What are the pros and cons of juice pasteurization? —Sabrina Coolidge, Portland, OR Some consumers are skeptical of pasteurization because they are concerned that the heat treatment will compromise the nutritional value of juice. According to Odwalla, a natural juice company, there is an approximate 30 percent nutrient loss during pasteurization. But the U.S. Food […]
Do airplanes contribute significantly to air pollution? —Neil Gladstone, New York, NY Airports cause as much pollution as power plants, incinerators and oil refineries, although they are subject to less regulation, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The hundreds of thousands of airplanes taking off, landing, taxiing and idling each day across the […]
I have been searching for an environmentally-friendly way to repel moles from my home without killing or harming them. Any suggestions?—Elizabeth Powell, Marion, OH Having moles in your yard is not necessarily detrimental. In fact, moles eat destructive creatures like Japanese beetles and grubs, and aerate the soil by tunneling, bringing subsoil close to the […]
Reusable Mugs, Bleach Alternatives and Acid Rain What are the main causes of acid rain, and where are the highest concentrations found in the U.S.? —Jeff Ohmberger, Lincoln, NE A vast medley of chemicals and pollutants can contribute to acid rain, but emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOX) are primarily to blame. […]
Should I Worry About…Airports, Siding and CFCs? Does the airport near where I live emit any kind of magnetic or electrical waves that will impact my health? —B. Sachau Living near an airport poses no special risk from electromagnetic fields (EMFs) , though there is both air and noise pollution to consider. The National Council […]
Away With Additives, Landfill Clutter and the Buy-and-Spend Mentality Can you explain the effects of MTBE on drinking water? Do any of the major low-cost water filters remove it from the tap —John Jacobson, Oakland, CA Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether (MTBE) is added to gasoline to reduce the effects of automobile emissions on air pollution. But […]
Are any professional athletes vegetarians? Billie Jean King, who racked up 20 wins at Wimbledon, won the U.S. Open 13 times and dealt a blow to male chauvinism when she beat Bobby Riggs in a 1973 tennis match, was powered by a vegetarian diet. She is not alone. The list of vegetarian athletes is several pages long and includes names like bodybuilder Andreas Cahling, football star Desmond Howard, Ironwoman Ruth Heidrich and sprinter Carl Lewis.
While dermatologists continue to remind us that long-term sun exposure can harm our skin, causing wrinkles, burns, age spots, actinic keratuses (layers of skin overgrowth resulting in red, scaly spots), and more seriously, malignant melanoma, many people still yearn for that sun-worshipper look.
How much of our waste is recycled compared to what is “disposed of”? Who keeps track of this? —Anita Knight, Wheaton, IL The amount of waste produced in the U.S. had been rapidly increasing over the past three decades, until it peaked in 1994 at 209 million tons. Every year, a greater percentage of that […]
Stopping Sprawl, Reusing Printer Cartridges and Respecting Wildlife In your article “Troubled Homecoming” in the March/April issue, it was mentioned that a 24-year-old worker, Tricia Wyman, was killed by wolves. Could I have more information on this? —Paul Tipple, Corner Brook, NE and Mark Thompson, Inver Grove Heights, MN Though most people believe that wolf […]
