Archive

COOL Food

Seafood retailers in the U.S. must, by law, affix country-of-origin labels on their products. But congressional Republicans (and the Bush Administration) have held off mandatory labeling of meat products for five years.

The hospital I work at doesn”t recycle at all, not even plastic bottles

Getting a large institution or corporation on board with recycling is no easy job, especially when you are starting from scratch. A good place to begin is to get permission from higher-ups to solicit bids from waste haulers and recyclers interested in new business.

Debt Swap Yields $39M for Costa Rican Rainforests

In what amounts to the largest "debt-for-nature" swap in history, the U.S. government last week forgave $26 million owed it by Costa Rica on the stipulation that the funds be spent on the preservation of tropical rainforest tracts.

Genetically Modified Plants Aid Toxic Clean Ups

An article that appeared last week in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences detailing how researchers have developed genetically modified plants that can absorb large amounts of man-made toxic pollutants, could have a profound impact on the way land managers deal with contaminated industrial sites in the U.S. and beyond.

COMMENTARY: Sheri Liao, China’s Green Fighter

Connecticut’s Fairfield University, a Jesuit institution, is going green with a comprehensive strategy that includes recycling, energy and water conservation and several environmental academic programs. As part of that program, it recently hosted Sheri Liao, founder and president of Global Village of Beijing (GVB), a Chinese nonprofit that promotes eco-friendly lifestyles.

Please help settle the debate about whether or not my cats should stay in or go out

Dear EarthTalk: Please help settle the debate about whether or not my cats should stay in or go out. My neighborhood is relatively safe for cats, vis-à-vis car traffic, and I think it is more natural for them to be outside and not always inside. They do kill wildlife, including birds, but aren’t they just taking the place of natural predators that once did the same?

Dear EarthTalk: The hospital I work at doesn’t recycle at all, not even plastic bottles and cans or food service trays. I was wondering how to get the facility to start up some kind of recycling system?

Semana de 21/10/07

Querido DiálogoEcológico: Me he enterado acerca de la mortandad en los arrecifes de coral debido al calentamiento global. He leído también que las barreras coralinas mismas almacenan bióxido de carbono (CO2), uno de los gases principales de calentamiento global. ¿Sin embargo, si los arrecifes coralinos desaparecen, no es eso un palo doble que aumenta el CO2 en la atmósfera?

Querido DiálogoEcológico: Fuera de comprar un nuevo híbrido u otro coche "verde", ¿hay maneras de hacer que mi vehículo actual sea menos ecológicamente dañino? Compré mi coche recientemente y no estoy exactamente lista a jubilarlo.