Health
New York's drinking water and the Catskill watershed
A two-thousand-square-mile group of watersheds north of New York City provides 8 million city residents with clean, delicious drinking water. Although this water is treated with chlorine, most of it is unfiltered. [Read more…] about New York's drinking water and the Catskill watershed
Greening the Olympic games
Every two years, the world tunes into the Olympics. Athletes at the peak of their fitness show their prowess at a range of skills, from gymnastics and swimming to beach volleyball. And for centuries—despite the obvious connection with physical health—environmental concerns took a back seat at the games. [Read more…] about Greening the Olympic games
Breast milk and the environment
Rich in illness-fighting antibodies, brain nourishing fatty acids, and easy-to-digest proteins – breast milk has been called ‘white gold.’ [Read more…] about Breast milk and the environment
The ocean is turning into a giant ashtray
While we’ve made great strides in reducing roadside trash – largely through imposing and enforcing fines – when it comes to cigarette butts, we’re still litterbugs. [Read more…] about The ocean is turning into a giant ashtray
Are organic foods the solution?
Organic foods are certainly catching on in the United States—with sales topping $25 billion last year. Organic foods are grown without synthetic inputs—industrial fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides. And they certainly don’t include genetically-modified crop species. [Read more…] about Are organic foods the solution?
Drought and tornados
According to the United States Drought Monitor, two-thirds of the nation is covered by a drought that stretches from coast to coast. Federal officials recently designated 23 Wisconsin counties as natural disaster areas. The drought is so bad that some people are even painting their lawns green, which raises a whole separate set of environmental questions. [Read more…] about Drought and tornados
Bagging plastic grocery bags
Los Angeles, California recently became the largest U.S. city to ban single-use plastic grocery bags. Other cities that have embraced bag bans include Austin, Texas and Portland, Oregon. [Read more…] about Bagging plastic grocery bags
Smoke and mirrors
We’re surrounded by flame retardants. They are in our couches and cars, our televisions and laptops, in industrial electronics and children’s pajamas. [Read more…] about Smoke and mirrors
Can chemical exposure make you fat?
Bisphenol-A – commonly called BPA – is used to make polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. These products have a variety of uses, from lining canned foods to making the plastics preferred for food containers and baby bottles. [Read more…] about Can chemical exposure make you fat?
We are all a little bit of stardust
