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In the United States, soil is eroding at roughly 17 times the rate it is formed!  Soil erosion is a natural process where soil is moved by water or wind.  Soil can impact water quality, reducing a stream or lake’s ability to store water and support plant growth. 
Viewer Tip: You can prevent soil [...]

Strong, gusty winds associated with tropical storms can easily carry away trash and other large items.  Blowing debris can cause injury, damage property and harm wildlife.
Viewer Tip: Prepare your property for high winds by making sure your home and belongings are secure.

Bring lawn furniture, outdoor decorations, trash cans, potted and hanging plants, and any other [...]

Did you know there are about 2,000,000 farms in the United States?  Soil erosion, which can be a problem on farmlands, occurs in three different ways: wind, water and tillage – the agricultural preparation of soil by plowing or turning the land.  When soil is carried away from farmlands, phosphorus and nitrogen can be carried [...]

Mosquitoes have always been a nuisance in the hot and rainy South, and some mosquitoes carry diseases such as malaria and West Nile Virus. On windy days, mosquitoes—which can fly at only a sluggish 1.5 miles per hour—are rarely seen. When winds die down at dawn and dusk, however, mosquitoes take flight to feed. The [...]

Winter storm season results in changes along Puget Sound beaches. While every beach is different, in the winter many beaches are covered in gravel or larger sized rocks called “cobbles.”  It usually takes the force of a winter storm to move rocks around and most importantly, to wash lighter–weight sand offshore, leaving a smaller, rockier beach.  These [...]

Dried arrangements and holiday wreaths may contain invasive plant species, such as Oriental bittersweet (found throughout the Eastern and Great Lakes states) and multiflora rose (found through the Eastern and Midwest U.S., Colorado, California and Oregon). When these arrangements hang outside, wind and birds foraging for food can carry away berries and seeds, which may [...]

Increase the health of your fields by planting a crop and leaving it for an entire season. The benefits of cover crops have been publicized for years. Although they are grown primarily to prevent soil erosion, cover crops can also contribute to nitrogen production, increase soil microbial activity, reduce insect pests and suppress weeds.
Viewer Tip: [...]

Fall in Puget Sound is the time for sports, picnics, trips and other family events. These outings usually come with an assortment of plastic water bottles, plastic plates, plastic silverware and plastic containers. Fall is also the time when strong winds and fast currents are prevalent. What happens to the plastic garbage that is picked up [...]

Prepackaged foods are convenient, especially for lunches on-the-go.  However, food packaging generates a significant amount of waste – in the United States, over 2500 tons of non-biodegradable plastic packaging is thrown away each year. Storm drains, rivers and wind carry much of this waste to our oceans where marine animals ingest plastics that mimic food [...]

Earth Gauge: Blown Away
Windy weather is common in the Southwest at this time of year.  Wind and dust can severely damage plants and gardens, wearing down soil and exposing roots.  High winds can even break off parts of a plant or completely lift it out of the ground!  Crops that are sensitive to wind will [...]

An average of 11 tropical storms develop each year over the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.  While many of those storms stay over the ocean without impacting the U.S., about five hurricanes will strike the U.S. Coastline from Texas to Maine in a given three-year period, with two being Category 3 (111-130 [...]

Dust storms can make driving conditions difficult, but did you know that they can also affect your health?  When dust particles are inhaled, they can trigger asthma attacks and aggravate bronchitis and other lung diseases. Certain people are especially vulnerable to health impacts from dust particles – young children, the elderly, adults who exercise outside [...]

No matter where litter starts, it moves.  From streets, highways, and even your own backyard, litter items – especially light-weight plastics – are transported easily by wind and rain and often end up in our waters. As a matter of fact, it is estimated that up to 90 percent of the debris floating in our [...]

In the southwest, brown outs from blowing dust are not uncommon occurrences. New Mexico State University’s Agricultural Science Centers estimate that the average annual wind speed in the southwest is 17 to 18 miles per hour, although gusts can be much higher. Spring seems to bring about the greatest wind strengths and speeds.
Viewer Tip: Protect [...]

Did you know that most littered trash has a life span of more than one year?  This means that once a trash item ends up in the environment, it sits for a long time before it degrades or disappears.  Here are some  lifespans of the most commonly found litter items:

Glass Bottle:  Approximately one million years
Plastic [...]

Most of us have watched “birds of prey” such as hawks, eagles, and buzzards glide effortlessly through the sky and wondered how they manage to stay aloft without flapping their wings. These magnificent birds take advantage of the natural atmosphere and updrafts for two common techniques; thermal soaring and dynamic soaring. Thermals, or pockets of [...]

If your home or business was damaged by winds or flood waters from Hurricane Ike, you are probably beginning to make repairs. 
Viewer Tip: As you clean up and rebuild, remember that there are ways to retrofit your property so that it will better withstand hurricane conditions, should they occur again.

Roof: Bracing gabled roofs will prevent [...]

Winds and heavy rain from Hurricane Ike took a toll on Houston and surrounding communities.  As flood waters recede, many home and business owners will be facing cleanup activities.
Viewer Tip: When the water goes down, keep these tips in mind to assess damage and begin clean-up activities safely:

Pay close attention to your local media for [...]

About 10 to 20 percent of Americans suffer from ragweed allergies in late summer and fall.  Mid-August marked the unofficial start to ragweed season, which generally lasts until a killing frost.  Ragweed grows throughout the U.S. and has many qualities that make it a “most wanted” allergy culprit:

A single ragweed plant – which only lives [...]

About 10 to 20 percent of Americans suffer from ragweed allergies in late summer and fall.  Mid-August marked the unofficial start to ragweed season, which generally lasts until a killing frost.  Ragweed grows throughout the U.S. and has many qualities that make it a “most wanted” allergy culprit:

A single ragweed plant – which only lives [...]