under the ACAP Project.

Bob and I are particularly proud that, during the recent EPA chairmanship of ACAP, the program has created and implements a model environmental justice empowerment program in Russia called the Indigenous Peoples Community Action Initiative. This sustainable and replicable project has already resulted in the removal and safe storage of over a metric ton of PCBs and persistent organic pollutant pesticides from remote indigenous villages in Alaska and northern Russia.

A community elder in Chukotka, Russian Far East, told us that he lived with drums containing spent oils, lubricants, and transformer liquids all his life and they are a part of his landscape. EPA is helping to change that–this summer, through the ACAP Program, over 2000 drums were removed from two Arctic indigenous villages in Chukotka on the Bering Sea across from Alaska.

Residents of Lorino and Lavrentia, Chukotka Autonomous District removing hazardous waste drums.

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.

Working in the garden and enjoying the outdoors has many rewards. However, outdoor activities may come with some negatives—mosquito bites. Personally, I seem to be a mosquito magnet. No, I’m not talking about those modern contraptions that claim they’ll eliminate mosquitoes. Quite the contrary—whenever I go outside the mosquitoes seem to feast on me. I’ve tried using some natural remedies such as eating garlic, using musk oil, but they haven’t been very effective in my case. I have used insect repellents safely, but they have not been able to keep those pesky mosquitoes away for long. I wonder if some people are more prone to mosquito bites than others. My father works in the garden all day—no bites—nada. I walk outside to get the newspaper and come back with a bite or two. Not fair.

In the meantime, there are things we can do to control mosquitoes around the home. First of all, remove their habitat (where they live and breed). What does this mean? Eliminate standing water from rain gutters, old tires, buckets, etc. When we think of stagnant water as a breeding ground, we normally think of the big puddles. We rarely think of the little cracks in the pavement that will collect water after the rain. Do you know that a mosquito can lay its eggs in just a teaspoon of standing water?

There are several steps you can take deter biting insects. Make sure your home window screens are repaired. Wear long sleeves and long pants whenever possible. Stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active. If necessary, use repellent safely.

When using insect repellents or any pesticide product, read the label first! Organic repellents have been successful measures for some people. One single action will not eliminate these pests from the face of the earth. Nonetheless, some of these tips may help you enjoy the outdoors more while protecting yourself and your family from mosquito bites. Have a nice summer.

¡No me moleste mosquito!

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.

Trabajando en el jardín y disfrutando del aire libre tiene muchas recompensas. Sin embargo, algunas de las actividades exteriores pueden tener aspectos negativos, como las picaduras de mosquitos. Personalmente, soy un imán para los mosquitos. No estoy hablando de ningún invento moderno que se adjudica el poder de eliminar los mosquitos. Al contrario. Siempre que salgo parece que los mosquitos me comen viva. He tratado remedios naturales como comer ajo, usa aceite de almizcle, pero no han sido muy eficaces en mi caso. He usado repelentes de insectos de manera segura, pero no parecen haber apartado estos molestosos insectos por mucho tiempo. Me pregunto si algunas personas son más propensas a las picaduras de mosquitos que otros. Por ejemplo, mi padre puede pasar todo el día en el jardín—ni una picadura—nada. Yo salgo un momento a buscar el periódico y regreso a la casa con un par de picaduras. No es justo.

Mientras tanto, hay cosas que podemos hacer para controlar los mosquitos alrededor del hogar. En primer lugar, elimine su hábitat (donde ellos viven y se crían). ¿Qué significa? Elimine donde se pueda apozar el agua en los desagües, las llantas viejas, los cubos, etc. Cuando pensamos en lugares que pueden servir de criaderos, normalmente pensamos en grandes charcos. Rara es la vez que pensamos en las pequeñas grietas en el asfalto donde se puede acumular el agua después de llover. ¿Sabía que un mosquito puede poner huevos en tan sólo una cucharadita de agua apozada?

Hay varios pasos que puede tomar para evitar las picaduras de insectos. Asegúrese que las mallas sobre las ventanas estén en buenas condiciones. Use mangas y pantalones largos cuando sea posible. Evite salir al amanecer y el anochecer cuando los mosquitos están más activos. Si es necesario, use repelente de manera segura.

Cuando use repelentes de insecto o cualquier producto de pesticida, siempre ¡lea la etiqueta primero! Los repelentes orgánicos han sido eficaces para algunas personas. Ninguna acción singular eliminará estas plagas de la faz de la tierra. No obstante, he aquí algunos consejos que le ayudarán a disfrutar de actividades al aire libre mientras se protege a usted y a su familia de las picaduras de mosquito. Que tengan un verano feliz.