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 […]
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.
All About Atmospheric Holes, Outdated Floppies and Recycling How thick is the ozone layer?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 […]
