1. Celebrate Summer Solstice 2018: First Day Of Summer. In the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice occurs when the Sun reaches both its highest and northernmost points in the sky. (In contrast, the June solstice in the Southern Hemisphere is when the Sun is at its lowest point in the sky.)
The word “solstice” comes from Latin solstitium—from sol (sun) and stitium (standing), reflecting the fact that on the solstice, the Sun appears to stop moving in the sky as it reaches its northern- or southernmost point. After the solstice, the Sun appears to reverse course and head back in the opposite direction.
The timing of the June solstice is not based on a specific calendar date or time; it all depends on when the Sun reaches its northernmost point from the equator. Therefore, the June solstice won’t always occur on the same day.
In temperate regions, we notice that the Sun is higher in the sky throughout the day, and its rays strike Earth at a more direct angle, causing the efficient warming we call summer. Because the sun is highest in the sky on this day, you’ll notice that your shadow (at noon) is the shortest it will be all year.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice is the day with the most hours of sunlight of the whole year. See our handy sunrise and sunset calculator to figure out how many hours of sunlight you get in your location on the solstice.
At the winter solstice, just the opposite occurs: The Sun is at its southernmost point and is lowest in the sky. Its rays hit the Northern Hemisphere at an oblique angle, creating the feeble winter sunlight.
Q: IS THE SUMMER SOLSTICE THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER?
A: Yes and no—it depends on whether we’re speaking meteorologically or astronomically. Most meteorologists divide the year into four seasons based on the months and the temperature cycle, which allows them to compare and organize climate data more easily. In this system, summer begins on June 1 and ends on August 31. Therefore, the summer solstice is not considered to be the first day of summer, meteorologically speaking.
Astronomically, however, the first day of summer is said to be when the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky, which occurs on the summer solstice (June 20–22). Therefore, the summer solstice is considered to be the first day of summer, astronomically speaking.
As an almanac, which is defined as a “calendar of the heavens,” we prefer to follow the astronomical interpretation of the seasons and do consider the first day of summer to coincide with the summer solstice. That being said, you may choose whichever system you like best!
THE SOLSTICE DOES NOT BRING THE EARLIEST SUNRISE
Interestingly, even though the summer solstice if the “longest” day of the year (the most daylight), the earliest sunrises happen about a week prior to the solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. The reason for the timing of sunrises is related to the length of day—which is longer than 24 hours in June—and the inclination of the Earth’s rotational axis. Bottom-line, your earliest sunrises start happening before the solstice itself.
THE SUN SETS MORE SLOWLY AT THE SOLSTICE
Did you know that the Sun actually sets more slowly around the time of a solstice, in that it takes longer to set below the horizon? This is related to the angle of the setting Sun. The farther the Sun sets from due west along the horizon, the shallower the angle of the setting Sun. (Conversely, it’s faster at or near the equinoxes.) Bottom-line, enjoy those long romantic summertime sunsets at or near the solstice!
2. Keep Mosquitoes Under Control. With our high temperatures statewide, we have to think about controlling these terrible pests:
a. Properly maintain your pool with the right amount of chlorine
b. Report green pool water to your county health department
c. Replace standing water in birdbaths every three to four days, buckets and plant saucers
d. Repair leaking hose bibs and irrigation leaks
e. Clean your gutters so that standing water does not collect
3.
Dear Interested Party,
ADEQ held meetings on June 6 and 7 to gather stakeholder input on assuming the Clean Water Act Section 404 permit program (CWA 404). More than 200 stakeholders participated and provided valuable input.
The next step is to summarize the input received and start identifying topics and workgroups needed to develop the roadmap for the program.
We look forward to your continued involvement at our upcoming follow-up meetings:
Tuesday, June 26 | Phoenix | Meeting Info >
- I plan to attend the Phoenix meeting in person
- I plan to attend the Phoenix meeting by WebEx or conference call
Thursday, June 28 | Tucson | Meeting Info >
- I plan to attend the Tucson meeting in person
- I plan to attend the Tucson meeting by WebEx or conference call
Feel free to forward this information to others who you think may be interested in hearing about ADEQ’s assumption of the CWA 404 program | azdeq.gov/cwa-404.
4. E-Manifests For Reporting Hazardous Waste.
E-Manifest is EPA’s new electronic reporting system that can be used to create, track, sign and submit hazardous waste manifests. The new system is going live on Saturday, June 30, 2018.
We recommend that Arizona generators contact receiving facilities now to determine whether they will be required to register with the system.
To use e-Manifest, hazardous waste generators must register for EPA’s RCRAInfo database application.
ADEQ has published a web page to help guide Arizona generators through the e-Manifest system. Our e-Manifest resource page contains:
Guidance:
- How to Register
EPA Fact Sheets:
- General Information
- For TSDF’s
- For Brokers
- For Transporters
- For Generators
- For Receiving Facilities
Presentations
- The Latest on EPA’s New Hazardous Waste Tracking System
Additional resources can be found at EPA’s e-Manifest website.
For additional assistance or questions:
ADEQ Waste Compliance
5. National Pollinator Celebration Wednesday, June 20th – Celebrate birds, bees, butterflies, bats, and beetles at the National Pollinator Celebration on Wednesday, June 20, at 9 a.m. at Sweetwater Wetlands, 2511 W. Sweetwater Drive. The event features a proclamation by Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, a butterfly garden dedication, a rainwater harvesting demonstration, presentations from water and landscape experts, and light refreshments. The local celebration is part of National Pollinator Week, which addresses the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations. Pollinators ensure that plants continue to thrive in our community and across the world. Recently, the City of Tucson and its partners, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and the Tucson Audubon Society, planted 90 milkweed and nectar plants, making Sweetwater Wetlands a Monarch Butterfly Waystation and Hummingbird Habitat. Sweetwater Wetlands: http://bit.ly/2zGvTVQ
National Pollinator Week: http://bit.ly/2thNccZ
6. Town With No Water. Ever wonder what you or your community would do if there was no water to drink? There would be no going to the kitchen faucet to grab a glass of water. You could go to a fast food restaurant for a coke, pepsi, coffee, or some other beverage along with a sandwich of some sort. When ordering your beverage, your told they would sell you a bottle of water. When ordering a pepsi or coffee, you’re offered a bottle of water. What is going on?
Recently, the editor drove through the town of Salem, Oregon. After being denied all beverages except bottle water, we learned that residents and commercial establishments were forbidden to offer any beverage that had water as a basis of the beverage.
The issue? Toxins in the water.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued a state of emergency for Marion and Polk counties, five days after the discovery of toxins in the tap water in Salem, the state’s capital and second-largest city.
On Saturday, an out-of-state lab had discovered cyanotoxins in Detroit Lake, which has been providing water to Salem and surrounding communities for decades. But city officials did not issue a public advisory until days later, the Statesman Journal reported.
The cyanotoxins derive from the algae bloom in Detroit Lake and can induce allergic reactions, respiratory malfunctions, or damage to the liver or kidneys. The algae blooms are usually most frequent in late spring and early summer.
City officials say these toxins, while safe for washing dishes and water plants, can potentially harm young children, or people with “compromised immune systems,” the Statesman Journal reported. Authorities say the effects of drinking the contaminated water for vulnerable people can include fever, headache, vomiting and bloody diarrhea.
The public advisory warning prompted city residents to clean out the supply of bottled water from local stores. By Tuesday evening major supermarket chains were reporting low inventory levels.
So the editor bought bottles of water added them to the bottled water already in my cooler. The experience did give pause to think about what could be a real problem for what is projected to last at least six to twelve weeks. What would you do?
