Everyday Environment Podcast

With the harsh winter of 2013-2014, many ponds in Illinois have probably experienced winter fish kills. Educator Duane Friend discusses the causes for this, as well providing advice on improving fish populations this spring.

Extension Educator Duane Friend describes the importance of having your furnace regularly inspected and what you need to do to keep your furnace operating at peak efficiency.

LED Christmas lights can save a tremendous amount of energy compared to the old style bulbs. In this podcast Extension Educator Duane Friend explains how much money can be saved by updating your lights.

In this podcast Extension Educator Duane Friend describes how to recognize properly dried firewood and important safety tips for burning wood safely.

Heavy rains can contaminate well water. This podcast talks about testing and techniques for decontaminating water systems.

March 3-9, 2013 is Severe Weather Preparedness Week. This podcast describes the types of thunderstorms that are common in the midwest and the ones most likely to spawn tornadoes.

In this podcast, Natural Resources educator Duane Friend explains how the drought or near drought conditions of 2012 will affect planting dates and what parts of Illinois have been most affected by the rainfall shortage.

It is especially critical to check your furnace filters and humidifier this time of year. Duane explains the various types of filters and humidifiers.

Heat Indexs can help you decide what activities to plan for the day. Duane Friend explains what factors go into the heat index and what you should do with the information it gives you.

In this podcast, Duane Friend, University of Illinois Extension Educator in Natural Resources talks about how the move to Compact Fluorescent Bulbs will save you time and money. Picking the correct bulb for your needs can be as easy as reading the labels on the box.