Jul 17, 2015

This Week in EPA Science

DISCOVER-AQ, green chemistry, Nexus-Flexus, presidential green chemistry awards 0 Comments

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

Science was celebrated around the world this week as NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft made the first ever visit to Pluto, sending high resolution pictures of its surface billions of miles back to earth. And science was happening here on the ground too!

Check out the EPA science we’re highlighting this week!

Making it Easier to Be Green
EPA recognized the winners of the 20th Annual Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards for innovative green chemistry technologies that turn climate risk and other environmental problems into business opportunities. Winning technologies are responsible for annually reducing the use or generation of more than 826 million pounds of hazardous chemicals, saving 21 billion gallons of water, and eliminating 7.8 billion pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent releases to air.

Read more about the awards in the EPA Connect blog American Innovators are Cracking the Code to Solve Environmental Problems.

Food-Energy-Water Nexus
EPA’s Director for Sustainable Development Alan Hecht will join other distinguished experts on a public webinar to discuss “Mega Trends and Food-Energy-Water Nexus.” The webinar will explore emerging trends and the challenges and opportunities in meeting food, water and energy goals in developed and developing nations on a changing planet.

Read more about the webinar in the blog NEXUS-FLEXUS: Exploring the Intersection of Big Challenges and Innovative Solutions.

If you have any comments or questions about what I share or about the week’s events, please submit them below in the comments section!

About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

EPA Research Photo of the Week

EPA’s Russell Long installs a small air quality sensor on the NOAA Boulder Atmospheric Observatory tower in Erie, Colorado.

While not quite as distant as New Horizons, EPA’s Russell Long did have to go pretty high up in July, 2014 to install a small air quality sensor on the NOAA Boulder Atmospheric Observatory tower in Erie, Colorado. The work was part of a collaborative air quality study called DISCOVER-AQ, conducted with NASA and other research partners. Image by EPA photographer Eric Vance.

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.

Jun 24, 2014

Consumer Product Companies Leading the Way to Greener Products

chemical, Design for the Environment, Design for the Environment(DfE), Dfe, presidential green chemistry awards, Saver Product Labeling Program, toxic substance, Toxics 3 Comments

Getting a tour of Earth Friendly Products in Southern California.

During some recent travel, I spent time with several consumer product companies and retailers who are stepping up as safer product leaders and innovators, advancing industry beyond the safety “floor” set by the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

In Southern California, I met with Earth Friendly Products. All their products are manufactured in the U.S. and 90% have earned the Design for the Environment (DfE) label.

I also took part in the Safer Consumer Product Summit in California followed by a visit to the Consumer Specialty Product Association (CSPA) meeting in Chicago.Then, outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I met with BerkleyGreen (Berkley Packaging Company Inc.), a family- and woman-owned DfE partner with 29 DfE-labeled products.

Editor's Note: The views expressed here are intended to explain EPA policy. They do not change anyone's rights or obligations. You may share this post. However, please do not change the title or the content, or remove EPA’s identity as the author. If you do make substantive 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 specific content on 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.

Dec 11, 2013

And This Year’s Winners of the Presidential Green Chemistry Awards Are….

cargill, chemical safety, dow chemical, faraday technology, green chemistry awards, Jim Jones, life technologies, presidential green chemistry awards, richard wool 3 Comments

The automobile, the cell phone, the internet— the 20^th century was a century of unparalleled innovation and discovery. What technologies and innovation will define the 21^st century?

I predict that Green Chemistry innovations will. They are solving some of our most pressing environmental problems, bringing us safer chemicals, reducing energy, waste and water, and improving the bottom line for America’s manufacturing sector. When these groundbreaking technologies hit the marketplace or are applied in manufacturing, their impacts are significant.

For nearly 20 years now, EPA has sponsored the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, in partnership with the American Chemical Society, to recognize cutting-edge Green Chemistry technologies.

Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution, Jim Jones, joins the 2013 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award winners before the award ceremony