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Daily Archives: April 24, 2015

Ten simple choices for a healthier planet

Ten Simple Things You Can Do to Help Protect the Earth

  • “Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Cut down on what you throw away. Follow the three “R’s” to conserve natural resources and landfill space.
  • Volunteer. Volunteer for cleanups in your community. You can get involved in protecting your watershed, too.
  • Educate. When you further your own education, you can help others understand the importance and value of our natural resources.
  • Conserve water. The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater that eventually end up in the ocean.
  • Choose sustainable. Learn how to make smart seafood choices at www.fishwatch.gov.
  • Shop wisely. Buy less plastic and bring a reusable shopping bag.
  • Use long-lasting light bulbs. Energy efficient light bulbs reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Also flip the light switch off when you leave the room!
  • Plant a tree. Trees provide food and oxygen. They help save energy, clean the air, and help combat climate change.
  • Don’t send chemicals into our waterways. Choose non-toxic chemicals in the home and office.
  • Bike more. Drive less.”

Exploring Compatibilities Between Linked Data Models of Library of Congress and OCLC

Godby, Carol Jean, and Ray Denenberg. 2015. Common Ground: Exploring Compatibilities Between the Linked Data Models of the Library of Congress and OCLC. Dublin, Ohio: Library of Congress and OCLC Research. ” The white paper summarizes the recent activity of the Bibliographic Framework Initiative at the Library of Congress which proposes a data model for future… Continue Reading

Records Reveal Extensive Monitoring of E-ZPass Tags Throughout NY

ACLU – “New documents obtained by the New York Civil Liberties Union reveal that wireless E-ZPass tollbooth transponders are being read routinely throughout New York City to systematically collect location data about drivers. At the NYCLU, we were surprised when we first heard this might be happening. In late 2013, NYCLU staff went on a… Continue Reading

NYC libraries are engine of the city running out of fuel

“The city’s libraries — the fusty old buildings, and a few spiffier modern ones, planted in all five boroughs — had 37 million visitors in the last fiscal year, said Angela Montefinise, a spokeswoman for the New York Public Library, which runs branches and research centers in Manhattan and the Bronx and on Staten Island.… Continue Reading

Big names or big ideas: Do peer-review panels select the best science proposals

“This paper examines the success of peer-review panels in predicting the future quality of proposed research. We construct new data to track publication, citation, and patenting outcomes associated with more than 130,000 research project (R01) grants funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health from 1980 to 2008. We find that better peer-review scores are… Continue Reading

New GAO Reports – Medicare, State Department Construction, VA Construction

Medicare: Potential Uses of Electronically Readable Cards for Beneficiaries and Providers, GAO-15-319: Published: Mar 25, 2015. Publicly Released: Apr 24, 2015. State Department Construction: Basis for Building versus Leasing Decisions Was Insufficiently Documented at Three Embassies, GAO-15-472R: Published: Apr 24, 2015. Publicly Released: Apr 24, 2015. VA Construction: Actions to Address Cost Increases and Schedule… Continue Reading

Key Federal Agencies Lack Timely Response to Basic FOIA Request

“The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse sent 21 federal agencies identical FOIA requests on Jan. 22nd and 23rd. Sixty-five business days later, only seven agencies have provided usable data in response to the request. One agency, the CIA, denied the request, which is for basic records that track the processing of the FOIA requests the agency… Continue Reading