By Cassie in June 2009 on June 26 2009
Question: Bottled water sales have leveled off or even dropped. Do you think consumers have lost their fascination with bottled water? Do you think the public now has more confidence in tap water?
Marketing Tap Water can Help
Consumer fascination with bottles water is not over. We live in a busy, mobile society and people want safe water that tastes good. Bottled water meets that need.
Bottled water manufactureres employ very effective advertising techniques. But the same media that helped the bottled water industry achieve phenomenal success is also educating the public about its cost on our environment, not to mention our wallets. Millions of plastic containers are created (And discarded) on a daily basis. These litter our countryside and bloat our landfills. Each of the containers requires far more water to produce than what is stored in the container. Then, we burn fossil fuels to transport bottled water throughout the country. So, many negative side effects of the bottled water boom are becoming apparent. The educated public is reacting to this issue by consuming less bottled water. Is the “convenience” of bottled water worth its true cost?
Consumer marketing and education are the answer to restoring public confidence in tap water. Public water systems need to continue providing a high quality product and let the public knw about it by using effective marketing techniques. I see tht hapening in consumer confidence reports and flyers added to monthly bills. If a quality product is available at a lower price and it provides advantages to the consumer (e.g., fire protection, flouride, etc.), then they need to know about it. Use effective marketing to make the consumer your customer again.
- Kevin Kindert, President and Chief Instructional Systems Mechanic
Convenience is a Big Factor
I believe that most consumers in the U.S. are confident that both tap water and bottled water are safe to drink, despite negative media reports to the contrary for both sources. Whether or not tap water or bottle water is better will continue to be debated, based on convenience, personal preference, and taste and odor of local tap water.
From a working parent’s point of view, I have purchased bottled water (And sports drinks) for convenience. I often have a stash in my vehicle for when I am pressed for time or just to lasy to wash and re-fill reusable containers. When I travel, I tend to drink less tap water, especially if the chlorine taste of the local tap wate is too strong for my taste.
However, with the current economey and associated high gas and food prices (as well as higher unemployment rates), I suspect many consumers are looking to scale back on purchases that are more for convenience or personal perference. When you take into account that tap water cost pennies on the gallon compared to the dollars per gallon for bottled water, the former represents a much better value. If bottle water sales are leveling off or have even dropped, I suspect it is more for economic reasons, than any other.
-Lisa Raysby Hardcastle, PE
Bottled Water Demand Isn’t Going Away
I think theer are three primary reasons that sales of bottled water have not continued to grow:
1. Bottled water has a limited market. It is a major convenience as consumers switch from soft drinks to a healthier source of liquids in their diet. People who are going to switch already have, so there is no longer a major move to bottled water from other options.
2. Bottled water is a luxury. In these times of economic downturn, people have less money for luxuries. As people have to make sacrifices in their budgets, they are turning from expensive bottled water back to tap water.
3. Peopel are finding that the benefits of bottled water, touted for so long by the bottled water industry, are not evident. After drinking and using bottled water, they see no noticable changes in their health, nor do they notice any difference between their health and those who drink regular tap water. Also, better outreach by water systems, such as improved consumer confidence reports and fewer compliance issues, have allowed the public to revive confidence in the water that they get from their tap.
The demand for bottled water is not going to go away. It is a freat convenience and a healthier diet item than other bottled products. However, the expense and lack of proven benefits of using bottled water has curbed the growth of the industry to a limited segement of water users.
- Jerry Biberstine, Senior Environmental Engineer
By Cassie in June 2009 on June 26 2009
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Don’t be misled by the word “business” in the name of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). After a disaster, low interest disaster loans from the SBA are the nation’s primary source of disaster recovery funds for homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and most non-profit organizations.
SBA has issued more than 2,300 disaster loan applications to Kentucky individuals and business owners who registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) because they sustained damage from the storms and flooding in early May. To date, only about 10 percent of the applications have been returned.
“SBA is concerned that Kentuckians have not been completing and returning their disaster loan applications,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA’s Disaster Field Operations Center in Atlanta. “People reluctant to take this step may be excluding themselves from available disaster recovery funds.”
Personal assistance with questions and the application is available from SBA customer service representatives at each of the temporary Disaster Recovery Centers. Starting Monday, June 29, three of these recovery centers will transition to SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Centers. Contact SBA or FEMA for the location nearest you.
“Establishment of the Disaster Loan Outreach Centers demonstrates SBA’s commitment to ensure that all qualified individuals and businesses receive the help they need to recover from this disaster,” Skaggs said.
Completing the SBA application does not obligate the applicant to accept a loan. Applicants who are approved and decide not to take the loan can request that SBA cancel it. They then have up to six months to reopen their file if they find that they need the loan to pay for disaster related repairs.
“I encourage everyone who receives an SBA loan application to fill it out and return it,” said Kentucky Division of Emergency Management (KYEM) Director Brig. Gen. John W. Heltzel. “You have nothing to lose by completing this process and it could be very much to your benefit.”
For some applicants, there is another advantage to completing the SBA loan application. Certain types of FEMA aid can be provided only to individuals who have been turned down for a disaster loan.
“It’s important for people to understand that filling out the SBA disaster loan application can result in FEMA grants for people who do not qualify for loans,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Kim Kadesch.
For some applicants, FEMA can provide grants to cover repair or replacement of personal property and vehicles or for moving and storage expenses only after the applicant has completed the SBA loan application process and SBA has determined the person to be ineligible for an SBA loan.
Interest rates on SBA disaster loans are currently as low as 2.437 percent for homeowners and renters and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.
Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.
Businesses and non-profit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. For small businesses, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.
SBA can also lend additional funds to help with the cost of making improvements that protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage in the future. These mitigation funds are based on 20 percent of the SBA verified physical damage.
The disaster declaration covers Breathitt, Floyd, Magoffin, Owsley and Pike counties in Kentucky which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private, non-profit organizations in these counties and in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans: Clay, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Lee, Letcher, Martin, Morgan, Perry and Wolfe in Kentucky; Buchanan, Dickenson and Wise in Virginia; and Mingo in West Virginia.
To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance, people with disaster-related losses must first call FEMA at 800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 800-462-7585, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
Additional details on the locations of Disaster Loan Outreach Centers and the loan application process can be obtained by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
Individuals may also apply for disaster loans using SBA’s secure website at /disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is July 28, 2009. The deadline to return economic injury applications is March 1, 2010.
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
By Cassie in June 2009 on June 24 2009
April 6, 2009– Replacing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) with water could eliminate an average of 235 excess calories per day among children and adolescents, according to a study published in the April 2009 Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. The study’s authors conclude that such a replacement would be a simple and effective way to reduce excess intake of calories causing childhood overweight and obesity, as well as address dental cavities and other health problems associated with added sugar. And they predict no detrimental effects on nutrition.
“The evidence is now clear that replacing these ‘liquid calories’ with calorie-free beverage alternatives both at home and in schools represents a key strategy to eliminate excess calories and prevent childhood obesity,” said Y. Claire Wang, MD, ScD, assistant professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the study’s lead author.
Dr. Wang and colleagues analyzed what children and teens reported they ate and drank on two different days, using nationally representative data from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They then estimated the impact of substituting water for SSBs on the total energy intake of youths ages two to 19.
No data suggest that youths increase their consumption of other foods and beverages to compensate for drinking fewer SSBs, and so every can of soda or fruit drink that is replaced by water means a net reduction of calories. Almost 90 percent of U.S. children and adolescents currently consume SSBs on any given day, including soda, fruit drinks, punches, sports drinks and sweetened tea, and the calories contained in these drinks can represent more than 10 percent of their total daily intake. There is growing evidence that sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is an important contributor to rising youth obesity rates in the United States.
“This study shows the substantial impact that replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water could have,” said C. Tracy Orleans, senior scientist and distinguished fellow at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which co-funded the study along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Reversing the rise in childhood obesity requires finding approaches like this to close the gap between daily energy intake and daily energy expenditure. Changes such as this one can potentially add up to significant benefits for the population as a whole.”
In contrast to the caloric reduction noted when replacing SSBs with water, the researchers found no difference when replacing SSBs with milk. But they emphasized the calcium, protein and other nutritional benefits that reduced-fat milk provides, in contrast to most SSBs. Though the findings suggest that reducing SSB consumption may prevent unhealthy weight gain, the researchers say that widespread recommendations to decrease SSB consumption are unlikely to lead to unnecessary or harmful weight loss in healthy-weight or underweight teens.
A 2008 study by the same team of researchers found that children consume SSBs in a variety of locations—homes, schools, fast-food establishments and other restaurants. Up to 70 percent of the consumption occurs in the home environment, whereas seven to 15 percent of consumption occurs in schools.
“Making children and teens more active is important,” Dr. Wang noted, “However, simply eliminating the extra calories they don’t need from these sugary drinks can tip the energy balance in a major way.” A typical 15-year-old boy would need to jog for 30 minutes in order to burn off the calories contained in a 12-oz can of soda. The alternative drink best suited to reduce excess caloric consumption is water.
“These beverages are nothing more than different forms of sugar water, which kids don’t need.” said Steven Gortmaker, PhD, professor of the Practice of Health Sociology at the Harvard School of Public Health and the senior author on the study. “Unless they are running marathons, which we do not recommend for kids, water is the best choice for quenching their thirst. It is also low cost, especially when it comes from a clean tap source.”
By Cassie in June 2009 on June 24 2009
There are many ways to protect children as they grow. Car seats, covers for electrical outlets, and bike helmets provide just some of the protection every child deserves. And when it comes to protection against certain childhood diseases, the medical community strongly recommends vaccinations.
Getting your child vaccinated is important. And you probably have questions about what’s ahead for you and your baby. This article will give you some facts about vaccines and the diseases that they prevent.
What is a Vaccine Made of?
Most vaccines contain purified fragments taken from killed bacteria or viruses. Some vaccines contain live viruses, but in a very weak form that does not cause disease.
How do Vaccines Work?
Vaccines “teach” the immune system how to recognize and fight bacteria and viruses before an infection happens. By giving the body a small “sample” of the germ, it can develop resistance without actually getting the disease.
Why are Vaccines Given to Babies?
Certain vaccine-preventable diseases can affect children as early as the first few months of life. Vaccinating small children helps provide them with protection when they need it.
Thanks to vaccines given to babies, many diseases that once killed millions of people in the United States (US) have not been seen for many years. But in some parts of the world where vaccines are not readily available, diseases we no longer worry about in the US continue to destroy the lives of children every single day.
Are Vaccines Safe?
No medication is 100% safe. However, all vaccines that are approved for use in the US have been thoroughly tested for safety, and serious side effects are very rare. Meanwhile, the benefits of vaccination are tremendous! Before vaccines were developed, polio paralyzed up to 20,000 people (mostly children), rubella (German measles) caused birth defects in 20,000 newborns, and pertussis (whooping cough) killed 9000 children yearly. Physicians and parents have confidence in these vaccines; today, millions of children are protected from serious, life-thretening diseases.
What about Combination Vaccines?
The measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR) and diptheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine are both examples of 3 different vaccines given in one shot, which is called a combination vaccine. Combination vaccines permit protection against more diseases earlier in life. They also decrease the total number of shots a baby needs to have.
Can Vaccinations Cause Autism or Multiple Sclerosis?
Studies have demonstrated that there is no relationship between vaccination and autism or multiple sclerosis.
What about Thimerosal and Concerns About Mercury Poisoning?
Thimerosal is a mercury based preservative that was originally put in many vaccines to stop the growth of bacteria. Vaccines containing preservatives have been administered to billions of children and adults worldwide with no credible public health risk. Nevertheless, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the medical community, and vaccine manufacturers have taken significant steps to reduce or eliminate the amount of thimerosal in pediatric vaccines in order to support public confidence in vaccines.
Who Approves and Recommends Vaccines?
After successful testing in thousands of people, a vaccine is approved (liscensed) for use in the US by the FDA. The vaccine is then recommended for use in specific age groups by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the Infectious Disease Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
What Side Effects Might my Child Experience?
The most typical side effects include a slight fever, drowsiness, and soreness at the injection site. Although extremely rare, vaccines have been known to cause serious side effects. For example, if your child develops a high fever or appears to be in severe pain, seek medical attention immediately.
Can Vaccinations Overload a Child’s Immune System?
No. Vaccine only contain tiny amounts of fragments of viruses or bacteria compared with the large amounts of germs children come in contact with every day. Therefore, a healthy child’s immune system should have no problem handling vaccinations, even when several vaccinations are given during a single doctor’s visit.
If All Other Children in my Community are Vaccinated, Why Should my Child be Vaccinated?
Even though many children are vaccinated, diseases still exist. And the increase in international travel means that diseases are always a threat. If someone with a serious vaccine-preventable disease enters your community and yuor child is not vaccinated, he or she is at risk. What’s more, each unvaccinated child is at risk for spreading infection to other unvaccinated children and adults, as well as to people with weak immune systems. That’s why every child should be vaccinated- for his or her own protection and for peace of mind.
What Childhood Vaccinations are Considered Standard?
Current recommendations call for routine immunization against 14 vaccine-preventable diseases. Young children should receive their vaccinations from shortly after birth through entry into kindergartnen.
Hepatitis B- Spreads through direct contact with infected blood (via blood transfusions), other body fluids, and sexual transmission.IT can also be contracted through tattooing and body piercing. A pregnant woman who is infected can also infect her baby. Approximately 25% of children who develop lifelong hepatitis B infection die of related liver disease as adults.
Diptheria- Spread through direct contact with a person. Before the vaccine, diptheria caused as many as 15,520 deaths in children in one year.
Tetanus- Also known as lockjaw. Lives in soil and enters the body through cuts and puncture wounds. Tetanus is not contagious from person-to-person. Without a vaccine, persons of all ages in the US could get this deadly disease.
Pertussis- Also known as whooping cough. Spread through coughing and sneezing. Highly contagious. According to a CDC study, parents and siblings are important contributors to the spread of pertussis infection to infants and young children. Before the vaccine, between 150,000 and 260,000 cases of pertussis and up to 9,000 deaths were reported each year.
Haemophilus Influenza Type B (HiB)-Spread through contact with infected person; enters through the nose and throat. Before the vaccine, HiB meningitis killed 600 children each year and left many survivors with deafness, seizures, and mental retardation.
Pneumococcus- Spread through coughing and sneezing. Before the vaccine, about 188 of every 100,000 children younger then 2 years of age developed invasive pneumococcal disease.
Polio- Transmitted by person-to-person contact or contact with contaminated water. Before the vaccine, 13,000 to 20,000 cases of paralytic polio were reported each year in the US; many children were left on crutches, in braces, in wheelchares and on iron lungs.
Influenza- Spread through coughing and sneezing; contaminated hands touching nose and mouth. Before the vaccine, from 1918 to 1919, there were 550,000 deaths due to influenza in the US; 21 million died worldwide.
Measles- Spread through coughing, sneezing, or talking. One of the most infectious diseases in the world; if measles vaccines were stopped, it is estimated that 2.7 million people would die worldwide.
Mumps- Spread through coughing, sneezing, or talking. Before the vaccine, mumps was a major cause of deafness and brain damage in children.
Rubella- Also known as German Measles. Spread through coughing and sneezing. During 1964 and 1965, before the vaccine, of the 20,000 infants born with rubella syndrome, 11,600 were deaf, 3,580 were blind, and 1,800 were mentally retarded.
Varicella- Also known as chickenpox. Spread through coughing, sneezing, or contact with chickenpox sores; usually occurs in children younger than 10 years of age. Before the vaccine, an estimated 4 million people got chickenpox, causing 11,000 hospitalizations and 100 deaths each year.
Hepatitis B- Can occur anywhere in the world. Vaccination with the Hepatitis A vaccine is not universally recommended for all children at age 1 year. It is spread by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water, usually in developing countries; however, because hepatitis A thrives in unsanitory conditions involving food preparations, it can also occur in the US.
Meningococcus- Spread through contact with infected person through throat (coughing and kissing). In 2004, an estimated 125 deaths due to meningococcal disease occurred in the US, infants younger than 12 months of age have the highest rates of disease.
Rotavirus- Is spread through direct contact with an infected person or contaminated objects. It is the leading cause of diarrhea in infants and young children in the US and worldwide. It is responsible for 20-60 deaths per year in the US and up to 500,000 deaths worldwide.
By Cassie in June 2009 on June 23 2009
President encourages Americans to visit www.serve.gov to find and create service projects in their communities, share stories about projects they’re working on
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, in a video message, President Obama unveiled United We Serve, an extended call to service challenging all Americans to help lay a new foundation for growth in this country by engaging in sustained, meaningful community service. The initiative will be led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency dedicated to fostering service in communities across the country. Since his Inauguration, the President has called on all Americans to serve their communities and be a part of building a better future for our country.
The United We Serve summer initiative begins on June 22nd and runs through the National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11th. The National Day of Service and Remembrance was created by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which President Obama signed in April to help encourage and facilitate community service across the country. During this summer, the President is renewing his call to all Americans to identify needs in their communities, engage in meaningful service to create change – and stay engaged with those projects long after September. The President’s call focuses on four key areas where everyone can have a continuing impact in their community: education, health, energy and the environment and community renewal. To create new service projects, to find service projects in their communities and to share stories about projects that are making a difference, Americans can visit the Corporation’s website, http://www.serve.gov/.
President Obama’s video was distributed via email by the Corporation for National and Community Service. View President Obama’s full video message at http://www.serve.gov/.
“The challenges we face are unprecedented in their size and scope, and we cannot rely on quick fixes or easy answers to put us on the road to recovery,” President Obama says in the video message. “In this new century, we need to a build a new foundation for economic growth in America. My Administration has already begun this work with dramatic new investments in education, health care and clean energy – investments that will create new jobs and lay the foundation for lasting prosperity. But we cannot do this alone here in Washington…’
‘Economic recovery is as much about what you’re doing in your communities as what we’re doing in Washington – and it’s going to take all of us, working together.”
The goal of United We Serve is to help make volunteerism and community service part of the daily lives of all Americans in order to help build a new foundation, one community at a time. Further details about the June 22nd kickoff are forthcoming.
This news story and other Community Preparedness news, including Citizen Corps Bulletins, can be found on our website at http://www.citizencorps.gov/.
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