myRTK Toxic Maps and Information for Mobile Devices

Back in the 1990s MapCruzin.com created the interactive maps for EDF's Scorecard project. We were contracted to do this because we created the first U.S. based interactive toxic maps on the internet - the Santa Cruz Toxic Release Inventory. Several years ago EDF quit mapping toxics, but scorecard is still a viable source for health effects related to toxics. Since the EDF project, we have continued to map toxics. We did guite a bit of work for the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition and many projects as part of our interest in bringing Right-to-Know and toxic chemical facility release information to communities in easy-to-use formats.

Some of our outreach efforts include:

• ToxicRisk.com - Google Maps mashup project based upon EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data released March 19,2009 and schools in the U.S.
  
  
• 2008 Toxic Release Inventory TRI National Analysis.
  
  
• Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) 2007 Google Earth Maps.
  
  
• 2004 Toxic Release Inventory Maps in ESRI Shapefile Format .
  
  
• Interactive 1997 TRI Maps and Data.
  
  
• TRI Explorer - Humboldt County Facilities Reporting 2004 Toxic Releases.
  
  
• TRI Total Increase 1997 - 1998 & Ranking.
  
  

EPA myRTK Toxic Release Inventory for Mobile Devices myRight-to-know is an EPA Web application designed for mobile devices. This application takes existing EPA information and packages it in a format and with a level of detail that is appropriate for mobile devices and mobile users. For any location or address, myRTK maps nearby facilities that report to TRI, as well as large permit holders in the Air, Water or Hazardous Waste programs that are expected to produce, manage or release TRI-reportable chemicals. The application compares individual facility releases to releases by other facilities in the county, as well as to other facilities in the same industrial sector. myRTK also identifies the most serious facility non-compliance across the twelve most recent quarters of data for the three principal U.S. environmental statutes: the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Read entire article at MapCruzin.com

Google Public Data Explorer: Embed Animated Maps and Charts in Your Website, Share Your Geospatial Data

Google has just come up with a new tool that helps further the creation and sharing of open source geodata with their Public Data Explorer. Here is some information from their website and one of the animated maps that I have embedded in this page. There is also a link to more embedded maps. Note that each embedded map is animated so that changes over time can be viewed and that each map has a link to more data and visualizations on the Google website.

Google Public Data Explorer: Data visualizations for a changing world

The Google Public Data Explorer makes large datasets easy to explore, visualize and communicate. As the charts and maps animate over time, the changes in the world become easier to understand. You don't have to be a data expert to navigate between different views, make your own comparisons, and share your findings.

Students, journalists, policy makers and everyone else can play with the tool to create visualizations of public data, link to them, or embed them in their own webpages. Embedded charts and links can update automatically so you're always sharing the latest available data. Here's an example of an embedded visualization:

The above embedded map: Unemployment in the U.S.

Monthly estimates of employment and unemployment for all States, metropolitan areas, counties and cities. National employment and unemployment of the population classified by age, sex, race, and other characteristics. This dataset was prepared by Google based on data downloaded from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Last updated: March 7, 2010.

Learn more about Google's Public Data Explorer and access animated maps.

Earthquakes with 1,000 or more deaths since 1900 Mashup

A huge earthquake rocked the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010. Thousands are feared dead. The greatest death toll from an earthquake in the last century came on July 27, 1976, in Tangshan, China. The official casualty figure is 255,000. The Dec. 26, 2004 earthquake and subsequent tsunami off the coast of Sumatra killed 227,898 in 14 countries in South Asia. Map shows those quakes that have resulted in a loss of more than 1,000 lives and Earth's tectonic plates.



Earthquake Mashup

Updated the H1N1 ArcGIS Shapefiles and Spreadsheet.

Updated the H1N1 ArcGIS Shapefiles and Spreadsheet. These are derived from the map data provided by FluTracker. Click here for the most recent additions plus archives.

EPA Criteria Pollutants mapped with Google Earth

Maps include facilities and tons released to the air for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compunds, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and particulate matters... more

U.S. Cell Tower Map with Google Earth

We created these from FCC data released 03/11/2009. When viewed with Google Earth there are links to relevant information... more

Google Earth Helping the Terrorists?

It regularly comes as a surprise to people that our own infrastructure can be used against us. And in the wake of terrorist attacks or plots, there are fear-induced calls to ban, disrupt or control that infrastructure. According to officials investigating the Mumbai attacks, the terrorists used images from Google Earth to help learn their way around. This isn't the first time Google Earth has been charged with helping terrorists... more.

Renewable Energy Wildlife and Wildlands in the West

Renewable energy sources don’t have to conflict with preserving wildlife and wildlands in the Western U.S.

Lovers of the American West will tell you that it's blessed -- and they're right. It's home to significant sources of renewable energy, such as solar, wind and geothermal power... more.

AB 255 Anderson Bill to Censor Google Earth

ANDERSON BILL TO BLUR GOOGLE EARTH IMAGES SPARKS NATIONAL CONTROVERSY

By Miriam Raftery

March 18, 2009 (San Diego)—Assemblyman Joel Anderson (R-Alpine) has introduced AB 255, a bill that seeks to prevent terrorist acts by blurring online images of schools, government buildings, churches and medical facilities through Google Earth and other online aerial mapping technologies... more.

2007 Toxic Release Inventory on Google Earth

EPA released the latest Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data on 03/19/09. We have made Google Earth maps of this data. Reports show chemical name and amount plus there is a link to RTK Net for a complete facility report for all years since the beginning of the TRI in 1987. Click here for the maps.

Mike
Right-To-Know-More
MapCruzin.com

Our first google earth map

I've added quite a bit to the Google Earth & Maps Tools and Resources including my first Google Earth KMZ application of California Watersheds. Metadata and GIS shapefile download is also available. Now that I have it figured out, I look forward to adding many more maps to Google Earth and Google Maps as well.