Earth Talk

Dear “Earth Talk”: Did the car companies really conspire to kill the trolleys and streetcars of bygone days to force us to become dependent on automobiles instead? — Taylor Howe, San Francisco Indeed, in the 1920s automaker General Motors began a covert campaign to undermine the popular rail-based public-transit systems that were ubiquitous in and […]

Dear “Earth Talk”: Do government “Energy Star” ratings for major appliances take into account their “cradle-to-grave” impacts, or are they just concerned with energy efficiency? — Fred von Mechow, by e-mail The Energy Star program, set up back in 1992, is designed to help consumers determine the energy efficiency of various appliances, home electronics, office […]

Dear “Earth Talk”: What are religious leaders and organizations doing to communicate the importance of safeguarding our natural environment? — Peter Toot, Taos, N.M. Perhaps it’s not surprising that those who care for God’s creation take environmental issues seriously. But only in recent years have Sunday sermons and other religious services put green topics front […]

Dear “Earth Talk”: What is the environmental impact of sugar, aside from its not-so-healthy aspects? I’ve heard that the industry is no friend to the environment. — Mary Oakes, via e-mail Sugar is ever-present in products we consume every day, yet we rarely give a second thought as to how and where it is produced […]

Dear “Earth Talk”: What is the deal with plastics recycling these days? Can you explain what the different numbers molded onto the bottoms of plastic containers stand for? —Tom Croarkin, Fairfield, Conn. Confusion over what we can and cannot recycle continues to confound consumers. Plastics are especially troublesome because different forms of plastic require differing […]

Dear “Earth Talk”: Someone told me that methane gas emitted by cows is a major contributor to global warming. I thought it was a joke, but is this true? — David Rietz, Goose Creek, S.C. Accumulation of methane in the Earth’s atmosphere has nearly doubled around the globe over the past 200 years. Scientists believe […]

Dear “Earth Talk”: How many Americans are adversely affected by air pollution, and what can we do to improve air quality? — Tom Weaver, Sioux City, Iowa According to the State of the Air 2005 report, published by the American Lung Association, air-pollution levels improved in many parts of the nation during the first few years […]

Dear “Earth Talk”: What are the implications of the increasing breakup of Antarctica’s large floating ice shelves in recent years? — Gaertner Olivier, Brussels, Belgium Ice shelves are thick plates of ice that float on the ocean around much of Antarctica. Snow, glaciers and ice flows feed these large plates in the colder months. In […]

Dear “Earth Talk”: What’s better for the environment, a fake or real Christmas tree?  — R.M. Brandt, Nutley, N.J. Although there is no crystal-clear answer to the age-old “real vs. fake” Christmas-tree debate, most environmentalists, “tree-huggers” among them, would agree that real trees are the better choice, at least from a personal and public-health standpoint. […]

Dear “Earth Talk”: Is it true that converting crops such as corn into ethanol actually uses more energy than is produced? — Leslie Foster, Eau Claire, Wis. Recent revelations by University of California, Berkeley, researcher Tad Patzek have fueled vigorous debate about the wisdom of using fuels such as ethanol to reduce our reliance on […]

Dear “Earth Talk”: What are the ramifications for wildlife of cross-breeding species and creating animals such as the “zorse” (horse/zebra mix) and the “beefalo” (cow/buffalo)? — Kiernan Warble, San Francisco, Calif. In 1986, a 14-foot-long male false killer whale and a 6-foot-long female Atlantic bottlenose dolphin at Honolulu’s Sea Life Park Hawaii became the proud […]

Dear “Earth Talk”: What are some of the trends in the construction industry that seek to improve the environmental impact of buildings? — Bianca Hoffman, Bridgeport, Conn. Builders, architects, environmental organizations, and forward-thinking governments around the world are working on a host of innovative ideas aimed at greening the built environment — from giant factories […]