This Week's Facts:
-
Tomorrow Help Raise Sickle
Cell Anemia Awareness
-
State Offering Rebates on
Energy Efficient HVAC Systems
-
DNR Campaign Stresses
Importance of Life Jackets
-
Summer is Prime Time to
Practice Bicycle Safety
CDC Releases Information About Gulf Oil Spill
Current health information about the 2010 Gulf of
Mexico oil spill is available via the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention website at
Gulf Oil Spill 2010.
The National Library of Medicine has also created a page for
Crude Oil Spills and Health
from their Disaster Information Management Research Center. The
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a website on its
health response
here.
The U.S. Coast Guard blog, the
Coast Guard Compass,
posted an entry this week:
BP Deepwater Horizon Spill
Information and Suggestions.
Here are the
EPA Response to BP Spill in the
Gulf of Mexico and the NOAA
Emergency Response
Deepwater Horizon Incident
websites, which lead to information from other government and
non-government organizations.
-------------------------------
Friday Facts Editorial Team:
Katharine Springer
State Data
Center Coordinator
Elisabeth
O’Donnell
Federal Documents Librarian
&
Kim Brown-Harden
State
Documents Coordinator
-------------------------------------
Join the
FDLP-IN
listserv
for the latest
government info
  |
Tomorrow Help
Raise Sickle Cell Anemia Awareness
 Saturday,
June 19 is
World Sickle Cell Day.
Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA)
is a disease that causes the body to make sickle-shaped red
blood cells. Rather than the disc-shaped cells that healthy
people produce, those with Sickle cell anemia have cells shaped
like the letter “C.” Cells that are shaped like this don’t move
as easily through the blood vessels – they tend to get caught
and clump together. This means that blood flow to the limbs and
organs can be cut off. According to the
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute,
this is a life-long disease that a person is born with. Those
most at risk are people whose ancestry is African, Central
American, Caribbean, Mediterranean or who are from India or
Saudi Arabia. There is no cure for Sickle Cell Anemia, but
there are treatments available. World Sickle Cell Day seeks to
bring awareness to this disease and to
ways that you can help.
Two such ways are donating blood and joining the Bone Marrow
Registry. You can also join a grassroots advocacy group to help
out. For more information on the disease itself, visit
Medline Plus.
State Offering Rebates on Energy Efficient HVAC Systems
 Is
it time to replace or upgrade your old air conditioner or
furnace? You can make your home more energy efficient and
earn money at the same time!
The Indiana Heating and Air Conditioning
Incentive Program (IHIP) provides Indiana
homeowners with a rebate of up to $500.00 with the purchase and
installation of an
ENERGY STAR qualified heating and cooling
system. This program is administered by
the
Indiana Office of Energy Development with
monies provided by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.
In order to receive the rebate, consumers must purchase
eligible equipment and
follow additional
requirements. This
program will be available as long as funds are available so
click here to apply.
Most questions about the program can be answered by visiting
the frequently asked questions
and
general information sheet.
Remember, you can make a difference in the environment and save
on energy costs this summer and winter!
DNR Campaign
Stresses Importance of Life Jackets
 Summertime
is a time for swimming in your favorite lake or fishing in your
favorite spot, but it’s important to take certain safety
measures – like wearing life jackets. The recent flooding in
Arkansas reminds us how quickly disasters can happen. The
Indiana
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has
launched
WEAR IT INDIANA, a
campaign to promote the wearing of life jackets while boating
and fishing in Indiana. The DNR is partnering with the
National Safe Boating Council
and the
United
States Coast Guard to appeal to mass audiences
on water safety. Look for the ‘WEAR IT INDIANA’ team to appear
at boat ramps and marinas throughout the summer. They will be
demonstrating the advantages of wearing
life jackets and asking
boaters to sign pledge cards stating the importance of wearing
them.
Click here to watch the
WEAR IT Indiana video. Education and common sense can reduce
or eliminate accidents and tragedies due to drowning in
Indiana.
Summer is
Prime Time to Practice Bicycle Safety
Whether biking in your neighborhood or across country, there are
several good resources that raise awareness of safety issues
when biking during the summer. Here’s a brief health tip via
MedlinePlus News,
Buy a Bike That Suits Your Child.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides an
online tip sheet called
Kids and Bicycle Safety,
also available in
PDF. Check out the
Consumer Product Safety Commission’s online document
Kids Speak Out On Bike Helmets
for comments from kids across the country on wearing helmets
while they ride. Here’s their link on the
correct way to wear a helmet.
For adults, the
Recreation.gov website (run by several
federal partners,
including the National Archives and Records Administration and
the National Park Service) has a section on
Bike recreation. The
City of Bloomington website also supplies messages about
Safe Bicycle Riding.
Here in Indianapolis, downtown’s
White River State Park rents out Wheel Surrey
Bikes, Cruisers,Tandems, Quad Sports, Choppers, Deuce Coupes,
Pedal Boats and Kayaks through
Wheel Fun Rentals. You
can visit their rental stations near the front entrance of the
Indiana State Museum and on the canal next to the Indiana
Government Center, near the large fountain.
|
