Earth Talk

Untitled Document Glossy paper used by most magazines is bad for the environment, yet most publishers still use it, even the outdoors and environmental titles. What’s the scoop? It’s no secret that glossy coatings on magazine covers make pictures really “pop” and attract the eye, thus helping publications compete for attention on ever more crowded […]

Untitled Document Why have some cities, including New York, outlawed kitchen-sink garbage disposals, at least in homes? Kitchen-sink garbage disposals are not necessarily earth-friendly in and of themselves, but they do play a valuable role in grinding up food scraps into small enough bits for local sewer or on-site septic systems to handle. In the […]

Untitled Document Is it true that some ingredients in common air fresheners can cause health problems? Air fresheners are a $1.72 billion industry in the United States. An estimated 75 percent of homes use them regularly. According to a September 2007 report released by the Natural Resources Defense Council, most common household air fresheners contain […]

Untitled Document Wouldn’t having hybrid cars run on E85 or biodiesel solve many problems?   Environmental advocates would love to see carmakers mass-produce a biofuel-electric hybrid. From a technology standpoint, it’s a no-brainer: Major automakers already turn out vehicles that can run on E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol, derived from corn and other […]

Untitled Document The soil beneath our feet is a critical resource but subject to many threats. What are they, and what can be done? Even among the ecology-minded, soil falls well below the radar of important causes, but the relationship between soil quality and both environmental and human health is intricately entwined. From the food we […]

Untitled Document OK, once and for all, which is more environmentally friendly, paper or plastic, at the grocery checkout? The city of San Francisco recently banned plastic bags. Large supermarkets and pharmacies there must eliminate plastic shopping bags by early 2008 in favor of bags made either from paper or compostable and biodegradable cornstarch. The […]

Untitled Document Where does one turn in order to give babies fresh, organic food? Babies deserve the best possible start in life, so giving them nutritious food is a must, not only for good health but also to establish positive eating habits as early as possible. According to Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, commercial […]

Untitled Document Are antibacterial soaps better than plain soaps? University of Michigan researchers reviewed numerous studies conducted between 1980 and 2006 and concluded that antibacterial soaps containing triclosan as the main active ingredient are no better at preventing infections than plain soaps. Further, the team argued that these antibacterial soaps could actually pose a health […]

Untitled Document What is the status of the land mines issue popularized by Princess Diana and Paul McCartney’s ex-wife, Heather Mills? Land mines were first widely used in World War II and have since been used in Vietnam, the Korean War, the first Gulf War, and in about a half-dozen conflicts around the world today. […]

Untitled Document What are the best kinds of dishwasher and laundry soaps for the environment? The average North American produces between 60 and 150 gallons of wastewater every day, much of it a result of dishwashing and laundry. Municipal water-treatment facilities do their best to filter out the synthetic chemicals common in most mainstream dishwasher […]

Untitled Document How can we get schools to offer healthier and more eco-friendly cafeteria food to our kids? Now that many schools have stopped selling sodas and other unhealthy vending-machine items to their students, improving the nutritional quality of cafeteria food is on the agenda of many parents and school administrators — and, luckily for […]

Untitled Document What can be done to recycle Styrofoam economically and efficiently? Known within the packaging industry as expanded polystyrene (EPS) and usually bearing the No. 6 recycling symbol, Styrofoam (which is actually the trademark name for Dow Chemical’s product) has long been an environmental bugaboo, partly because it contains chemicals known to cause central […]