E Magazine articles from March 2002

E Magazine archives from March 2002

Save wildlife. Close the zoos. (E Word).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... I never much enjoyed the zoo. As a child, the prospect of a day's visit with my classmates sounded fun, but beyond the attraction of a day off from school, singing on the bus, and the cotton candy, the experience was usually pretty depressing....

Poverty, population and power. (Advice & dissent: letters from our readers).
March 1, 2002... At last, a major environmental publication dares to deal with the facts of U.S. population growth ("The Gold Crush," cover story, November/December 2001). For years, I've watched as pro-immigration groups have made rational discussion...

Holding GE accountable. (Advice & dissent: letters from our readers).
March 1, 2002... I read your well-researched article "Dredging the Hudson" (Updates, November/December 2001), and I approve of what Riverkeeper is doing. I wish more people were concerned about the planet. I am 13, and it is my future. I think General Electric...

Antelope refuge goes wireless.(Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, Oregon)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... For nearly a century, cattle and antelope competed for grazing rights in southeast Oregon on what is now Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge. In 1994, after a long court battle by environmental groups, the federal government stopped cattle...

"Releaf" for Atlanta.(environmental groups trying to save open spaces)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Atlanta, once a "city of trees," has lost some 20 percent of its forest cover in the past quarter century. Now an estimated 50 acres of greenspace disappears daily to development in the metro area. The city is so choked with gridlocked traffic...

For plants, C[O.sup.2] means bigger, not better.(carbon dioxide )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... With rustic cabins, sailboats bobbing in the mist and brilliant sunsets over sandy beaches, the University of Michigan Biological Station looks, at first glance, like a sleepy summer camp. But the researchers at this Northern Michigan retreat...

The shocking truth about raptors.(efforts to prevent bird deaths caused by contact with power lines)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Every year, thousands of birds are electrocuted when they collide with power lines. Leo Suazo, special agent for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in Colorado, says bird electrocutions have been documented in all 50 states, but they may...

Toxic technology: the high-tech industry is poisonous to low-wage immigrant workers. (Currents).
March 1, 2002... In February 2000, Garrett Brown of California's Occupational Health and Safety Administration (Cal-OSHA) found that a high-tech plant in Fremont, California was poisoning its workers with arsenic. Brown learned that American Xtal Technology...

Clear water: can native Americans save Northern Idaho's most popular lake? (Currents).
March 1, 2002... Henry SiJohn, square-faced and bespectacled, peered across the broad waters of Lake Coeur d'Alene, the spiritual center of his Coeur d'Alene tribe. The water shimmered a deep blue, making for a pretty backdrop for the numerous weddings held at...

Africa underwater: Nigeria's coastline is besieged by Global Warming. (Currents).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... New research is sounding the alarm, predicting that climate-related sea level rise is likely to put 80 percent of Nigeria's coastline at risk of being swept away by the surging waves of the Atlantic Ocean. In a research study entitled,...

Piece by piece: Middlebury College recycles paper--and its old buildings. (Currents).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... "I had my first college class in that room right there," says Chad Malone, pointing to a ground-floor chamber stripped to a concrete shell and filled with rubble. "Chem 104. This was a terrible building. Cold, cold." Very few people get to...

Sorry about salmonella. (Updates).(bacteria found mostly in meat and meat products)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Bill Adler, a Washington, D.C.-based literary agent, contracted salmonella poisoning in 1990 from something he ate. He almost died, surviving only because he was near a hospital, where doctors removed four inches of his colon. Salmonella is a...

Problem parks. (Updates).(more funds needed for proper maintenance)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The Federal Hall National Monument in New York City--the site of President George Washington's inaugural address--was severely damaged in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Repairs would cost $15 to $17 million, but the...

Bloody diamonds. (Updates).(precious stones finance revolutionary wars in Africa)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Would you buy glittering diamonds if you knew he profits from them fueled terror wars in Sierra Leone, Angola or the Congo? (see "Diamonds Aren't Forever," Consumer News, September/October 2001). Diamond shops like Tiffany's, Cartier and...

Cape Cod's big wind. (Currents).(wind park proposal draws criticism)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... There's no doubt that wind and solar are clean, efficient and renewable sources of energy, but not everyone welcomes an alternative power project in their backyard. A proposed 170-turbine wind park off the southern coast of Massachusetts has...

Reinventing the zoo: it's no longer enough to put endangered species on display and call it conservation.(little chat with Betsy Dresser, ecologist)(Interview)
March 1, 2002... When Betsy Dresser stepped off the plane in Beijing and rode through the city, the passing scenes looked eerily familiar. It was her first trip to this Chinese megalopolis, but the smog that hung in clouds and obscured all views reminded her of...

Getting out of gridlock: thanks to the highway lobby, now we're stuck in traffic. How do we escape?
March 1, 2002... Jerry Nichols, a musician, nurse and beer-brewer who lives in suburban Connecticut, has a long morning commute that can double if traffic is bad. His solution is unique to him: Zen-like detachment, simply tune it out," he says. "The traffic can...

Unfriendly skies: flying may be hazardous to your health--in more ways than one. (Your Health).
March 1, 2002... Long before cockpit doors were reinforced by federal order and United Airlines handed its pilots stun guns to zap would-be terrorists, flying carried its own health risks. For the moment, let's forget about the millions of pounds of emissions...

The fungus among us: exploring the mighty mushroom for food, medicine and insight. (Eating Right).
March 1, 2002... Mushrooms are a source of mystery, fascination, and even fear. They appear suddenly, and are gone just as quickly. They come in a diverse array of colors and shapes, growing in dark, out-of-the-way places as well as on front lawns. Their...

The environmental tax shift: polluters pay more so you can pay less. (Money Matters).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Nobody loves tax time. Not only does April 15 bury you in a mess of paperwork, it's a stinging reminder that thy government can take your hard-earned dollars and spend them on activities you object to, like urban sprawl and timber sales on...

Right as rain: control water pollution with your own rain garden. (House and Home).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Although it comes as a surprise to many homeowners, the suburban neighborhood is a leading source of water pollution. Residential streets and driveways are inundated with oils and metals from cars and trucks, while lawns and gardens release...

Last chance to see it? Visiting the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (Going Green).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Far off America's beaten path--with no trails, roads or development--the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) consists of 19 million acres of mountain, tundra and coastal plain in Alaska's northeast corner. For lovers of teeming wildlife,...

It's electric! Two Wheels and a plug-in motor offer alternative commuter transportation. (Consumer News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The next time your town is having a "bad air" day, and you glare at your local smoke-spewing power plant, give a thought also to the vehicle in your own driveway. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, cars, trucks and buses...

Ecobabies! (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action.).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Tired of disposable nappies, plastic toys, and the latest baby fashions? Ecobaby Organics grounds its line of baby products in the concept that healthy babies create healthy lives. Comforting your child with organically grown cotton diaper...

Fast food for plants. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action.).(Evaluation)
March 1, 2002... This spring, when you start indoor plantings for your organic garden, you'll have some help available. With Grow Joe, a new biodegradable starter pot, you don't have to go to the trouble of messily transplanting your tender plants from pot to...

Skin's best friend. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action.).(Vermont Soapworks products help you stay healthy and fight pollution too)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Even though we all know that skin is the body's largest organ, we continue to expose it to potentially harmful agents while cleansing and moisturizing. Vermont Soapworks natural, non-toxic line runs the gamut of personal and home care products....

Called by the wild. (Conservation & Urban Struggles).
March 1, 2002... CALLED BY THE WILD The Autobiography of a Conservationist Raymond F. Dasmann Foreword by Paul R. Ehrlich "How the environmental movement came to be and the role he played in its emergence is the core of Ray Dasmann's story....

Livable cities? (Conservation & Urban Struggles).
March 1, 2002... LIVABLE CITIES? Urban Struggles for Livelihood and Sustainability Peter Evans, Editor "An exciting book that captures the urban environmental condition through the struggles and knowledge of real people, Livable Cities? reveals how...

The green guide, again. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... One of the saddest things about the demise of the environmental group Mothers & Others in 2001 was that our E team no longer received The Green Guide, a sprightly consumer guide to cleaner, healthier lifestyles. But now, a year later, The Green...

Greener hearths. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).(Tulikivi fireplaces )(Evaluation)
March 1, 2002... Recent years have brought more and more hand-wringing over the future of our resource use, and a line of wood-burning fireplaces from Finland may be part of the solution. Built entirely of beautiful gray soapstone, Tulikivi fireplaces ($4,800...

Soy a-go-go. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).(Better Than Milk)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Now you will never again have to be without your daily mug of soymilk! Better Than Milk powdered soy and rice milks come in a rich variety of flavors, including original, carob, chocolate and vanilla, and they're portable: just add a few...

Body shop vs. sweatshops. (Books).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Is globalization the new face of corporate greed? The Body Shop's founder, Anita Roddick, examines this question in her new book Take It Personally (Conari Press, $24.95). Through colorful imagery and powerful real world examples, the author...

Aromatherapist's couch. (Books).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... If you want to ease sore muscles, guard against winter colds, or lessen your child's hyperactivity, essential oils may offer time-tested natural remedies. The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy (New World Library, $19.95) provides...

Nature on film. (Books).
March 1, 2002... The Color of Wildness (Aperture, $60) is the first retrospective look into famed nature photographer Eliot Porter's career. With gripping images from his travels to Tanzania in 1970, Antarctica in 1974, China in 1980 and throughout North...

The real survivor. (Books).('Beyond the Last Village')(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Journey through the wilds of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, with scientist, author and adventurer Alan Rabinowitz in his book Beyond the Last Village (Island Press/Shearwater Books, $25). Rabinowitz gives a gripping personal account of his...

The sounds around. (Books).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The brown thrasher bird performs nearly 2,000 songs, while some of its close avian relatives perform only three or four. Nobody knows why. Nature's wild song has long inspired musicians, as David Rothenberg, a professor of philosophy, writer...

Greener golfing, safer dry cleaning and discreet diving. (Ask E).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... I love to play golf, but is it bad for the environment? --Jared Pyatt, Springfield, MO The relationship between golf courses and the environment is not a simple one. Many golf courses are public parks that help preserve native habitats and...