E Magazine articles from July 2002

E Magazine archives from July 2002

Travel, lite. (E Word).
July 1, 2002... The United Nations declared 2002 the International Year of Ecotourism to promote this fast-growing segment of the $3.5 trillion travel industry partly because of the great potential it has for helping the world's economically depressed areas....

Bemoaning cloning. (Advice & dissent: letters from our readers).
July 1, 2002... Your article "Reinventing the Zoo" (cover story, March/April 2002) examines endangered species cloning. The likelihood that it is a viable solution to species loss, however, seems close to zero. Benjamin Beck of the National Zoo explained on...

Rattling zoo cages. (Advice & dissent: letters from our readers).
July 1, 2002... I am very impressed with E's willingness to tackle important and volatile issues. I'm glad you've raised the question: Is it time to close the zoos (Doug Moss's E Word, March/April 2002). Your articles point out the differences between the...

Growling over Gridlock. (Advice & dissent: letters from our readers).
July 1, 2002... "Getting Out of Gridlock" included two highly entertaining approaches for increasing awareness of fossil fuel-based transportation: the "highway-lounging" picketers in rush-hour traffic and the "official-looking" educational tickets issued on...

Energy from trash tires.
July 1, 2002... Andy McIntosh made his way through a maze of garbage, undeterred in his search for a new energy source. After a 10-minute hike through the city dump, McIntosh found what he was looking for: thousands of discarded tires. "When I see a tire,...

Sound ideas for beaked whales.
July 1, 2002... Beaked whales, distinguished by the strange, teeth-like protuberances from their lower jaws, have been around virtually unchanged for 30 million years, but are still the least studied large mammal in the world. Found in tropical and temperate...

Inside buffalo clover.
July 1, 2002... Until the late 19th century, American bison thundered across plains and trails from Kansas to West Virginia, carrying with them the seeds of running buffalo clover--embedded in hooves, entangled in hair and lodged within droppings. Within this...

Banning shark baiting.
July 1, 2002... While Floridian beachgoers may wonder if the state will suffer the same rash of shark attacks it did last summer, scientists are still debating what prompted the bites. The attacks weren't more frequent than usual, but conservation groups have...

For scientists, a canine poop patrol.
July 1, 2002... Wildlife researchers have discovered a new best friend. In studies from Alberta to Vermont, specially trained dogs are now being used to gather valuable information about bears, foxes and other elusive species from their droppings. The...

The environmental honor roll.
July 1, 2002... Three Native Americans from the Gwich'in tribe of northern Yukon were honored with this years North American Goldman Environmental Prize for their efforts to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) from the effects of oil drilling....

Insured destruction: global climate change threatens the insurance industry. (Currents).
July 1, 2002... When winds reach 120 miles per hour, houses begin to crumble, walls break and roofs fly away. With global climate change, winds like this are coming more often. In the U.S. during the last three decades, the number of weather-related natural...

Africa's green belt: Wangari Maathai's movement is built on the power of trees. (Currents).
July 1, 2002... On a winter day in 1999, Kenyan environmental activist Wangari Maathai was doing what comes naturally to her: planting trees. As in Thailand, where a Buddhist monk who protected trees by ordaining them was thrown in jail, Maathai's activities...

The orchid thieves: America's parks are the scene of the crime for plant theft. (Currents).
July 1, 2002... Park biologist Mike Owen had been on the job only two months when he got a startling phone call. It was the park manager. Come to the parking lot, he said. What happened next would inspire a book and, coming this fall, a movie starring Nicholas...

It takes an ecovillage: green learning begins with hands-on community experience. (Currents).
July 1, 2002... America's 20-somethings are well aware that we're facing a global environmental crisis. But they grew up in an era of prosperity, peace and opportunity. How can they remain optimistic? What skills will they need to clean up the ecological mess...

Manatees vs. boats. (Updates).
July 1, 2002... In April, Florida Administrative Hearing Judge Fred Buckine upheld the manatee protection zones established by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission last year. The zones are designed to protect the charismatic, endangered marine...

Safer organics. (Updates).
July 1, 2002... A new study suggests that--no surprise--organic foods really are far less likely to harbor pesticide residues than their conventionally grown cousins (see "Organic Foods May Be Grown with Sewage Sludge and Drugs," Currents, May/June 1998). ABC...

The parks and the president. (Updates).
July 1, 2002... Concern mounts over national park funding, as President Bush is challenged to fulfill his campaign promise to ease the system's troubles (see "Scorched Earth Policy," cover story, May/June 2001). Americans for National Parks (ANP), a new...

Taking the natural path: in 2002, the International Year of Ecotourism, will we set new standards for green travel?
July 1, 2002... At 7,000-feet elevation in the Southern Sierra Madre de Chiapas Mountains you'll encounter the magical 300,000-acre El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve. This cloud forest is home to the elusive tapir and jaguar, as well as one of nature's most...

Green Hotels: beyond good hospitality.
July 1, 2002... Ten years ago, the Sheraton Rittenhouse Square didn't even have smoke-free rooms. Now the Philadelphia hotel has air that's swept clean of such pollutants as mold, pollen and bacteria every 34 minutes. What's more, the cut-glass front desk is...

Strong certification programs separate genuine ecotourism from greenwashing fast-buck artists. (Who Owns Paradise?).
July 1, 2002... Ecotourism is an idea whose time has come, but it's too early to declare victory. For the traveling public, the challenge is to find the environmentally and socially responsible companies that can provide a great holiday. And that's where the...

From the summit: progress and protest.
July 1, 2002... QUEBEC CITY -- "Ecotourism operates in a fragile environment," said Klaus Topfer, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). For the delegates from 132 countries gathered for the World Ecotourism Summit in the lovely...

Going green with E.
July 1, 2002... Through a new partnership with ecotourism operator Manaca (www.manaca.com), E: The Environmental Magazine is able to offer its first-ever environmental travel opportunity, a 13-day visit to Europe guided by E Editor Jim Motavalli. While there...

Oliver Hillel: the science of sustainable travel. (Conversations).
July 1, 2002... Until 2000, biologist Oliver Hillel was the on-the-ground point man for ecotourism at Conservation International, managing 35 projects in 17 tropical countries. But now he's taken on a truly international challenge as the United Nations...

Ecotourism destinations that go the extra mile. (A Real Trip).
July 1, 2002... If you've ever wanted to try an eco-tour, this is the year to get up and get out. Never has there been a better opportunity to see nature up-close and personal while also giving something back to the communities you visit. This is not a "Best...

Attack of the killer mutants: modern bacteria are resisting treatment by antibiotics. (Your Health).
July 1, 2002... When penicillin was first discovered to cure diseases in the 1930s, it seemed a miracle. Some thought you couldn't get too much of a good thing. One Asian brothel routinely fed penicillin prophylactically to its workers, hoping to prevent...

Sorting out soy: the growing confusion about eating soy foods. (Eating Right).
July 1, 2002... While it may still be a new-comer to American diets, the soybean is an old friend in China: 5,000 year-old records show that it was a staple in the Chinese diet even then. During the U.S. Civil War, soldiers brewed the beans as "coffee berries"...

Clean and green: for the retail buyer, signing up for renewable energy offers both rewards and pitfalls. (Money Matters).
July 1, 2002... The California energy disaster has left the once-vigorous electricity deregulation process in shambles. According to the U.S. Energy Department, by last spring 17 states had actively restructured their electric utilities, six had delayed...

Managing mold: this deadly toxin may already be affecting your home. (House & Home).
July 1, 2002... In the fall of 1994, Cleveland pediatrician Dr. Dorr Dearborn got in touch with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) because of a small but alarming set of cases in which infants were sickened or dying from unexplained...

The sounds of silence: a vacation for the ears in the Turks and Caicos. (Going Green).
July 1, 2002... 11:33 p.m., Day 1: If New York City has a pulse, its heart is beating in Times Square. I listen to car horns, sirens, the rhythmic clatter of subway cars, steam hissing from vents, and people talking in dozens of languages. I give a thought to...

Hair to dye for: natural alternatives to toxic coloring agents. (Consumer News).
July 1, 2002... I was born to be a redhead, but that's not the color I got. The first time my hair dried to the glorious shade of red on the box of dye, I was hooked. I'm not alone: more than 50 million women in America dye their hair on a regular basis, from...

It's all good. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).
July 1, 2002... Worried about the plethora of chemical additives in so-called "health" snack bars? The recently released Real Food Bars ($6.25 per box) from allGoode Organics offer an innovative alternative. Flavors include Chocolate Peanut Pleasure, Nutty...

Fever safety. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).
July 1, 2002... As a way to help protect people and the environment from the current mercury crisis (see our May/June 2002 cover story), California-based manufacturer Medical Indicators offers a safe, nontoxic, mercury-free alternative to traditional...

Green is the new black. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).
July 1, 2002... Everyone needs a makeover once in a while. Wouldn't something eco-savvy look good on you? Chic Eco, a small environmental fashion-consulting firm, is the brainchild of Delia Montgomery, a former fashion merchandising and retail management...

Nice tea. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).
July 1, 2002... Nothing is more refreshing on a hot summer's day than a glass of iced tea. But unfortunately, many commercially available teas are highly sweetened and lack a distinctive flavor. Now there's a better option from Honest Tea. This line of "barely...

Safe and spotless. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).
July 1, 2002... Change the way you clean! That area under your sink doesn't have to be a bunker for gallons of toxic chemicals. Those caustic sprays can be banished and replaced with natural alternatives. Seventh Generation, the leading U.S. provider of safe...

Hemp hemp hooray! (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).
July 1, 2002... With more than 25,000 different uses, hemp really is an amazingly versatile fiber, providing an excellent alternative to such products as chemically treated cotton for textiles and paper made from virgin wood. Yet even though nobody's smoking...

Adventurous ecotourism. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).
July 1, 2002... Many people are familiar with REI, the makers of outdoor equipment and apparel. But far fewer are aware of its ecotourism division, REI Adventures, which offers a wide range of environmentally sound, action vacations combining travel with...

Lipstick lovers beware!
July 1, 2002... Drop-Dead Gorgeous: Protecting Yourself from the Hidden Dangers of Cosmetics (Contemporary Books, $16.95), by E contributor Kim Erickson, makes you think twice before "putting on your face." The book exposes the cosmetic industry's use of...

Home sweet hazard. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).
July 1, 2002... Do your home's plywood walls emit deadly chemicals? Is your kitchen countertop toxic? Reading the case studies of health catastrophes in Prescriptions for a Healthy House (New Society Publishers, $26.95) might make you want to run out your...

Range wrangle. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).
July 1, 2002... In much of the Western United States, cows have more impact on the environment than humans do. Waste of the West (Arizona Lithographers, $28), author Lynn Jacobs' encyclopedic criticism of public land ranching, describes how livestock have...

Green treasure hunts. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).
July 1, 2002... Letterboxing is a great way to get the whole family excited about the outdoors. This family quest has been practiced in Dartmoor Park, England for 150 years, and it has been gaining popularity in many other parts of the world. With the help of...

The body politic. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).
July 1, 2002... The fact that snake oil actually does have medicinal properties is just one fascinating bit of information to be gleaned from When Healing Becomes a Crime by Bioneers founder Kenny Ausubel (Healing Arts Press, $19.95). The book is the story of...

Swift passage. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).
July 1, 2002... Explorer, novelist, naturalist and Zen Buddhist Peter Matthiessen defies classification. The Birds of Heaven (Greystone Books, $36.95) delivers the kind of lucid, crystalline prose we've come to expect. Cranes, he tells us, were once believed...

Buffalo burgers, trashed PCs and dirty cotton. (Ask E).
July 1, 2002... How can restaurants serve bison meat if there are so few of the majestic animals left in the wild? Aren't bison endangered?--Pat Henderson, Columbus, OH The American bison, which is commonly called a buffalo, is not on the U.S. Endangered...