EarthTalk Q&A

An Enertia house essentially marries the concepts of geothermal and passive solar heating/cooling into what amounts to a highly energy efficient hybrid HVAC system.

Do you have current facts and figures about how much rainforest is being destroyed each day around the world, and for what purpose(s)?

There are no bottles in these boxes of wine — just wine and the plastic pouch that holds it. Boxing instead of bottling wine saves half the shipping weight (and associated carbon emissions) and keeps the product fresher longer

Tall fencing buried deep around the perimeter of your garden is probably the best, though not fool-proof, way to keep the groundhogs out.

Bed bugs, tiny little rust-colored insects of the Cimicidae family, live by feeding on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded hosts. They get their name from their favorite habitat:

Finding a single cause of Colony Collapse Disorder seems unlikely, but the U.S. Department of Agricultures Agricultural Research Service points to the possibility of a “perfect storm” of stresses that compromise the immune system of bees

Hair salons have long been criticized for the pollution they generate. Traditional hair dyes and many shampoos contain harmful synthetic chemicals that are routinely used on customers” scalps—and then washed down the drain where they can accumulate in waterways, soils and even our bloodstreams.

How can I make good use of the rainwater that runs down my roof and into my gutters?

Non-profits of every stripe have been suffering from the economic downturn. In a recent survey of 800 U.S.-based non-profits, 75 percent reported feeling the effects of the downturn, with more than half already experiencing significant cuts in funding from both government and private foundation sources.