pollution

By Paul McRandle

Not only does every coastal state suffer from polluted and contaminated beaches but those problems resulted in more than 20,000 closing and swimming advisory days in 2008 alone—such is the sorry state of affairs noted in NRDC's latest Testing the Waters report. Unlucky beachgoers can suffer infections, rashes, stomach flu, hepatitis and worse. But because storm water runoff is one of the major causes of beach pollution, we can help prevent it at home. Below are a few ways you can help reduce runoff and otherwise improve the quality of our beaches and oceans.

Today, rather than watching a Friday the 13th Fright Fest, or immersing yourself in the pink, red, and chocolate explosion that is Valentine's Day, why not see the latest IMAX adventure "Under the Sea 3D" and learn about the impact that global warming has on our oceans.

Addicted to your computer? Another post from our friends at lends some tips and tricks at saving energy after you've torn your eyes from facebook updates.

Ensure that your computer doesn't work overtime and waste electricity with these simple steps. Get rid of your screensaver, shut off your monitor and plug into a smarter power strip to save energy, money and prevent pollution from power plants.

After the holiday rush you may notice that those presents you've bought have added you to one or more unwanted mailing lists. Luckily there's a free service to help you trim the fat from your junk mail pile. At Catalog Choice.org you can take control over your mailbox in just ten minutes.

Strapped for outdoor space around their Upper East Side school, the boys of the Browning School habitually venture out of the classroom to share in the vibrant green spaces New York City has to offer. One sunny Wednesday, I had the opportunity to accompany them on a different kind of outing. Thanks to Jonny Dubowsky of Rock 'n Renew and two very cool science teachers, the fifth grade class of Browning got to escape the island of Manhattan and venture into the “wilds” of Bayonne, NJ where some exciting new prospects in Urban Ecology are blossoming.

China is making news with its new plan to clean up its polluted lakes. Read the full article in the New York Times which explains how the Chinese government plans to reduce pollution in China's lakes by 2010, with the hopes of returning them to their original state by 2030.

Before you head out for a pricey sushi dinner, you might want to check out a recent blog by our friends at simplesteps.

There’s quite a lot happening on the sonar front as of late. After a federal judge finally and triumphantly imposed a strict set of rules on the Navy’s use of mid-frequency sonar off the coast of Southern California, the Bush Administration attempted, in the name of the ever-vexing “national security”, to nullify the protections. The case has since been returned to the district court for consideration where a federal judge has kept part, but not all, of the original restrictions.

Read this NRDC press release:

http://www.nrdc.org/media/2008/080103.asp

For those of you looking to jump on the bandwagon and start the New Year aiming for a slimmer and trimmer you, may we suggest a diet of a different kind? How about say, a slimmer trimmer mailbox?