Dear “Earth Talk”: Is bamboo really an environmentally friendly alternative to wood for making paper? If so, why are we still cutting down trees to keep our copiers and printers humming? — Ali Forte, by e-mail Bamboo is a fast-growing and renewable resource, and it has long been used throughout Asia as a raw material […]
Community & Lifestyle
Posted inArts & Culture
Stolen future
Dear “Earth Talk”: Can you explain what “hormone-disrupting” chemicals are, how they affect our health, and what they have to do with environmental problems? — Tom Rose, Oakland, Calif. Many of the human body’s processes, including reproduction, mental processing, and metabolism, are controlled and regulated by hormones, chemical messengers produced by the endocrine glands. In […]
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Purple haze
This week, a little behind schedule, the first fragrant purple flowers have begun to adorn the lavender plants in the master-gardener Herb Demonstration garden. Lavender flowers typically appear in June and July, but the plants in the demonstration garden, located on the Illinois State Fairgrounds, were planted this spring and are therefore flowering later in […]
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The badder the better
Tilden Hooper was 14 when he started riding wild horses — or at least started trying to. All his friends competed in rodeos, and Tilden figured he could ride bareback broncs, just as his father, Terry, used to do. Problem was, Tilden had failed to inherit his dad’s innate ability to keep his pants pockets […]
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Cork screwed
Dear “Earth Talk”: What is better for the environment, cork wine stoppers or plastic or screw tops? — Susan Wolniakowski, Duluth, Minn. Though you might be surprised, natural cork wine stoppers are the best choice, mainly because harvesting the real stuff is an age-old practice that keeps the world’s relatively small population of cork oak […]
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Purslane – nuisance or nosh?
This weekend, my 4-year-old daughter enjoyed pulling weeds in our herb garden. Because purslane was the only weed in the garden, it was easy for her to differentiate it from the other plants. Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea), also called little hogweed, is a summer annual with succulent thick leaves and stems. The smooth-edged leaves, rounded […]
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Time to start the fall garden
As you taste your first garden-fresh tomato of the season, thoughts of planting your next vegetable garden may be the furthest thing from your mind. However, now is the time to extend your supply of fresh vegetables by planting a fall garden. A late-season garden can include frost-tolerant and hardy vegetables that don’t grow well […]
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An evening in the garden
As summer gets into full swing in central Illinois, some things are inevitable: lack of rainfall, the unsightly destruction caused by Japanese beetles, and, on the plus side, fresh vegetables and beautiful floral garden displays. One of the area’s favorites is the demonstration garden cultivated by the master gardeners of the University of Illinois Extension, […]
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Kiss your ash goodbye
Just two weeks ago, the Illinois Department of Agriculture announced that it had identified an emerald ash borer in Kane County, in the northeast corner of the state. It was not good news. This destructive nonnative pest (Agrilus planipennis) feeds on North American ash species (Fraxinus sp.), including white ash and green ash, both common […]
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Unlikely hero
Dear “Earth Talk”: Do houseplants really help to clean indoor air? — Jackson Schlemmer, London, England One positive result of the 1970s energy crisis was the development and widespread adoption of improved insulation materials to maintain indoor energy efficiency. Unfortunately, many of these materials have compromised indoor air quality because of their tendency to release airborne […]
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Rocky’s Road
Normally, I’m not what you’d call an “animal person.” I don’t think twice about eating chicken or beef or wearing leather shoes. I gave our last cat away when the doctor discovered my (human) baby was extremely allergic to felines. And I must confess, I actually guffawed the first time I saw the classic animated […]
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The return of the bugs
Judging from the heat and humidity, the appearance of fresh-picked zucchini on the table, and the arrival of certain insects, summer is here. Imagine my dismay, while eating a freshly picked bowl of raspberries, at finding a Japanese beetle. This year’s invasion by the leaf-devouring, half-inch-long, colorful metallic-green critters with coppery-brown wing covers has begun. […]
