Earth Talk

Dear Earth Talk: Now that autumn is here, the leaves are going to pile up in my yard again. Is it really that bad to burn them? Why is it illegal to burn leaves in so many places now? — Jeffrey Edwards, Westport, Conn. Burning fallen leaves used to be standard practice across North America, […]

Dear “Earth Talk”: Is there a connection between “mad cow” disease and Alzheimer’s disease? — Jon Luongo, Brooklyn, N.Y. Despite limited evidence, some researchers fear that just such a connection exists. In his 2004 book Brain Trust, biochemist Colm Kelleher argues that mad-cow disease (also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE) has actually been […]

Dear “Earth Talk”: I’m going to be remodeling and was wondering: Are there floorings or wall coverings available that won’t aggravate my child’s respiratory problems? — Mary, Lake Zurich, Ill. For those with chemical sensitivities, the home is sometimes anything but a refuge. Volatile organic compounds such as formaldehyde can “off-gas” from carpets, wallpaper, and […]

Dear “Earth Talk”: In what ways is global warming already affecting us in North America? — Tyler Merson, New York, N.Y. There are many examples of climate change’s real and present impact. For one, the 20 hottest years since recordkeeping began in the 1880s have all occurred since 1983, and until this year 2005 was […]

Rethinking paper 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 […]

When it’s hot and humid out and the air conditioner’s not running, America suffers. Babies break out in rashes, couples bicker, and computers go haywire. In much of the nation, an August power outage is viewed not as an inconvenience but as a public-health emergency. In the 50 years since air conditioning hit the mass […]

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 […]

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 […]