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June 1-9, 2013 is National Fishing and Boating Week, the perfect chance enjoy nice weather and connect with nature. In 2011, over 90 million U.S. residents – 38 percent of the population 16 years and older – enjoyed fish and wildlife-related recreation. Viewer Tip: Get outside and have fun! Many states offer free fishing days [...]

The weather is warming up, school is winding down…it’s road trip season! According to the Alliance to Save Energy, the average U.S. household will spend about 3,300 dollars on transportation this year. Whether your trip is five miles long or 500, proper vehicle maintenance and smart driving tips can save gas and money. Plus, a [...]

What happens when you combine water, warm temperatures and sunny days?  A great opportunity for outdoor recreation! May 18-24, 2013, is National Safe Boating Week. Whether you are an experienced boater or just getting out on the water for the first time, boating can be a fun way to explore the environment and enjoy nice [...]

Did you know that homes with automatically timed sprinkler or irrigation systems use up to 50 percent more water than homes without these systems? The amount of water wasted can jump even higher if sprinkler heads are damaged or pointed in the wrong direction, or the system is programmed incorrectly. Viewer tip: Taking a few [...]

It’s that time of year again, when we open our windows, work on our lawn and gardens, watch the flowers bloom and get ready for the cookout. Just one slight problem: those little blood-suckers would like to enjoy the spring temperatures, too – while hanging out with you. It’s bug season! Viewer Tip: Here are [...]

Air Quality Awareness Week takes place from April 29-May 3, 2013. This year, learn more about how air quality affects your health. And, find out what you can do to protect air quality where you live. Air quality is important at every age. Are you at risk for health problems from ozone (sometimes called smog) [...]

Friday, April 26 is National Arbor Day.  Trees not only add beauty and value to our landscape, they also provide many environmental benefits.  In one year, a single healthy tree has the same cooling effect as ten room-sized air conditioners running continually; absorbs 750 gallons of storm water, preventing erosion and protecting water quality; and [...]

Itching to get out and shake off the cabin fever? Go ahead and brush the dust off your spring hiking boots and get ready to hit the trail. Spending time in nature is one of the best ways to find solitude, explore and enjoy the landscape where you live. Before you hit the trail, make [...]

This is the time of year when lawn activities peak – watering, fertilizing and mowing.  All of these activities can have environmental impacts.  For example, did you know that over 50 million Americans mow their lawns each weekend and contribute as much as five percent of the country’s air pollution? Viewer Tip: You can have [...]

Just as some plants do better in shady spots, some handle scorching weather better than others. Wilting could mean a plant is handling the heat okay – or that it needs help. Viewer Tip: Plant leaves may droop mid-day, which keeps more of their surface out of direct sunlight and helps keep them cool. This [...]

Tree Swallows are medium-sized birds with white underbellies and iridescent blue-green capes that run from their heads to their wing tips. They often live in flocks that can number hundreds of thousands of birds and just before sunset, these flocks will swarm around their roosting spots in great circles that resemble living tornadoes. In the [...]

The amount of energy that the North Atlantic Basin accumulated over the last 50 years is equivalent to almost four trillion tons of TNT (1.610 1022 joules). This energy has not been distributed uniformly, as the tropical and subtropical regions of the North Atlantic have warmed the most, and the subpolar region has actually cooled. [...]

Getting a break from exposure to hot temperatures is important for preventing heat related illnesses. While people usually associate extreme daytime temperatures with heat stroke, if it does not cool sufficiently during the night, the body will not get a break from the heat. In North America over the last 50 years, average nighttime low [...]

Getting a break from exposure to hot temperatures is important for preventing heat related illnesses. While people usually associate extreme daytime temperatures with heat stroke, if it does not cool sufficiently during the night, the body will not get a break from the heat. In North America over the last 50 years, average nighttime low [...]

In the Florida Keys, water temperatures fluctuate annually between about 68 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. While coral polyps can only survive in warm waters, if these waters become too warm, algae which the coral polyps need to absorb nutrients begin to die, and an event known as coral bleaching occurs. Coral bleaching events in the [...]

Coral reefs provide food for billions of people. All of the benefits of coral reefs are being threatened by two trends: increasing ocean temperatures and increasing ocean acidity. Between 1955 and 199, world ocean heat content rose by 0.037 degrees Celsius. While this number may seem small, the same amount of energy it would take [...]

The more water is in the atmosphere, the less easily sweat evaporates from your body, and the harder it is to keep your body at a comfortable temperature. The dewpoint temperature is one of the best indicators of how uncomfortable hot weather is, and when the dewpoint temperature exceeds 65 degrees Fahrenheit, most people consider [...]

The moist tropical air mass, which develops over the tropical North Atlantic, is currently sitting over the Southeastern United States and is responsible for the extreme heat and humidity. Over the last fifty years, the amount of time during the summer when the air mass is present over the Region has been growing by an [...]

Water has high thermal conductivity, meaning that it is able to take in lots of energy before it gets hotter or lose energy and maintain a stable temperature. This is important in oceans because it enables the temperatures to be relatively stable for long periods of time. This quality of water is also important because [...]

Have you ever wondered why some oceans are a dark greenish-blue color and why other oceans are colored a cyan blue? The reason is because the things living in the water reflect and absorb light. Water does a good job absorbing all colors except light blue, and because the atmosphere contains a lot of water, [...]