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Envirobytes - Archive
EnviroBytes, a Summary of Issues and Events for Week Ending January 30, 2009
REGION 3 CONDUCTS SMARTWAY OUTREACH AT PHILADELPHIA AUTO SHOW
Auto enthusiasts seeking fuel efficiency and less polluting vehicles were assisted by EPA volunteers at the 2009 Philadelphia Auto Show Jan. 31st through Feb. 8th. EPA staff were on hand to explain how EPA's SmartWay certified labels on vehicles can help consumers identify the most environmentally friendly cars and trucks. They also provided money-saving driving tips urging motorists to avoid vehicle idling, jack-rabbit starts, excessive speed and keeping tires properly inflated to increase vehicle mileage. For more information on SmartWay certified cars and trucks, go to www.epa.gov/smartway. For Philadelphia Auto Show details, go to www.phillyautoshow.com. 
PENNSYLVANIA LEADS IN COLLEGE RECYCLEMANIA PARTICIPATION
The 2009 RecycleMania competition is underway again to see which colleges and universities collect the most recyclables in 10 weeks. RecyleMania is affiliated with EPA's WasteWise voluntary program to reduce municipal solid waste. Of the 510 colleges registered for the 2009 competition (including 29 new registrants), Pennsylvania leads the states with 48 schools participating. Although Jan. 21 was the last official day to fill out the registration form from the Website, schools can still seek admission at recyclemania@nrc-recycle.org after that date. To track the progress of the competition in detail, go to https://www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/solidwasterecyclingprograms.htm#mania For information on Waste Wise, go to www.epa.gov/wastewise/about/overview.htm
CHAMPIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY HONORED AT GREEN HIGHWAYS PARTNERSHIP FORUM
On Jan. 13, the Green Highways Partnership (of which EPA is a partner) held a ceremony in Washington, D.C. honoring partnership "champions" for promoting the building of better, safer highways and committing to sustainable recycling and reuse of industrial materials in highway applications. This year's award recipients included members of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Department of Transportation, and the Foundry Industry Recycling Starts Today (a foundry sand recycling and metal casting company), for their innovation, determination, and outreach in promoting green highways principles.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE SEEKS REGISTRATIONS
Registration is now open for the 2009 EPA Quality Management Conference titled: "Quality…a River Flowing with Opportunities" to be held in San Antonio, Tex. from May 12-14. The conference addresses environmental issues through the exploration of advancements in environmental quality systems management. Training session topics include: Numbers! Speak to me! Turning Data into Information; Ten Steps to Quality Data and Trusted Information; and What do I do with non-detects? For more information, go to the Conference Websites at https://www.epa.gov/quality/2009.htm
and https://www.epa.gov/quality/2009agenda.htm Registration is free.
EPA INFORMS PUBLIC ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND CHILDREN'S HEALTH; TRANSLATES TRACT INTO SPANISH
EPA continues to explore climate change's effects on children's health and believes these risks can be reduced through better preparation, planning, and surveillance by federal, state and local public health agencies. Informing the public about these health effects is also an important part to increase EPA's commitment to greenhouse gas reduction. The Hispanic Employment Advisory Council has translated a climate change presentation into Spanish, which will be available to students nationally on a special EPA Website at www.epa.gov/climateforaction EPA's Website on Climate Change and children's health is available at http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpWeb.nsf/content/climate.htm
EPA REPORT FINDS MID-ATLANTIC REGION AT RISK FROM SEA-LEVEL RISE
EPA in collaboration with other agencies has issued: Coastal Sensitivity to Sea Level Rise: A Focus on the Mid-Atlantic Region, a report examining the effects of sea level rise on the eight mid-Atlantic coastal states, the possible societal and ecological impacts, and the planning and adaptation necessary to lessen the environmental impacts. The mid-Atlantic coastal area's vulnerability to sea-level rise due to melting ice sheets and ocean water thermal expansion would result in conditions that submerge lowlands, erode beaches and barrier islands that protect the coastline, inundate wetlands, intensify coastal flooding, and increase the salinity of estuaries and freshwater aquifers. The EPA report is available at https://www.epa.gov/climatechange/effects/coastal/sap4-1.html.
