Earth Day is Friday, April 22. Why not use it to set some new goals that will help you green your health and beauty routine? Let’s start with shampoo. Conventional shampoo contains ingredients that may cause asthma or other human health problems and wreak havoc on water systems when they wash down the drain. Plus, they […]
GoDaddy or NoDaddy? It’s about more than the elephant.
Does GoDaddy CEO Bob Parsons have any believable excuses for shooting an elephant in a village in Zibabwe, Africa a few weeks ago? If he does, the public ain’t buyin’ it. Neither am I. In early March, Parsons killed an elephant and later posted the video footage on his website. Outrage was swift and explosive […]
Is your environmental “glass” half empty, or half full?
Are you hopeful about the state of the world, or filled with despair? Japan’s nuclear disaster is only the latest in a string of environmental catastrophes that might make anyone question whether we’re doomed. I’m normally a “glass half full” kind of person. But after almost four decades of working as an environmental activist, I can’t help but wonder: “Are […]
What’s the Link between Population and Nuclear Energy?
Japan’s nuclear disaster got me thinking about energy demand. Nuclear power advocates justify the decision to power plants with uranium as the best way to meet energy demands that are increasing because world population is growing. I couldn’t help but wonder: why aren’t we talking about reducing population as part of our global strategy to minimize dependence on […]
Nuclear disaster in Japan, oil disaster in the Gulf. What’s next?
The nuclear meltdown in Japan and the recent oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico may seem unrelated, but they’re not. Both catastrophes occurred because we’ve made three fundamental mistakes in the way we generate energy. 1) We have relied on centralized power plants that use dangerous fuels to meet energy demand. Most countries that can afford it […]
Top Ten Ways to Use Less Gas
Here we go again: gasoline prices are soaring close to $4.00 a gallon, and several of the countries that export oil to the U.S. are in such political turmoil, we can’t be sure our supplies will continue. When, oh when, will we say, “Enough, Already!” and get serious about reducing our dependence on petroleum? The problem isn’t just “foreign” […]
How to Shop for Eco-Friendly Clothes – Part 2: Try TENCEL or Lyocell
534viewsIf we were to separate clothing into categories, somewhere in between natural fibers like cotton or hemp and man-made petroleum fibers like polyester, we’d find Lyocell, “a natural cellulose” product. Lyocell is made by processing wood pulp into fiber so it can be woven into fabric and sewn into socks, underwear, pants, and blouses, among many other fashion options. Lyocell, […]
Would You Use a Gun to Protect Your Lettuce?
This is not a hypothetical question, at least in my neighborhood. And no, I don’t live in the woods, or on some out-of-the-way country backroad. I live in a suburb of Washington, D.C. And someone who lives around the corner from me is actually learning how to shoot a gun so he can “protect” his family in […]
