 Some environmentalists criticize the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a variety of reasons. Critics suggest that the EPA is too caught up in the bureaucratic process and that the EPA is subject to political biases. While some critiques of the EPA may be legitimate, the EPA stands as the gate to making environmental changes and transforming solutions to important issues into law. The EPA is responsible for many great laws and changes, such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, preventing lead in paint, banning DDT (the chemical present in pesticides that led to health hazards and environmental degradation) and preventing sewage from being dumped into oceans. These are just a few of the accomplishments of the EPA. A more recent accomplishment, which EnviroCitizen.org believes will prove to be a very useful tool for you, is their EnviroMapper.
The EPA's EnviroMapper is an online tool that enables you to see a map of environmental issues in your area. You can simply type in your zip code and see a variety of maps and interactive interfaces that let you know what's going on in your neck of the woods. You can see what your air quality looks like, what cancer risk estimates exist in your area and what pollutants are present (and in what percentage) in your area. The EnviroMapper also reveals water topics, like stream flow, drinking water status, pollutants in your water and watershed conditions.
The EnviroMapper can also tell you what facilities exist in your area which are regulated by the EPA. Generally, EPA-regulated facilities are found in industries like metal production, power production or waste management (to name a few). The EnviroMapper will also tell you what environmental justice looks like in your area. There are so many other things that the EnviroMapper offers, as well. You could easily spend an entire afternoon sifting through the huge amount of data that is available at your fingertips.
The EnviroMapper is successful for a number of reasons, but its ability to get you involved in the process and in environmental issues is what makes it great. The EnviroMapper enables you to become an activist in whatever way you see fit. It also allows you to connect with people to discuss environmental issues and take action. EnviroCitizen.org encourages you to check out EnviroMapper to see what all of the green buzz is about. Become a conscious citizen or your community with the click of a button! |
