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One-third of Great Lakes beaches were open less than 95 percent of the time during the swimming season in 2007, the EPA and Environment Canada concluded in last year’s State of the Great Lakes report. The findings were based on data from more than 1,600 beaches. The agencies found that Lake Erie and Lake Ontario [...]

Recent testing of Lake Michigan water has found pharmaceutical byproducts in the water, raising concerns about the potential health threats to people and wildlife for anyone getting drinking water from the Great Lakes. Though many experts say the levels are too low to show immediate effects on human health, scientists acknowledge they know little about [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 148 lakes in the Upper Midwest Region (covering northern and southeastern Minnesota, two-thirds of Wisconsin, northern Indiana and most of Michigan) to characterize the condition of more than 15,500 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find?

More than 90 percent of lakes [...]

Did you know that almost 60 percent of Americans live an area with unhealthy levels of air pollution? Just like a recipe, the atmosphere needs all the right ingredients to make ground-level ozone – a harmful air pollutant that is common during the summer months.  When the temperature rises and the sun is shining, heat [...]

Have you ever wanted to help keep your community by reporting severe weather?  SKYWARN is a volunteer network of nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters around the country.  SKYWARN spotters help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate information to the National Weather Service about weather events like thunderstorms, winter weather and [...]

Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) remain a key problem across the Great Lakes region.  CSOs occur when pipes carrying both sanitary sewage and rainwater overflow into streams, rivers and lakes during heavy rains. The Great Lakes account for 70 percent of CSOs in the United States, according to the International Joint Commission. Detroit is the leading [...]

Do you rent your home or apartment? You’re not alone – about 33 percent of U.S. residents were renters between 2006 and 2008. Taking energy-saving steps can seem challenging when you don’t own your home and cannot make major changes to your living space. But, did you know that there are easy ways to save [...]

Mowing the lawn is a typical summer activity. Did you know that when you mow, you can actually “stress out” your grass? This can lead to a brown, weedy and patchy lawn. But, by increasing your mower height, you can reduce stress on turf species as well as the incidence of some common turf weeds. [...]

May is National Bike Month and May 17-21, 2010 is Bike to Work Week.  The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that there is one adult-sized bicycle per U.S. household, but few adults report taking a bike trip outdoors.  Taking your two-wheeler for a spin not only helps keep you healthy, it also saves money, reduces [...]

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Are you going fishing this season? Many people head to local lakes and streams during nice weather.  A new, four-year, multi-agency study shows a nearly 50 percent chance that the fish you catch will contain mercury. Some levels are so high that pregnant women and children should not [...]

Residential driveways can account for up to 15 percent of the total paved area in a city or state. These paved surfaces are “hot spots” for accumulation of pollutants like motor oil, antifreeze and yard care chemicals. During a storm, rain water picks up pollutants from paved areas and heads to the storm drain, which [...]

Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the first Earth Day, which took place on April 22, 1970, as a national “teach in” about the environment. On that day, over 20 million Americans participated – including 10,000 elementary and high schools, 2,000 colleges and more than 1,000 communities. Today, as Earth Day turns 40, the event is [...]

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Spring is here and there’s no better time to get outside, enjoy the weather and do some wildlife watching!  And, you don’t have to live in the country to do it. There’s an amazing diversity of wildlife in the suburbs – and even in the city.
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Showering accounts for about 17 percent of residential indoor water use – up to 30 gallons of water per household per day. According to EPA, we use 1.2 trillion gallons of water every year in the U.S. just for showering. That’s enough water to meet the water needs of New York and New Jersey for [...]

How much hazardous waste does the average American household accumulate in one year? Ten pounds? Fifty? Actually, the typical home accumulates up to 100 pounds of household hazardous waste in just one year! Think of paints, pesticides, cleaning supplies, oil, antifreeze and other products that hide away in the basement, garage or shed. These products [...]

For home gardeners, weather is a major variable in determining the success of crops. Spring planting dates are commonly scheduled around the first frost-free day. Weather has a large influence on timing because of its effect on seedling establishment and crop growth. For example, peas planted at the first possible planting date in the spring [...]

Did you know that the average American household uses about two-thirds of its water outside? Most is used to water lawns and as much as half of that water is wasted by inefficient watering, either too often or at the hottest part of the day when water evaporates quickly. When we conserve water at home, [...]

Early spring might be the season for heavy rain or even a white blanket of snow, but it’s not too early to start thinking about using compost to help grow a lush green lawn. Did you know the best time to apply compost is in the spring? According to the National Center for Appropriate Technology, [...]

Did you know that weather has a large influence on seedling establishment and crop growth? If you enjoy eating peas from your garden, you can plant peas early in the spring, plant another batch of peas a few weeks later, and both batches will be ready to harvest at  almost the same time.  That’s because weather [...]

You may as well collect! The upcoming dry summer months are probably the last thing on your mind during heavy late winter and spring rains. At this time of year, it may seem like it will never dry out, but it’s important to remember that a hot summer is just around the corner. So why not collect that [...]