Extension News: September 2009 Archives

Granite Staters face big and small emergencies of many kinds, from floods, blizzards, ice storms, tornadoes, lengthy power outages, and house fires, to public health emergencies such as Lyme Disease and pandemic influenza.

Preparation reduces fear, increases resiliency
Studies suggest that getting accurate, real-time information about the nature of a threat and making plans to deal with it reduces people's fear and increases their resiliency during and after an emergency.

Well-prepared individuals and families in turn lessen the burden on emergency responders, medical workers, utility crews, and many others whose work involves providing direct services in times of crisis.

New Web pages
Our new Web section, Preparing for Emergencies, offers New Hampshire residents information to help prepare and respond to a wide array of emergency situations.

We've drawn our online disaster-information resources from a variety of organizations, including federal and state agencies, the American Red Cross, the World Health Organization, and the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN). In the coming months, we'll expand and update it regularly. If you note gaps or outdated information in the resources we've listed, please let us know.

Call 1-877-398-4769 for answers to your energy-related questions

What's this "phantom load" I keep hearing about that supposedly wastes electricity even when my computer and other appliances are turned off?

We need to reduce our home heating-oil bills, but our funds are extremely limited, and we don't know where to begin looking for information.

When should we consider trading our old hot-water heater for a new, energy-efficient model?

Energy

We use many forms of energy in nearly every domain of daily life: to heat, cool and light our homes, power our appliances, mow our lawns, produce our food, and move ourselves around.

Almost everyone wants to find ways to cut their household energy costs and consumption without quality-of-life sacrifices.

But today's media-saturated environments bombard us with so many messages about energy, it's hard to know what to believe and how best to invest our energy dollars.

Energy Questions? Energy Answers. Call 1-877-398-4769

On October 15, UNH Cooperative Extension will roll out its Energy Answers program, expanding the capacity of our toll-free Info Line in Manchester by staffing the existing lines with volunteers trained to answer energy-related questions or refer callers to experts and other outside resources who can.

Since it opened in 2001, Extension's Education Center Info Line has answered tens of thousands of phone calls from the general public on topics as diverse as caring for lawns, landscapes and gardens, controlling insects, preserving food, dealing with nuisance wildlife, and raising children. The line is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Separate information from misinformation

"We're excited to begin answering energy-related questions," says Education Center administrator, Alice Mullen. "We'll target our information for individuals and households.

"Our research has told us that New Hampshire residents are out there looking for information about tightening up their homes, buying more energy-efficient appliances, investigating renewable energy sources, and taking advantage of government financial incentives for making energy improvements," Mullen says.

"In the process, they're running into a lot of misinformation and conflicting messages. Energy Answers aims to empower decision-making by connecting callers with the best New Hampshire-specific information from experienced energy professionals throughout the state."

Ask away: Energy efficiency, conservation, renewables, when to hire a pro, environmental impacts

"We'll stress the primary importance of energy conservation and energy efficiency," says Mary Tebo, the Extension educator who coordinates the Energy Answers program. "For example, a lot of people don't understand the many things they can do to reduce their electric and home-heating bills that cost little or nothing. We can help them avoid expensive marketplace scams. We can help them understand the lingo surrounding energy products and services.

"For people ready to move on to more extensive energy-conserving or renewable-energy projects, we can help them decide when and why it makes sense to hire an energy professional and how to find an experienced, competent service provider," Tebo says. "We can help them understand the ways reducing their energy use helps the environment."

Photo credit: Pumping the insulation in, iLoveButter. Some rights reserved

Spring and summer "blooms" (rapid increase in concentrations) of a primitive group of organisms, the cyanobacteria (sometimes mistakenly referred to as "blue-green algae"), have been documented in New Hampshire lakes this year, focusing attention on the potential health threats from the toxins they produce.

The N.H. Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) posted beach advisories warning of cyanobacterial contamination in at least 21 lakes so far in 2009--a substantial increase over the 14 advisories posted last year.

Beneficial algae differ from toxin-producing cyanobacteria

Algae occur in all New Hampshire waters, providing oxygen and serving as an important food source that forms the base of the aquatic food chain. Occasional spring, summer and fall "blooms" (rapid increase in concentrations) of algae have been known to occur but are historically rare on all but a small percentage of New Hampshire lakes. It is also common during sunny, quiet summers to see cotton-candy-like green to almost white "clouds" of green filamentous algae floating in the shallows of the many lakes with aquatic plant beds.

But cyanobacteria, which used to be called "blue-green algae," produce a range of compounds toxic to humans, pets and wildlife. When present in large-enough concentrations, as are found typically during bloom events and when the surface populations are concentrated due to wind and water currents, toxin concentrations can reach levels of concern.

Potential human health effects from exposure to cyanotoxins

Long-term exposure to these toxins is suspected to cause chronic symptoms and ingestion of the toxins over long periods may possibly damage the liver, kidney and nervous system.

Short-term exposure to cyanotoxins through activities such as swimming and boating in cyanobacteria-contaminated water or showering in water drawn directly from contaminated lakes, may produce symptoms such as skin rashes, muscle pain, eye and ear inflammation or infection, nausea, disorientation, diarrhea and flu-like symptoms.

Cyanobacteria don't always produce significant quantities of toxin capable of producing symptoms like those described above. Only five of the common cyanobacteria in New Hampshire waters have been shown to produce at least one toxin.

Stay vigilant

While there have been no documented cases of negative human health effects from cyanotoxin exposure in New Hampshire, it is best to be vigilant and cautious. Keep pets and children (who are at greatest risk) away from any surface scums, "blooms" or underwater "mats" that are green, yellow-green or bluish green.

Other states have reported dog illnesses and deaths from cyanotoxins when dogs drank small volumes of heavily-contaminated water or licked contaminated water from their coats.

Everyone should heed the posted warning signs and keep aware of cyanobacteria beach advisories by checking the NHDES beach program Web site.

Current advisories are posted based on the amount of potentially toxin-producing cyanobacteria, rather than on any measured amount of toxins.

Researchers are currently investigating additional methods to predict toxin concentrations, but as any cyanobacteria bloom may produce more than one toxin and not all toxins are easily and quickly identified, the microscopic analysis, as is done for the advisories, is still the best option.

Learn more

NHDES Beach Program Lots of information on cyanobacteria, current beach advisories, and presentations from recent informational workshops.

NH Lakes Association Information on algal and cyanobacteria blooms.

UNH biotoxins lab Ongoing research to understand the role of biotoxins in aquatic systems and their importance as a threat to public health and water quality.

Cyanobacteria under the microscope Click on fourth picture down in the far right column.

Cyanotoxins and the health of domestic animals and humans Presentation by Dr. Jim Haney of the UNH Center for Freshwater Biology.

"Throughout New Hampshire, military units representing all branches of the armed services are preparing for large-scale deployments in 2010," says Charlotte Cross, the UNH Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development specialist who directs the state's Operation: Military Kids (OMK) project.

"With more than 4,000 children from military families living in our state, there is a pressing need for support and services to address the unique challenges these youth and their families face before, during, and after a parent or loved one deploys."

Symposium will mobilize community support for military kids & families
To mobilize community resources for these "military youth" and their families, OMK will offer a symposium, Partnering to Support Military Kids and Their Families, Wednesday, October 14, in Concord. The event aims to attract community leaders and volunteers, educators, members of the faith community, and youth- and family-serving agencies and organizations.

Organized by Cooperative Extension in partnership with all branches of the military, the New Hampshire Council of Churches, and the Disaster Behavioral Health Response Team, the symposium will take place at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center on 2 Institute Drive in Concord, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The morning program will feature speakers from each branch of the military and Operation: Military Kids who will discuss the different stages of deployment, how each stage differs among the various branches of service, and some of the support needs for children and families. A guest panel will then take questions from the audience.

In the afternoon, participants will meet in small groups to develop strategies and channel resources that will best meet the unique needs of Granite State military families.

"Because of the significant number of service members scheduled to deploy in 2010, New Hampshire's military youth and their families are facing many new challenges," says Cross.

Number of children affected by a loved one's deployment to rise 10-fold
"To illustrate the increasing need, OMK normally distributes between 100 and 200 "Hero Packs" each year, but in 2010, we expect to distribute more than 2,000 packs," Cross says. "Hero Packs, backpacks filled with items such as disposable cameras, calling cards, stationary, and age-appropriate fun items, are presented to military youth when a parent or loved one deploys, in recognition of the sacrifices these young people make.

"We need donations of items to fill the packs, and donation drives are a wonderful opportunity for groups to engage in a worthwhile community service project."

"We're also always in need of childcare providers," says Captain Ana McKenna, New Hampshire National Guard Family Program Director. "For example, military families join together at monthly Family Readiness Group meetings to offer support to one another and are routinely faced with the challenge of locating caring individuals to provide childcare that includes engaging youth activities.

"There are many ways for individuals and community groups to get involved, and we are excited about the chance to explore ways to work together at the October 14th symposium," McKenna says.

As an added benefit, after the symposium ends, attendees can explore the many Discovery Center exhibits until 5:00 p.m., at no charge.

The symposium registration deadline is October 8th. Space is limited. Cost of $20 covers refreshments and lunch. Questions? Please contact the OMK office at 603-862-2297.

Register online for the October 14 Partnering to Support Military Kids and Their Families symposium

Download the Partnering to Support Military Kids and Their Families flyer

Learn more about Operation: Military Kids in New Hampshire

National OMK Web site