AABE Energy News: June 2013 | Highlights from EPA Office of Public Engagement

Highlights from EPA’s Office of Public Engagement

May 13 – 16, 2013

Table of Contents:

  1. EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe, Testimony Before the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  2. EPA Hosting Twitter Chat on Water Conservation
  3. The Friday before Memorial Day is “Don’t Fry Day” (May 24, 2013)
  4. EPA Grants Award Process Webinar – May 29, 2:00 p.m. EDT
  5. May is Asthma Awareness Month
  6. National Brownfields 2013 Conference
  7. BeGreen2013 Environmental Movement
  8. Connect with EPA through Social Media

1. EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe, Testimony Before the House Energy and Commerce Committee

Release Date: 05/16/2013 – “Chairmen Shimkus and Whitfield, Ranking Members Rush and Tonko, and members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you to discuss the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Fiscal Year 2014 budget.

The President’s Fiscal Year 2014 Budget demonstrates that we can make critical investments to strengthen the middle class, create jobs, and grow the economy while continuing to cut the deficit in a balanced way. EPA's budget request of $8.153 billion for the 2014 fiscal year reflects our ongoing efforts to change the way EPA does business –to invest in more efficient ways for the Agency to operate, to further reduce costs wherever possible all while we preserve and enhance our ability to carry out the Agency’s core mission to protect human health and the environment.

It is the product of long discussions and difficult choices. In the end, we believe this budget will enable us to work toward the Agency’s goals as effectively and efficiently as possible.”

For the full press release: http://go.usa.gov/TusP

2. EPA Hosting Twitter Chat on Water Conservation

EPA’s Office of Water will host a Twitter chat on Monday, May 20 at 2:00 p.m. EDT on a variety of issues related to water conservation. EPA experts will discuss how people can save water at home during the summer and how green infrastructure projects and sustainability efforts are helping communities and businesses conserve water across the country.

You can participate and ask questions by following EPA’s water-specific Twitter feed, twitter.com/epawater, or by using the hashtag #waterchat starting at 2 p.m. on Monday. The chat will also be simultaneously translated in Spanish on EPA’s Spanish language Twitter feed, epa.gov/epaespanol.

For more information about WaterSense: http://www.epa.gov/watersense/

For more information about green infrastructure: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/index.cfm

What is a Twitter chat? EPA is using social media technologies and tools, like Twitter, in the firm belief that by sharing and experimenting with information we greatly increase the potential for everyone to gain a better understanding of environmental conditions and solutions.

Simply stated, a Twitter chat is an interactive conversation scheduled at a specific time on Twitter. The conversation happens through the use of Twitter updates (called tweets) that include a predefined hashtag to link those tweets together in a virtual conversation. For example, #waterchat is the hashtag for our upcoming Twitter chat on water sustainability.

How Can You Participate? Our Twitter chat is open to everyone. If you have a Twitter account you can participate and ask questions.

If you don’t, you can still view the tweets online to learn more about the topic by either going to EPA’s Office of Water Twitter account http://twitter.com/EPAwater or searching on the web for the #waterchat hashtag. If you would like to create a Twitter account, you can sign up at www.twitter.com.

Please submit your questions and comments using the #waterchat hashtag.

3. The Friday before Memorial Day is “Don’t Fry Day” (May 24, 2013)

Don’t Fry Day is a national sun safety day to remind Americans to protect their health and prevent skin cancer throughout the summer. Skin cancer remains the most common cancer in the United States despite being largely preventable.

EPA, Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention invite all partners to assist in highlighting sun safety.

By limiting the sun, not the fun, this Memorial Day weekend and all year long, Americans can live longer, healthier lives. Enjoy the outdoors but follow tips like these:

  • Use sunscreen: Apply a palm-full of broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen to exposed skin about 15 minutes before heading outside and reapply every two hours.
  • Seek shade, not sun: Seek the shade when the sun’s rays are strongest (10 am – 4 pm); avoid sunburns, intentional tanning, and use of tanning beds; use extra caution near reflective surfaces like water and sand.
  • Wear protective clothing: Wear sun-protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and UV-blocking sunglasses.
  • Check the UV Index: EPA and the National Weather Service offer the UV Index – an hourly forecast of UV radiation that allows Americans to plan outdoor activities in ways that prevent overexposure to the sun.
  • Download EPA's free UV Index app at http://epa.gov/enviro/mobile/. Sun safety behavior is especially critical now since we will live under a compromised ozone layer. Nations across the globe have made steady progress toward restoring the Earth’s protective ozone layer through the environmental treaty called the Montreal Protocol.
  • Signed by 197 countries, the Protocol is successfully working to phase out ozone-depleting substances. Scientists predict that the ozone layer will recover later this century.
  • Thank you for helping us educate Americans about how to enjoy the outdoors safely!

4. EPA Grants Award Process Webinar – May 29, 2:00 p.m. EDT As part of EPA’s efforts to provide greater access to federal programs, we are working to more actively engage all of our stakeholders including members of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. May, 2013 marks the 21th anniversary of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

In honor of this important occasion, EPA is hosting the first in a series of events involving grant information on Wednesday, May 29 at 2:00 p.m. EDT for the AAPI community. The webinar features EPA officials who will discuss the EPA Grant Award Process and provide valuable information as to how grants can be an important tool for you, followed by a question and answer session.

EPA Grants Award Process Webinar

Please note that this webinar has limited capacity and participants will be admitted on a first-come first-serve basis. We encourage you to share this invite with your organization and members of the AAPI community. If you have any questions, please contact Sylvia Maclin at 202-564-4401.

5. May is Asthma Awareness Month

Asthma Awareness Month provides a time for us to work together to improve the lives of children and families living with asthma and with your help, to build better awareness around this important public health issue.

Asthma affects over 25 million people in the U.S., including 7.1 million children. Almost 13 million people report having an asthma attack in the past year. While EPA continues to strive for cleaner air and a healthier environment through regulatory actions such as the Power Plant Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, there are simple things you can do to help share important information with your organization’s membership, colleagues, parents and caregivers. Please see below for ways to take action and promote asthma awareness including: 1) social media, 2) videos and blog posts, and 3) additional resources. 1. Social Media Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter and use the hashtag #Asthma or use the following posts and tweets. Facebook: • Breathe easier: May is Asthma Awareness Month! Take action to ensure your asthma is under control. Check out our resource that provides 10 steps to make your home asthma-friendly: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/publications.html • Did you know that the average adult takes 15 to 20 breaths a minute? That's more than 20,000 breaths a day! Keeping your lungs healthy is a critical part of an overall healthy lifestyle. Learn more about Asthma Awareness Month today! http://www.epa.gov/asthma/index.html • It's peak season for asthma and allergy sufferers. May is the perfect time to educate your family, friends, colleagues, patients, and others about these diseases. Our Communities in Action Asthma Initiative supports local programs working to help people in their communities bring asthma under control. Learn more about Asthma Awareness Month http://www.epa.gov/asthma/awareness.html Twitter: • Breathe easier: May is #AsthmaAwarenessMonth. Make your home asthma-friendly: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/publications.html #EPAasthma • Adults take 15 to 20 breaths a minute. 20,000 a day! Does your home have good #IAQ? Reduce asthma triggers: http://go.usa.gov/TruA • May is #AsthmaAwarenessMonth. Learn about community-based asthma programs in your area! http://go.usa.gov/Treh 2. Videos and Blog Posts To help spread the word about asthma and environmental management of common asthma triggers, EPA has developed multimedia materials including these short videos that feature well-known athletes with asthma: • Jerome Bettis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xegEGTsndcY • Chris Draft: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KG1TCHHzalE • Fish out of Water: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ageuz-gF8a8&list=SPF48C8D600C8F2FC6 During the month of May, we will feature posts on It’s Our Environment blog that support asthma awareness. http://blog.epa.gov/blog/ Please share these stories with your membership and encourage discussion. • “Tackling Asthma: On and Off the Field” by Chris Draft http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2013/05/tackling-asthma-on-and-off-the-field/ • “A Brief Insight into the World of Asthmatics” by James T. Young http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2013/05/a-brief-insight-into-the-world-of-asthmatics/ • “Asthma Disparities: Making an Impact in Chicago’s Public Housing" by Melissa Gutierrez Kapheim http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2013/05/asthma-disparities-2/ • “Addressing Asthma Disparities: Helping Children Breathe Easier” by Brenda Doroski http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2013/05/children-breathe-easier/ • “Asthma: Public Health Issue for Hispanics” by Fedora Cagnoli Braverman http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2013/05/need-bio-before-posting-asthma-public-health-issue-for-hispanics/ 3. Additional Resources Here are 3 quick tips that you can share: • Asthma is controllable; to create a plan and prepare for event of asthma attack: (English)http://www.epa.gov/asthma/pdfs/asthma_action_plan.pdf (Spanish)http://www.epa.gov/asthma/pdfs/asthma_action_plan_sp.pdf • Learn to take action to avoid asthma triggers: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/triggers.html • Get active; even though you have asthma you can still participate in activities: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KG1TCHHzalE Please let your membership know of these other resources available. • For the full EPA press release: http://go.usa.gov/T7fF • View a full listing of publications and resources: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/publications.html • Visit EPAs webpage: http://www.epa.gov/asthma and partner website: http://www.noattacks.org/ • Check out list of asthma awareness events happening: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/awareness.html • Learn about the Coordinated Federal Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma Disparities: http://www.epa.gov/childrenstaskforce/

6. National Brownfields 2013 Conference (May 15-17, 2013) The National Brownfields Conference, co-sponsored by the US EPA and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), is the premier event focused on catalyzing economic development through cleanup and sustainable reuse of environmentally impaired properties.

This is the center stage in Atlanta’s renowned Georgia World Congress Center May 15-17, 2013. Now in its 15th year, the event is two and a half days of educational sessions, training workshops, volunteer activities, mobile workshops, film screenings and much more. This is the place to be where all topics related to brownfield cleanup, ranging from community engagement to public health.

For more information visit: http://www.brownfieldsconference.org/en/home

7. BeGreen2013 Environmental Movement BeGreen2013 is an environmental movement sponsored by EPA, along with our partners Green for All and Amplify Public Affairs. The movement’s purpose is to convey the power of an individual’s choice and show how actions, no matter how small, can help make a difference to sustain our environment. We kicked it off this past January at EPA headquarters in Washington, DC where two panel discussions focused on several key environmental issues and ways to promote sustainability. BeGreen2013 is a way to encourage environmentally conscious stakeholders, like you, to make specific contributions to be more green. By sharing commitments to install a rain barrel or LED light bulb; walk, bike or use public transportation; eCycle a used electronic device; or host an environmental education event, BeGreen2013 aims to show that every pledge that leads to action in protecting the environment can yield big results. Head over to www.BeGreen2013.com, pledge and join the conversation today! Join us on Twitter and let us know your progress in completing your pledge by using the hashtag #BeGreen2013.

8. Connect with EPA through Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Foursquare, YouTube and Greenversations Social media refers to web-based and mobile technologies that people use to share information and ideas online. These technologies let people create and share content in innovative and interesting ways. Social media offers many exciting possibilities for government agencies to communicate and collaborate with the public. It allows people to share new ways to use information that offer new insights or ways to solve problems. EPA is using social media technologies and tools in the firm belief that by sharing and experimenting with information we greatly increase the potential for everyone to gain a better understanding of environmental conditions and solutions. But at the same time, we also make every effort to proceed deliberately, for example, to observe any requirements related to federal activities such as transparency, public process, or privacy. EPA doesn't endorse any particular social media site or technique. Check out our recently posted short video on connecting with EPA through YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS0NBm0QTFs You can also connect with us on these other social media sites: • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EPA • Twitter: http://twitter.com/epagov • Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usepagov • YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/USEPAgov/featured • Greenversations: http://www.epa.gov/greenversations/ • More EPA social media: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/socialmedia.html You can make a difference! Office of Public Engagement Office of External Affairs and Environmental Education Office of the Administrator / U.S. Environmental Protection Agency / Tel 202-564-4355 / PublicEngagement@epa.gov

Office of Public Engagement

Office of External Affairs and Environmental Education

Office of the Administrator / U.S. Environmental Protection Agency / Tel 202-564-4355 / PublicEngagement@epa.gov

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