Hundreds of Boston College students and other Brighton residents were without power, some for more than a day, late last week. On December 9, around 3 p.m., a transformer failed on Commonwealth Avenue, NSTAR confirmed. A second transformer failed shortly later. A total of 177 customers were without power for 12 hours, and another 18 [...]
Greening baseball
May 22, 2009 Leave a Comment
Across most of Major League Baseball (MLB), teams are turning greener than the outfield grass, reports the June 2009 issue of E – The Environmental Magazine (now posted at www.emagazine.com/view/?4664). They’re reducing energy consumption, extending recycling efforts, and taking the first steps into renewable energy. So far, four parks, including Fenway Park in Boston, the [...]
EarthTalk: Microfinance? Smart grids?
Feb. 9, 2009 1 Comment
Dear EarthTalk: What is “microfinance” and how does it help poor countries and preserve the environment? – Eliza Clark, Seattle, WA The brainchild of Grameen Foundation founder Muhammad Yunus, microfinance is a form of banking whereby financial institutions offer small loans to the poor. The idea behind the concept, which originated in Bangladesh in the [...]
Tributaries T12 power strip
Dec. 1, 2008 Leave a Comment
With 12 sockets, including eight that rotate to get out of the way, the T12 is great. It just should cost a lot less.
EarthTalk: Dairy-free cheese? Flourescent bulb headaches?
Aug. 18, 2008 1 Comment
Dear EarthTalk: My body doesn’t tolerate cheese well. Are there dairy-free cheeses that will be easier on my constitution and better for the environment, too? — Steve Sullivan, Seattle, WA With some 30 to 50 million Americans suffering from various degrees of lactose intolerance, and an estimated three million of us now eating animal-free (vegan) [...]
EarthTalk: Televisions? Early puberty?
July 14, 2008 Leave a Comment
Dear EarthTalk: I need to replace my old TV. Can you tell me which of the latest models is the greenest? I was told that the flat-screen/plasmas are real energy hogs. What do you recommend? — Angela Montague, via e-mail According to The Wall Street Journal’s Rebecca Smith, a 42-inch plasma TV set can draw [...]
EarthTalk: Killing ants? Cogeneration?
June 23, 2008 Leave a Comment
Dear EarthTalk: In renovating a vacation cabin, I discovered carpenter ants working their way through the walls. Is there any way to responsibly get rid of the pests without using noxious chemicals that could potentially harm my family? — Curran Clark, Lummi Island, WA Carpenter ants may seem small and look harmless, but they can [...]
Pyramid power?
Jan. 2, 2008 4 Comments
Kreative Power, a newcomer to the technology market, has launched a funny-looking new surge protector in the shape of a pyramid. The “Powramid” is a six-outlet cone of a power strip that’s actually pretty smart. It lets you plug large power adapters into each socket and is extremely compact. Kreative says several models of the [...]
