EARTHTALK
The Complete Archive | |
Week of 11/15/09
Dear EarthTalk: Can you enlighten on the environmental impact of the fashion industry? As I understand it, the industry overall is no friend to the environment.
Dear EarthTalk: It has been said that global warming will bring a new ice age. Is this true or only fiction?
Week of 11/8/09
Dear EarthTalk: I don’t understand why many people oppose wind power just because they have to look at the turbines. If you ask me, wind turbines are much nicer-looking than coal-fired, waste-to-energy or nuclear power plants.
Dear EarthTalk: I’m a travel agent and our firm has several clients wanting to go with green vendors, including for travel (airline or rental car) and lodging. Our company is supportive so would like to know which airlines, hotels and car rental agencies are going affordably green?
Week of 11/1/09
Dear EarthTalk: Celebrities and billionaires are shelling out big bucks for cutting edge green-friendly cars like the Tesla Roadster. But what are the rest of us—who live in the budget-constrained real world—to do about buying a new car that does right by the environment?
Dear EarthTalk: Why is the plankton in the oceans dying? And what does this mean for the health of the oceans and marine life?
Week of 10/25/09
Dear EarthTalk: Has anyone ever studied the environmental impact of discarded cigarettes? I’m constantly appalled at the number of drivers I see pitching their butts out their car windows.
Dear EarthTalk: I recently had a tissue mineral analysis indicating that my levels of the nutritional element, molybdenum, were off the chart. I believe this may be leaching from my stainless steel cookware. Is this element toxic to my body?
Week of 10/18/09
Dear EarthTalk: How are heating, cooling and electricity produced by geothermal energy? I don’t understand how it works.
Dear EarthTalk: Apparently boxed wine (instead of bottled) is becoming all the rage for environmental reasons. What are the eco-benefits of boxed wine over bottled?
Week of 10/11/09
Dear EarthTalk: Do you have current facts and figures about how much rainforest is being destroyed each day around the world, and for what purpose(s)?
Dear EarthTalk: I recently saw a reference to “Enertia houses” that require little in the way of external sources for heating or cooling. Do you have any information on this housing design?
Week of 10/4/09
Dear EarthTalk: Why are bed bugs a big issue right now? Where do they come from and what real harm do they do? Are there non-toxic ways of dealing with them?
Dear EarthTalk: What would you recommend as a non-toxic/non-lethal way to keep squirrels, gophers and groundhogs away?
Week of 9/27/09
Dear EarthTalk: As I understand it, hair salons are pretty toxic enterprises on many counts. Are there any efforts underway to green up that industry?
Dear EarthTalk: Not long ago there were concerns about honey bees disappearing. Are the bees still disappearing, and if so do we know why and do we have a solution?
Week of 9/20/09
Dear EarthTalk: How can I make good use of the rainwater that runs down my roof and into my gutters?
Dear EarthTalk: I heard that goats are being used to prevent some of those catastrophic fires that seem to happen increasingly. What’s the story with that?
Week of 9/13/09
Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that environmental non-profits have been hit hard by the economic downturn, and has this had an impact on their effectiveness?
Dear EarthTalk: I am considering upgrading some older appliances in my home. Where can I find information on which models are the most energy efficient?
Week of 9/6/09
Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard that hybrid engine technology is now being used to power boats. What’s happening with that?
Dear EarthTalk: Hunting seems to be a real controversy among environmental advocates. Can you set the record straight: Is hunting good or bad for the environment?
Week of 8/30/09
Dear EarthTalk: Has China been making any progress reducing its output of global warming gases, and/or in tackling other environmental problems?
Dear EarthTalk: What are the pros and cons of feeding babies formula versus breast milk? And if I purchase formula, should I spend the extra money on the organic variety?<.b>
Week of 8/23/09
Dear EarthTalk: How are populations of the world’s orca whales faring these days? Are we still in danger of losing them all in the wild?
Dear EarthTalk: Since Obama took office, have any new incentives been put in place for homeowners looking to increase energy efficiency and reduce the overall environmental footprints of their homes?
Week of 8/16/09
Dear EarthTalk: What’s the story with the Florida Panther these days? Is it still teetering on the brink of extinction, or is it on the rebound?
Dear EarthTalk: I’d like to know the relative electricity cost of utility scale solar and wind plants versus rooftop residential solar. In other words, how can I know whether to subsidize my utility’s alternative energy plant or renovate my own home?
Week of 8/9/09
Dear EarthTalk: I haven’t heard much of late about big oil spills like the infamous Exxon Valdez. Has the industry cleaned up its act, or do the media just not report them?
Dear EarthTalk: I’m sure there are many good environmental reasons to build a rooftop garden. Can you enlighten? And also I’d like to know how to go about creating one and whether or not some municipalities might offer incentives to do so.
Week of 8/2/09
Dear EarthTalk: What are some simple low cost improvements I can do to my home to make it greener?
Dear EarthTalk: Where can I locate directories of environmental groups, businesses and jobs so that I can get involved in making a difference?
Week of 7/26/09
Dear EarthTalk: What are some things that children and families can do to be greener (and to provide life lessons for the kids in the process)?
Dear EarthTalk: Is the “Draize Test” using live animals still used to test cosmetics?
Week of 7/19/09
Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard that cars can be modified to run on water. How is this possible?
Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard so much about using Borax for green housecleaning. But if this mineral has to be mined, doesn't that negate some of its "green-ness?”
Week of 7/12/09
Dear EarthTalk: If train travel is so much less polluting than driving or flying, why are passenger rail options in the U.S. so limited compared to Europe? And is anything being done to shift more travelers over to American rail lines from cars and planes?
Dear EarthTalk: To what extent does human population growth impact global warming, and what can be done about it?
Week of 7/5/09
Dear EarthTalk: What kind of job opportunities might be opened up by the new federal emphasis on green projects?
Dear EarthTalk: What effects do fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides used on residential lawns or on farms have on nearby water bodies like rivers, streams—or even the ocean for those of us who live near the shore?
Week of 6/28/09
Dear EarthTalk: Do insulating paints actually insulate and save energy? If they do, are they environmentally friendly to use?
Dear EarthTalk: As I understand it, “clean” coal really isn’t—yet the Bush Administration gushed strongly for it. What is Obama’s take on it?
Week of 6/21/09
Dear EarthTalk: Don’t some scientists point to sunspots and solar wind as having more impact on climate change than human industrial activity?
Dear EarthTalk: Are the United States’ vast oil shale resources a potential source of energy?
Week of 6/14/09
Dear EarthTalk: Has the recent violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo threatened the populations of lowland gorillas? How many are left?
Dear EarthTalk: I know of solar power systems that people can put on their roofs to generate electricity or heat water. Are there systems that serve whole neighborhoods?
Week of 6/7/09
Dear EarthTalk: How can I recycle my old mattress if the place I buy a new one from doesn’t take it? What do mattress companies do with old mattresses when they do take them? Do they recycle any of the material?
Dear EarthTalk: Is there any truth to the rumor about high levels of birth control chemicals being found in some cities’ drinking water? If so can these be filtered out?
Week of 5/31/09
Dear EarthTalk: With plug-in hybrid and electric cars due to hit the roads sometime soon, will there be places to plug them in besides at home? And if so, how much will it cost to re-charge?
Dear EarthTalk: Are plans to mine uranium near the Grand Canyon, as proposed by the Bush administration in 2008, still underway?
Week of 5/24/09
Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that military sonar exercises actually kill marine wildlife?
Dear EarthTalk: How does the microwave compare in energy use, say, to using a gas or electric stove burner to heat water for a cup of tea?
Week of 5/17/09
Dear EarthTalk: What is "nanotechnology?" I’ve heard that nanoparticles are already in consumer products, yet we haven't really studied their potential health impacts.
Dear EarthTalk: How is the fur industry doing these days? Has it been impacted by activism from PETA and similar groups?
Week of 5/10/09
Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that the loss of the world’s peatlands is a major factor in the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. If so, what can be done about it?
Dear EarthTalk: Has anyone been tracking whether climate change is causing more loss of human life as it gets more pronounced?
Week of 5/03/09
Dear EarthTalk: What were the environmental impacts of the huge coal ash spill in Tennessee this past December?
Dear EarthTalk: I run a sorting machine at the post office, and am worried about all the paper dust swirling around the building. I asked both management and our union if this was a health or safety problem and both said no, but I’m not sure they really know. Can you set the record straight?
Week of 4/26/09
Dear EarthTalk: What is the status of Hawaiian monk seals and how will the new national monument designation in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands affect them?
Dear EarthTalk: We will need to replace our house gutters soon. What are our best options from an environmental perspective?
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