Dear EarthTalk: Summer is near and I am planning a big road trip. Do you have any tips for boosting my car’s fuel efficiency on long, hot drives? —Esther McCoy, Burlington, VT Ah, the summer road trip, that classic American experience. But long drives through steamy weather can burn through a lot of gas and cause […]
Dear EarthTalk: It seems like I’m getting more junk mail than ever these days. How can I stop the deluge? —Grace Dixon, Houston, TX First of all, you’re probably right! Junk mail has increased to a massive scale in recent years, with the average American […]
If temperatures around the globe continue to rise in the face of human-induced climate change as climatologists expect, some of the world’s most populous areas could become uninhabitable. Rising sea levels will flood out coastal areas, while increasing drought will make survival in already arid areas difficult at best. While we may have at least a few decades of runway to prepare ourselves for the worst, advance planners might want to think carefully about where to put down roots now. Where will be your climate refuge?
Dear EarthTalk: What is the Great Green Wall of China? —Jacob Williston, Tempe, AZ Unlike the Great Wall of China, a 5,000-mile fortification dating back to the 7th century BC that separates northern China from the Mongolian steppe, the Great Green Wall of China — otherwise known as the Three-North Shelter Forest Program — is […]
Dear EarthTalk: What resources are out there for helping teachers integrate sustainability topics into their curricula? — Melinda Zullo, Toronto, ON Teaching our kids about sustainability and green living is one of the most important things we can do to safeguard the future of humanity and the planet we inhabit. The North American Association for […]
Dear EarthTalk: Can I throw my old disposable batteries in the trash or is there a way to recycle them? — Jennifer Brandstrom, Chicago, IL Truth be told, those old used up disposable alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9-volt, etc.) aren’t the environmental menace they used to be before the federal government mandated taking out […]
Dear EarthTalk: How much of a threat does climate change pose to the tundra ecosystems of the far north? — Seamus Hall, via EarthTalk.org The tundra biome is among the coldest of the planet’s ecosystems. Its harsh climate means that plant life is unable to grow more than a few centimeters above the ground. The name ‘tundra’ […]
While we may not yet have reached the “point of no return” when no amount of CO2 cutbacks will save us from global warming, we may be getting awfully close.
Dear EarthTalk: What can communities do to keep polluters out of their neighborhoods? — Wendell Bovey, Los Angeles, CA It’s unfair that communities which are less organized and less wealthy often shoulder the burden of hosting polluters like landfills, incinerators and power plants. “Frequently, these facilities end up in the places that put up the least […]
Dear EarthTalk: How does the Rocky Mountain Institute think we can get off of oil and coal by 2050 and save money in the process? — James Greenville, Redding, CT Colorado-based sustainability think-tank Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) was founded in 1982 by American physicist and environmentalist Amory Lovins to research and promote market-based solutions to our energy […]
