Microplastics are found everywhere in the environment.

But would you expect to find them in you?

Learn how to protect yourself and your kids with this week's feature--a two-minute video on Microplastics in Kids.

To download this video, please view downloadable version of Microplastics in Kids.

MISSED SOMETHING?

National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

(October 20-26, 2024)

Each year, many organizations dedicate a week in the month of October to heightening awareness of lead exposure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), for example, publish information about lead’s harmful effects, particularly in children. Lead poisoning and lead toxicity are terms that describe severe illness caused by high levels of lead in the blood, and they require immediate medical attention.

According to the EPA, even very low levels of lead in children’s blood can significantly impair intellect, concentration, and academic achievement. In addition to lowering IQ and learning, when lead is ingested through air or water, it can delay development, damage the brain and nervous system, and result in hearing, speech, and behavior problems.

Yet, a major source of lead contamination is more prevalent in the buildings children may occupy each day to obtain an education. Schools that pre-date 1978, the year in which regulations began to address sources of lead, may contain inhalable lead dust from cracked or chipped paint. In addition, playground equipment made from shredded rubber (of which lead is a component) or coated with old paint may endanger children. Even rubber-based artificial turf and the levels of lead found in indigenous soil can imperil children in several ways—through contaminated hands, or from inhalation of dust brought indoors on shoes and clothing. And, of course, lead pipes can raise the amount of lead in drinking water fountains used throughout an educational facility.

To better protect the health of children, stakeholders can ensure that school districts make renovations and repairs to older buildings while engaging in lead-safe work practices. And school leaders can establish a culture in which frequent handwashing and cleanliness is encouraged. For more information on any of these topics, please refer to the EPA’s pages on National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, its Lead Information Kit and Protect Your Family from Sources of Lead.

LAST CHANCE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY!

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Awards $178 M in

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBGs)

Cities and towns across the country are investing in projects that lower energy costs and climate pollution and advance local energy goals! The EECBG is a $550 M program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to assist states, local governments, and Tribes in reducing energy use and fossil fuel emissions.

As of late September 2024, the EECBG Program's formula grant had allocated, but not yet released, dollars to more than 1,600 local governments in the U.S. (36 of which are in North Carolina). To receive funds, jurisdictions identified in the table below must apply by October 31, 2024 (Tribes by May 31, 2025) and indicate a project within one of 14 eligible-use categories.

Table of Local Governments with Allocations

Table of Tribal Governments with Allocations

Eligible Uses

Program Guidance offers details about each of the eligible use categories. Among many possible projects, awardees can electrify transportation fleets (e.g., school buses), make capital improvements to outdated buildings (e.g., school facilities), or contribute to energy efficiency in schools in other ways.

In addition, DOE has published shovel-ready, eligible projects known as Blueprints, with step-by-step instructions. Blueprints maximize benefits from energy planning (1), efficient buildings (4), renewable energy (4), transportation electrification (2), clean energy finance (1), and workforce development (1).

A Simpler Alternative

Jurisdictions with minimal resources to apply for and document grant funds can choose a voucher option. Voucher participants enjoy a streamlined application and reporting process but are limited to equipment purchase and installation or straight-forward analysis and planning. Voucher Program Basics outlines advantages, and the Voucher Program Handbook discusses further details.

Application Deadlines

The deadline for local governments to apply is October 31, 2024.

The deadline for Tribes to apply is May 31, 2025.

To apply, visit Formula Grant Application Hub.

Next Steps

Please take the following steps for more information:

Read Answers to FAQs.

Sign up for EECBG Office Hours.

Email EECBG@hq.doe.gov. 

BUILD A BETTER GRANT PROPOSAL!

Technical Assistance to Apply for Funding

EPA Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program

The Environment Protection Agency has developed 16 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to help underserved and overburdened communities across the country. EJ TCTACs builds nonprofit capacity to address Environmental Justice (EJ) issues, including the following:

•        Air quality,
•        Water quality,
•        Soil quality,
•        Personal exposure to environmental hazards,
•        Climate change resilience, and
•        Clean energy transitions.

By connecting with experts, other EJ partners, and local and state agencies for technical assistance, organizations can develop strong grant proposals, navigate the federal grant application process, and effectively manage grant funding.

Submit a request for assistance to the EJ TCTAC for your region, shown in the Table!

Borrow Monitors Without Charge

from Our Partner Organization

The Pollution Detectives, Inc. has the expertise and the equipment to contribute to a successful indoor air management plan. The 501(c)3 nonprofit provides indoor air monitors to schools without charge to survey for particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and temperature and humidity. Regulating these components of the indoor environment are critical to improving learning.

If you are interested in borrowing monitors and/or in understanding more about the benefits for your school, visit the website or contact Dr. Francis P. Koster at fkoster@thepollutiondetectives.org.

Research Assistance for Funding

Looking forward to a project but still lack the funding?

Tell us about your project in an email to

info@theoptimisticfuturist.org

We will use our resources to search for potential funding sources and contact you with our findings.