EarthTalk Q&A

The park our children use is routinely sprayed with the herbicide Roundup. Is that chemical safe, especially for children? Ewa Bialkowski San Jose, CA The Center for Ethics and Toxics (CETOS) lists glyphosate, Roundup’s active ingredient, as the most widely used pesticide by volume. The Monsanto Corporation, makers of Roundup, claims there is no evidence […]

The diaper debate, shrinking beaches and shingle recycling.

How can I find out how environmentally responsible a company is? —Michael Waldron, Ithaca, NY Ever wonder how “green” that new shirt really is? Or what kind of organizations are receiving money from your long distance phone company? Do you know if your favorite beverage company is using recycled plastic? A little detective work can […]

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 […]

What are some tips on maintaining a "green" swimming pool? —Jim Humphey, North Andover, MA © Chris Murphy Evidence on the dangers of chlorine continues to mount, as a recent study shows a possible link of child asthma cases to exposure of chlorine byproducts used in indoor pools, says the Water Quality and Health Council. […]

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 […]

When driving in traffic, you breathe gases such as nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons at concentrations 10 times above normal ambient urban levels, according to a 1998 study conducted by California’s Air Resources Board (ARB).

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.

Electronics Recycling, Eco-Campuses and Corporate Accountability.