Training Date Set For Rain/Snow Monitors

If you have an interest in weather and would like to know how much rain or snow falls in your backyard, this program is for you. Teachers and students, including homeschoolers, can receive suggested exercises to make the students think critically about the data they are collecting.

If you would like to join this network, there will be a training session beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 16, at the Carbon County Environmental Education Center, 151 East White Bear Drive, Summit Hill, which is located at the west end of Mauch Chunk Lake Park, just outside Jim Thorpe.

Penn State University’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences has set up a network of volunteers across Pennsylvania. The program is called FROST and the Pennsylvania State Climatologist administers it.

Paul Knight, who has been the Pennsylvania State Climatologist since 1994, will conduct the training. He is also a senior lecturer of synoptic meteorology at Penn State University.

Paul has been a senior forecaster for The New York Times since 1986. He, along with four other colleagues, produces the weather page for the Times each day. Paul has also been the producer, co-host and on-camera meteorologist for WPSU-TV’s Weather World, a fifteen minute, weeknight weather magazine show seen on Pennsylvania PBS stations since 1983 and since 2004 on PCN.

FROST is part of a larger, national network called CoCoRaHS, which is an acronym for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network and is based at the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University.

The data collected is submitted to CoCoRaHS over the Internet, and it is displayed on their website. The National Weather Service is notified immediately of any extraordinary weather events.

Some examples of those who use the data are the National Weather Service, other meteorologists, hydrologists, emergency managers, city utilities (water supply, water conservation, storm water), insurance adjusters, USDA, engineers, mosquito control, ranchers and farmers, outdoor & recreation interests, teachers, students, and neighbors in the community.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a major sponsor of CoCoRaHS.

Everyone is welcome and you do not need to live in Carbon County to join. Youngsters can join too, but need to come with a parent or guardian.

There is no fee for this training session, but registration is necessary due to space limitations. To register, contact the Carbon County Environmental Education Center at (570) 645-8597 or e-mail Frank Waksmunski, Carbon County Coordinator for FROST, at frank@carbonwaters.org.

Links of interest: FROST, CoCoRaHS, Carbonwaters.org

Childhood Growth Stages Determine What Harm Pollution Does

GENEVA, Switzerland, July 27, 2007 (ENS) – An increased risk of cancer, heart and lung disease in adults can result from exposures to certain environmental chemicals during childhood, the World Health Organization said today. This finding is part of the first report ever issued by the agency focusing on children’s special susceptibility to harmful chemical exposures at different stages of their growth.
Newborn
Air and water contaminants, pesticides in food, lead in soil, as well many other environmental threats which alter the delicate organism of a growing child may cause or worsen disease and induce developmental problems, said the World Health Organization, WHO, releasing the report at its Geneva headquarters.

The peer-reviewed report highlights the fact that in children, the stage in their development when exposure to a threat occurs may be just as important as the magnitude of the exposure.
“Children are not just small adults,” said Dr. Terri Damstra, team leader for WHO’s Interregional Research Unit. “Children are especially vulnerable and respond differently from adults when exposed to environmental factors – and this response may differ according to the different periods of development they are going through.”
“For example, their lungs are not fully developed at birth, or even at the age of eight, and lung maturation may be altered by air pollutants that induce acute respiratory effects in childhood and may be the origin of chronic respiratory disease later in life,” Dr. Damstra said.
Over 30 percent of the global burden of disease in children can be attributed to environmental factors, the WHO study found.
Young children
The global health body said this report is the most comprehensive work yet undertaken on the scientific principles to be considered in assessing health risks in children.

The work was undertaken by an advisory group of 24 scientific experts, representing 18 countries. They were convened by WHO to provide insight, expertise, and guidance, and to ensure scientific accuracy and objectivity. Once the text was finalized, it was sent to more than 100 contact points throughout the world for review and comment, and also made available on WHO’s International Programme of Chemical Safety website for external review and comment.
The central focus of the study is on the child from embryo through adolescence and on the need to have a good understanding of the interactions between exposure, biological susceptibility, and socioeconomic and nutritional factors at each stage of a child’s development.
The scientific principles proposed in the document for evaluating environmental health risks in children will help the health sector, researchers and policy makers to protect children of all ages through improved risk assessments, appropriate interventions and focused research to become healthy adults.
Children have different susceptibilities during different life stages, due to their dynamic growth and developmental processes, the authors said.

Teens
Health effects resulting from developmental exposures prenatally and at birth may include miscarriage, still birth, low birth weight and birth defects.

Young children may die or develop asthma, neurobehavioral and immune impairment. Adolescents may experience precocious or delayed puberty.
The vulnerability of children is increased in degraded and poor environments, the report confirms. Neglected and malnourished children suffer the most. These children often live in unhealthy housing, lack clean water and sanitation services, and have limited access to health care and education.
For example, lead is known to be more toxic to children whose diets are deficient in calories, iron and calcium.
WHO warns, “One in five children in the poorest parts of the world will not live longer than their fifth birthday – mainly because of environment-related diseases.”
This new volume of the Environmental Health Criteria series, Principles for Evaluating Health Risks in Children Associated with Exposure to Chemicals, is online here.

Water, water everywhere but which drop to drink?

Don’t like the taste of your drinking water? Well, you could buy bottled water at an outrageous price. What, spend all that money for water? Well, grab some plastic gallon milk bottles and head for the nearest roadside spring. They’re all over the place. The water is free and some say it’s the best water you can get.

Mark Carmon, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, had this to say. “A lot of these springs you see by the side of the road are little more than a pipe that somebody stuck into a rock. The trouble is that no one is monitoring these springs, to see if the water is safe to drink or not.” Carmon continues, “You really don’t know where the water comes from. The source could be miles away, and the water could be running through a cemetery, or somebody’s septic system, or a mine pool. I wouldn’t wash my car with it, let alone drink it.”

Dan Miller, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Health, said people could suffer from serious health problems from springs that contain bacteria or other harmful microorganisms.

Well, that kind of puts a damper on springs so I guess it’s back to bottled water. Or is it?

Marylynn Yates, microbiologist and chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Irvine, said, “In some cases, bottled water is more contaminated than tap water.” Yates, who previously worked as a researcher with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) went on to say “An appealing name and fancy label don’t guarantee purity.”

While municipal tap water is subjected to enforceable standards established by the EPA, bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has much less stringent guidelines regarding water purity and monitoring.

In fact, the FDA exempts bottled water packaged and sold within the same state, which accounts for about 60 to 70 percent of bottled industry sales. It also subjects carbonated and seltzer water to more lax “sanitation” guidelines as opposed to contamination regulations.

Well, I see where this is headed. It’s back to tap water. If your tap water is bad, what can you do? Did you ever hear of the Carbon County Groundwater Guardians?

Groundwater Festival Scheduled

The Carbon County Groundwater Guardians, in association with Carbon County Environmental Education Center (CCEEC), will host a Children’s Groundwater Festival on Saturday, July 7th.

Interested children and their families are invited to visit anytime from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. A variety of games and other activities are planned to help youngsters understand and appreciate groundwater resources. The event will take place rain or shine at CCEEC, located just outside Jim Thorpe, along the Lentz Trail highway.

The program is free of charge, and no pre-registration is necessary. For more information or for directions, call CCEEC at (570) 645-8597.

West Nile Virus is Back — Deal With It

=====================================
Penn State Ag Sciences News 6.21.2007
=====================================

(EDITORS: A printable info graphic to illustrate this story is available
for downloading at http://aginfo.psu.edu/news/may03/mosquito.pdf.)

WEST NILE VIRUS IS BACK; ALTHOUGH IT HASN’T
BEEN SO BAD, MOSQUITO CONTROL STILL NEEDED

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Although West Nile virus made headlines in
mid-June by showing up in mosquito samples taken in Blair County — the
earliest it has shown up Pennsylvania in any of the last five summers –
the disease has not been nearly as bad here as health officials feared,
according to an entomologist in Penn State’s College of Agricultural
Sciences.

West Nile virus, which can cause a potentially fatal form of
encephalitis — is an invasive species that found its way to North
America from Africa. The disease, which first showed up in the United
States in 1999 in New York, is carried by birds and spread by
mosquitoes. It now has been found in nearly every county in
Pennsylvania.

The 2002 West Nile virus outbreak in North America was the largest
encephalitic disease epidemic ever documented in the Western Hemisphere,
and it was the largest West Nile virus outbreak ever documented,
according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. But outbreaks since
have not been so severe.

“Although scientists have been surprised at how rapidly it has
disbursed here, the outbreaks have not been nearly as disastrous as some
predicted,” says extension entomologist Steve Jacobs. “In Pennsylvania,
the first cases of West Nile encephalitis were detected in 2001 (there
were three cases). In 2003 the number of new human cases had risen to
237, but by 2006 the numbers had dropped to just nine human cases.”

It’s a good thing that the disease has not been worse in the United
States because there isn’t much that can be done to isolate it, Jacobs
laments. “There is very little we can do to stop something like this,”
he says. “All we can do — once the virus is spread throughout the state
or the country — is to educate the public to wear insect repellents and
recognize the disease so they can seek treatment. But in terms of
general health risks to the public, West Nile is well down the list. I
think many people believe the risks of dying from West Nile are much
higher than they are.”

Ordinarily, mosquitoes are little more than a mild irritant, Jacobs
notes. But because they can transmit diseases to humans and pets — such
as West Nile encephalitis, eastern equine encephalitis and canine
heartworm — people should take steps to avoid being bitten and to
eliminate mosquito-breeding areas.

Mosquitoes breed in standing water. Only female mosquitoes bite,
according to Jacobs. “In most cases, the female must have a blood meal
before laying eggs,” he says. “The females’ persistent search for blood
brings them into houses and yards, where they may become annoying
pests.”

Many mosquito problems can be traced to containers of water around
the yard, such as children’s toys, pots and cans, tire swings, animal
tracks and clogged rain gutters. Neighborhood breeding areas can include
construction sites, trash dumps and cemetery urns or planters. Most
mosquitoes remain within a half-mile of where they hatch, but some can
fly miles.

During warm weather, mosquitoes can breed in any puddle that stands
for more than four days. “The most effective way to control mosquitoes
is to eliminate standing water,” says Jacobs. He advises homeowners to:

–Remove old tires, tin cans, buckets, glass jars, toys and other
water-catching objects.

–Tightly cover rain barrels to prevent egg-laying.

–Change water in bird baths by flushing with a hose at least once
a week.

–Fill tree holes with sand or cement or drill holes to allow
drainage.

–Keep rain gutters clean and free of obstructions.

–Drain excess water from flower pots.

–Keep swimming pools covered when not in use.

–Turn over wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.

–Empty accumulated water from boats and cargo trailers.

–Clear aquatic vegetation from around the edges of ponds to allow
fish to feed on mosquito larvae and pupae.

When going outdoors for an extended period of time, insect
repellents can provide protection from mosquito bites. “Repellents can
protect for up to five hours,” says Jacobs. “But because people vary in
their attractiveness to mosquitoes, the effectiveness of the repellent
may depend on the individual.”

Before using a repellent or insecticide, be sure you thoroughly
read and understand all directions and cautions on the product label,
Jacobs warns.

For a free fact sheet on mosquitoes, contact the nearest county
office of Penn State Cooperative Extension, or visit the Web at
http://www.ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/mosquitoes.htm.

###

EDITORS: Contact Steve Jacobs at (814) 863-3963 or by e-mail at
sbj2@psu.edu.

Jeff Mulhollem
Writer/Editor
(814) 863-2719
jjm29@psu.edu

Volunteers needed for rain monitoring network

THE TIMES NEWS
June 16, 2007

Whether you’re on a municipal water system or a private well, all your water comes from precipitation, which can be rain, snow, sleet or hail.

During the summer, with thunderstorms rolling through Carbon County, rainfall amounts vary widely from place to place. It’s important to know the rainfall amount differs not only in your backyard, but also at various locations throughout the county.

Carbon County is fortunate to have a network of dedicated volunteers who collect precipitation on a daily basis, but more volunteers are needed for better data.

This is a community project. Everyone can help young, old, and in-between. The only requirements are an enthusiasm for watching and reporting weather conditions and a desire to learn more about how weather can effect and impact our lives.

The information collected allows county, state and federal agencies to make predictions of possible floods or droughts on a state and local level. It also is used by county Emergency Management Agency to determine forest fire danger, by local farmers and anyone who is impacted by precipitation.

There is a network of monitoring stations across Pennsylvania. They supply daily precipitation reports via the Internet to Penn State University’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. The program is called FROST and it is administered by the Pennsylvania State Climatologist.

FROST is part of a larger, national network called CoCoRaHS, which is an acronym for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network and is based at the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University.

CoCoRaHS is used by a wide variety of organizations and individuals. The National Weather Service, other meteorologists, hydrologists, emergency managers, city utilities (water supply, water conservation, storm water), insurance adjusters, USDA, engineers, mosquito control, ranchers and farmers, outdoor and recreation interests, teachers, students, and neighbors in the community are just some examples of those who visit our Web site and use our data.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a major sponsor of CoCoRaHS.

It’s fun to know what happens in your own backyard, compare it to your neighbors, and fill in a piece of the weather puzzle that affects many across your area in one way or another.

The Carbon County Groundwater Guardians coordinate the network in Carbon County. However, it is a program in itself and you do not have to be a member of the Groundwater Guardians to participate.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact Frank, who is the Carbon County Coordinator for FROST.

Carbon County urges landowners to preserve land

Note: I’m publishing the entire article as it appeared in the Times News on June 7, 2007. Land preservation is vital to the future of Carbon County for many, many reasons. Please see Ten Things Wrong With Sprawl
Frank

Tax incentives under a new government law will end in six months

By AMY ZUBEKazubektnonline.com

Carbon County landowners have a new incentive to preserve their land federal income tax deductions.

During an informational workshop Wednesday evening, Attorney Michael Henry of Gross, McGinley, LaBarre and Eaton of Allentown and Diane Matthews-Gehringer, land preservation manager for Wildlands Conservancy, spoke to the county landowners in attendance about tax benefits the government has created for preserving Pennsylvania farm and woodlands. The new law, which went into effect in 2006, will expire at the end of 2007. Members of the Wildlands Conservancy urge landowners to consider utilizing this incentive that will end shortly.

Matthews-Gehringer explained that landowners have a variety of different options when deciding how to preserve their land. These include conservation easements, land donation, bargain sales or a combination of the above options.

If a landowner decides to enter into one of these agreements, a contract is drawn up with specifications that the landowner wants. The plans are flexible.

The property is then appraised twice, once to obtain the unrestricted value, and once to obtain the restricted, or “best other use” value of the property. The donation price is the difference of these two figures. For example, if a property is worth $400,000 unrestricted and $250,000 restricted, the total amount of the donation will be $150,000. This value is the amount landowners can use in the tax deductions.

Once properties are preserved, landowners can continue to work the land but have a few restrictions such as subdividing the property, which would be negotiated at the time of the donation.

Henry, who specializes in local, state and federal taxation, tax and estate planning and real estate law, also explained that under the new law created by the government for 2007 donations only, landowners who choose to participate in this program can deduct 50 percent, (and up to 100 percent for farmer or ranchers who have met the income requirements,) from their adjusted gross income on federal income tax forms. This applies to the year of the donation plus the next 15 years.

For example, he said if a landowner has a “$50,000 income and a donation of easement valued at $200,000,” non-farmers can deduct $25,000 a year for eight years. For farmers and ranchers, they can deduct $50,000 a year for four years or until they have met their deductions.

For more information on the Wildlands Conservancy or preserving your land, visit www.wildlandspa.org.

Disposal of unneeded prescription drugs

The common disposal practices used for unneeded drugs are throwing them into the garbage of flushing them down the drain. These practices can lead to abuse or water pollution.

Unused drugs thrown in the trash can be picked out and abused. Abuse of prescription drugs to get high has become increasingly prevalent among teens and young adults.

Flushing down the drain can pollute water because treatment plants are not designed to remove them.

While EPA continues to research the effects of pharmaceuticals in water sources, one thing is clear: improper drug disposal is a prescription for environmental and societal concern,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. “Following these new guidelines will protect our Nation’s waterways and keep pharmaceuticals out of the hands of potential abusers.”

The new Federal prescription drug disposal guidelines urge Americans to:
* Take unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs out of their original containers.
* Mix the prescription drugs with an undesirable substance, like used coffee grounds or kitty litter, and put them in impermeable, non-descript containers, such as empty cans or sealable bags, further ensuring that the drugs are not diverted or accidentally ingested by children or pets.
* Throw these containers in the trash.
* Flush prescription drugs down the toilet only if the accompanying patient information specifically instructs it is safe to do so.
* Return unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs to pharmaceutical take-back locations that allow the public to bring unused drugs to a central location for safe disposal.

For more information, see Disposal of Prescription Drugs

Wildlands Conservancy to host tax workshop in Palmerton

Preserving open land is vital to rural communities that rely on groundwater. Excess development increases the demand for water and, at the same time, prevents recharge of the aquifers because of runoff caused by impervious surfaces.

Wildlands Conservancy will host a Tax Incentive Workshop at Palmerton’s Borough Hall, 443 Delaware Avenue, in Carbon County on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 from 7-9 p.m. Interested landowners are welcome to attend and receive the latest information on time-limited incentives available to landowners who preserve their property in 2007.

Speakers: The lead speaker at the workshop is Attorney Michael Henry of Gross, McGinley, and LaBarre and Eaton. Attorney Henry specializes in local, state and federal taxation, tax and estate planning, and real estate law. Diane Matthews-Gehringer, Land Preservation Manager for Wildlands Conservancy, will also speak to attendees about preservation options. The workshop is funded in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

In 2006, Congress added tax incentives for landowners choosing to permanently preserve their land. Among these changes are provisions raising the income tax deduction allowed a landowner for donating a conservation easement from 30% of their adjusted gross income in the year of the donation plus 5 more years, to 50% in the year of the donation plus 15 more years. It also allows qualifying farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to deduct up to 100% of their taxable income (e.g., pay no federal income tax) for the year of the donation plus 15 more years. These added incentives are available until the end of 2007.

Registration: To register for the workshop or for more information about the workshops of Wildlands Conservancy, please contact Debra Lermitte at (610) 965-4397, ext. 11.

Read full story HERE

Bald Eagle Recovery Tribute to Rachel Carson