Greenversations

As the end of summer approaches, I find myself not basking out in the sun, but preparing for the school year. While most of the nation’s children head back to school in September, in our neck of the woods school starts in August. With four school age kids in our household, the list of needed school items is quite extensive. This year I decided to get ahead of the game. With some careful planning, we are greening our way back to school.

As with previous years, the girls will be wearing hand-me-down uniforms. I usually buy one new uniform a year for one of my daughters and the rest are traded with a colleague whose daughter goes to the same school. A pair of shoes will be refurbished for one of the girls.

This year I decided to look first for the required school supplies at home instead of hitting the mall. So far, my eldest daughter’s backpack will be reused and our youngest daughter will use her older sister’s rolling backpack from the year before last. One quick cleaning was all it took to make it look brand new. Pens, pencils, rulers, staplers and binders, among others are being reused from last year. I was surprised to learn that six billion pens are thrown away every year!

Since books are another big ticket item in the “back to school” budget, I buy them from online retailers that specialize in used books. Only updated editions of specific books and workbooks are being bought new.

Furthermore, I have decided that all new items we purchase this season will be made from recycled or sustainable sources.

Here are some brief pointers to make your back to school a green one:

• Take inventory before going to the stores–this will save you time and money and it will be good to our Earth.
• Buy quality materials when available, (i.e. backpacks, shoes, etc.) to ensure durability.
• Refillable pens and pencils are a small change with a large impact. Fourteen billion pencils are manufactured every year, some from ancient trees.
• Reuse everything that remains in good condition. Limit disposable supplies.
• Make your kids a greener, waste-free lunch.
• Use recycled paper to protect our trees and cut down on waste.

About the author: Brenda Reyes Tomassini joined EPA in 2002. She is a public affairs specialist in the San Juan, Puerto Rico office and also handles community relations for the Caribbean Environmental Protection Division.

Ya se acerca el fin del verano y en vez de estar disfrutando el tiempo que me queda, me estoy preparando para el regreso a clases. Aunque en Estados Unidos muchos niños regresan a la escuela en septiembre, acá en Puerto Rico nuestros chicos comienzan clases en agosto. Con cuatro niños en edad escolar asistiendo a una escuela privada, no es difícil imaginar que nuestra lista de materiales escolares es extensa. Sin embargo este año decidí organizarme para hacer de este un regreso a la escuela más verde.

Como en años anteriores las niñas utilizarán uniformes usados. Generalmente les compro un uniforme nuevo y el resto los intercambio con una colega cuya hija asiste a la misma escuela. Un par de zapatos recibirá suelas nuevas, evitando así la compra de un par nuevo para mi hija mayor.

En vez de salir a comprar los útiles escolares comencé revisando las cosas que tenía en casa. Mi hija menor reutilizará el bulto que su hermana mayor no utiliza desde el año antepasado y la mayor el que le compré el año pasado. Con una lavada ambos lucen nuevos. Algunos lápices, bolígrafos, grapadoras y carpetas del año anterior se volverán a usar. Me sorprende saber que en el mundo 6 mil millones de bolígrafos terminan en la basura cada año!

Los libros son los artículos de mayor valor en nuestro presupuesto de vuelta a clases por tal razón los decidí adquirir, en su gran mayoría, de varios sitios electrónicos que se especializan en libros usados. Sólo adquirí nuevos aquellos de nueva edición y los cuadernos de trabajo.

Los artículos nuevos que me faltan por adquirir para este año escolar serán reciclados o de fuentes sustentables.

Adjunto una breve lista para hacer de su vuelta a clases una más verde:

• Tome inventario antes de salir a compara–esto le ahorrará no solo tiempo y dinero, sino que ayudará al Planeta
• Compre la mejor calidad que pueda para asegurarse que los artículos le duren (zapatos, bultos, uniformes)
• Los lápices y bolígrafos con reemplazo son un cambio pequeño de gran impacto. En el mundo se manufacturan 14 mil millones de lápices, algunos de árboles centenarios
• Reutilice todo lo que este en buen estado. Limite los útiles desechables.
• Prepare a sus niños una merienda verde, libre de envases desechables.
• Utilice papel reciclado para evitar desperdicios y proteger árboles

Sobre la autor: Brenda Reyes Tomassini se unió a la EPA en el 2002. Labora como especialista de relaciones públicas en la oficina de EPA en San Juan, Puerto Rico donde también maneja asuntos comunitarios para la División de Protección Ambiental del Caribe.

The nation’s students are practically at the midpoint of their summer vacation. Judging from my own children, the luster of summer activities has started to wane. We just aren’t seeing the same enthusiasm when preparing to go to the neighborhood pool or park as we did during the first days of summer.

So what do we do to entertain kids? TV, video games, computers, movies, are the easy way out. How about a novel concept–it’s not so innovative when you come to think about it–how about getting lost in a good book?! That’s my favorite regardless of age. Like a magic carpet, a book can allow you to travel anywhere across the globe in space or time. You can explore new worlds, learn new things, and live new experiences from the comfort of your home.

I’m pleased to see an increasing variety of books and educational materials available for children nowadays. In addition to the children’s classics, there are numerous books that have literary and educational value. Many of these books are actually instilling environmental values without being didactic. For example, “The Lorax“, by Dr. Seuss, was frankly ahead of its time. First published in 1971, the book chronicles how mindless progress can ravage the earth’s natural resources if we don’t take the necessary steps to protect the trees. Also, the book by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page, “I see a Kookaburra!” helps you explore the animal habitats of indigenous animals of several regions such as the American South west, the rain forest in the Amazon River basin, the grasslands of central Africa and the Australian forest. Popular children’s series are also getting on the green bandwagon with “Charlie and Lola: We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers” and The Berenstain Bears Don’t Pollute (Anymore). Another favorite of mine tells the story of the bioluminescent bay of La Parguera with the coquís (Puerto Rican tree frogs) Rafi and Rosi by the Puerto Rican author and illustrator Lulu Delacre .

In exploring educational activities for children I found an annotated bibliography of children’s literature with environmental themes I would like to see if any of your favorites are on this list. I urge you to go on a green adventure. Happy reading.

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.

Para la gran mayoría de los estudiantes a nivel nacional ya ha pasado la primera parte de sus vacaciones de verano. Juzgando por mis propias hijas, el júbilo generado por las actividades veraniegas ya ha comenzado a desvanecer. Ya no vemos el mismo entusiasmo cuando nos preparamos para ir a la piscina o al parque del vecindario que veíamos en los primeros días del verano.

¿Entonces, qué podemos hacer para mantener los niños entretenidos? La televisión, los juegos de video, las computadoras, el cine, son las opciones más fáciles. He aquí un concepto novel—no es tan innovador cuando uno lo piensa realmente—sin embargo, ¿qué pasaría si empezamos a leer un buen libro? Ese es mi pasatiempo predilecto independientemente de la edad. Como una alfombra mágica, un libro nos permite viajar a cualquier parte del globo en espacio y tiempo. Podemos explorar nuevos mundos, aprender cosas nuevas y vivir nuevas experiencias en el confort del hogar. Es una experiencia única para nuestros hijos.

Me alegra ver un mayor número de libros y materiales educativos disponibles para los niños y jóvenes hoy en día. Además de la literatura infantil clásica, hay numerosos libros con un valor literario y educativo singular. Muchos de estos libros están realmente inculcando valores medioambientales sin proyectar una seriedad didáctica. Por ejemplo, El Lorax, por Dr. Seuss, francamente, es uno con una visión ambientalista muy perceptiva para su época. Publicado en 1971, el libro relata como el progreso desmedido puede diezmar los recursos naturales del planeta si no tomamos los pasos necesarios para proteger a los árboles. También está el libro de Steve Jenkins y Robin Page, Veo un kookaburra (“I see a Kookaburra!”) el cual ayuda a explorar los hábitats de animales indígenas en varias regiones como el sudoeste estadounidense, la selva pluvial de la cuenca del Río Amazonas, las praderas del centro de África y los bosques australianos. Varias series infantiles populares también están explorando temas ambientales como los libros de Charlie y Lola y el reciclaje “Charlie and Lola: We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers” y los Osos Berenstain que luchan en contra de la contaminación. “The Berenstain Bears Don’t Pollute (Anymore).” Otro libro que me encanta son los cuentos de los coquí Rafi y Rosi que visitan la bahía bioluminiscente de la Parguera en Puerto Rico escrito por la autora e ilustradora puertorriqueña Lulu Delacre.

Mientras navegaba por el ciberespacio buscando actividades educativas para niños, encontré esta bibliografía de literatura infantil con temas ambientales [http://teachers.net/archive/envirobks.html] que quisiera compartir con ustedes. Espero que encuentren algunos de sus favoritos en esta lista y les exhorto a emprender una aventura ambiental. ¡Que se diviertan!

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.

No more homework! But now that you have free time in the summer, tell us the things you like to do (or your kids, if you’re a grown-up reading this) that help protect the environment during the summer.

How do you protect the environment during summer vacation?

Each week we ask a question related to the environment. Please let us know your thoughts as comments. Feel free to respond to earlier comments or post new ideas. Previous questions.

¡No más tareas ni asignaciones! Pero ahora que tiene tiempo libre en el verano, cuéntenos acerca do le que le gusta hacer (o lo que sus hijos hacen, si es que usted es un adulto leyendo esto) para ayudar a proteger al medio ambiente durante el verano.

¿Cómo protege al medio ambiente durante sus vacaciones de verano?

Cada semana hacemos una pregunta relacionada al medio ambiente. Por favor comparta con nosotros sus pensamientos y comentarios. Siéntase en libertad de responder a comentarios anteriores o plantear nuevas ideas. Preguntas previas.

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.

Students participate in the Baldwin County Grasses in Classes program to help grow native plants for wetland and dune restoration projects.

Do you want to educate, inspire, and engage students, scouts, park, zoo or museum visitors, or even your neighbors and family members to do something about climate change and how it may affect wildlife and their precious habitats? We (Karen, a former teacher and Mike, who monitors local water quality as a volunteer for the Audubon Naturalist Society) are impassioned about the climate change issue, especially as it may affect wildlife and wild places, and how important it is to get everyone involved in solving the problems associated with it. So two years ago we gathered together educators from 6 other federal agencies to develop the new Climate Change, Wildlife and Wildlands Toolkit for Formal and Informal Educators to help the educator in each of us spread the word on what is at stake and what we can do about it.

It was not an easy task to find and organize staff members from agencies as diverse as National Park Service, NASA, NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management, but we were determined to create an educational product that demonstrated a strong, unified voice on climate change and that was built on the efforts of scientists and educators from government agencies that work on issues involving climate change, wildlife and wild places. After two years of meetings, phone calls, emails, data dumps, arguments, hugs, long drives to video shoots, and lunches for grousing and/or celebrating, we are extremely proud and excited about the end result of this truly unique collaboration.

Please go to the inter-agency U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) site where the toolkit is being hosted and see for yourself! Let us know what you think!

About the Authors: Karen Scott is an Environmental Education Specialist for the EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection and Environmental Education after spending more than 10 years with EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Programs, Climate Change Division. Michael Kolian is a physical scientist with EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Programs, Climate Change Division.

In 2007, 245.1 million tons of municipal solid waste was generated in the United States. Of that waste, organic materials—yard trimmings, food scraps, and paper products—made up more than two-thirds of our solid waste stream. Even though organic waste makes up most of our waste stream, it is something that we can reduce. Composting can turn our organic wastes into valuable compost which can be used for landscaping and gardening purposes. By composting we can also reduce methane, a greenhouse gas with 21 times the heating potential of carbon dioxide which is largely produced from the organic wastes in our landfills.

There are many types of composting options to choose from. At the end of the composting process you will end up with a great, free product for greening lawns and producing strong, healthy garden plants.

So here’s how you can start. Look at your options. Some include vermicomposting, compost bins, or installing a composter in the sink like a garbage disposal. Discuss with your caregiver or principal which option works easiest and best for your home or school. Then work on making successful compost by watching what you put into the composter. EPA’s web site has great information for creating a compost pile right in your own backyard.

So take action against producing so much waste and reduce green house gas emissions. By composting you can eliminate the threats to climate change, water quality and pollution by transforming your waste into a product that will benefit your lawn and garden. Talk to your friends and family about how they can start a composting project at home. You can also become a climate ambassador by starting a composting program at your school. You will find that it can be fun, especially if you like to garden! Be sure to tell us your composting plans. Let us know which option works best for you, how much waste you will be reducing and what you plan to do with your compost.

About the Author: Michelle Gugger graduated from Rutgers University in 2008. She is currently spending a year of service at EPA’s Region 3 Office in Philadelphia, PA as an AmeriCorps VISTA

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.

Memorial Day Weekend unofficially indicates the beginning of the summer season in the US Mainland. With this new season, many Americans resume another summer ritual—the trek to the neighborhood pool. Whether it’s at the end of a long work day or during the weekend, many eager children successfully drag their parents for some playtime at the pool. Don’t get me wrong. I love the summer! I enjoy warm sandy beaches and swimming in the pool. However, I don’t know if getting older has made me wiser or wary, but sometimes I think twice when going to the pool, especially kiddy pools, where there are too many diaper-clad children.

In researching the subject of this blog, I confirmed my suspicions. Across the United States, there has been an increase in the number of Recreational Water Illness (RWI) outbreaks during the past twenty years associated with swimming pools, water parks, hot tubs, and other bodies of water. You would think that the antimicrobials and chlorine used to treat pool water would be enough to keep the pools safe from some waterborne germs and bacteria such as Crypto (short for cryptosporidium) and E coli, to name a few.

The fact is you need much more than chemicals to purify the water. A good dose of common sense is essential. Here are some basic guidelines for healthy swimming: First of all—do not swim when you have diarrhea. Don’t let your children swim either if they have diarrhea since swimming will only help spread germs in the water and make others sick. Secondly, avoid swallowing pool water. This is sometimes easier said than done with little kids, but you have to teach them at an early age. Good hygiene practices are essential in and outside the pool. Take a shower before swimming. Wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers. Take your kids on bathroom breaks or diaper checks often even if they don’t mention the need to relieve themselves. By the time you hear “Mommy, I have to go”, it might be too late. Change diapers in a bathroom or diaper-changing area. Please don’t change them at poolside. Above all, please wash your child thoroughly (especially the rear end) with soap and water before swimming. Sounds simple, right? It’s common sense. With some simple steps, you can protect yourself, your family and friends. Oh, by the way, before you head to the pool or beach, don’t forget to put on the sunscreen! Enjoy the summer!