How is loss of microscopic ocean plankton affecting the environment as a whole?

How is cigarette litter affecting the environment?

Eco-benefits of boxed wine.

A company shows off using “thermal inertia” to heat and cool your home.

Why bedbugs are suddenly such a nuisance again

An update on the colony collapse disorder.

How have green-groups been affected by the economic downturn?

As paradoxical as an eco-conscious speed boat sounds, take a look.

Where does China stand in terms of greenhouse gas emissions?

Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that military sonar exercises actually kill marine wildlife?  – John Slocum, Newport, RI 
Unfortunately for many whales, dolphins and other marine life, the use of underwater sonar (short for sound navigation and ranging) can lead to injury and even death. Sonar systems-first developed by the U.S. Navy to detect enemy submarines-generate slow-rolling [...]

Dear EarthTalk: What is “nanotechnology?” I’ve heard that nanoparticles are already in consumer products, yet we haven’t really studied their potential health impacts. – Dan Zeff, San Francisco, CA
Nanotechnology makes use of minuscule objects-whose width can be 10,000 times narrower than a human hair-known as nanoparticles. Upwards of 600 [...]

Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that the loss of the world’s peatlands is a major factor in the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. If so, what can be done about it? – Larissa S., Las Vegas, NV
Peatlands are wetland ecosystems that accumulate plant material to form layers of peat [...]

Dear EarthTalk: What were the environmental impacts of the huge coal ash spill in Tennessee this past December? — Dave S, Lynnfield, MA
Environmentalists’ call for an end to the age of coal-one of the dirtiest and most common of all the fossil fuels we now use-took on new urgency this past [...]

Dear EarthTalk: What is the status of Hawaiian monk seals and how will the new national monument designation in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands affect them?
– Polly LaBarre, New York, NY
Easily exploited by hunters, whalers and fishermen in the 19th century, Hawaiian monk seals essentially never recovered. As [...]

Dear EarthTalk: I don’t understand why there are many European diesel cars with very high mileage ratings that are not available in the U.S. Can you enlighten? – John Healy, Fairfield, CT
Different countries do have differing standards in regard to how much pollution gasoline and diesel automobile engines are allowed [...]

Dear EarthTalk: Is there really such a thing as “sun-protective clothing?” If so, does it mean I can dispense with oily sunscreens once and for all? — John Sugarman, San Diego, CA
While there will always be a place for high-quality sunscreen on body parts exposed to the sun, covering up elsewhere-ideally [...]

Dear EarthTalk: I keep meeting people who say that human-induced global warming is only theory, that just as many scientists doubt it as believe it. Can you settle the score? — J. Proctor, London, UK
So-called “global warming skeptics” are indeed getting more vocal than ever, and banding together to show [...]

Dear EarthTalk: I am looking at possibly buying a house that is very close to a gasoline station. Is it safe to live so close to a gas station? What concerns should I have? I have toddler and infant babies. — Ranjeeta, Houston, TX
Despite all the modern health and [...]

Dear EarthTalk: I want to start an organic vegetable garden in my yard and I would like to know how to combine crops to make better use of time and space. – Val Thomason, Denton, TX
Most commercial farms concentrate on growing a few select crops to supply a wide variety of customers, [...]

Dear EarthTalk: If you have an electric or plug-in hybrid car, you’re paying for electricity rather than gasoline all or most of the time. How does that cost compare to a gas-powered car’s cost-per-mile? And since the electricity may be generated from some other polluting source, does it really work out [...]

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