Earth Day 2006

Today is Earth Day, which was first celebrated in 1970. This year Earth Day starts a campaign on Climate Change. For information on a international level, check out the earthdaynetwork. On a national level, check out the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) web site which has tips on how you can protecting the environment on a daily basis. Finally, on a local level both the city and county of Boulder have information on Earth Day. If you are looking for something to do tonight the Boulder Office of Environmental Affairs is sponsoring a free sneak-preview of the HBO documentary "Too Hot Not to Handle" at the Boulder theatre.

State of the World Refugees

The United Nations High Commission on Refugees publishes a report called State of the World Refugees, the 2006 version is now available online. (The four previous editions are also available online.) This book "examines the changing dynamics of displacement over the past half decade. While the number of refugees – 9.2 million – is now the lowest in 25 years, it says the international system for dealing with human displacement has reached a critical juncture as it struggles with new challenges in an increasingly globalised world. These include the plight of tens of millions of internally displaced people; widespread confusion over migrants and refugees; tightened asylum policies and growing intolerance."

Hundred Year Anniversary of San Francisco Earthquake and Fire

On this day 100 years ago a 8.3 magnitude earthquake hit the city of San Francisco. The Library of Congress highlights this event in their "Today in History" series. You can also see motion pictures of San Francisco before and after in "Before and After the Great Earthquake and Fire: Early Films of San Francisco, 1897-1916." Finally, to learn more about the causes and map of the quake take a look at the US Geological Survey's "The Great 1906 Earthquake, 100 years later." This site has a variety of maps, photographs, and essays.

Taxes are due Monday!

It is April and that means it is time to turn in those tax forms to the government. Here in the Government Publications Library at CU-Boulder we still have some paper tax forms left. To see a list of available forms and instructions here, check out this blog entry. If you just want to print out the forms at home or we don't have one here, check out this guide.

Rebuilding New Orleans

Yesterday the Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released cost estimates for replacing the levees and advisory flood data. Read the press release online. The FEMA flood recovery guidance provides information on areas where housing can be rebuilt, it is available by parish online.