Tag Archives: Usa

14Nov 2011

“More Jobs, Less Pollution” Calls For 75 Percent National Recycling Rate

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(Washington, DC) Coal Geology– A national recycling rate of 75 percent would create nearly 1.5 million jobs, reduce pollution and improve public health, and generate strong local economies with stable employment bases, according to a report being released tomorrow on National Recycling Day.

“More Jobs, Less Pollution” (available at www.teamster.org/morejobslesspollution), a report from the Tellus Institute prepared for the BlueGreen Alliance, SEIU, NRDC, Teamsters, Recycling Works!, and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), will also be the subject of a panel discussion with Senator Tom Carper of Delaware and Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey on Tuesday, November 15 at 3:00 p.m. ET at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center.

According to the report, reaching a 75 percent national recycling rate would create nearly 1.5 million more jobs than in 2008. It would also reduce CO2 emissions by 276 million metric tons by 2030 — equivalent to 72 coal-fired power plants or taking 50 million cars off the road; reduce conventional and toxic emissions that impact human and ecosystem health; and generate a strong, local economy by creating a stable local employment base.

 

WHAT: Panel Discussion with Senator Carper, Representative Pallone and representatives from labor, environment, and industry on the job creation benefits of a national 75 percent recycling rate.

WHO:
Senator Tom Carper (D-DE)
Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
Lee Anderson, Senior Legislative and Policy Analyst, BlueGreen Alliance
James Goldstein, Senior Fellow, Tellus Institute
Allen Hershkowitz, Senior Scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council
Bob Morales, Director, Teamsters Solid Waste & Recycling Division
Michelle Ramirez, Recology Employee and Steward, Teamsters Local Union 350
Monica Wilson, U.S. and Canada Program Director, GAIA

WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 3 p.m. ET

WHERE: Capitol Visitor’s Center, Room 209-208

CONTACTS:
Galen Munroe, Teamsters, (202) 439-7427
gmunroe@teamster.org
Suzanne Struglinski, NRDC, (202) 289-2387
sstruglinski@nrdc.org
Kelly Schwinghammer, BlueGreen Alliance, (612) 466-4483
kellys@bluegreenalliance.org

/PRNewswire-USNewswire – Nov. 14, 2011/

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Web Site: http://www.teamster.org

28Jun 2011

Orthopaedic surgeons provide safety tips for Fourth of July celebrations

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June 28, 2011, ROSEMONT, Ill., (Coal Geology) – Fourth-of-July fireworks always draw a crowd but those beautiful bursts of color can lead to catastrophic injuries if not used with care. This upcoming holiday, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) advises Americans to enjoy the spectacular celebrations but urges adults and children to exercise extreme caution by leaving fireworks to the professionals.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:

* More than 18,700 fireworks-related injuries were treated in hospitals, doctor’s offices, clinics, ambulatory surgery centers and emergency rooms in 2010.  Children under 18 accounted for approximately 9,000 of those injuries.

“It is no mystery that fireworks can be dangerous and can result in serious injury, especially if proper precautions are not taken,” said Dr. Michael Suk, an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in trauma and spokesperson for the AAOS. “It’s so important for adults to be the only ones lighting the fireworks and that children be a good distance from where they are being set off in case of a misfire or if they explode prematurely.”

In an effort to reduce the number and severity of firework-related injuries treated by orthopaedic surgeons, the AAOS offer some safety guidelines for trained adults who choose to use fireworks:

* Check with your local police department to determine if fireworks can be discharged legally in your area.  If so, determine which types are legal.
* Never buy illegal fireworks.  Their quality cannot be assured.
* Only adults should light fireworks.
* Never hold lighted fireworks with your hand or place them near the body.
* Never allow young children to play with or go near fireworks, including sparklers. They seem harmless but sparklers can reach temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees.
* Never play with fireworks if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

About AAOS

www.orthoinfo.org

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SOURCE American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

CONTACT: Lisa Meyer, +1-847-384-4033, lmeyer@aaos.org, Lauren Pearson, +1-847-384-4031, pearson@aaos.org

Web Site: http://www.aaos.org

28Jun 2011

The Fourth of July 2011: 311.7 million estimated population in USA

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June 28, 2011, WASHINGTON, (Coal Geology)– On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always, this most American of holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country.

2.5 million
In July 1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation.
Source: Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970 <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab.html>

311.7 million
The nation’s estimated population on this July Fourth.
Source: Population clock <http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html>

Flags
$3.2 million
In 2010, the dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags. The vast majority of this amount

($2.8 million) was for U.S. flags made in China.
Source:  Foreign Trade Statistics <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/> <http://www.usatradeonline.gov>

$486,026
Dollar value of U.S. flags exported in 2010. Mexico was the leading customer, purchasing $256,407 worth.
Source:  Foreign Trade Statistics <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/> <http://www.usatradeonline.gov>

$302.7 million
Annual dollar value of shipments of fabricated flags, banners and similar emblems by the nation’s manufacturers, according to the latest published economic census data.
Source: 2007 Economic Census, Series EC0731SP1, Products and Services Code 3149998231 <http://www.census.gov/econ/census07/>

Fireworks

$190.7 million
The value of fireworks imported from China in 2010, representing the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imported ($197.3 million). U.S. exports of fireworks, by comparison, came to just $37.0 million in 2010, with Japan purchasing more than any other country ($6.3 million).
Source:  Foreign Trade Statistics <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www>

<http://www.usatradeonline.gov>

$231.8 million
The value of U.S. manufacturers’ shipments of fireworks and pyrotechnics (including flares, igniters, etc.) in 2007.
Source: 2007 Economic Census, Series EC0731SP1, Products and Services Code 325998J108 <http://www.census.gov/econ/census07/>

Patriotic-Sounding Place Names

Thirty-one places have “liberty” in their names. The most populous one as of April 1, 2010, is Liberty, Mo. (29,149). Iowa, with four, has more of these places than any other state: Libertyville, New Liberty, North Liberty and West Liberty.

Thirty-five places have “eagle” in their names. The most populous one is Eagle Pass, Texas (26,248).

Eleven places have “independence” in their names. The most populous one is Independence, Mo. (116,830)

Nine places have “freedom” in their names. The most populous one is New Freedom, Pa. (4,464)

One place with “patriot” in the name. Patriot, Ind. (209)

Five places have “America” in their names. The most populous is American Fork, Utah (26,263).

Source:  American FactFinder <www.census.gov>

Early Presidential Last Names
138
Ranking of the frequency of the surname of our first president, George Washington, among all last names tabulated in the 2000 Census. Other early presidential names that appear on the list, along with their ranking, were Adams (39), Jefferson (594), Madison (1,209) and Monroe (567).
Source: Census 2000 Genealogy <http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www/freqnames2k.html>

The British are Coming!

$98.3 billion
Dollar value of trade last year between the United States and the United Kingdom, making the British, our adversary in 1776, our sixth-leading trading partner today.
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/highlights/top/top1012yr.html#total> <http://www.usatradeonline.gov>

Fourth of July Cookouts

More than 1 in 4
The chance that the hot dogs and pork sausages consumed on the Fourth of July originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State was home to 19.0 million hogs and pigs on March 1, 2011. This estimate represents more than one-fourth of the nation’s estimated total. North Carolina (8.6 million) and Minnesota (7.6 million) were also homes to large numbers of pigs.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/HogsPigs/HogsPigs-03-25-2011.pdf>

6.8 billion pounds
Total production of cattle and calves in Texas in 2010. Chances are good that the beef hot dogs, steaks and burgers on your backyard grill came from the Lone Star State, which accounted for about one-sixth of the nation’s total production. And if the beef did not come from Texas, it very well may have come from Nebraska (4.6 billion pounds) or Kansas (4.1 billion pounds).
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/MeatAnimPr/MeatAnimPr-04-28-2011.pdf>

6
Number of states in which the value of broiler chicken production was $1 billion or greater between December 2009 and November 2010. There is a good chance that one of these states — Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi or Texas — is the source of your barbecued chicken.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
<http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/PoulProdVa/PoulProdVa-04-28-2011.pdf>

Over 1 in 3
The odds that your side dish of baked beans originated from North Dakota, which produced 36 percent of the nation’s dry, edible beans in 2010.  Another popular Fourth of July side dish is corn on the cob. Florida, California, Georgia, Washington and New York together accounted for 68 percent of the fresh market sweet corn produced nationally in 2010.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProdSu/CropProdSu-01-12-2011_new_format.pdf> and <http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/VegeSumm/VegeSumm-01-27-2011.pdf>

Please Pass the Potato
Potato salad and potato chips are popular food items at Fourth of July barbecues. Approximately half of the nation’s spuds were produced in Idaho or Washington state in 2010.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProdSu/CropProdSu-01-12-2011_new_format.pdf>

More than three-fourths
Amount of the nation’s head lettuce production in 2010 that came from California. This lettuce may end up in your salad or on your burger.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/VegeSumm/VegeSumm-01-27-2011.pdf>

7 in 10
The chances that the fresh tomatoes in your salad came from Florida or California, which combined accounted for 71 percent of U.S. fresh market tomato production last year.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/VegeSumm/VegeSumm-01-27-2011.pdf>

Florida
The state that led the nation in watermelon production last year (750 million pounds). Other leading producers of this popular fruit included California, Georgia and Texas, each had an estimate of more than 600 million pounds.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/VegeSumm/VegeSumm-01-27-2011_new_format.pdf>

81 million
Number of Americans who said they have taken part in a barbecue during the previous year. It’s probably safe to assume a lot of these events took place on Independence Day.
Source: Mediamark Research & Intelligence, as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>, Table 1239

Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau’s Facts for Features series:

African-American History Month (February) Labor Day
Super Bowl Grandparents Day
Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)
Women’s History Month (March) Unmarried and Single Americans Week
Irish-American Heritage Month (March) Halloween (Oct. 31)
St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month (November)
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May) Veterans Day (Nov. 11)
Older Americans Month (May) Thanksgiving Day
Cinco de Mayo (May 5) The Holiday Season (December)
Mother’s Day
Hurricane Season Begins (June 1)
Father’s Day
The Fourth of July (July 4)
Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act (July 26)
Back to School (August)

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: <pio@census.gov>.

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau

Web Site: http://www.census.gov

25May 2011

Backyard Safety Week of Building Safety Month, May 23-31, 2011

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May 25, 2011, WASHINGTON, (Coal Geology) - As spring becomes summer, Americans will head outdoors, fill up swimming pools and fire up grills. That makes the upcoming holiday weekend the perfect time for homeowners to run through a checklist to ensure their backyard activities are as safe as they are entertaining.

The week of May 23 – 27, the fourth and last week of the International Code Council Foundation’s Building Safety Month, has been designated Backyard Safety Week. Throughout the week, consumers will learn safety tips about how to stay safe while having fun outdoors.

“One of the goals of Building Safety Month is a safe outdoor season,” International Code Council CEO Richard P. Weiland said. “Don’t overlook backyard safety. Make sure decks have not weakened over the winter months. Pools and spas should be in compliance with local codes, including fence enclosures and measures to prevent drowning and entrapment. And keep grills away from siding, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.”

“Everybody loves spending time outdoors during nice weather, and amenities such as grills, firepits, outdoor lighting—even swimming pools and outdoor kitchens—help homeowners make the most of their outdoor spaces,” says Stuart Flatow, Vice President of Safety & Training of the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC), the key sponsor of Backyard Safety Week. “At the same time, we want to help homeowners be knowledgeable about the placement, use and maintenance of outdoor gas appliances,” he adds. “By supporting ICCF’s Backyard Safety Week and offering a comprehensive set of safety tips, we hope to make summer enjoyable for homeowners everywhere.”

Getting outdoor areas ready for spring and summer season entertaining is a top priority for many homeowners. According to a recent survey conducted on behalf of the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), two-thirds of homeowners report spending more time in their outdoor living spaces than in years past, and more than half are looking for new ways to extend the outdoor living season.

Before bringing out portable appliances and firing up the propane grill, PERC offers the following tips for a safe and enjoyable backyard living:

  • Keep burnable materials like dry grass, wood, or debris at least 10 feet away from propane tanks and cylinders. Never burn wood, coal, or anything other than propane in a propane fire pit.
  • Don’t store tanks or cylinders inside buildings, including garages or sheds.
  • Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the appliance you’re using, including where to put the unit, how to connect it to a cylinder, and how to use, clean, and store it. Fire pits and heaters need varying amounts of clearance, depending on the model. In general, allow at least three feet of clearance on all sides.
  • Have your fire pit inspected by a professional every year.
  • Before lighting your propane grill for the first time in the spring, check the cooking grid and warming rack to be sure both are in their proper place. Clean the grid, the interior of the grill, and the burner (according to the manufacturer’s instructions) with a wire brush or scraper to remove any built-up food. And remember — always keep the top open when lighting the grill until you are sure it is lit.
  • If the igniter fails to light the grill after two or three tries, turn off the gas and replace the igniter according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • When it’s time to refill or replace a propane cylinder, stow it upright in your vehicle in a well-ventilated area, not the trunk. Return home directly after refilling.
  • Replace any tank that has holes, dents, rusted weak spots, cracks, or other damage, or is past its expiration date.

First observed in 1980 as Building Safety Week, Building Safety Month is a program of the International Code Council Foundation. The International Code Council Foundation is a 501©3 nonprofit organization with the mission to promote public awareness of ideas’ methods and technologies that encourage the construction of safe, durable and sustainable buildings and homes, reducing the devastating effects of building damages due to natural disasters and other tragedies.

SOURCE International Code Council Foundation

CONTACT: Zoe Boyer, +1-850-385-7233 EXT 304, +1-888-422-7233 EXT 4223

Web Site: http://www.icc-foundation.org/