Choosing from the New Generation Environmentally-Better Air Conditioners
According to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), energy consumption for home air conditioning units accounts for more than eight percent of all the electricity produced in theU.S., at a cost to homeowners of $15 billion annually. Besides the cost, all this cooling leads to ...
Beer Brewing Companies in Support of the Clean Water Act
In April 2013 the non-profit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) brought together two dozen nationally respected craft beer brewers to launch the Brewers for Clean Water Campaign, which aims to leverage the economic growth of the craft brewing sector into a powerful voice for bolstering clean w...
How Food Choices Can Affect the Use and Therefore Availability of Fresh Water Around the World
Our food choices and the availability of fresh water are inextricably linked. The crux of the problem is that human population numbers keep growing—we recently topped seven billion people worldwide—yet the amount of fresh water available remains finite. And growing food and raising lives...
Important Steps We Can Take As A Nation to Reduce Climate Change
Americans care more about the environment than ever before and the overwhelming majority of us acknowledges that climate change is real and human-induced. But still we continue to consume many more resources per capita than any other nation and refuse to take strong policy action to stave off global...
Tips on Getting Your Indoor Game-Playing Kids Outdoors
Getting kids away from computer and TV screens and outside into the fresh air is an increasing challenge for parents everywhere. Researchers have found that U.S. children today spend about half as much time outdoors as their counterparts did 20 years ago. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that ki...
Environmental Triggers For Cancer and How to Reduce the Risk
Cancer remains the scourge of the American health care system, given that four out of every 10 of us will be diagnosed with one form or another during our lifetime. Some of us are genetically predisposed toward certain types of cancers, but there is much we can do to avoid exposure to carcinogens in...
The Federal "Production Tax Credit" for Renewal Energy Development Is Back, for Limited Time
Environmentalists and wind energy boosters breathed a sigh of relief this past January when Congress voted to reinstate the Production Tax Credit (PTC), a federal tax incentive for companies that generate renewable energy from wind, geothermal or “closed-loop” biomass (dedicated energy c...
What the Sequester Means to the Environment
The sequester that went into effect March 1 is a budget measure that cuts federal spending across the board to the tune of $85 billion, meaning every federal agency is affected and must reduce discretionary spending. Indeed, the cuts are already having a negative impact on everything from air qualit...
Keeping Your Water Safe While the Debate Continues on the Safety of Chlorinated Water
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), chlorine levels of four parts per million or below in drinking water—whether from a private well or municipal reservoir—are acceptable from a human health standpoint. Inexpensive home drinking water test kits (from $5 on up) th...
The Main Drivers of Food Scarcity and What Needs to Be Done
Food scarcity is a bigger problem than ever as human population numbers continue to swell, putting additional stress on already fragile food production and distribution systems. And it’s not just happening in far away places: A recent report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that the...
Crisis in the World's Fisheries
Many of the world’s fisheries are indeed in crisis today due to years of overfishing, pollution and habitat destruction. According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, 57 percent of global fish populations are “fully exploited” and another 30 percent are ...
Protecting the Most Vulnerable from Environmental Dangers
The environmental justice movement was born in September 1982 when a group of poor residents of rural Warren County, North Carolina laid down in front of trucks transporting waste containing toxic PCBs to a nearby landfill. Those primarily African American activists eventually lost their battle to k...
Teflon Health Dangers Cause Phase-Out by 2015
Non-stick cookware has been around since 1960s when the first Teflon-coated “Happy Pan” appeared on store shelves. Cooks and dishwashers have loved the pans ever since, given how easily they clean up since no food residues can stick to the slippery surface coating. The issue with non-sti...
A Potential Source of Energy?
Biomass is plant matter that is burned as a source of energy. Fallen or cut wood that is burned for heat is one primary form of biomass, but another includes plant or animal matter that is converted into biofuels. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), which was formed during the oil ...
Saving Energy and the Environment with Home Automation
Home automation may indeed be the next big trend in what consumers can do today to stand up for the environment. By setting up a wired (or even wireless) system, homeowners can optimize lighting level efficiency, cut heating and cooling energy costs and deactivate energy-consuming devices and applia...
Allergies and Unhealthy Indoor Air
Even for those of us without allergies, poor indoor air quality is an often overlooked health issue. Recent research has shown that the air inside some buildings can be more polluted than the outdoor air in the most industrialized of cities. And since many of us spend some 90 percent of our time ind...
Tips for Keeping Cats and Dogs Healthy In and Out of the Home
Believe it or not, our pets may be exposed to more harsh chemicals through the course of their day than we are. Researchers at the non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that pet dogs and cats were contaminated with 48 of 70 industrial chemicals tested, including 43 chemicals at levels h...
Everyday People Helping Scientists and Researchers and How to Become One
“Citizen scientists” are members of the public who help scientists and researchers by making observations and/or collecting and recording data. The term was first popularized by the National Audubon Society as part of its annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC), during which volunteers from ac...
The Primary Benefits of Public Transportation
The benefits of making a major commitment to building up and efficiently managing a larger and more comprehensive public transit network are many. According to the National Alliance of Public Transportation Advocates (NAPTA), an organization that represents grassroots transit coalitions, organizat...
Recognizing Individual Leaders in Sustainable Food
The Growing Green Awards is a program of the non-profit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) that recognizes and gives exposure to individuals across the United States who have demonstrated original leadership in the field of sustainable food. Each year NRDC gives out the awards to those making ...
Eco-Friendly Ideas for Winter-White Weddings
You're ready to say your "I do's" in front of your family and friends. Planning a memorable celebration of your commitment to each other, however, doesn't mean you have to compromise on your commitment to the environment. It's possible to create the wedding of your dreams and stay "green," even in t...
New Nutritional Guidelines for School Lunches
Indeed, some 31 million American kids participating in the federally supported National School Lunch Program have been getting more whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables in their diets—whether they like it or not. The change is due to new school meal standards unveiled by the U.S. Departm...
Keeping Our Groundwater Safe
Keeping fresh water safe and abundant is a challenge for all societies. In the U.S., about half of the country’s drinking water comes from groundwater sources. Many rural areas derive all of their drinking water from groundwater, which also provides 40 percent of the irrigation needs of Americ...
How Deforestation Adds to Global Warming
By most accounts, deforestation in tropical rainforests adds more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than the sum total of cars and trucks on the world’s roads. According to the World Carfree Network (WCN), cars and trucks account for about 14 percent of global carbon emissions, while most analy...
New Standards in Greening the Textile Industry
Bluesign is an emerging standard for environmental health and safety in the manufacturing of textiles. The Switzerland-based organization, officially known as Bluesign Technologies AG, provides independent auditing of textile mills, examining manufacturing processes from raw materials and energy inp...
The Real Cost of Cheaper Natural Gas
Fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing, is a process whereby drillers blast millions of gallons of water, sand and hazardous chemicals at high-pressure into sub-surface rock formations to create fractures that facilitate the flow of recoverable oil or gas. The technique has proven so effective at ...
Why Environmental Groups Oppose the Domestic Fuels Protection Act of 2012
The Domestic Fuels Protection Act of 2012 (H.R. 4345) is a bill that was introduced in the House of Representatives in April 2012 by a bi-partisan group of Congress members to protect domestic producers of ethanol, biodiesel and other green-friendly fuels from liability to end-users who put the wron...
In the 21st Century, Even Furniture Can Be Eco-Friendly
While we now opt often for greener cars, appliances, household cleaners and food to up the sustainability quotient of our lifestyles, the furniture we spend all day and night in close contact with is often far from eco-friendly. The vast majority of sofas, chairs, beds and other upholstered furnitur...
More Than Being Green: The Benefits of Radiant Underfloor Heating
Underfloor radiant heating involves under laying the floor with a hot element or tubing that transfers heat into the room via infrared radiation and convection, obviating the need for forced or blowing air. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Savers website, radiant heating h...
Is the Crazy Weather Proof of Climate Change?
Extreme weather does not prove the existence of global warming, but climate change is likely to exaggerate it—by messing with ocean currents, providing extra heat to forming tornadoes, bolstering heat waves, lengthening droughts and causing more precipitation and flooding. “A changing ...
Making the Kitty Litter Eco-Friendly and Non-Toxic - For All Involved
It makes sense that environmentally enlightened cat owners would want cat litter made from natural products that will not potentially compromise their health or that of their beloved pets. Many mass market cat litters contain significant amounts of silica dust which has been linked to upper respirat...
Nondisclosure of Fragrance Ingredients May Be Hazardous to Our Health
Ahhh...the sweet smell of petrochemicals! The Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports that, while many popular perfumes, colognes and body sprays contain trace amounts of natural essences, they also typically contain a dozen or more potentially hazardous synthetic chemicals, some of which are deri...
On the Global Map, How Does the U.S. Compare On Consumerism?
It is well known that Americans consume far more natural resources and live much less sustainably than people from any other large country of the world. “A child born in the United States will create thirteen times as much ecological damage over the course of his or her lifetime than a child b...
Night Lighting and the Environment
Americans do squander a lot of electricity keeping things lit up at night while most of us sleep. This light blocks our view of the night sky and stars, creates glare hazards on roads, messes with our circadian sleep-wake rhythms, interrupts the patterns of nocturnal wildlife, and is by and large an...
What is the Recreational Trails Program and is it on the Chopping Block?
The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is a federal assistance program that helps states pay for the development and maintenance of recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both non-motorized and motorized recreational trail uses. The Congressionally mandated program was in jeopardy due t...
Environmentalists Look at the Endangered Species Act in the U.S.
While that very question has been a subject of debate already for decades, most environmental advocates are thankful such legislation is in place and proud of their government for upholding such high standards when it comes to preserving rare species of plants and animals. That said, critics of the...
Will Mt. St. Helens become a national park?
Mt. St. Helens, one of the less prominent yet massive peaks of WashingtonState’s Cascade Range, made history on May 18, 1980by erupting with the force of 500 atomic bombs, devastating 230 square miles of formerly verdant forest and killing 57 people. After considerable debate about what to do ...
What are the enviromental and health impacts of non-red meat proteins?
Not all forms of protein are created equal as to the environmental and health implications of raising and consuming them. A 2011 assessment by the non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that “different meats and different production systems have varying health, climate and other en...
Has a greener alternative to the modern air conditioner finally been invented?
Unfortunately the modern day air conditioner, with its constantly cycling, energy-hogging compressor and environmentally unfriendly chemical coolant, still reigns supreme throughout the world—and increasingly so in rapidly developing countries like India and China where possession of air condi...
The progress in curbing diesel pollution
Gasoline-powered passenger cars plying American roads have been subject to strict pollution limits for some three decades already, but only recently have tougher standards for diesel-powered trucks, trains, barges and other soot-belching vehicles gone on the books across the country. Traditionally, ...
How Businesses Can Minimize Environmental Impact
There are many ways to green up any business, large or small—and an added benefit might just be saving money. Just like individuals, businesses can measure their carbon footprints to get a sense of where they are starting from and to get some initial ideas of areas to focus on to reduce greenh...
Will natural gas be the future fuel option for automobiles?
It is difficult to say which of the growing number of fuel options will power the cars of the future. But natural gas, given its domestic abundance, low price and lesser carbon footprint, is certainly a contender, at least as far as researchers at the federally funded Argonne National Laboratory are...
Defining "Sustainable Community"
Kaid Benfield, Sustainable Communities program director at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), uses the term “sustainable communities” to describe places “where use of resources and emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants are going down, not up; where the air a...
New Oil Drilling Plan Underway on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Arctic Ocean
In November 2011 the Obama administration began lifting the moratorium on off-shore drilling that had been imposed in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced a five year plan including 15 leases for oil development on Alaska’s Outer Continental Shel...
An emerging trend, "cloud computing" may be dirty words for the environment
Leading tech companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft are now offering unprecedented amounts of data storage and access to “apps” on huge Internet-connected servers, saving consumers and businesses the hassle of installing and running programs and storing information on their own local...
Choosing environmentally friendly, non-toxic air fresheners
It is true that some air fresheners on the market today make use of harsh chemicals to eliminate or overpower odors. “Many air fresheners contain nerve-deadening chemicals that coat your nasal passages and temporarily block your sense of smell,” reports National Geographic’s The Gr...
Understanding the Intersection of Social Justice and the Food System with Accokeek Foundation’s 2012 Food Justice Series
Our relationship with food should involve more than its mere consumption. Instead, when we regard food, we need to consider its origins, the hands that cultivated it, and if equal accessibility to garden-fresh foods actually exists. In other words, our understanding of the food system needs to go be...
EarthTalk Answers Your Questions About Effects of Marketing to Kids and The Grand Canyon Mining Ban
Dear EarthTalk: Are all the commercial messages kids are bombarded with today having any noticeable negative effects? And if so what can a concerned parent like me do to limit my own kids’ exposure to so much advertising and marketing? -- Jason Baldino, Some...
Solar Energy Training is Leading the Way in Green Careers
As the world continues to look for alternative energy sources, an increasing number of people are in need of solar panel installation. In many areas, there just aren't enough qualified and trained solar installers to do the job. This situation is creating widespread job opportunities for individuals...
Eco-Friendly Ways of Reusing and Recycling Paper, Books, and Magazines
As consumers demand the need for more paper, whether it's for newspapers, plain paper or books, we continue to cut down vast numbers of really old trees. It will take numerous years to see this turned over. Reusing and recycling paper is really important nowadays. All paper, including books and ma...
Campaign efforts to unwrap genetically engineered foods
Just Label It is an effort spearheaded by organic farmers and food producers, consumer and public health advocates and environmentalists to persuade the federal government to require that foods with genetically engineered (GE) ingredients be labeled accordingly. Consumers have a right, they believe,...
Why marine reserves need to be protected
“Underwater wilderness” is a term sometimes used to describe so-called Marine Reserves, a type of Marine Protected Area (MPA) where offshore drilling and mining are not allowed and fishing is either heavily restricted or banned altogether. Marine Reserves, which occur in both tropical an...
New Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards Coming for Automobiles
After years of wrangling on the issue, auto companies, regulators and policymakers have finally come to terms on increased Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for vehicles plying American roads. According to the plan as formulated by the Obama administration, automakers will double the a...
Asthma rates in the U.S. have doubled in the last three decades. What's behind this troubling trend and what can we do to reverse it?
Asthma is on the rise across the U.S., doubling since the 1980s. According to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), most people who develop asthma likely have a genetic predisposition but also probably experienced “critical environmental exposures during the first years of life.” Asthma ...
Saving Water and Money in the Bathroom
Did you know that some 60 percent of our household indoor water usage happens in the bathroom? As such, updating old leaky fixtures and changing a few basic habits could go a long way to not only saving fresh water, an increasingly precious resource, but also money. Undoubtedly, the toilet is the b...
Unregulated, it's hard to measure the power of echinacea against colds and flu, but it can help reduce duration of symptoms
Echinacea, also known as purple coneflower, has gained popularity in recent years as a nutritional supplement that proponents believe is helpful in staving off the common cold and shortening its duration. But given the variation between dosages and formulations—such herbs are not regulated as ...
The debate on oil vs. gas heating just got a little hotter
It is true that natural gas has been a more affordable heat source than oil for Americans in recent years. The federal Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that the average American homeowner will pay only about $732 to heat their home with gas this winter season (October 1 through March ...
How meat consumption adds to environmental hazards
Our meat consumption habits take a serious toll on the environment. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the production, processing and distribution of meat requires huge outlays of pesticides, fertilizer, fuel, feed and water while releasing greenhouse gases, manure and a range of to...
Researchers disagree on better fuel sources for nuclear power
Thorium, a naturally occurring radioactive element found in abundance in the Earth’s crust all around the world, might well be a better fuel source than uranium for nuclear power generation for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, just one ton of the silvery metal can produce as much ener...
Bottle deposit laws help to increase bottle recycling So-called bottle bills, otherwise known as container recycling laws, mandate that certain types of beverage containers require a small deposit (usually five or ten cents) at checkout beyond the price of the beverage itself. Cu...
Once considered unhealthy, there's good news about the sweetener aspartame While rumors have circulated for years that diet sodas are unhealthy, researchers have found no direct links between such drinks and specific human health problems. Aspartame (also known as NutraSweet) is the ...
