Dear EarthTalk: How many Americans are adversely affected by air pollution and what can we do to improve air quality? —Tom Weaver, Sioux City, IA According to the State of the Air 2005 report, published by the American Lung Association (ALA), air pollution levels improved in many parts of the nation during the first few […]
Since December 31 is almost upon us, what New Year’s resolutions might my family and I make to lessen our impact on the environment?
It’s that time of year again, when New York City department stores boast lavish themed window displays, tots line up across the country to sit on the laps of hundreds of mall Santas, co-workers mingle nervously at stiff office parties, and people jockey for position in shopping centers and deck their abodes in festive extravagance.
Activists from a coalition of environmental groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Sierra Club and Earthjustice have mounted a vigorous campaign against taking federal threatened species protection away from Yellowstone’s beloved grizzly bears per a recent proposal by the Bush administration.
Opposition from at least 11 Western Senators has caused House majority leaders to drop a proposal that would have allowed the federal government to sell off millions of acres of public land to mining companies eager to expand their operations. The contentious provision was slated to be part of a federal belt-tightening bill now working is way through Congressional committee hearings. Several Democratic Senators had threatened to filibuster the bill when it percolated up to them if it contained the mining land sale proposal.
Some 25 percent of the world’s original coral reefs have already been lost, and the process is accelerating, in part due to global warming.
Could hormone mimics, synthetic chemicals that trick the body into thinking they are natural hormones, be behind the recent increase in hot flash rates?
Biodynamics is not new; it predates the now-popular organic farming movement. It resembles organic agriculture in many ways, but adds a spiritual or mystical component.
Forget the old saying that people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Now you can live in a “papercrete” house (made from recycled paper and Portland cement) that’s so strong stones won’t make a dent.
While the concept of screening bad corporate actors out of socially responsible investment (SRI) funds dates back to the early 1970s, the latest tactic involves actually investing in companies with spotty track records in order to affect change from within via “insider” tactics.
