All About Atmospheric Holes, Outdated Floppies and Recycling How thick is the ozone layer? —Mike Skram, Collegeville, MN Though this sounds like a simple question, the answer is actually quite complex. John Kermond, a visiting scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Maryland, explains that ozone layer thickness is expressed in terms […]
Bike Power, Burning Trash, and the Low-Down on Automakers’ Search for Alt-Fuels.
I really enjoy the Survivor TV series, but what is the environmental impact of the TV crews working in those remote areas? —Rachel Maxwell, Port Washington, NY Chris Murphy Illustration Though the TV show Survivor ensures the survival of its contestants, some feel it fails to offer the same guarantee to the environment. As the […]
The Lowdown on Toxic Chemicals, Green Towns and Taming Allergies What environmental hazards, if any, are associated with photography? —Sarah, Ontario, Canada While pictures may be worth a thousand words, they have, pardon the expression, a negative side. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that “many of the chemicals used to develop photographs are corrosive […]
The Rundown on Hazardous Waste, Pine Sol and Companies that Care
The best you can do is give “em the facts: Styrofoam, Dow Chemical’s trade name for its blown foam polystyrene product, gained widespread popularity in the 1970s as an inexpensive and effective insulating material for disposable cups and containers.
Where do I find sources of Earth-friendly building supplies and materials?
What are the special environmental threats to Native Americans
People suffering from otherwise unexplainable medical problems such as headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, and even chest pains may have everyday chemicals to blame. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is a medical condition whereby such symptoms
There is a clear relationship between the number of boats in a given area and the levels of coliform bacteria in both water and shellfish, reports the San Francisco Estuary Project. High levels of coliform bacteria, which indicate sewage pollution, can spread disease
