According to the United States Census Bureau, the population gains a new American every 11 seconds, and 2.5 million a year. Of that total, more than a million were born somewhere else. Between 1901 and 1990, 37 million immigrants arrived on American shores, an epic movement of people looking for a better life. Why do […]
The Fight to Save the ESA Wildlife protection is headed for a showdown, but it may not come in the current Congress. The main players are Senator Dirk Kempthorne (R-ID) and Representative George Miller (D-CA); both have sponsored bills which, if passed, would dramatically change the face of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Senate bill […]
There are several initiatives underway to promote the switch to recycled paper. The Green Press Initiative at www.greenpressinitiative.org has persuaded 20 U.S. book publishers to stop using fiber from ancient forests, and to maximize recycled content in three to five years. Co-op America is working with Conservatree and the Independent Press Association on the Magazine […]
Highlights in recent green purchasing efforts around the country include these, part of an extensive Center for a New American Dream listing at www.newdream.org/procure/activities.html: Santa Monica, California, which is buying 100 percent renewable electricity for all city facilities, with a net reduction of greenhouse gases totaling 13,672 tons annually
10 Campus Organizers Although each is a unique resource, national organizations act synergistically to keep environmental issues at the forefront of higher education. “The environment is something we all share,” points out Ocean Robbins, president of Youth for Environmental Sanity. “So many things cause divisions in this world, but this is one place we can […]
Beyond agricultural waste, hemp, kenaf and other well-known fibers, there are a host of other raw materials that show considerable promise as non-wood resources. Flax, for example, receives six mentions in the Bible, and is the basis for linen production. Long-fiber linen rags, cuttings and threads have been used as the feedstock for paper making […]
"Typically, we bring the concept of lifecycle pricing to the table," says Mark Petruzzi of Green Seal, which offers environmental certification for a range of products. "Looking only at the first cost of a product is a disingenuous way of doing things. With paint, for instance, you have to consider not only the initial price, […]
The United States had only 8,000 registered cars and trucks in 1900 and almost 200 million in 1995. We are literally choking to death on our enduring love affair with the gasoline-powered car. In a typical U.S. city, automobile exhaust accounts for up to 60 percent of the nitrogen oxide and up to 90 percent […]
Hemp- and kenaf-based paper, often made with imported pulp, is now widely used in environmental circles, but there are a fair number of dissenters.
To help address the fears and assuage the frustration brought on by specific childhood ailments, these groups provide families with practical advice, information and support: Alliance to End Childhood Lead Poisoning — strives to change perceptions about childhood lead poisoning and to develop and implement national prevention programs.
