Green Purchasing Topical Webinars

September 13 - November 3, 2011 Green Purchasing Topical Webinars --

The Sustainable Operations Climate Change Branch will be hosting a series of one-hour webinars that will examine four facets of green purchasing.   This training will provide participants with practical tools and techniques to make it easier to buy green products and services.  Field staff will share their first-hand experience in how they have put green purchasing concepts into practice at their parks.

The four topics about Green Purchasing will be repeated three more times during September, October and November.  To register and to see the full list of speakers, visit: http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custommenu.cfm?lv=4&prg=1226&id=10288 or contact Fred Sturniolo at 202-513-7078.

Just thought I would share this.

You can understand why some laws exist: no speeding, don’t run the stop sign, yield to pedestrians. But other laws may leave you scratching your head – right in front of the officer who pulled you over for violating them.

1.  Honk if you pass

2.  Kindly keep your cattle in the car

3.  You’ll need permission to throw that brick

4.  Clean up your act

5.  Unhand that nozzle!

6.  Animal and vegetable antics

7.  No pillows on the roadbed

8. Yield to peacocks in Arcadia, Calif.

9. Don’t jump into a passing vehicle in Glendale, Calif.

10. Don’t change clothes in your car at the beach in Destin, Fla.

11. Don’t keep a car door open longer than is necessary in Oregon.

12. Don’t drive through playgrounds in Dublin, Ga.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 6, 2010
Contact: Emily Palmer, Park Guide, emily_palmer@nps.gov

Become a Junior Ranger! Jacksonville’s National Park Participates in National Park Week

The Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Jacksonville’s National Park, will celebrate National Park Week with a wonderful range of activities available to visitors. We invite you to come out to the parks and participate in any of the week long activities including Jr. Ranger Day.
National Park Week is an annual presidentially proclaimed week for celebration and recognition of your National Parks and spans from April 17th through April 25th. Your National Parks are living examples of the best this Nation has to offer - our magnificent natural landscapes and our varied yet interrelated heritage. Parks can provide recreational experiences, opportunities to learn and grow, and places of quiet refuge.
National Park Week includes Junior Ranger Day, a special day for kids to come out for youth oriented programs. Junior Ranger pins and certificates will be available to participants on April 25th. Events will be offered all week long throughout the Timucuan Preserve and include:

“The History of the Musket: Matchlocks, Flintlocks, and Percussion Caps” A Ranger will present the history of the musket and its changes and uses through various periods of Fort Caroline history. Sunday April 18th and 25th, at 2p.m and Monday through Thursday April 19-22, at 3p.m.

“Birds of Prey of the Timucuan Preserve” A multi-sensory guided walk in the Fort Caroline/Spanish Pond area during which visitors of all ages can learn about common birds of prey in the area. Saturday April 17th and 24th, 2010 at 2 p.m. Reservations required call 904.641.7155

“Creepy Crawly Caterpillars and Beautiful Butterflies ” Learn about the life cycle of butterflies at the Butterfly Garden of Kingsley Plantation Sunday April 18th at 2:00 p.m.

“Gullah-Geechee Music” an interactive program aimed at kids at Kingsley Plantation Saturday April 24th at 2:00 p.m.

“Playtime on the Plantation” A family friendly rag-doll making activity at Kingsley Plantation Saturday April 24th at 12:30 p.m.

A “Night Hike” at the Theodore Roosevelt Area Saturday and Sundays at 8:00 p.m. April 17th, 18th, 24th, and 25th. Reservations required call 904.251.3537

The beautiful expanse of the Timucuan Preserve is located within the city limits of Jacksonville, Florida. Come experience salt marshes, wildlife, miles of trail access, cultural sites, and more.

The Timucuan Preserve Visitor Center is located at Fort Caroline National Memorial. Call 904.641.7155 for more information or to make a reservation, or visit our website at http://www.nps.gov/timu

Recycle

Minneapolis based Target (NYSE: TGT) announced Tuesday that it is rolling out a massive nationwide recycling initiative with centers at the front of each of its 1,740 U.S. stores. The recycling stations will accept aluminum, glass and plastic beverage containers, plastic bags, MP3 players, cell phones and ink cartridges.
“The launch of store recycling stations allows us to continue to partner with [our guests] to curb unnecessary waste in our stores and our communities,” said Shawn Gensch, vice president of brand marketing, Target.
Over the course of the last several months, retail chain Target has ramped up its sustainability programs and image, partially in response to retail giant Walmart’s big push to become more sustainable, which includes programs to green its supply chain, use less energy and produce less waste.
But Target isn’t just copying the sustainability programs their friends down in Bentonville, Arkansas are rolling out (though they should probably copy some of them), they’re forging their own path with some unique programs of their own, recently announcing they would no longer sell farmed salmon.
And whether they would admit to it or not, the Target recycling move puts a bit of pressure back on Walmart to up the ante, thereby contributing to a kind of ’race to the top’ — at least until the term was commandeered by the Obama administration.
It’s also worth mentioning that Target is giving away 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, as part of its month-long Earth Day celebration. You can enter to win online or by texting the word “green” to 827438 (Target).
[In the spirit of full disclosure, Earth & Industry received no compensation for any component of this article. We just thought it'd be cool if you won a car, unless we win it first. -Ed.]

The 2010 Salary Pay Tables are finally on OPM.

President Obama issued an executive order implementing an overall 2.0 percent 2010 federal pay raise for civilian employees.

This pay adjustment includes a 1.5 percent nationwide increase in base pay and a 0.5 percent average increase in locality pay.

The federal pay raise takes effect on January 1, 2010, or on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1.

View 2010 General Schedule (GS) Locality Pay Tables

Download 2010 Locality Payments and Total Pay Increases for General Schedule Employees (PDF)

View all 2010 Federal Pay Tables and Related Information

Here is a Link:

2010 Salary Pay Tables

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td><img src="" /><td></tr><tr><td><td></tr></table>By Stephen Nohlgren, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Monday, December 21, 2009

U.S. cell phone use has quadrupled over the last decade to about 280 million customers.

Meanwhile, brain cancer remains as rare as ever. A city the size of St. Petersburg can expect only about 20 new cases a year.

Nevertheless, nagging worries that cell phones cause brain cancer continue to gain traction.

Just this month, two sources of popular health wisdom — Prevention magazine and Dr. Mehmet Oz on his new TV show — warned against cell phones and other devices that emit electromagnetic radiation.

We plaster cell phones right next to our skulls, they noted. Kids who text friends at night hide activated Nokias or LG's under their pillows, just inches from their developing brains.

Not to mention the doomsday scenario: What if symptoms don't appear for 20 or 30 years, as with smoking and lung cancer? Might a lethal invader already have its beachhead?

The Interphone study, a World Health Organization compilation of studies from 13 nations, is due out any day. Different countries found conflicting results, so authors struggled to craft a joint conclusion. But many observers predict that — at the very least — the report will include cautionary language about phones.

"In light of a number of studies which, though limited, suggest a possible effect of radio frequency radiation, precautions are important,'' then-study coordinator Elisabeth Cardis told the London Daily Telegraph last year. "I am therefore globally in agreement with the idea of restricting the use by children.''

Reputable authorities — like the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — have largely discounted a cell phone-cancer link. And most of the 13 country studies found little connection — at least not to the "statistically significant'' level that is academia's gold standard.

On the other hand, Israel's Health Ministry urged parents last year to restrict children's cell phone use after the study there indicated a rise in salivary gland tumors among heavy cell phone users — particularly in rural areas where phones must pump out more energy to reach far-flung cell towers.

So need we worry about disease every time we dial?

Or is the only real cell phone hazard that yahoo texting as he barrels down the highway?

Mixed results

Some of the earliest worries about cell phones blossomed in Pinellas County, when Madeira Beach resident David Reynard sued NEC and GTE in 1992 over his wife's brain cancer. Industry stocks nose-dived after he appeared on Larry King Live.

Electromagnetic energy from cell phones dissipates within a few inches, but that's enough if the antenna sits right next to your head, Reynard figured.

Radiation of extremely high frequency — like X-rays and gamma rays — is a known carcinogen, he noted. Why not low-frequency cell phone radiation that bombards the brain for years and years?

A judge called Reynard's suit "junk science" and threw it out, but the brouhaha forced the cell phone industry to commit $25 million for safety studies.

Since then, scientists all over the world have looked closer. Usually, they asked people with brain tumors about their cell phone use. Results varied.

• A 2006 German study indicated that the risk of glioma, a vicious cancer, rose 120 percent for people who used phones for at least 10 years.

• A 2006 Swedish study suggested that 10 or more years of use raises high-grade glioma risk by 210 percent — and way more often than not, people recalled holding their phones on the side of the head where the tumor showed up.

A 210 percent rise in brain cancers would mean that about 20 Americans out of 100,000 would get them — not devastating compared with other diseases, but a disturbing trend that presumably would accelerate over time if cell phones do cause cancer.

• On the other hand, Interphone studies by Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom indicated no particular rise in glioma after 10 years of use.

A lot of uncertainties

Many studies, both pro and con, were not "statistically significant'' by academic standards, which meant there was at least a 5 percent likelihood that random chance caused the result.

For starters, brain cancer is so rare that some study groups included only a few dozen people, making it difficult to arrive at solid conclusions.

And none of the studies included detailed data about frequency of exposure. A "regular user'' in Interphone studies might talk on the phone just once a week, but could get the same weight as real estate agents glued to their Motorolas.

Several studies focused on which side of the head people held their phones. But quirky results made it clear that some people with cancer had skewed the data with faulty memory — subconsciously aligning their phones near where they knew the tumor had occurred.

A huge Danish study in 2006 was widely trumpeted as putting the cell phone debate to rest.

Instead of relying on small samples, the Danes found phone company records of 420,000 citizens who started using cell phones between 1982 and 1995.

They cross-checked those names against the national cancer registry through 2002 and found no rise in tumors associated with phone use. The study included 58,000 people with at least 10 years of exposure.

But the study had flaws.

Cancer risk for 10 years or more of phone use appeared to drop by one-third, an unlikely event. And the study mislabeled about 200,000 long-term users because their phones were owned by businesses that had doled them out to employees. Unable to identify who actually used each phone, the Danes simply eliminated those subscribers as long-term users.

That meant that 200,000 longtime users were classified as nonusers. If cell phones do cause cancer, that artificially raised the disease rate of "nonusers" and dampened the appearance of any cell phone-cancer link.

Reassuring rates

One fact should reassure cell phone users: Brain cancer does not appear to be rising — not in the United States and not in Scandinavia, the wireless generation's Garden of Eden.

For 2006, the National Cancer Institute counted (PDF) 6.1 brain cancer cases for every 100,000 Americans, the lowest rate in 25 years.

Those numbers — the latest available — are now three years old. But by 2006, about 40 million Americans had used cell phones for at least 10 years. If cell phones were indeed risky, cancer rates probably should have nudged up by now, said senior NCI investigator Peter Inskip.

"In the past, you could have said you are looking too soon — it takes a long time for tumors to appear,'' Inskip said, "but it's getting increasingly difficult to assert that.''

David Carpenter, professor of environmental health sciences at Albany University, says there is "clear evidence" linking brain cancer and cell phone use. He speculated that declining exposure to toxic substances might be counter-balancing an increased risk from cell phones — hence no rise in overall brain cancer.

It probably would not relate to declining cigarette use, Carpenter said. Smoking and brain cancer have no apparent link. But it might relate to toxic pesticides and industrial chemicals, he said. Some known to cause brain cancer were phased out over the last few decades.

Vanderbilt University epidemiologist John Boice said "there's not a glimmer of evidence'' that brain cancer is on the rise.

High-frequency radiation, as from X-rays, does cause cancer because it is "ionizing," Boice said. Electromagnetic energy breaks down DNA bonds.

But "non-ionizing," low-frequency radiation has no cancer-causing mechanism, he said.

Consider radar, a low-frequency radiation that emits more energy than cell phones. Navy sailors from the Korean War were exposed to so much radar they could feel the heat, Boice says. Yet a study of 10,000 sailors showed no cancer increase.

Ditto microwave ovens. They create enough power and frequency to heat food but do not cause cancer, he says.

Still, studies suggesting a possible phone-cancer link are leading some scientists to maintain a middle-of-the road approach.

Absent definitive answers, "human exposure to mobile phone frequency electromagnetic radiation should be kept as low as is reasonably achievable, especially among children,'' Bruce Armstrong, director of Australia's Interphone study, wrote last year.

Meanwhile, five European countries have kicked off a study to end all studies. It will follow 250,000 subjects for 20 to 30 years to see who gets cancer. Records from cell phone providers will pinpoint exposure, down to the last minute.

In 30 years, teenagers probably will have shifted to the next new thing — but at least we should have answers about cell phones.

Contact Stephen Nohlgren at nohlgren@sptimes.com.

Consider Giving Thanks through the Combined Federal Campaign

The arrival of the holiday season is a time for reflection, appreciation, and a shared celebration of another good year full of many blessings.  As I traveled around the country, I have had the privilege of meeting many of you and seeing you in action.  You are fulfilling our Department’s responsibilities to the First Americans, helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change on our treasured landscapes, ensuring the health of wildlife species, and a sustainable supply of water to an arid West.  You are also helping to guide this Nation into a new era of the possible – moving towards a future involving renewable energy.  I am also excited about how we are engaging our youth into becoming future stewards of our public lands.  Your dedication to the mission of the Department and your commitment to serving others truly exemplify public service.

It is in this spirit that I am writing to you about the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), the world's largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign.  This year, the CFC theme is “The Compassion of Individuals – The Power of Community.” Your contribution, especially during this time of economic uncertainty, will go a long way.  Over the years, DOI employees have contributed to charitable causes in number of ways and many of you have already participated and selflessly donated a portion of your salary to the cause.  To those who have, I thank you.  To those that have not, I encourage you to learn more about the CFC program and consider making a donation.

The CFC has expanded your giving options to make donating easier and more flexible.  In addition to using the traditional pledge form, you now have online options available.  You may pledge through Employee Express (www.employeeexpress.gov) or through your regional CFC website (www.opm.gov/cfc).

I hope you will consider joining me in this effort.  Thank you again for a wonderful year.  I hope to express my thanks to you personally in the weeks and months to come.

Yours,
/S/
Ken Salazar

You can still get deals online. The holidays often bring discounted prices. You could also check price comparison sites for specific items. And don’t forget to visit my Coupon Center for online savings.

News Alert
05:03 AM EST Tuesday, December 8, 2009

More than 85 are killed in string of bombings in Baghdad.

A series of bombings apparently targeting educational facilities and other crowded areas killed scores of people in Baghdad on Tuesday morning. At least six bombings were reported. The explosions took place minutes apart.

Memorandum
To:    All DOI Employees
From:    Deputy Secretary

Subject:    Prohibition on Texting While Driving

People must divide their attention between the road ahead and their phones when they text while driving.

Recent deadly crashes involving drivers distracted by text messaging while driving highlight a growing danger.  Text messaging causes drivers to take their eyes off the road and at least one hand off the steering wheel, endangering both themselves and others.  President Obama recently issued Executive Order 13513, “Federal Leadership on Reducing Text Messaging While Driving.”  This important order prohibits Federal employees from text messaging while doing any of the following:

·    Driving Government-owned, Government-leased, or Government-rented vehicles (GOVs);
·    Driving privately-owned vehicles (POV) while on official Government business; and
·    Using electronic equipment supplied by the Government (including, but not limited to, cell phones, Blackberries, or other electronic devices) while driving.

They do learn fast!

A Federal Government-wide prohibition on the use of text messaging while driving on official business or while using Government-supplied equipment will help save lives, reduce injuries, and set an example for state and local governments, private employers, and individual drivers.

Texting or text messaging means reading from or entering data into any handheld or other electronic device, including SMS texting, e-mailing, instant messaging, obtaining navigational information, or engaging in any other form of electronic data retrieval or electronic data communication.

In addition, the Executive Order requires Federal agencies to take steps to encourage Federal contractors, subcontractors, recipients, and sub recipients of financial assistance to adopt and enforce their own policies that ban employees from texting while driving GOVs or company-owned, company-leased, or company-rented vehicles or while driving POVs on official Government business or when performing work for, or on behalf of, the Government.  Those entities are further encouraged to educate their employees and to urge voluntary compliance with a texting ban for off-duty employees.

Is this you??!!

All DOI employees are directed to comply with E.O. 13513 immediately, and human capital, procurement, and other applicable teams are directed to update all relevant policies and procedures to include the express prohibitions of the Order as soon as possible.  In addition, employees and contractors are strongly encouraged to refrain from off-duty text messaging on personal devices while operating POVs.

I thought this was Rhonda!