Have you heard about the ingredient in shampoos and bath washes called Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate? —Carol Bean, Lyme, NH Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a cleanser derived from coconut oil, used in a variety of household and industrial products. Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) has similar foaming and cleansing effects, as do […]
The Facts on Used Jeans, Clean Windshields and Reusable Toothbrushes I have many pairs of blue jeans that are in decent shape, except the knees are worn out and they’re either too big or too small. Is there a place to take jeans where they can be reused in some way? —Janine Erali, Wyo Hills, […]
Your cover article “Talking Trash” in the March/April 1997 issue said there were only two curbside recycling programs in the country in the early 1970s. Where were they? —Bonnie Emerick, Chicago, IL According to Neil Seldman, co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, the two programs were in Marblehead, Massachusetts and Madison, Wisconsin. Seldman says […]
Taking a Stance on Nuclear Energy, Newspapers and College Recycling What is a breeder reactor, and what are fission and fusion? —Anthony Gill, St. Bonaventure, NY Sue Gagner, public affairs officer of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), offers this definition, “A fission reactor splits the nucleus of atoms into parts, while fusion involves combining the […]
What threats would oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge pose to wildlife? —Alexander Brower, Jefferson, WI The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service calls Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) "among the most complete, pristine, and undisturbed ecosystems on Earth." ANWR’s Area 1002, the coastal plain where oil drilling is proposed, is home to […]
How can restaurants serve bison meat if there are so few of the majestic animals left in the wild? Aren’t bison endangered? —Pat Henderson, Columbus, OH The American bison, which is commonly called a buffalo, is not on the U.S. Endangered Species List. According to the National Bison Association, there are approximately 350,000 of the […]
What is the environmental impact of cruise ships? —David Haviland, Ann Arbor, MI Chris Murphy Illustration For several million passengers each year, an ocean cruise can be the ultimate vacation. But according to the activist group Bluewater Network, "from 1993 to 1998, cruise ships were involved in 104 detected and confirmed cases of illegal discharges […]
Explorations of Gravel Mining, the Antarctic Shelf and "Natural" Cleansers What are the environmental impacts of gravel extraction? Kristina Hayward Berkshire, UK Gravel extraction, often in stream beds, is big business in the United States and elsewhere, and there's a definite environmental cost. Gravel is used to help build patios, parking lots, roads and building […]
How to Avoid Fuming Fibers, Deceptive Stickers and Alien Mussels What are the toxic dangers of the carpet-cleaning chemical ethylene glycol monobutyl ether? —Roger Schatz, Chicago, IL Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, also known as 2-butoxyethanol, is the most toxic of the glycol ethers. It is a clear, syrupy liquid with a mild, rancid odor that […]
If you are bothered by the smell of trace amounts of chlorine in your tap water, expose it in a clear, uncovered bottle to the sun’s rays for an hour and the smell will dissipate.
