Fresh Greens
-
National Mall to Get Recycling Program
Continue reading… 1 CommentOur National Mall is often called "America's Front Yard" - but if the nearly two miles of open space in Washington were in your neighborhood, it would perpetually be trash day. The Mall is the hub of D.C. tourism, and as such, it attracts a lot of trash - nearly four tons every day, all of which goes straight to a landfill. There have never been recycling bins on the Mall, but thanks to a grant from the Coca-Cola foundation, visitors will be able to recycle their trash as soon as October.
-
Which Cities are a Breath of Fresh Air?
Continue reading… 3 CommentsResidents of Cheyenne, Wyo., Santa Fe, N.M., Honolulu, Hawaii, Great Falls, Mont., and Farmington, N.M.: Take a deep breath. You're breathing some of the cleanest air in the U.S., according to the American Lung Association's annual State of the Air report. The five cities were ranked the best in the U.S. for year-round particle pollution (the tiny, hazardous particles in the air that can come from transportation, agriculture and chemicals and construction, among other industries), and were among many western and mountain states that earned spots on the ALA's other lists for ozone and short-term particle pollution. Fargo, N.D. was the only city to earn a spot on all three lists.
California, usually commended in green lists of all types, did not fare so well in the rankings. Three of the top five cities for worst year-round particle pollution were in Southern California. Bakersfield, Calif., fared the worst, followed by Pittsburgh, Pa., Los Angeles, Visalia, Calif., and Birmingham, Ala. Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Visalia and Fresno also rounded out the top four spots for ozone.
-
The Blog That Cried Greenwashing
Continue reading… 1 CommentIt's good that consumers are learning to keep a discerning eye on companies' green efforts. Greenwashing - the marketing of a product to make it appear more eco-friendly than it actually is - runs rampant in a market where the number of green products is increasing every year. A study by TerraChoice Marketing found that 98 percent of green products committed at least one of seven green 'sins' that include hidden trade-offs, vagueness, irrelevance, or fibbing. Because we have the power to cast a vote for green each time we go through a supermarket check-out, it's important that we know, and get, what we're paying for.
-
Swine Flu and Factory Farming
Continue reading… 15 CommentsThe way that our food is produced may have played a role in the recent outbreak of swine flu. Factory farms of hogs, which keep thousands of animals in close quarters, allow disease to spread quickly from hog to hog before making the jump to humans.
[check out our list of 14 Things You Should Know to Stay Safe from Swine Flu]
-
Public Transit is Good For Your Health
Continue reading… 0 CommentsWe already knew that public transit was good for the planet, but here's an added bonus: A recent study from the University of British Columbia has found that taking public transit is also good for your health. Public transit riders were found to be four times more likely to meet the Surgeon General's recommendation of 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise each day, in part because they walk to and from transit. This news comes hot on the heels of an inciting report linking obesity and climate change.
-
Obama's Earth Day Message
Continue reading… 19 CommentsPresident Obama is in Iowa today, celebrating Earth Day by touring a wind turbine factory. He also signed an Earth Day proclamation. Excerpts below:
Climate change presents a serious test for humankind, but it also provides an opportunity for great innovation and adaptation. The United States has risen to such challenges before, and Earth Day inspires us to transcend differences among nations so we may lead the world in protecting our planet from this global threat.
-
10 Things You Should Know About Earth Day
Continue reading… 27 CommentsToday is the 39th year of environmentalism and activism for Earth Day. Here's what you should know about the green holiday.
-
Catholics Unveil 'Unprecedented' Earth Day Initiative
Continue reading… 4 CommentsCatholics worldwide will be heeding a new call beginning on Earth Day - one to care for all of God's creations by reducing their impact on our planet. The Catholic Climate Coalition today unveiled a campaign for Catholic families, parishes, schools and hospitals to consider their environmental impact and its effect on the disadvantaged, who bear the brunt of the consequences of climate change.
The effort, if met by the participation of the 67.5 million registered Catholics in America, and the 1 billion Catholics worldwide, will be "unprecedented in its scope," said Bishop William Skylstad, honorary chair of the covenant. "[The initiative] brings two fundamental principles - care for God's creation, and care for the poor and vulnerable." Catholics across the U.S. are being urged to take the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor, which encourages them to pray, learn, assess, act and advocate for environmental justice. -
Miss U.S.A. Dons Green Crown This Year
Continue reading… 28 CommentsAll of the headlines from last night's Miss U.S.A. pageant focused on Miss California Carrie Prejean's gay marriage gaffe, which has managed to overshadow the actual victory of Miss North Carolina Kristen Dalton. But here's a new addition to the pageant - as part of NBC's green week, the Miss U.S.A. crown that sits atop Dalton's hairsprayed pageant mane has gone green:
-
Big Waistlines Mean Bigger Carbon Footprints: Obesity and Climate Change Linked
Continue reading… 21 CommentsA smaller waistline isn't just better for our health - it's also good for the planet, according to a recent study from the International Journal of Epidemiology. Researchers found that a lean population will consume almost 20 percent less food and produce fewer greenhouse gases than a population in which 40 percent of people are obese, similar to the U.S.
The difference can be attributed to several factors. Many slimmer nations consume less meat. The study also found that it takes less energy to transport slimmer people. Says Science Daily: "The researchers estimate that a lean population of 1 billion people would emit 1.0 GT (1,000 million tonnes) less carbon dioxide equivalents per year compared with a fat one."
-
EPA: Greenhouse Gases are a Public Health Hazard
Continue reading… 1 CommentThe Environmental Protection Agency declared today that thorough scientific research has determined six greenhouse gases to pose a significant threat to public health and welfare. "The science clearly shows that concentrations of these gases are at unprecedented levels as a result of human emissions, and these high levels are very likely the cause of the increase in average temperatures and other changes in our climate," stated a press release put out by the agency.
The gases - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride - are found to threaten human health in the form of increased droughts, flooding, wildfires, sea level rise, intense storms and disruptions of agriculture. Greenhouse gases were also cited as a national security risk due to unrest from a scarcity of resources around the world. The findings must enter a public comment period before the EPA can proceed with regulations.
-
What Do You Think of Obama's Plans For High-Speed Railways?
Continue reading… 58 CommentsPresident Obama just unveiled his plan for high-speed railways in 10 corridors throughout the country, shown on the map below. Along with Vice President Biden, a frequent Amtrak rider, the president laid out a vision for a more connected country with less congestion and fewer emissions. Funding for the rail system will come from the $8 billion set aside for high-speed rail projects in the stimulus package for the first two years, with an additional $1 billion a year being over the following five years.
-
Stylish Recession Cyclists Make Fashion Statements on Expensive Bikes
Continue reading… 7 CommentsNew recession "trend": Riding a bike to work can be stylish.
Well, yeah. This is because many people who ride a bike to work do so in their normal clothes, which also happen to be stylish. It's a common misconception of biking that you need all sorts of un-hip Lance Armstrong gear, like spandex, before you're able to become a bike commuter. For those who are making a leisurely trip to work during daylight hours (not training for an upcoming triathlon), a few adjustments to your normal wardrobe are all that's needed to arrive at work unrumpled. There are really only three things you need to do:
-
Yet Another Reason to Hate Spam
Continue reading… 0 CommentsFrom: Fresh Greens
Date: April 15, 2009 at 5.05 PM
Subject: CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELYFROM FRESH GREENS.
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIADear SIR/MADAM,
I know that this letter may come to you as a surprise, I got your contact address from the computerized search. My name is Ms Maura Judkis. I am the Blogger, (senior) producer of U.S. News & World Report.
In my department I discovered an abandoned sum of eighteen million three hundred thousand United State of American dollars ($18.3MILLION U.S.A DOLLARS) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer. I have also in my department made the discovery that spam mail wastes enough energy to power 2.4 million homes each year.
-
3 Easy Ways to Green Your Beauty Routine for Earth Day
Continue reading… 1 CommentA recent interactive graphic from Newsweek indicated that the average woman spends $449,127 on beauty throughout her lifetime. Doesn't that seem excessive to you? So many of the beauty products we buy are unnecessary, and it's easy to see why: fashion magazines promote each new lotion, wrinkle cream and mascara as completely essential, and better than its predecessor. Thic can add up to a lot of waste. How to green a beauty routine? Here are some suggestions.
-
How to Green Your Easter Celebration
Continue reading… 0 CommentsThe White House is greening its Easter egg roll this year - and here are a few ways that you can, too:
The Eggs:
- Aim for sustainable and cruelty-free. Here's a guide to deciphering egg packaging.
- Buy eggs in biodegradable or recyclable cartons, instead of styrofoam.
- Forego the pre-packaged egg-dyeing kits - it's easy to make your own egg dye. Here are some instructions - all you need are typical household ingredients such as food coloring, vinegar and hot water. To give the eggs a pattern, just draw on them with a regular crayon before you dip them in the dye.
- When all of the eggs have been found, whip up a batch of deviled eggs or egg salad for everyone.
- If you use plastic eggs for your hunt, save and reuse them every year.
-
Tough Choices for Earth Day
Continue reading… 3 CommentsSometimes, it's hard to weigh the pros and cons of choices that can seem like a lose-lose situation. Faced with the choice of paper or plastic, should you waste trees or let your bag end up in a landfill for eons? Should you use chemicals and extra water to wash cloth diapers, or pollute with disposable ones? What's worse - CFLs or incandescent bulbs? Learn the answers, below.
-
Climate Change Could Ruin Your Brunch
Continue reading… 0 CommentsWaffles are naked without it, and pancakes are merely beige spheres of batter. What our favorite brunch foods require is maple syrup - sweet, sticky, slightly warmed - for the perfect weekend morning. But the nectar of delicious home-cooked breakfasts everywhere may be on its way out due to climate change, according to a recent report:
-
How to Host a Sustainable Passover
Continue reading… 1 CommentPassover begins at sundown today, and The Jew and the Carrot blog calls it "The Jewish tradition’s 'eat seasonal' poster child." The blog lists dozens of ways to green your passover celebration. Here are a few culled from around the web:
-
10 Things You Should Know About GM and Segway's PUMA
Continue reading… 27 CommentsToday in New York, General Motors and self-balancing scooter maker Segway joined forces to create the PUMA, or Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility vehicle. Here's what you should know about the rickshaw-like prototype.
