Fresh Greens
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Don't Be Duped by E-Cycling Scams
Continue reading… 3 CommentsWhen you turn your old technology over to an e-cycling drive, are you sure that it's in good hands? That's what Pittsburghers may be asking themselves after a recent controversy over an e-cycling drive to benefit the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society. Basel Action Network, a global pollution watchdog, claims that e-cycler EarthECycle did not responsibly recycle the old technology collected for the event, but instead shipped it overseas to developing countries. However, EarthECycle president Jeff Nixon has stated to other media that the items were recycled in a "legal and moral way." EarthECycle did not return multiple phone calls from U.S. News. You can read BAN's report here.
Tech-recycling drives for charity, such as this one, are becoming increasingly common - so how can well-meaning consumers keep from getting duped? "It's very difficult for consumers to know," said Sarah Westervelt, e-waste project coordinator at BAN. There are, however, a few characteristics of a responsible e-cycler - and a few questions that consumers can ask the company before they drop off their old monitors and cell phones. -
Audio: How Green is the Red, White and Blue?
Continue reading… 0 CommentsLast week, I broke down the results of the Greendex - National Geographic's second annual worldwide poll of consumers about their attitudes on the environment. Over the weekend, I spoke to WTOP Radio in Washington, D.C. about how the red, white and blue isn't really that green after all - even though it's improving.
LISTEN NOW: How Green is the Red, White and Blue?
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Green Grilling for Memorial Day
Continue reading… 0 CommentsIt's hard to say what the best part of Memorial Day Weekend is: the opening of the pool, the extra day of weekend, or firing up the grill for some burgers and veggies. Certainly, millions of Americans will be preparing the perfect burger this weekend, using gas, charcoal or electricity. But which type of grill has the smallest impact?
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What Does the Greendex Tell Us About America?
Continue reading… 0 CommentsThe results are in for National Geographic's second annual Greendex, and they aren't pretty: Though the study found that Americans are slightly greener than last year, we're still coming in at the bottom of the pack. Greendex studied 17,000 consumers in a total of 17 countries to find out their opinions on energy, transportation, food, green products, attitudes towards the environment and sustainability, environmental knowledge. And in the nearly 300 pages of data, there are some obvious conclusions - and some surprises.
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Obama Announces New Emissions and Mileage Standards
Continue reading… 4 CommentsPresident Obama announced new emissions and mileage standards today, pushing the average car to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 - a 40 percent cleaner fleet of vehicles on our roads. The plan is based on the stricter auto standards that California has sought under federal clean air laws.
So how big of a deal is this? In today's remarks, Obama stated that the move will save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the cars' lifetime. This is equivalent to:
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Plan Your Commute for Bike to Work Day
Continue reading… 2 CommentsMay 15 is Bike to Work Day, a part of National Bike Month, and an annual awareness drive for area bike associations to show commuters just how easy it can be to ditch their cars and subway passes. If Bike to Work Day will be your first time - or if the sight of other bicycle commuters inspires you - the first step to becoming a bicycle commuter (assuming you already have a bike and a helmet, of course) is to plan your route.
It seems easy - just use the same streets your car takes, right? Not quite. While the route you drive may be the most efficient, it's often not the best for you when you downsize to two wheels. Here are some tips for planning your bicycle commute:
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What's Your Definition of Local Food?
Continue reading… 0 CommentsEating local - the movement that encouraged people to purchase their food from small, local farms with sustainable practices - is getting a major corporate makeover. Huge food companies are rebranding local food to include food produced near their processing plants, even though it's still shipped out to your grocery store a thousand miles away. Is the locavore movement losing its soul?
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For Mother's Day: Advice from Green Moms
Continue reading… 1 CommentGreen moms take care of their kids and the planet. In honor of Mother's Day, here are some tidbits from eco-friendly mom bloggers around the country:
Enviromom, on recycling and arts & crafts: "We have a basket of recyclable items in our playroom that the kids refer to as the reuse bin full of egg cartons, empty food boxes, cardboard toilet paper rolls, bottle caps, etc. The reuse bin is constantly in use because that stuff can become whatever the kids dream of." -
U.S. Organic Sales Up 17 Percent
Continue reading… 2 CommentsSales of organic products grew 17 percent in 2008 despite the struggling economy, reports a study from the Organic Trade Association. Food and non-food products together brought in $24.6 billion.
The survey, conducted by Lieberman Research Group on behalf of OTA, measured the growth of U.S. sales of organic foods and beverages as well as non-food categories such as organic fibers, personal care products and pet foods during 2008. Results show organic food sales grew in 2008 by 15.8 percent to reach $22.9 billion, while organic non-food sales grew by an astounding 39.4 percent to reach $1.648 billion. As a result, organic food sales now account for approximately 3.5 percent of all food product sales in the United States.
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Is Oprah's KFC Promotion Hypocritical?
Continue reading… 60 CommentsThe Queen of All Media announced recently that she wanted to help cash-strapped families in the recession by putting a chicken on every table, courtesy of Kentucky Fried Chicken (knowing her history, she certainly wouldn't be handing out free burgers). Though it may have been a benevolent gesture to help out Americans going through tough times, the move may not have been a wise one for her image.
Oprah is now dodging criticism about her choice to promote KFC due to her stance on animal cruelty. KFC sources its chicken from Tyson, which uses concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) - dark and tightly-packed coops where the chickens are often unable to stand up or move. Oprah did a special last year on the hazards of factory farming, which you can check out here.
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What a Waste: New Homes Demolished By Bank
Continue reading… 11 CommentsHere on this blog, there's a lot of talk about waste: How not to waste food, old electronics, energy, and more. But this story about waste may be the most egregious - a bank has decided to demolish new homes in Victorville, Calif. because it was cheaper than selling them in this market. As my colleague Luke Mullins pointed out, it's a sign of just how bad the housing market has gotten. It's also a troubling example of our American culture of disposability.
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Environmentalists' Vocabulary Problem
Continue reading… 4 CommentsThe New York Times wrote recently about an issue I've noticed in the comments of this blog - climate change deniers' aversion to the terminology "global warming." It's true: we have a vocabulary problem.
