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 The distinctive smell of wood smoke is a sign of the heating season. It may smell good, but wood smoke can impact indoor air quality and your health. Smoke is a mixture of tiny particles and gases produced when wood burns – the fine particles can get into your eyes and lungs, where they may [...]

The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA’s) Winter Fuels Outlook uses energy price projections and forecasted weather data from NOAA to predict winter heating bills in the United States. This year, EIA estimates that heating bills may be slightly higher in some regions over the six-month period from October 2010 to March 2011. Heating costs vary [...]

Fewer daylight hours and cooler temperatures mean that many Americans spend more time inside during the fall and winter months. While up to half of the energy used in a typical home goes towards heating and cooling, other home features like water heaters, appliances and lighting contribute to energy bills. Swapping traditional light bulbs for [...]

A recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey found elevated levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in many streams and groundwater supplies across the country. Elevated levels were most often found in streams near agricultural areas, particularly in the Northeast, Midwest and Northwest, as well as near urban areas. In many cases, concentrations of nitrogen and [...]

Did you know that poor quality soil increases the amount of water needed to irrigate lawns and gardens? Soil improvements, such as adding compost or other similar soil amendments, can reduce your irrigation needs by 20 percent. That’s a reduction of more than 16,000 gallons annually per household in states where irrigation is prevalent, or [...]

Wind plays a major role in bird migration. In the fall, wind circulation patterns around highs and lows impact the movement of migratory birds. The ideal time for flying often occurs the day after a cold front passes – north winds, dropping temperatures, rising air pressure and clearing skies are good migration conditions. Soaring birds like [...]

Have you found ladybugs in your home this fall? As temperatures drop, the Asian ladybug, Harmonia axyridis becomes an unwelcome houseguest in many homes. Asian ladybugs invade homes at this time of year searching for protected sites to overwinter. The Asian ladybug is relatively new to the United States – in their native home, Asian ladybugs [...]

World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) – an international education and outreach program to involve the public in monitoring and protecting water resources – takes place on September 18 each year. WWMD volunteers use a simple test kit to measure key water quality indicators in local water bodies, including temperature, acidity (pH), clarity (turbidity) and dissolved [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 84 lakes in the Xeric Region (covering portions of 11 western states and all of Nevada) to characterize the condition of more than 802 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find? 37 percent of lakes in the Xeric Region are in [...]

Earth Gauge Video is available for this tip. Do you like a beautiful yard, but not the time, effort and money required to maintain it? In hot, dry climates, the water required to maintain a lush landscape can be costly. Just one lawn sprinkler operating three times per week can use more than 1,000 gallons [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Earth Gauge Video is available for this tip. 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 [...]

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 [...]

B-roll video is available for this tip. 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. Viewer Tip: [...]

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 [...]