Americans are obsessed with coffee. It is estimated that as a country, we consume 146 billion cups a year, making us the world’s largest consumer of java. And although locally owned coffee shops get a lot of love, the big coffee chains and their drive thrus are clearly here to stay. This on-the-go coffee culture [...]
Methane gas is one of the largest contributors to ozone depletion — according to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, the growing number of animals in factory farms has led to a increased amount of manure and therefore, methane emissions entering the atmosphere. And although raising animals for meat and dairy may account for [...]
In July President Obama announced that through the Recovery Act, $1.85 billion would be given in loans to fund solar projects and to help make clean energy more readily available to U.S. residents. It was great to see Obama lend solar energy some financial support, but it did raise some questions as to why the [...]
Now that the BP well has finally been plugged up, and some fishermen are returning to work, many people are wondering whether or not it is safe to eat seafood from the Gulf of Mexico. The government’s “sniff test” (smelling seafood to determine if it is contaminated with oil) is the first line of defense [...]
I don’t have a dog, but I imagine picking up their poop is probably the least enjoyable aspect about owning one. But would the cleanup seem a little less burdensome if the poop could be made useful? A new project funded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is giving dog waste a second life [...]
Although most body care products are completely unnecessary, many of us would have a hard time giving up our favorite face wash or shampoo. The problem is body care products tend to create a lot of waste, and because we use these items so frequently, the waste adds up. To help reduce the amount of [...]
Ah the American Chemistry Council (ACC) is at it again. On Tuesday I wrote about how the trade association fought against Canada’s ban of BPA, and now the organization is (at least partially) responsible for Californian lawmakers rejecting a bill that would have banned plastic shopping bags statewide.
Although a number of cities in California have [...]
The recent recall of over half a billion eggs due to a salmonella outbreak at Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms, two of the country’s leading egg suppliers, was a huge blow to factory farming practices. The public got nervous because no one wants to eat contaminated eggs, and the Food and Drug Administration was [...]
Not all cars are created equal — some have better gas mileage than others, some release more air pollutants, and others are hybrids running on both gasoline and electricity. With all of these considerations to take into account, it can be difficult to decide which car is best for you and for the environment. The [...]
Climate change with its rising temperatures, varying rainfall, and increasing ocean levels hasn’t been a good thing. I’ve tried to fight back in my own way by eating a mostly vegetarian diet, conserving water, composting, and growing my own vegetables. The battle has waged on for a while, but now climate change is making the [...]
