E Magazine articles from March 2003

E Magazine archives from March 2003

He ain't hairy, he's my brother. (E Word).
March 1, 2003... In his 1977 book, The Dragons of Eden, noted philosopher Carl Sagan asked: "How smart does a chimpanzee have to be before killing him constitutes murder?" Indeed, chimps do share 99 percent of their active DNA with humans, and are closer...

Marrying science and religion? (Letters From Our Readers).
March 1, 2003... I applaud you for devoting a cover story ("Stewards of the Earth," November/ December 2002) to the important topic of religion and the environment. I think one of the most disastrous mistakes of the modern era has been divorcing science and...

Back to the books. (Letters From Our Readers).
March 1, 2003... Kudos for your wonderful article on religion and the environment. One of the main reasons why we have so many urgent environmental problems is that there are sharp deviations between the values and methods of the world, and basic religious...

Save the faith, save the earth. (Letters From Our Readers).
March 1, 2003... My initiation to E was by Doug Moss' rant against organized religion and its failure to "save the world they claim God put them in charge of" (E Word, November/ December 2002). I respect Moss' frustration with the institutional church. I also...

Holding religion accountable. (Letters From Our Readers).
March 1, 2003... I was heartened to see you address the issue of religion and the environment. However, I believe much of the religious world has little concern about the condition of the Earth and the other species that share it. I hope they will prove me...

But you forgot ... (Letters From Our Readers).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... I read the article on religion and the environment and was disappointed that you overlooked a major contributor to the discussion on the environment--my faith tradition of Unitarian Universalism. We are small, but we are the "yeast" in many if...

Weedy starfish? (Letters From Our Readers).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... As a lifelong environmental and animal rights activist, I am compelled to point out that Bob Allan's letter of compassion for the starfish on your great tongue-in-cheek green travel cover (Advice & Dissent, November/December 2002) is...

Bearing down on grizzlies.
March 1, 2003... A burly grizzly bear strode across a meadow in Yellowstone National Park last spring, barely noticed by grazing herds of elk and bison. The bear, weak from hibernation, was focused on procuring an easier meal, such as scavenged bison carcasses...

Few holes in Switzerland's recycling program.
March 1, 2003... By some measures, Switzerland is the greenest nation in the industrialized world. Not only does it boast one of the densest rail systems, it also leads Europe by recycling 50 percent of all household waste. Annual garbage production is just 880...

New glass for old.
March 1, 2003... As Terry McDonald, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Society of Lane County, navigated the congested Oregon Interstate 5 traffic near Portland, he was taken aback by mountains of broken pop bottle green glass unceremoniously...

Embalming toxins.
March 1, 2003... If laid out head to toe, every person buried last year in the United States would form a line stretching from Los Angeles to New York City. Since Britain's low-impact "green burial" methods (see "Dust to Dust," Currents, November/December 1998)...

Wildlife on the menu: the bushmeat crisis is emptying Africa's forests. (Currents).
March 1, 2003... Deep in the heart of the Congo River Basin, the tropical forest is lush and full of life. Immense Sapelli and Okoume trees tower over the forest floor, and small antelopes called duikers plunge through the undergrowth while the calls of bonobos...

Negating NEPA: the "Magna Carta" of environmental protection faces an uncertain future. (Currents).(National Environmental Policy Act)
March 1, 2003... When Utah Governor Mike Leavitt proposed constructing a 120-mile freeway running north and south through his state, developers eagerly waited to begin digging and paving. But a few significant details bogged down their plans. As a coalition of...

The sinking city: Venice's $3 billion plan to stop a rising sea gets mixed reviews. (Currents).
March 1, 2003... It's a clear, calm night--no storms, no wind, no unusual weather of any kind--but Venice's Piazza San Marco is flooding. As the tide crests, seawater begins pouring from storm drains, forming a growing pond in the middle of the city's most...

Carrying capacity: can a big country with very few people be overpopulated? (Currents).
March 1, 2003... Just because a country has a huge land area and a relatively small population does not mean it can continue to grow unchecked. In Canada and Australia, for instance, activists are raising the possibility that they may already be overpopulated....

New research finds foul fish. (Updates).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... From Hong Kong to San Francisco, scientists have uncovered new evidence that diets high in ocean fish such as tuna and swordfish can lead to high blood mercury levels. Dr. Jane Hightower of the California Pacific Medical Center recently...

Poisoned poultry. (Updates).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Increasing concern for farm animal welfare (see cover story, this issue) has not necessarily been accompanied by rising concern about the connection between modern agribusiness and antibiotic resistance (see "The Case Against Meat," cover...

Perc banned in California. (Updates).
March 1, 2003... In a decision last December that may set a national precedent, Southern California air-quality officials voted unanimously to impose the nation's first ban on perchloroethylene, also known as "perc." A common chemical used in dry cleaning, perc...

Ebb and flow energy: high-tech plans to generate undersea electricity. (Currents).
March 1, 2003... Say anything, but don't accuse Jared Blumenfeld of thinking small. The director of San Francisco's Department of the Environment has been staring at the Golden Gate Bridge a lot lately, wondering how the picture-postcard scene would look if he...

Rights from wrongs: a movement to grant legal protection to animals is gathering force. (Cover Story).
March 1, 2003... Does a pig packed in a tiny factory cage waiting to be killed have any rights in America? Should it have? And what about the chimpanzee, which shares 99 percent of its active DNA with humans? Should anyone be allowed to "own" an animal with so...

Jane Goodall: a kinship with chimps. (Conversations).(Interview)
March 1, 2003... Primatologist Jane Goodall, Ph.D., CBE and UN Messenger of Peace, needs little introduction, because her work with chimps in Tanzania is known throughout the world. Fifty years of intimate contact with these close human relatives gives her...

Seeking sanctuary: as it begins its second hundred years, our national wildlife refuge system is in trouble.
March 1, 2003... When German immigrant Paul Kroegel began advocating for the protection of Florida's Pelican Island as critical habitat for a quickly dwindling population of brown pelicans more than a century ago, he had no idea that his efforts would lead to...

Controlling kids: are diet and toxic substances linked to attention deficit disorder? (Your Health).
March 1, 2003... Is it the diet? Parents who have children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) have long been told that their kids can't be helped by dietary changes, and only a small percentage of kids with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are...

Oil right: choose wisely for heart-healthy cooking. (Eating Right).
March 1, 2003... Some food-savvy environmentalists say that if you can afford to buy only one organic food item, it should be culinary oils. They base their assertions on several things, but at the top of the list is the fact that heavy metals (which can show...

Corporate report cards: green audits help evaluate investments quickly and confidently. (Money Matters).
March 1, 2003... Most of us have barely enough time to balance our checkbooks, let alone balance the environmental performance of companies we are evaluating for investment But we do want to choose companies that use resources responsibly and whose products and...

Up on the roof: turn that heat island into a living system. (House & Home).
March 1, 2003... Your roof: it keeps the elements out, the warmth in. But, as green movers within the building trade are showing, reconfiguring this little-appreciated home component can pay very big dividends for the planet. Indeed, technology in recent years...

Peace in the Poconos: adventures in picturesque Pennsylvania. (Going Green).
March 1, 2003... If you're taking a nature walk in Pennsylvania's beautiful Pocono Mountains, you want the naturalist John Serrao as your host. Not only is he the author of Reptiles and Amphibians of the Poconos and knows everything that crawls on or grows from...

Cosmetic changes: Aveda proves that beauty is more than skin deep. (Consumer News).
March 1, 2003... Dominique Conseil certainly looks the part for leading Aveda, one of the world's greenest herbal-based cosmetics, perfume and hair-care companies. He's French, for one thing, dresses elegantly and is conversant in seven languages. But it's when...

The greener mower. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).(from Country Home Products)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... As homeowners rev their lawnmower engines this spring, nature cringes. A well-groomed carpet of grass may be nice to look at, but popular gas-powered mowers pollute the air with noxious fumes and plenty of noise. Cleaner electric mowers are...

Planet patriotism. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... When leading environmentalist John McConnell saw the first photos of our planet taken from space in 1969, he was inspired to design a flag that would go on to symbolize world peace, unity and environmental commitment. The now-famous Earth Flag,...

Break the ice. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).(from NaturaLawn of America Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... While deicing salt may be the best defense against falls, it wreaks havoc on plants, soil and groundwater. Natural Alternative Ice Melt ($18.95 to $23.95) from NaturaLawn of America is a deicer that's safer for you and the Earth. Lower...

Sweet, sweet chocolate. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).
March 1, 2003... Chocoholics rejoice--now you can indulge your passion and still feel good about yourself. The Amazon Herb Company's ChocaMaca ($21 for 30 pieces, $55 for 90) satisfies your craving with only 30 calories in each ball of rich, dark chocolate....

Gifts that keep on giving. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).(Alternative Gifts International)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Shopping for a gift that's a little different? How about feeding the hungry, fighting disease or protecting the environment in somebody's name? Alternative Gifts International (AGI) compiles an annual "shopping list" of reputable nonprofit...

Biodynamic wine. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Benziger Family Winery uses organic and biodynamic farming methods to produce 180,000 cases of wine per year from more than 60 ranches. Pruning, planting and other vineyard upkeep is done in accordance with biodynamic principles, meaning it...

Pamper your skin. (Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Should you put on your skin what you refuse to put in your body? As an alternative to chemical-intensive cosmetics, exfoliate, cleanse and moisturize with a blend of organic herbs, extracts and other gentle ingredients found in Kiss My Face's...

First there is a mountain.(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... "First there is a mountain/Then there is no mountain/Then there is," sang the folk-rock poet Donovan. "The mountains are alive," adds David Rothenberg in his stirring new book, Always the Mountains (University of Georgia Press, $29.95). "They...

Stories from the front.(Webs of Power: Notes from the Global Uprising (New Society Publishers)(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... In her new book Webs of Power: Notes from the Global Uprising (New Society Publishers, $17.95), veteran author Starhawk examines current global economic and political structures from the viewpoint of an ecofeminist and Wiccan. She recounts what...

Antibiotic nightmares.(The Killers Within: The Deadly Rise of Drug-Resistant Bacteria)(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Since 1941, when the first bacterial infection was cured with a concoction derived from the fungus penicillium, we've depended on antibiotics to be there when we're sick. But we may not be able to count on foolproof antibiotics much longer. The...

Wide loads.(High and Mighty: The World's Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got That Way)(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... "I bought an SUV because they're safer." "I like to sit up high." "I need four-wheeldrive to get through the snow in the winter." "I hate minivans because of the image--people would think I was a `soccer mom.'" "I have dogs." How many times...

The tiger market.(Dancing With the Tiger)(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Dancing with the Tiger (New Society Publishers, $29.95) presents stories of individuals and teams in some of the world's most progressive and well-known organizations as they develop new models of corporate sustainability. Brian Nattrass and...

First steps for beginners.(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... For some folks, the Earth-friendly lifestyle looks daunting and is best left to those who frequent the corner co-op. Thankfully, Nell Newman, with Joseph D'Agnese, has done a marvelous job of making organics accessible in her new book, The...

The juice box debate. (Letters From Our Readers).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... When considering packaging and environmental impact, people tend to focus mainly on recycling, as with the article on aseptic packages ("Juicing the Waste Stream," Consumer News, November/December 2002). Yet aseptics are the most...

Clean sex, wasteful computers and dangerous mascara. (Ask E).
March 1, 2003... Do condoms represent a significant portion of beach litter? Are there environmentally friendly condoms?--Wendy M., Olympia, WA Condoms are often found discarded on beaches along with straws, bottles and other trash. About 900 condoms were...