News from the Reference Desk Category: Environment

Earth Day 2020

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April 22 is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day!

shot of earth from space

Earth Day 1970 marked the beginning of the environmental movement in the United States:

By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of other first of their kind environmental laws, including the National Environmental Education Act,  the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Clean Air Act.  Two years later Congress passed the Clean Water Act.  A year after that, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act and soon after the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. These laws have protected millions of men, women and children from disease and death and have protected hundreds of species from extinction.–earthday.org/history

On Earth Day 2020, the Earth Day Network is organizing Earth Day Live–a digital celebration of our planet!

Visit earthday.org on April 22 as we build an Earth Day unlike any other — We’re flooding the digital landscape with livestreamed discussions, a global digital surge, and 24 hours of actions that you can take, right now and from wherever you are.

But you can also celebrate Earth Day in the real world around your own home: 

Plant some vegetable or flower seeds
Start a compost pile
Commit to stop using single use plastic products (e.g. water bottles and yogurt containers)
Clean up your garden
Go for a walk (while social distancing, of course!) or ride a bike
Read a book instead of watching media/being online
Prepare and eat only plant-based foods

I’m sure you can think of other eco-friendly activities!

Happy Earth Day!

Mount Prospect Introduces Organics Collection Program

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Mount Prospect has replaced their existing yard waste collection program with a new Organics Collection Program. Yard waste will still be accepted along with organic material including fruits, vegetables, meat etc. All yard waste and organic material will be collected in unlimited quantities for no additional charge, but residents must provide their own rigid container. The Organics Collection Program will run from April through mid-December.

Organics Sticker

For more detailed information on the Organics Program and other solid waste information: Solid Waste Edition Mount Prospect Newsletter, September 2017

EWG’s Guide to Sunscreens

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Now that the days are at their longest and the sun’s rays are the most direct, proper use of effective sunscreen is essential and insures that summer fun in the sun does not cause skin damage. To select the most protective products as well as the least harmful, consult the Environmental Working Group’s annual Guide to Sunscreens.

From the EWG website:

The Environmental Working Group’s mission is to empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. With breakthrough research and education, we drive consumer choice and civic action.
We are a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment.
Since 2007, when EWG published its first Sunscreen Guide, many sun protection products sold in the U.S. are safer and federal regulators have cracked down on some of the worst phony marketing claims. But our investigation of more than 880 beach and sport sunscreens, 480 moisturizers and 120 lip products with SPF for our 11th annual guide found that serious concerns remain.

Summer Driving

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The U.S. Department of Energy has a site for fuel economy information which many drivers may find helpful in saving money, finding the right car, and checking EPA ratings. Please take a look at www.fueleconomy.gov.