A new movement called Take Back Your Time focuses on how overworking impairs all areas of life, including health, family and the environment. The movement is supported by such groups as the Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy at Cornell University, The Simplicity Forum, the Simple Living Network and the Center for a New American Dream.
Rocky Flats nuclear facility became the Department of Energy’s (DOE) golden child in July when the last of the weapons-grade plutonium stored there was shipped away ahead of schedule. For nearly 40 years, Rocky Flats, just 15 miles northwest of downtown Denver, produced plutonium pits or "triggers" for thousands of the country’s stockpiled nuclear weapons. Remediation at the Flats, a highly contaminated Superfund site, is also moving forward dramatically under budget. Instead of the anticipated $37 billon, cleanup is now projected at $7 billion. In a time of federal budget deficits, and with Superfund’s core funding stream whittled away to $28 million, accelerated cleanup seems too good to be true. Many community members and environmental organizations—while happy to see the 6,400-acre site out of commission—are concerned that the project is being done in haste and find it unsettling that plutonium residue and toxins will be left several feet under the surface.
A local anti-fur rally I participated in years ago was attended by about 100 animal activists and a clique of 10 or so fur supporters, recruited by the fur show we were picketing. The local paper, which carried ads for all the local furriers, juxtaposed news photos of the two groups, giving the impression they were of equal size—and making sure to focus on the most unkempt individuals in the anti-fur crowd.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wears many hats, including president of the Waterkeeper Alliance and senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have risen 30 percent in the last century, but, again, that’s only a beginning. Until 1999, two gigatons of CO2 were added to the atmosphere annually. Since then, with the addition of huge releases from large-scale forest fires, we’ve added six gigatons.
Feeling the Heat: Reports From the Frontlines of Climate Change.
Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have risen 30 percent in the last century, but, again, that’s only a beginning. Until 1999, two gigatons of CO2 were added to the atmosphere annually. Since then, with the addition of huge releases from large-scale forest fires, we’ve added six gigatons.
A major problem with batteries is not so much the batteries themselves, but inefficient use and disposal by confused consumers.
Much of the American public consumes all forms of sweeteners without knowing that there are low-calorie ways to make your food more palatable without synthetic chemicals or cancer-causing ingredients.
Even though most people won’t get sick from West Nile virus, we owe it to our families, neighbors, pets and wildlife to reduce the incidence of this mosquito-borne disease. It’s not too early to begin thinking about next year’s mosquito season. One of the most effective, cheapest and environmentally benign ways to reduce the chance of infection is to eliminate mosquito-breeding grounds around your home. The West Nile virus has been found in 36 different varieties of mosquito, but the CDC still considers the Culex variety to be its primary vector. The Culex mosquito lays its eggs in murky, standing water such as in puddles, birdbaths and discarded tires.
