Environment
A Middletown Thrall Library Blog
Environmental news and resources you might find interesting.
All About Earthquakes
May 5, 2008
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) maintains
an informative guide to the phenomenon of earthquakes.
From "Earthquake Facts" to animations, photos, a
"Visual Earthquake Glossary", and "Today in Earthquake
History," the USGS website has much to offer anyone
curious about earthquakes.
There are also special sections for students, teachers,
and children, as well as links to USGS publications and
public awareness materials addressing safety and emergency
response issues related to earthquake events.
You can click here for current and recent maps
of earthquake activity reported around the world
via the USGS website.
For books and videos about earthquakes, you can
click here to browse what's available in the library catalog.
National Environmental Education Week
March 26, 2008
The U.S.
National Environmental Education Foundation
is offering a wealth of information about the upcoming
National Environmental Education Week,
which, as reported by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
runs this year from April 13 to April 18, 2008.
At
the "National Environmental Education Week" website
you will find a variety of information, visuals, and news for all ages and grade levels.
There are sections for teachers, for students, and everyone else.
The EPA
offers environmental education resources.
You can also
click here to browse some of the many environmental education resources in the library catalog.
Environmental Health Perspectives
February 9, 2008
At the library we purchase and subscribe to a number of different
environmental resources to help you learn more about certain
issues affecting you and your world as well as to help you
make better decisions.
One such publication is
Environmental Health Perspectives,
which is described by its publisher as follows:
"[EHP] is a monthly journal of peer-reviewed research and news on the impact
of the environment on human health. EHP is published by the National Institute
of Environmental Health Sciences and its content is free online."
Current issues of EHP are available in print at the library,
and we retain issues from the previous four years.
You can also
click here to browse other items in the library catalog that relate to environmental health issues.
Drought.gov
November 14, 2007
Drought.gov is a new website
that centralizes government information concerning drought conditions
in the United States. The official description from Drought.gov reads as follows:
"The U.S. Drought Portal was officially launched on November 1, 2007. It was created to provide comprehensive information on emerging and ongoing droughts, and to enhance the nation's drought preparedness. The Drought Portal is part of the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), which was recommended by the Western Governors Association in 2004 and enacted into law in 2006."
For more information on this topic, check out
our earlier blog post from October.
Going Green Guide
November 8, 2007
Middletown Thrall Library has created an Internet resource guide
called "Going Green" that highlights websites and library system materials
relating to sustainable living and development.
Included in this guide are such topics as alternative energy sources,
ecofriendly building and engineering, organic food, home improvements,
pollution and waste reduction, conservation, recycling, reducing your
"carbon footprint," finding green products, and related technologies.
Click here to access our Going Green guide.
Drought Information Center
October 27, 2007
The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
maintains a website called
Drought Information Center.
Current and Background Information categories include such subheadings as:
Drought Assessment, Soil Moisture Monitoring, U.S. Drought Monitor, U.S. Statewide/Regional Moisture Status,
Animated Indicator Maps, Monthly Standardized Precipitation Index, Hazards Assessment, Palmer Drought Severity Index,
Drought Calculator, Current Monthly State of the Climate Report, Crop Moisture Index, Hydrologic Information Center,
All About Droughts, All About Heat Waves, Billion Dollar Weather Disasters, Climate Monitoring, State Climate Offices,
Extreme Climate and Weather Events, U.S. and Global Climate Perspectives, NOAA Climate Portal.
The
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers related information on its
U.S. Water Resources and WaterWatch pages.
NASA's own
Earth Observatory website
offers some additional background and historical information about drought conditions in the United States.
Some books about droughts are also available in the library catalog.
GEO-4 UN Assessment
October 26, 2007
The
United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) has released an environmental assessment called
GEO-4 as part of their Global Environment Outlook efforts.
The U.N. describes the report as "a comprehensive and authoritative
UN report on environment, development and human well-being,
providing incisive analysis and information for decision making."
In the
press release,
The United Nations Environment Programme states,
"...major threats to the planet such as climate change, the rate of extinction
of species, and the challenge of feeding a growing population are among
the many that remain unresolved, and all of them put humanity at risk."
Press releases, media briefs, executive summaries, fact sheets,
graphics and photos, videos, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) pages,
Decision Maker's Summary, brochures, as well as the complete GEO-4
report can be
downloaded from the GEO-4 media page
in a variety of languages.
Most of the information at their website is in the PDF format, so
you will need a
PDF viewer such as Adobe Reader
to be able to download and read those documents.
California Fires
October 25, 2007
Information concerning the recent fires in southern California
can be found at the following government websites:
Hurricane Studies
August 2, 2007
Scientists at
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
and
Georgia Institute of Technology
have released findings from a recent study of how frequent hurricanes have formed
over the years:
"Frequency of Atlantic Hurricanes Doubled Over Last Century; Climate Change Suspected"
(
press release also available at this website).
For more information about hurricanes, how they form, behave, and are impacted by various factors, check out these other possibilities:
Northeast Climate Impacts Study
August 1, 2007
A new report has been issued by the
Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS):
"Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast: Climate, Impacts, and Solutions" (PDF format,
Adobe Reader required).
A
two page overview of the assessment (also in PDF format) is available as well.
They described their study as "a collaboration between the [UCS] and a team of more than
fifty independent experts to develop and communicate a new assessment of climate change,
impacts on climate-sensitive sectors, and solutions in the northeastern United States."
You can read more about this study and the scientists involved at
the Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment (NECIA) website.
UV Safety
July 23, 2007
July is UV Safety Month. To help you understand the dangers of UV rays
(or "UV radiation"), various health agencies in the U.S. Government have
established these online resources:
NASA also offers some information about the science behind UV rays:
Additional informative materials in the library system can be found under the subject headings of
ultraviolet radiation - health aspects
or
ultraviolet radiation - safety measures.
Climate Connections
July 10, 2007
National Public Radio (NPR) and
National Geographic
are providing a series of articles exploring how humans affect and are affected by climate change:
Climate Connections: How We Are Shaping Our Climate, How Climate Is Shaping Us.
Here are the links to their special websites:
Climate Technology Gateway
July 10, 2007
Sponsored by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
U.S. Agency for International Development (U.S.AID),
the
United States Climate Technology Cooperation Gateway
(U.S.-CTC Gateway) is described
on their About page
as "an online resource about specific activities and to provide useful information and resources that can
allow users to implement climate-friendly technologies and practices throughout the world."
Information at their website can be browsed, accessed by region, or searched. Some information at the
site is in PDF format and requires the
Adobe Reader.
How Clean Is Your Electricity?
June 28, 2007
The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has
announced the creation of a new service to help consumers
determine how their electricity usage impacts the Earth through related greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
This new service is called the
Power Profiler
and is described by EPA as follows:
"With just a few clicks of the mouse and a ZIP code, consumers can see how their individual energy use is affecting the Earth. EPA's Power Profiler calculates how much air pollution results from individual electricity use, the fuels used to produce that electricity and how to reduce the impact."
World Environment Day
June 5, 2007
Today, June 5, 2007, is
World Environment Day,
a day designated by the
United Nations
to "stimulate worldwide awareness of the environment and enhance political attention and action."
This year's theme is "Melting Ice - A Hot Topic?"
Their website features photographs, activities, promotional materials,
news, and more, including themes for previous years back to 1974.
To learn more about WED,
click here to visit the official WED website or
click here for their About page.
Wildlife and Global Warming
May 16, 2007
National Wildlife Federation has information on
the potential impacts of climate change on wildlife around the world:
"Wildlife and Global Warming"
Included at their website are excerpts (relating to wildlife) from
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Reports, videos, information about bird migration, coral reefs, the Arctic region,
and even hurricanes.
Gardener's Guide to Global Warming
May 16, 2007
National Wildlife Federation has published a
Gardener's Guide to Global Warming
at their website. Topics covered include "State Trees and Flowers,"
"Garden Zone Maps," and "America's Top NOT Wanted Plants."
NWF also provides related PDF documents (view with
Adobe Reader):
Antarctic Melting Study
May 16, 2007
NASA has posted information
from their studies of recent melting in Antartica:
"NASA Finds Vast Regions of West Antarctica Melted in Recent Past"
The study includes
a high-resolution graphic detailing areas where melting occurred.
If you are interested in learning more about this region, try these links:
Climate Change Skeptics
May 16, 2007
The
U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
has published a report in their blog concerning some scientists changing their minds on aspects
of the topic of climate change:
"Climate Momentum Shifting - Prominent Scientists Reverse Belief in Man-made Global Warming, Now Skeptics: Growing Number of Scientists Convert to Skeptics After Reviewing New Research" (PDF file;
Adobe Reader required.
Also available in text/HTML)
Included in their report are links to related skeptics and their shifting positions on climate change.
For more about the ongoing debate of climate change, check out these links:
Five Years
May 16, 2007
The
World Wide Fund for Nature has issued a new report
on "key decisions" the conservation organization believes must be made
"within the next five years" in order to minimize effects of climate change:
Here is their press release:
"Five Years the Key to Planet's Future"
On the top right side of that page is a link to their full report,
Climate Solutions: WWF's vision for 2050 (free
Adobe Reader required).
Deforestation Study
May 11, 2007
Australia's
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
has announced their findings after researching deforestation effects on climate change:
"Confirmed – Deforestation Plays Critical Climate Change Role"
For more information about deforestation, try these links:
Air Compare
May 9, 2007
The
Environmental Protection Agency
has established a
new air quality comparison website called AirCompare.
The tool is said to provide "local air quality information to help people make informed decisions about moving, vacationing or living in different areas of the country."
Here is a link to their announcement:
"New EPA Tool Helps Answer Air Quality Questions"
For more information about air quality and related information, try these links to items in our library catalog:
Encyclopedia of Life
May 9, 2007
The
Encyclopedia of Life
is a new website launched today in hopes of serving as "an online reference source and database for every one of the 1.8 million species that are named and known on this planet, as well as all those later discovered and described."
This effort, which will involve
collaborating experts worldwide
is still a work in progress. Publicly accessible encyclopedic content is said to be planned for "some time in 2008."
For more information about this initiative,
you can read their press release here.
Right now members of Middletown Thrall Library can enjoy free access to the
complete Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia.
A print edition of the encyclopedia is also
available in the library's circulating collection.
Seesawing Climate
May 2, 2007
The
The Swedish Research Council
(English version here)
has announced a new study of Earth's climate, which is described as "seesawing."
Follow this link to read their press release:
"The Earth's Climate Is Seesawing"
Climate Change Debates
April 26, 2007
Even as new reports, books, websites, and television programs
explore the topics of global warming and climate change with
what appears to be alarming sense of certainty capable of
projecting predictions decades into the future of planet Earth,
there are many scientists and skeptics who demand more evidence
and testing and those who take issue with various current
findings and explanations, often calling into question the
nature in which certain theories and conclusions were reached.
At the heart of the debate are some larger questions pertaining
to what is considered known about Earth's past and what is
calculated by some to be in Earth's future. Below are some
websites that can help you explore different viewpoints in
these ongoing climate change debates:
If you are a member of Thrall you can also use your library card to access over 100 diverse articles on the topic of global warming and climate change in
the
Opposing Viewpoints database. Many more articles can be accessed
through
Expanded Academic ASAP and MasterFile Premiere databases.
As the climate debates demonstrate, there are still no definitive
explanations and understandings, much less a consensus in the
scientific community of what is actually happening in terms of
climatic phenomena or what may be the true cause(s) behind those
events.
Global Dimming
April 25, 2007
You've heard of
global warming, but have you ever heard of
global dimming?
If not, you can read up on this interesting concept by visiting some of the links below:
Gardening Fact Sheets
April 23, 2007
The
Department of Horticulture of
Cornell Cooperative Extension
has an extensive offering of
Gardening Factsheets
in the
Gardening Resources section
of their website.
Vegetables, fruit, flowers, lawn, trees, pests, and soil are some of the many subjects
you'll find at their site, along with such topics as ecogardening and plant diseases.
Their collections can be browsed or searched. Also see
this blog post for more
gardening resources available right at Thrall.
National Garden Month
April 23, 2007
In support of National Garden Month, the
National Agriculture Library of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
has published
a collection of online gardening resources.
At NAL's site you can learn how to identify plants and find out what their names mean as well as learn about organic food and ask questions. You can also visit related websites elsewhere
on the Internet, including
National Garden Month.org, provided by the
National Gardening Association, which offers a number of informative articles and related resources.
At the library
we have plenty of gardening books you may find helpful for both indoor or outdoor planting. Also check out the
plants,
trees, and
horticulture categories for more titles yet.
Our
Ready Reference guide has a
Gardening category you might like to check out too!
Ethanol Study
April 23, 2007
The
Stanford Report news center from
Stanford University
has posted an article based on the findings of a Stanford University atmospheric
scientist:
"Ethanol Vehicles Pose Significant Risk to Health"
Sustainable Living
April 19, 2007
Our local newspaper, the
Times Herald-Record,
maintains
an online archive of articles about sustainable living that might interest you.
"Sustainable living" has been defined in different ways over the years; it generally means to live in such a way that
environmentally mindful, in a way that does not place you at odds with the environment, and in a way that
does not require you to exhaust natural resources in a non-replenishable fashion. Recycling is encouraged, along
with natural building materials.
There are a number of titles relating to this topic that are available in the library catalog.
The
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) maintains a
collection of sustainable development and living news and resources.
At the bottom of their page, under the Resources section, click the "See all" link for their complete list.
Henry David Thoreau's book
Walden is often cited an early, if not the earliest, example of sustainable living.
Available both
in the library and
on the web as an eBook at Project Gutenberg,
Walden is a celebrated classic for its patient and poetic meditations on life and nature.
For example, Thoreau wrote, "I was suddenly sensible of such sweet and beneficent society in Nature,
in the very pattering of the drops, and in every sound and sight around my house,
an infinite and unaccountable friendliness all at once like an atmosphere sustaining me."
As discussions concerning climate change grow to consider possible solutions to problems
such as global warming, pollution, and dwindling natural resources, "sustainable living"
may become a more popular and integral topic as everyone looks for ways to better harmonize
work and living situations with the environment.
Climate Change for Kids
April 18, 2007
As part of their effort to educate people of all ages on issues of climate change,
the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has created a
"Climate Change for Kids"
website that breaks down some difficult concepts into easily understood passages
accompanied by illustrations and animations.
Also included are games, links to related websites, and resources for teacher.
Greenhouse Gases
April 18, 2007
"Greenhouse gases" get mentioned often in discussions of "climate change" and "global warming,"
but what are they really?
The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
maintains a
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
page as part of their
Climate Change website.
Included at their site is an overview of greenhouse gases -- what they are, where they come from, what they do --
as well as a recently published study of U.S. emissions from 1990 to 2005.
You can also try their
Personal Emissions Calculator
to estimate your own contribution to the greenhouse gas problem and to find possible ways to reduce harmful emissions.
There is also a
"What You Can Do" section worth checking out!
In our library catalog there are
books and government documents about greenhouse gases
that might interest you as well.
Climate Change 2007
April 17, 2007
The
Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change
has published the "Summary for Policymakers" portion of their upcoming report on climate change:
Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability (Adobe PDF format).
Additional statistics, illustrations, webcasts, and news are available at their website.
Earth Day
April 16, 2007
Since 1970, April 22nd has been designated as "Earth Day," described by
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as "a day of national environmental recognition" that has
"evolved into a world-wide campaign to protect our global environment."
EPA has updated their website to include
information about Earth Day, including ways to celebrate it, the history of Earth Day, environmental tips, and more. Information is also
available in Spanish.
"Non-green Plants on Other Worlds"
April 11, 2007
NASA's
Goddard Institute for Space Studies published an article today called
"Non-green Plants on Other Worlds."
In the article NASA scientists theorize about the color of plants in solar systems beyond ours.
They also provide a link to another article:
"The Color of Life, on Earth and on Extrasolar Planets"
For more related information on this subject you can visit the
NASA Astrobiology Institute website as well as explore the
astrobiology and
extrasolar planets categories in the library catalog for related materials.
You can also visit
Exoplanets.org to browse information indexed on over 200 worlds said to exist around nearby stars other than our sun.
Our
Ready Reference web guide also has a great list of
Astronomy and
Space Exploration sites.
Trees: A New Study
April 10, 2007
The
Carnegie Institution published an article today (
"Tropical forests: Earth's Air Conditioner") to announce findings of a new study involving trees, deforestation, and varied impacts on climate change.
Catalogue of Life
April 9, 2007
The
Integrated Taxonomic Information System website (ITIS.gov)
has been
updated with a report of ongoing efforts
to catalog all living organisms on planet Earth.
So far there have been over one million species
accounted for. The project is set to continue until 2011.
At
CatalogofLife.org you can browse or search
their findings so far.
The
Species 2000 website is another place where information
on this epic project exists.
Supreme Court Decision on EPA Regulating Greenhouse Gases
April 3, 2007
The
U.S. Supreme Court has
rendered a decision concerning
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the regulating of
greenhouse gases.
Their decision at the above link is provided in the PDF format, which can be viewed using the
Adobe Reader.
Space Weather
March 29, 2007
SpaceWeather.com offers a truly extended weather
reports and forecasts that stretch out into space. Catch up on atmospheric and auroral activities,
nearby asteroids, meteor showers, solar flares, sunspots, the solar wind, comets, and more.
For your convenience, a link to this site is available in our
Current Interests guide in the
weather section.
Yellowstone Supervolcano
March 28, 2007
The "supervolcano" located below Yellowstone National Park has been an area of great interest to scientists
for its past, present, and potential future volcanic activities and potential eruptions.
The
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory has news, answers to
frequent questions, and other information regarding this site and the potential for a "supervolcanic"
eruption that would, according to many experts, have global consequences.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has
a fact sheet (dated 2005) concerning the region along with
an extensive FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions; dated 2007).
Disappearing Climates
*March 28, 2007
Scientific American has an article called
"100-Year Forecast: New Climate Zones Humans Have Never Seen".
Information in their article is based upon
a report that will appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This link will lead to an abtract of the article. (The report may eventually become available as full text through our
article databases.)
(* Post included here from an earlier listing in our Current Events guide.)
"Top Ten Rivers at Risk" Report
*March 28, 2007
A new report called
"Top 10 Rivers at Risk" has been published by the World Wildlife Fund. The report focuses on "the world's rivers that are facing widespread degradation while millions of people depend on them for survival." Includes full report in PDF format.
(* Post included here from an earlier listing in our Current Events guide.)
Live Earth Concert
*March 28, 2007
Liveearth.org is the official home page of the "Live Earth Concert: The Concert for a Climate in Crisis," musical events to be held around the world to promote awareness of environmental issues related to global warming.
MSN also has a related website.
(* Post included here from an earlier listing in our Current Events guide.)
"Doomsday Vault" to be built
*March 28, 2007
As part of an effort to preserve world crop diversity from the effects of global warming, there is
a report from Global Crop Diversity Trust of a "Svalbard International Seed Vault" (AKA "Doomsday Vault") to be constructed in Norway.
(* Post included here from an earlier listing in our Current Events guide.)
Arctic Summers Study
*March 28, 2007
A new study, reported by National Geographic, projects that summers in the Arctic region will be "ice free" by 2040.
(* Post included here from an earlier listing in our Current Events guide.)
Energy Independence and Global Warming Committee
*March 28, 2007
As reported at Speaker.gov, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the creation of
a select committee on energy independence and global warming.
(* Post included here from an earlier listing in our Current Events guide.)
