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Jun 14, 2012

EPA at Rio+20: The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development

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by Assistant Administrator Michelle DePass

Next week EPA will join people from across the US government to participate in the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, or Rio+20. Our team of experts will be engaged in government-to-government negotiations, while also connecting with partners from the US and around the world to identify steps we can take as individuals, as institutions, and as a global community to make our world more sustainable and prosperous.

Rio+20 is an opportunity to not only set a vision for the next 20 years of sustainable development, but also strengthen global cooperation at multiple levels – including non-profits and community organizations, students of every age, Fortune 500 companies and small businesses. Rio+20 also gives us the chance to utilize the incredible progress in technology and social media in the last 20 years to engage in a new ways and bring more voices to the discussion. The commitments and actions taken by everyone participating in Rio+20 – physically and virtually – will be as important as any negotiated document, so please take part by visiting http://conx.state.gov/event/rio20/ over the coming weeks!

Here are a couple of items to watch for:

There has been considerable discussion about reforming international institutions that focus on sustainable development. We believe that efficient and effective global coordination on sustainable development can be achieved by strengthening existing institutions like the UN Environment Program (UNEP), rather than creating a new institution.
We have called on each conference participant to bring their own voluntary commitments to sustainable development. Making clear and transparent commitments, when linked together and made accessible through a global platform, can advance sustainable development by showing what everyone – governments included – can do. This broad list of commitments should reflect the spirit and goals of the Rio conference, using modern technologies and platforms to share information and increase transparency and accountability.

Keep track of what EPA is doing on the ground by checking back here and following us on Facebook and Twitter using our hashtag #EPArio.

About the author: Michelle DePass, Assistant Administrator for International and Tribal Affairs, US EPA. Michelle DePass has spent her career working to support environmental progress here at home and around the world, at EPA she remains committed to expanding the conversation on environmentalism and ensuring access to clean, safe and healthy communities.

Editor's Note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the author alone. EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog, nor does EPA endorse the opinions or positions expressed. You may share this post. However, please do not change the title or the content. If you do make changes, please do not attribute the edited title or content to EPA or the author.

EPA's official web site is www.epa.gov. Some links on this page may redirect users from the EPA website to a non-EPA, third-party site. In doing so, EPA is directing you only to the specific content referenced at the time of publication, not to any other content that may appear on the same webpage or elsewhere on the third-party site, or be added at a later date.

EPA is providing this link for informational purposes only. EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of non-EPA information provided by any third-party sites or any other linked site. EPA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies, internet applications or any policies or information expressed therein.

Apr 20, 2012

Be Part of the Conversation this Earth Day

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This weekend, people across the US and around the world will celebrate the 42nd annual Earth Day. After four decades, the event that started with 20 million Americans has blossomed into a day of service and celebration for nearly a billion people in every part of the planet. Every year I’m reminded that at the heart of Earth Day there is a simple goal: Help every person see the connections between our lives and the health of our environment.

The first Earth Day was organized as a series of teach-ins to start a discussion about the pollution in our communities, and those small beginnings sparked major changes: the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, which turns 40 this year.

Bringing people together around these issues continues to be essential, and we have been working to expand the conversation on environmentalism to new places. We want mothers and fathers to know how important clean air is to their health and the health of their children. We want African Americans and Latinos to join the conversation about environmental challenges in their communities, so we can address disparities in asthma, cancer and other illnesses, and work for environmental justice. We want you – wherever you live – to start your own conversation about protecting health and the environment.

Fortunately, this Earth Day we have more ways to connect, discuss and act than ever before.

EPA’s Earth Day page offers a range of ways for you to bring your voice to this conversation, and be a part of the work to protect our planet.

Use our map to find Earth Day events near you – I’m planning to be on the National Mall meeting the young people who submitted cutting-edge projects to EPA’s People, Prosperity and the Planet Student Design Competition.
While you’re out and about on Earth Day, snap a picture and submit it to our Environment in a Day 24-hour photo collection.
Take EPA’s Greenquest quiz. Post your score on the wall and you may get a chance to share your story as a guest blogger for EPA.
Be a part of the Six Words for the Planet micro-essay project.
Watch the Look Beneath the Surface Earth Day video, then be a part of our EPA Conversations. You can share your ideas for protecting the environment, and vote on others.

We’re counting on you to tell your friends and family, your local officials, and your entire world about protecting our health and preserving our planet. I hope you’ll lend your voice to these important issues, Earth Day and every day.

About the author: Lisa Jackson is the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Nov 9, 2011

Welcome Students

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Welcome to EPA’s new student blog. Do you have a favorite website about nature, plants, or water? Tell us about it and we might write a blog about it. Do you want to try writing a blog about an environmental service project you are doing? We can tell you how to get started. This blog is a place where you can read about what other kids are doing to protect the environment. You will also read about contests and cool environmental sites. Comment on our posts and tell us about all the great things you are doing to help the environment.

Jul 22, 2011

Urban Waters – So Fresh and So Clean

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By Kasia Broussalian

After nearly an hour of splashing through, around, and over the fountain in Washington Square Park, a young boy takes a break to “dry off,” as he termed it, on the side. Even at 9 a.m., the humidity and heat made the cool water a welcome relief.

Nearly 6,000 pipes, aqueducts, and tunnels carry roughly a billion gallons of water a day throughout the five boroughs of New York. To monitor the quality, the city has almost 1,000 sampling stations that test directly from the pipes. Scientists conduct more than 250,000 tests a year, looking over a spectrum of 250 possible contaminants.

Today, New York City’s water supply mainly comes from three systems to the north that together cover an area of 2,000 square miles—almost the size of the state of Delaware. The reservoirs created by the state over the past 200 years have a storage capacity of 550 billion gallons of water, and much of the water reaches homes and businesses in the city through pipes and gravity alone. Because the city’s watershed area remains one of the largest protected wilderness areas in the United States, the natural filtration process remains, making New York City one of five cities in the country with drinking water pure enough to only require chlorination to maintain purity from the tap in normal circumstances.

Mar 30, 2011

Breaking into EPA

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By Sophia Kelley

When I tell people I work for EPA, the first question they usually ask is how I got the job. How did a graduate of an MFA program in writing come to work for the federal government? One doesn’t usually associate creative, literary types living in Brooklyn with goliaths of bureaucracy. Yet here I am, and a little secret that will probably only serve to further distance me from my hip, freelancing neighbors – I love my job.

As fascinating as it is, my personal story isn’t often what people are really asking about; they’d rather get practical advice on landing a position like mine. For readers who know they want to work in public service and for people who appreciate the mission, but haven’t thought about a government gig, per se – there are several programs at EPA that help newbies break into the agency. The Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) is how I got my foot in the door of the public affairs division in New York. The SCEP program is competitive, but it is ideal for students because you can usually arrange the work hours around your classes and, unlike most other internships, it actually pays.

Once I graduated, I was lucky to be eligible for the Environmental Careers Program (ECP). ECP is a career development program that allows recent graduates the opportunity to learn about the agency through full-time employment. It involves a two-year assignment in a home office and several rotations to other offices that provide participants with a wider view of the agency while developing skills for their future careers.

In addition to these two programs, EPA offers several other career opportunities including research fellowships and scholarships. For more information, visit. For a comprehensive list of government positions, check out. And, if you’re one of the rare ones interested in my personal story…stay tuned. In upcoming posts, I’ll be blogging on New York City environmental issues from the perspective of a bookish Brooklyn resident.

Dec 6, 2010

My EPA Experience

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By Denise Owens

When I decided to apply for a job at EPA in 1984, I had no idea what I was in store for. It was the first agency to call me back for an interview. So I decided to take the interview. After being hired, I started working in the Public Affairs / Press Office. I actually started with the agency because it was a job.

I was unaware of how enthusiastic people were to learn about the environment. At this moment in my life the environment was not my top priority. But after speaking to several reporters and private citizens, calling into the office speaking about the environment this actually grabbed my attention. It was amazing to hear the different perspectives that were being said about the environment.

I experienced working with the Press Office when Chernobyl was going on; however this is when the environment became my environment. It completely got my attention and that’s when I decided I needed to get more involved with the environment.

As of today, I’m still working with the agency and it has become a significant part of my life. Earth Day and EPA@40 gives me a great feeling to know that EPA is doing an excellent job and I’m proud to be a part of EPA.

About the author: Denise Owens has worked with the Environmental Protection Agency for over 25 years.

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.

Nov 19, 2010

EPA at 40

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By Deb Berlin

Question: What do burning rivers, lead, and President Nixon have in common?
Answer: EPA in the 1970’s.

December 2, 1970 is the EPA’s birthday. We were founded by an Executive Order from President Nixon, during the turmoil of the Vietnam War and shortly after the first Earth Day.

Skyscraper of Manhattan veiled in smog, 05/1973

This was a time when a river in Ohio, the Cuyahoga, could be so fouled with industrial pollution, garbage and oil, that it could support no wildlife whatsoever and catch on fire 13 times – trash burning where people should swim and fish. The Agency coalesced quickly and within two years helped create the Clean Water Act, which provides broad protections and limits dumping of industrial pollution into waterways.

At the same time, we started the phase out of leaded gasoline. You can see why from this smog-obscured view of the 1973 Manhattan skyline, representative of other American cities at the time. Lead exposure was widespread and could give children permanent brain damage.

Question: What’s the state of burning rivers and lead inside people these days?
Answer: The Cuyahoga is cleaner than it has been in generations and thousands of water bodies across the country have been revitalized. Lead in our air is down more than 90% from a generation ago.

Over forty years we’ve cleaned the country’s drinking water, reduced exposure to dangerous chemicals, and penalized polluters. EPA helps protect human health and the environment in so many ways, such as helping save energy dollars through the Energy Star label, working to increase your gas mileage, classifying second-hand smoke as a cause of cancer, and removing arsenic from apples.
For more examples, see our whole history in 3 minutes (“40th Anniversary Video”) or
view the milestones on our timeline. Please be part of our anniversary – help us make the country cleaner tomorrow – Pick 5 for the Environment.

About the author: Deb Berlin works in the EPA Office of Public Affairs on strategic communications.

May 11, 2010

Question of the Week: How have modern events inspired you to make personal changes?

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Forty years ago, events like the Santa Barbara oil spill and the Cuyahoga River catching on fire mobilized a massive public reaction, resulting in the first Earth Day and the creation of EPA.

How have modern events inspired you to make personal changes?

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.

May 12, 2009

Suddenly the Doorbell Ring Sounds Different

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About the author: Larry Teller joined EPA’s Philadelphia office in its early months and has worked in environmental assessment, state and congressional liaison, enforcement, and communications. His 28 years with the U.S. Air Force, most as a reservist, give him a different look at government service.

My doorbell rarely rings. Invited guests, whom we called “company” as kids—we knew company was coming when Mom wouldn’t let us touch any treats for a couple of days, lest there not be enough left—usually knock, or I see them coming up the steps and beat them to the door. But a number of those rare rings each year are by people, typically college students, who ask me to sign a petition for worthy causes such as improved right-to-know laws, broader access to wind power, restricted pesticide use, and setting aside undeveloped land for wildlife habitat. I’m usually a sucker for these ringers and, please don’t tell anyone, shell out a double sawbuck when money is requested.

I always enjoy the short discussions that precede the requests. What’s changed since January, very noticeably, is the petitioners’ reaction when, if the conversation goes that way, I reveal my EPA affiliation. Although it makes no sense to bad-mouth or bad-look someone’s employer when you’re trying to get a donation from him, many of the doorway students in recent years showed their distaste for EPA, either with a proud derogatory comment or a telling smirk. It’s as if they couldn’t help themselves, despite the donation- or signature-seeking purpose of their visit.

Any of us who have worked for EPA for many years have seen the public’s view of how we’re doing turn from admiration to doubt to distaste to gratitude and to everywhere in between. And there have been times when, despite my insider’s (lifer’s?) belief that what we do is good—“Tikkun olam,” repairing the earth—we’ve all at times been, let’s say, less-than-inspired by what’s said, or not, from the top. (But don’t get me started.)

Twice in recent weeks, including yesterday, my EPA doorway confession yielded something novel for this decade: earnest inquiries about job opportunities. I know times are tough for job seekers (my older daughter is graduating from college next month and is ISO a job with health coverage), but I wonder with a slight grin if there’s another explanation for the different reaction to the mention of my favorite government agency.

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