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ARCHIVE OF PAST COMMENTARIES
E's commentaries are our chance to offer opinionated analysis of the week's news. Look for new commentaries in our weekly Our Planet e-mailed newsletter and on E's homepage.
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Week of November 15th, 2009
I’ll Have a Green, Green Christmas
With the holiday season rapidly approaching, greens can feel decidedly mixed. In some ways, all the gift giving, holiday travel, parties and decorations can seem like the worst examples of our consumer culture.
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Week of November 8th, 2009
Solar Heating Simplified
If your home is like most others in the country, you rely on a furnace for your heat, usually one fed by oil or gas that grumbles to life whenever you turn up the thermostat.
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Week of November 1st, 2009
Save a Little Green
Money-saving tips are frequently planet-saving tips, as smart conservation, wise stewardship of resources and future planning work together.
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Week of October 25th, 2009
Free Paper
A few years back, a newspaper monster wandered into a Halloween party at our house, caused a stir, and left without ever identifying himself.
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Week of October 18th, 2009
The Top 10 Plastic Bag Costumes
This Halloween, you can spare the landfill more plastic bags and make an environmental—and fashion—statement with these creative costume ideas.
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Week of October 11th, 2009
Gather ‘Round the Pellet Stove
Nothing spells cozy warmth quite like a crackling fire, but when that fire is wasting heat and releasing pollutants into the home and air, coziness is a poor trade-off.
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Week of October 4th, 2009
7 Easy Steps to Winterize Your House
As you've no doubt noticed, winter is right around the corner. So it's a good idea to make sure your home is buttoned down and ready to face the cold ahead.
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Week of September 27th, 2009
Igniting Activists
Last year, Earth Day took some heat by online green scorekeepers, but this year—the celebration’s 40th—it’s reasserting its prominence.
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Week of September 20th, 2009
The Blue Squad
President Obama's Ocean Task Force is underway.
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Week of September 13th, 2009
The Green Jobs Handyman Moves On
Following a dogged effort by conservative talk radio and TV host Glenn Beck to portray Van Jones as a 9/11 conspiracy theorist, racist and Communist, Jones resigned from his six-month stint as an advisor on the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).
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Week of September 6th, 2009
Made-for-TV Lions
A couple weeks ago, Animal Planet kicked off the latest offering from likable Steve Irwin-wannabe Dave Salmoni. But the wild lions he interferes with didn’t agree to their co-starring roles.
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Week of August 30th, 2009
The New Music Fest Model
Music festivals can’t usually claim low carbon footprints. But some festivals, like Lollapalooza, are seeking to do better.
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Week of August 23rd, 2009
Summer on Style
Summer Rayne Oakes is a green leader for the wired generation.
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Week of August 16th, 2009
Coral Crisis in the Caribbean
A recent study showed declines in coral reef fish along the entire Caribbean. The study, which pooled data from over 300 reefs and 273 fish species, shows declines in both fish we catch and those we don’t.
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Week of August 9th, 2009
Hungry Summer
E visits the Edible Garden exhibit at The New York Botanical Garden.
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Week of August 2nd, 2009
COMMENTARY: And Then I Was Surrounded
On the first day there were jellyfish at the tiny beach in Cala San Vicente. Not many, but enough of them that one had to progress gingerly and scan the water ahead.
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Week of July 26th, 2009
COMMENTARY: The Green School Makeovers
The LEED for Schools rating system, The Green Flag Schools Program and the Alliance to Save Energy’s Green Schools Program all share a common goal: to create healthy, ecologically friendly learning environments for students and teachers.
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Week of July 19th, 2009
Engineering Equality
America has a huge reservoir of untapped engineering talent in its young women--women who are not going into engineering because of roadblocks like lack of encouragement, cultural norms, peer pressure and most importantly, failure to understand how engineers can contribute to the world around them.
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Week of July 12th, 2009
COMMENTARY: Cool Your Home Without Warming the Planet
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating and cooling account for 56% of energy use in an average American household. This summer, turn off the air conditioner to save energy and money.
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Week of July 5th, 2009
COMMENTARY: The Big, Green Day
E talks with Kate L. Harrison, author of The Green Bride Guide and founder of www.thegreenbrideguide.com.
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Week of June 28th, 2009
COMMENTARY: Changing Course
“I came by my interest in clean water honestly,” former President Bill Clinton said at the Waterkeeper Alliance’s 10th anniversary conference in New York City on June 26. “I grew up in this national park, where we had the government protecting our precious water.”
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Week of June 21st, 2009
COMMENTARY: Low (Carbon) Riders
This summer, lots of people are packing up the family car instead of booking flights abroad. Make the most of your road trip while leaving behind a minimal environmental impact by checking out E’s ten tips.
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Week of June 14th, 2009
COMMENTARY: The Green Line of Defense
Since 1972, the Coast Guard has been responsible for a range of environmental prevention and response activities. But following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, much of the Coast Guard’s expanded operations and funding have focused on port security and counter-terrorism.
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Week of June 7th, 2009
COMMENTARY: The Green Scene
Planning a road trip to a music festival this summer? From the big ticket concerts to local barbeque and classical music events, festivals large and small are keeping their scenes cleaner and greener this year.
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Week of May 31st, 2009
COMMENTARY: Back to the Beach
Here are five ways to plan your beach bumming this summer with the planet in mind.
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Week of May 24th, 2009
COMMENTARY: The Secret Life of T-Shirts
Whether you got it at a rock show, thrift store, vacation spot or trendy boutique, chances are you own a favorite, well-worn T-shirt.
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Week of May 17th, 2009
COMMENTARY: The Toilet Paper Problem
Super-soft toilet paper comes from cutting real trees and is causing major deforestation.
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Week of May 10th, 2009
COMMENTARY: The Saddest Animals in the Circus
Federal Trial Exposes Ringling Bros.’ Systematic Mistreatment of Elephants.
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Week of May 3rd, 2009
COMMENTARY: All Dried Up
Not long ago, my fiancée and I were watching a movie about a small, waterless southern California town. The film led to a conversation about housing policies and the mortgage crisis.
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Week of April 26th, 2009
COMMENTARY: Missing Blue Bins
More than three years after Hurricane Katrina, city officials in New Orleans still haven’t found a way to resume “blue bin” recycling.
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