E Magazine articles from September 2004

E Magazine archives from September 2004

George W. Bush: can't live with him, can live without him.
September 1, 2004... There's hardly an issue, environmental or otherwise, where Bush administration rhetoric isn't almost diametrically opposite to its actual policies and practices. deed, when it comes to appearance versus reality, Bush has taken Orwell's 1984 to...

Paper politics.(Advice & dissent: letters from our readers)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Thank you for your excellent cover story he Politics of Paper" (May/June 2004). I was surprised by the substantial weight given to the apparent opposing views of the recycled and tree-free paper advocates. Having spent twelve years in the paper...

The invasive threat.(Advice & dissent: letters from our readers)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Thanks for "The Politics of Paper." One aspect of alternative paper fibers that should not be ignored is the invasive potential of plants that are valued for their prodigious growth. For instance, the article mentions Arundo donax as a "short...

Hemp madness.(Advice & dissent: letters from our readers)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... I find it hard to take in when I hear about the constant deforestation of our planet. The alternative is hemp to replace all paper, thereby leaving precious forest resources where they belong: in the ground. Hemp has over 25,000 commercial uses...

The low-carb debate.(Advice & dissent: letters from our readers)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Thank you for printing Julia Fawkes Stuart's article on vegetarian low-carb lets ("The Low-Carb Conundrum" Eating Right, May/June 2004). I'd like to offer a low-carb vegan solution (yes, it can be done) inspired by Dr. Alan Goldhamer's The...

Coal plant cancer clusters?(Advice & dissent: letters from our readers)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... In "The Nuke Next Door" (Currents, May/June 2004), author Trish Riley should have added that the amount of radioactive materials emitted by coal-fired power plants dwarfs what is produced by nuclear plants. Coal contains these materials and...

Building the better SUV.(sport-utility vehicle)
September 1, 2004... Would you be smiling if you were riding in a jury-rigged truck that had an emergency evacuation button and a giant tank of highly flammable hydrogen fuel behind the seat? It was par for the course at the FutureTruck Competition in Michigan,...

IslandWood's green lessons.
September 1, 2004... A suspension bridge sways 52 feet above a forested ravine. Students sprawl face down on its metal grating, fear changing to awe as they observe the verdant scene below. At a new environmental learning center called IslandWood near Seattle,...

Jumping frogs: hopping into oblivion?
September 1, 2004... It was a momentous day last December when the children of a California ranching family found a red-legged frog in one of their cow pastures. The three-inch, greenish-brown amphibian is widely considered Mark Twain's inspiration for "The...

E-LAW's big impact.(Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide)
September 1, 2004... When a multinational oil company sends natural gas flares into the air in Nigeria, or a factory dumps chemicals into Mexico's Lake Chapala, will local environmentalists be able to harness the legal clout to get the pollution stopped? They will...

The green haze: is the environmental message reaching presidential voters?
September 1, 2004... In a now-infamous memo, Republican pollster and environmental strategist Frank Luntz told GOP office seekers that it's the buzzwords that matter. "The three words Americans are looking for," he wrote, "are 'safer,' 'cleaner' and 'healthier.'"...

Plugged in: E-Bikes and Segways are slow to catch on--but rebates help.
September 1, 2004... Remember the hype? The gyroscopic Segway would revolutionize personal travel, its backers claimed. And aging baby boomers would all ride electric bicycles--at least according to Lee Iacocca, who started selling the battery-powered E-Bike in the...

The last roundup? Seahorses struggle for survival.
September 1, 2004... Seahorses may have the best love fives of any fish in the ocean. These delicate, swirled-tail members of the syngnathid family (pipefish, sea dragons) are frequently depicted in mythology, rapturously entwined. Each morning just after dawn,...

Flying the dirty skies: environmental fallout from the low-budget travel craze.
September 1, 2004... It has never been easier to fly. Internet-based services and third-party affiliates like Travelocity.com and Cheap Tickets.com now offer plane tickets at all-time lows, conveniently purchased with a simple click of the mouse. It is possible to...

Hot rocks: Minneapolis' "free" gravel contained asbestos.
September 1, 2004... For some residents of northeast Minneapolis in the 1970s and 1980s, the rock piles outside the Western Mineral Products plant were too good to pass up. A sign on top read "Free Crushed Rock," a boon for those in the working-class neighborhood...

Saving the giant pandas.(Updates)
September 1, 2004... The steep, remote mountains of central China provide protection for the last of the endangered giant pandas (see "The Last of Their Kind," cover story, May/June 1999). The forests these charismatic bamboo eaters depend on have been threatened...

D.C.'s river warriors.(Updates)
September 1, 2004... The cleanup of Washington D.C.'s Anacostia River continues (see "Washington's Forgotten River," In Brief, January/February 2004). This past Earth Day 1,500 people pulled more than 40 tons of garbage from the watershed. The Anacostia Watershed...

The prairie dog poisoner.(surveys)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Though some prairie dog exterminators enjoy the "thrill" of blasting the critters to pieces (see "Open Season on Varmints," cover story, July/August 2004), others choose less-bloody methods to "manage" populations. On June 23, Wyoming rancher...

Our bodies, ourselves: first-world women face unique environmental threats.(Cover Story)
September 1, 2004... A typical American woman--let's call her Sara--wakes up to the sound of her toddler crying from the crib. She decides to make coffee and reaches for a paper filter that could leach dioxin. She's heard dioxin causes women's health problems but...

The trouble with tampons.
September 1, 2004... Tampons have been around since the 1930s, and women have largely taken their safety for granted. But over the past three decades there has been a staggering increase in illnesses that were once thought of as rare, including endometriosis,...

June Zeitlin: empowering women, saving lives.(Conversations)(Women's Environment and Development Organization)(Interview)
September 1, 2004... Attorney June Zeitlin is the executive director of the Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), an international advocacy group working to empower female policymakers around the world. Established in 1990 by the late U.S....

Half of the world is women: but empowerment--and environmental progress--are lagging.
September 1, 2004... On the Hindu festival day of Rakti in 2001, more than 100 women and men marched through monsoon rains to the Advani forest. Led by Bachchni Devi, a woman who had organized movements to protect the forest from logging 30 years before, the group...

Nuking food: is your kitchen microwave safe?(Your Health)
September 1, 2004... Most of us have experienced it. Whether it's smelling that burnt popcorn cooked 30 seconds too long, searing your tongue on coffee that has been "warmed up," or watching in horror as that plastic container holding your leftover lasagna starts...

"Soupersize" nutrition: organic soups taste great--and they're healthy, too.(Eating Right)
September 1, 2004... Nothing beats the aroma and taste of homemade soup on chilly autumn evenings. Today, however, Americans barely even have time to make a sandwich, let alone to simmer made-from-scratch broth and organic veggies. Fortunately, organic food...

Frugal environmental living: it's easier (and cheaper) than you think.(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... It's not easy being green, but does it also have to be expensive? It's a question I've frequently pondered as my husband and I have balanced our commitment to the environment with the realities of paying for graduate school, working in...

Having faith: socially responsible investing finds religion.(Money Matters)
September 1, 2004... With the recent surge in faith-based environmentalism, it's no wonder that religious entities are using their substantial financial clout to push for green changes in corporate business-as-usual. As a member of a congregation, you can have an...

Traveling light: a visit to eco-friendly bed-and-breakfasts.(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... Traveling can be a challenge for those trying to lead an eco-friendly lifestyle. From room deodorizers and potpourri to non-organic breakfasts and sheets that reek of bleach, the typical overnight stay can seem so toxic you'd almost rather stay...

Catalog of woes? While many catalogs impact the earth, greener alternatives abound.
September 1, 2004... In 1872 Aaron Montgomery Ward established the country's first mail-order business in downtown Chicago. Beginning as a single sheet price list, the Montgomery Ward catalog ballooned into a four-pound tome that early 20th century farm families...

Taste the rainforest.(Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action)
September 1, 2004... Tired of candy coming in the same old flavors? Ecuador-based Yachana Gourmet offers organic alternatives to the candy mainstream. The all-natural Jungle Chocolate ($2.49) combines dried, roasted cacao beans (the source of chocolate) with sugar...

Lucky lips.(Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action)
September 1, 2004... If you've ever felt uneasy about those hard-to-pronounce chemical additives in your lip balm, this product will bring peace to your mind... and a pleasant tingling sensation to your lips. Jess' Bee Natural lip balm, offered in peppermint and...

Scrumptious snacking.(Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action)
September 1, 2004... Serving as an alternative to junk food snacks, Our Family Farm offers Kosher-certified, organic and all-natural cookies and crackers. Designed for children, but appealing to adults as well, these bite-sized treats include favorites such as the...

From a mountain mama.(Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action)
September 1, 2004... With Greenridge Herbals, founder and certified herbalist Collen Miller found a way to infuse the beauty and fragrance of nature into everyday products. Her small Rocky Mountain workshop uses organic ingredients and essential oils to craft small...

Handi-piety.(Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action)
September 1, 2004... "You can have your pie and eat it too!" is the motto of the VegTime company, maker of the all-natural vegan HandiPie ($3.79). These pies, made from 70 percent organic ingredients by animal activist Davy Davidson, are healthy and hearty...

Drink to your health.(Tools for green living: resources for eco-awareness and action)
September 1, 2004... New questions have arisen about environmental hazards associated with traditionally produced wine. The pesticides sprayed over vineyards can lead to noxious contaminants, not only at the bottom of your wine glass but also at the bottoms of our...

Little book, big picture.(Books)(The Little Earth Book)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... In a culture of shrinking attention spans and multiple media distractions, it is often difficult to shoehorn environmental education into the mix. The Little Earth Book (Disinformation Company, $9.95), by James Bruges, succeeds marvelously in...

Greenhouse to green skyscraper.(Books)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... "A visible green roof is probably the single most effective way that a building can express differences in environmental attitude," write authors Nigel Dunnett and Noel Kingsbury in their innovative book Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls...

Mr. Environment.(Books)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans (then 10 percent of the population) from diverse backgrounds took to the streets with the common mission of protecting the environment. Earth Day marked the naissance of an era of environmental activism...

"The wrecking crew".(Books)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... George W. Bush's environmental agenda--demolition, deregulation and liquidation of environmental assets--has enraged voters from across the spectrum. Critics, including these authors, say the Bush administration has single handedly put the...

Survivor 101.(Books)(SAS Survival Guide: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... If you have the misfortune of finding yourself drifting on a raft at sea or desperately foraging for food in the deep woods, you'd be lucky if you remembered to bring your SAS Survival Guide: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land...

An eco-classic reborn.(Books)(Limits to Growth--The 30-Year Update)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... Limits to Growth--The 30-Year Update (Chelsea Green Publishing, $35, $22.50 paperback) revisits both the influential 1972 work of the same name and its 1992 sequel, Beyond the Limits, to assess environmental progress and project possible world...

David Orr's new paradigm.(Books)(The Last Refuge: Patriotism, Politics, and the Environment in an Age of Terror)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... Which of the following can be associated with "the environment:" A) renewable energy; B) national security; C) terrorism; or D) organic agriculture? According to The Last Refuge (Island Press, $20), all of the above. In his new book, subtitled...

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and food irradiation.(Earth talk: questions & answers about our environment)
September 1, 2004... What is "Multiple Chemical Sensitivity" and what causes it?--Sara Morris, Houston TX People suffering from otherwise unexplainable medical problems such as headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, and even chest pains may have everyday...