It seems like everybody is going green lately, and now we’re seeing that trend emerge in the saturated world of external hard drives. Storage solutions provider Fabrik announced the SimpleTech [re]drive, a 500GB external hard drive that they are dubbing the world’s most energy-efficient, resource-conscious external drive. The [re]drive is made from sustainable bamboo wood [...]
E Magazine: The Meat of the Matter
July 8, 2008 1 Comment
Ask most Americans about what causes global warming, and they’ll point to a coal plant smokestack or a car’s tailpipe. But it’s two other images that should be granted similarly iconic status, says the July/August 2008 cover story of E – The Environmental Magazine (now posted at www.emagazine.com): the front and rear ends of a [...]
EarthTalk: Pesticides? Autism?
July 8, 2008 2 Comments
Dear EarthTalk: What green-friendly lawn and garden pesticides are available today? I’m particularly interested in options that won’t harm my cats. – Nancy Blanchard, via e-mail Pesticides have greatly boosted agricultural yields over the last half century, so it is no wonder, given the commercial availability of many of these synthetic chemicals, that American homeowners apply [...]
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 [...]
EarthTalk: Deet? Retirement plans?
June 9, 2008 Leave a Comment
Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that the DEET used in most mosquito repellents is toxic? If so what problems does it cause? And what are some non-toxic alternatives for keeping mosquitoes at bay? – Tom Pollack, Oakland, CA DEET is commonly known as the king of mosquito repellents, though not everyone is keen to slather it [...]
EarthTalk: China’s olympics? Are we losing winter?
May 26, 2008 Leave a Comment
Dear EarthTalk: The 2008 Summer Olympics in China are drawing a lot of attention right now for political reasons. I’ve heard, though, that one ray of light is China’s effort to make the event as green as possible. What’s going on in that regard? — Josh Rogers, Concord, NH It’s true that China is using [...]
EarthTalk: College campuses? Wetlands?
May 19, 2008 Leave a Comment
Dear EarthTalk: What initiatives are taking place on college campuses to reduce the footprints of these large users of energy and other resources? – Shawna Smith, Hamilton, NY Microcosms of the world at large, college campuses are great test beds for environmental change, and many students are working hard to get their administrations to take positive [...]
Immigration affects environment, too
May 8, 2008 Leave a Comment
Immigration has become a “hot button” issue, but often for the wrong reasons, reports the May/June 2008 issue of E – The Environmental Magazine (now posted at: www.emagazine.com). What’s missing is frank discussion of its impact on overall population growth and on the environment - and on how to address its fundamental causes. Largely because [...]
EarthTalk: Green computing? Air travel?
April 21, 2008 Leave a Comment
Dear EarthTalk: My old computer finally bit the dust and I am in the market for a replacement. Are there any particularly “green” computers for sale these days? — Brian Smith, Nashua, NH Thanks in part to pressure from non-profits like Greenpeace International-which has published quarterly versions of its landmark “Guide to Greener Electronics” since [...]
EarthTalk: Whales? Green shoes?
April 14, 2008 Leave a Comment
Dear EarthTalk: It is true that the carcasses of whales that wash up on shore are considered dangerous to humans because of the amount of toxins and chemicals in their blubber? – Michael O’Loughlin, Tigard, Ore. Whether wildlife officials in a given region consider a dead beached whale a biohazard or not is local decision, [...]
EarthTalk: Forest fire chemicals? Energy drinks?
March 31, 2008 Leave a Comment
Dear EarthTalk: How safe are the fire retardants that are used to quell forest fires across the American West? – Barbara, Minneapolis, MN So-called long-term fire retardants-those usually dropped from airplanes over forest fires-are comprised of water mixed with a slurry of chemicals, thickeners and corrosion inhibitors designed to prevent plants on the ground from [...]
EarthTalk: Old clothes? Parrots?
March 24, 2008 Leave a Comment
Dear EarthTalk: How or where can I recycle clothes that are too old or worn out for Goodwill? – Tim Cheplick, Perrineville, NJ Just because that old shirt you used to love is too threadbare to wear anymore doesn’t mean it has to end up in a landfill. “Consumers don’t understand that there’s a place [...]
EarthTalk: Hand gel? Leather?
March 10, 2008 Leave a Comment
Dear EarthTalk: My pediatrician swears by those gel hand sanitizers for lowering the risk of my family getting sick during cold and flu season. But I’ve also heard that these products can be dangerous to kids if ingested. Are there any safer alternatives that work just as well? – Jason Blalock, Oakland, CA A 2005 study [...]
Colleges go green
March 4, 2008 Leave a Comment
Major green initiatives are sweeping college campuses, says E – The Environmental Magazine [...]
EarthTalk: Candles? Solar power from roads?
March 3, 2008 Leave a Comment
Dear EarthTalk: I just read an article that said air fresheners contain chemicals that can cause health problems when inhaled. Are scented candles any better? – Leanne Chacksfield, Cincinnati, OH Like most air fresheners, many scented candles contain and release phthalates, potentially harmful chemicals that have been linked to the disruption of hormonal systems and [...]
EarthTalk: Green computers? Meat?
Feb. 25, 2008 Leave a Comment
Dear EarthTalk: As an online gamer, I spend a lot of time in front of my computer. What’s the environmental impact? And are “greener” PCs available? – Bob Grant, Burlington, Vt. Online gamers and other heavy computer users are definitely leaving an environmental mark. Depending on when it was made and how it was designed, [...]
EarthTalk: Chocolate? Land trusts?
Feb. 4, 2008 1 Comment
Dear EarthTalk: I heard a reference to “Earth-friendly chocolate” and was wondering about what goes into chocolate that would raise environmental concerns. — Ben Moran, Providence, RI Like coffee beans, the cacao seeds from which we derive chocolate can only be grown successfully in equatorial regions — right where the world’s few remaining tropical rainforests [...]
EarthTalk: Sharks? Green info online?
Jan. 28, 2008 Leave a Comment
Dear EarthTalk: What is the status of sharks around the world? I see occasional stories about sharks attacking humans, but on balance aren’t we a lot more brutal to them then they are to us? – Pam Hitschler, Radnor, PA It’s true that humans do a lot more damage to shark populations than vice versa. [...]
