Governmental agencies, advocacy groups, and businesses are taking advantage of sophisticated internet software that gives a graphic visualization of all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data on hazardous and environmentally dangerous sites. This environmental mapping technology, offered by Google, allows users to process the large quantity of information recently released online by the EPA and to identify toxic hot spots and hazardous sites located beneath the ground.

To cut down on food waste sent to landfills and prevent the formation of excessive methane from decomposing organic matter, the Hong Kong government is building a giant experimental composter to process leftover food. Currently, leftover food accounts for one third of waste in Hong Kong's landfills. Public officials also seek to develop a new consumption ethic by encouraging restaurants to charge a fee for any food that customers leave on their plates.

While child abuse prevention programs typically focus on educating children, a program run by Adams County Children's Advocacy Center, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies and the district attorney's office, seeks to educate adults. The program consists of seven steps that teach, among other things, how children are approached by predators, how to detect sign of emotional distress, and how to support a child who is disclosing abuse.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has proposed a sweeping plan to make the city a leader in environmental sustainability. The initiative entails over 120 projects, including the creation of new municipal authorities that would oversee infrastructure energy efficiency, the cultivation of mussels to remove pollution from waterways, and the planting of more than one million trees over the next ten years. The most contentious proposal is a congestion-pricing plan, similar to those used in London and Singapore, that would include an $8 per day charge for cars entering Manhattan south of 86th street. 

Residents and visitors fed up with parking and traffic headaches in Annapolis, Maryland, can take advantage of a new bike loan program slated to begin this summer. Free Wheelin' Annapolis will lend bicycles at no cost for commuting and traveling around the city. The program, in partnership with a local bicycle shop, will also use volunteers to repair bicycles and educate participants about proper maintenance and safety. Using bicycles saves money, provides exercise, and is gentle on the environment.

With designs that optimize sunlight, increase ventilation, avoid toxic materials, and reduce energy costs, "green" affordable housing is being touted as not only good for the environment, but beneficial for low-income residents. New developments in Fresno, California, are incorporating solar-powered and satellite-controlled irrigation systems to achieve these ends, and are taking advantage of tax credits, tax-exempt bonds, and other financing methods in the process.

Los Angeles will soon be home to the largest municipal crime lab in the nation. At a cost of $102 million, the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center at California State University, will combat gangs and crime and help solve cold cases within the confines of its state-of-the-art facility. The lab will accommodate 400 employees and include computerized programs that let jurors and investigators view crime-scene reenactments. Officers predict that the Center will quickly reduce the backlog of thousands of DNA samples that need to be analyzed.

To fortify the early education of Pennsylvania's at-risk children, Pre-K Counts gives families in participating communities the choice to enroll their children in pre-kindergarten classrooms located in schools, childcare programs, and Head Start sites. Children participating in free or reduced-lunch programs or from families earning under 300% of the federal poverty line are eligible.

Allentown, Pennsylvania, has won a state award for the integration of Geographic Information System (GIS) into many facets of government services. GIS, a software used to store, map, and anaylze data, enables the city to respond more rapidly in emergencies and more closely analyze neighborhood data. The system has been heralded for increasing efficiency, accuracy, and productivity.

Pittsburgh will begin monitoring the off-duty jobs of police officers who provide security at businesses and events. Under the more centralized process, outside employers must work with city administration to hire officers, and Pittsburgh will charge them $3.85 per hour per officer. The system will ensure that supervisors will know the schedule and whereabouts of their personnel should they be needed on short notice.

Fallbrook, California, has launched an initiative to recycle dry cell batteries, the kind commonly found in consumer products, from toys to flashlights. Collection sites, including a library, a grocery store, and other places will make it convenient for citizens to drop them off. Typical household batteries can pollute land and water when they corrode and decay; California regulations already require special disposal methods, though few may be aware of them.

Newsletter produced by: Brendan St. Amant and Vanessa Ruget (researchers and writers); Joellen Secondo (editor).