E Magazine articles from September 2005

E Magazine archives from September 2005

Poverty is terrorism.
September 1, 2005... If our "mega-cities" coverage in this issue doesn't convince our readers and the substantial audience of international politicians and journalists also receiving it that the world has much bigger problems on its hands than terrorism, then I...

Debating the movement's future.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... I read your cover story "Is the Green Movement in the Dumps?" (May/June 2005), and I have some feedback as a lifelong green, educator and policy guy. George Lakoff has it right, but if he has to be paid $350,000 to "re-frame" the issues in...

Greens vs. Democrats.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... As a former Democrat and now a member of the Green Party of New Jersey, I bristle at the suggestion Doug Moss makes in his E Word (May/June 2005) that greens should join the Democratic Party and try to reform it. The Democratic Party for...

Mano a lawno.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... Your article "Keep Off The Grass" (Features, May/June 2005) omitted a very, obvious alternative to conventional, chemical-heavy lawn care, which is to simply let your lawn grow as it wishes and just keep it mowed. The idea that a monoculture of...

Defending NPG.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... Through their letters condemning Negative Population Growth's anti-illegal immigration ad in E Magazine (Advice and Dissent, July/August 2005), three of your readers have displayed their gross ignorance of the immigration issue while putting...

Native dumping ground.(radioactive disposal sites and environmental imapct)
September 1, 2005... The scent of sage and the pounding hooves of abundant wild game are a memory to the Skull Valley Band of Goshute Shoshone Indians in Utah, an hour from Salt Lake City. Today, when the people look north from their 18,000-acre reservation, they...

As falls Yosemite Falls.(Yosemite Fund to finance for Yosemite National Park's reforestation program)
September 1, 2005... For many of the three million people a year who visit Yosemite National Park, its eponymous falls are the most dramatic--and most accessible--site. Not only is this the highest waterfall in North America (and the fifth-highest in the world),...

A green agenda for cities.(United States' environmental policy)
September 1, 2005... The United Nations, so accustomed to thinking globally, turned its hopes this year to local governments' efforts to clean up the environment. More than 70 mayors and other local leaders from around the world have signed the Urban Environmental...

Saving sealife.(whale rescue teams to save whales)
September 1, 2005... In the spring of 1984, Peter Wallerstein received a phone call about an adult whale and her calf struggling to free themselves from the cutting confines of a gill net. Many of his previous phone calls to the Los Angeles city, authorities had...

Looking at Lula: Brazil's Amazon deforestation worsens--despite a "Green" president.(Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva)
September 1, 2005... Because no one can really picture just how vast 10,000 square miles is, those who talk about the Amazon region have found a handier way to illustrate the scale of rainforest destruction. The total area deforested over the years, for instance,...

The hundred year war: fighting to save Hetch Hetchy--again.
September 1, 2005... When Congress passed the Raker Act in 1913, granting San Francisco the right to flood the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park to bring water and hydroelectric power to a city devastated by the earthquake and fires of 1906, it was...

Citizen scientists: romping through the swamp--for a good cause.
September 1, 2005... Never learned the difference between mitochondria and monotremes? No matter--you may still have a shot at a side career in science. These days, conservation organizations and government agencies are increasingly turning to average citizens to...

Whale falls: it's not just a carcass, it's dinner.
September 1, 2005... It isn't easy, towing a dead whale out to sea and trying to sink it to the bottom of the ocean. Just ask Craig Smith. "The largest we sunk was about 30 tons, and that was a gray whale, and very challenging," recalls Smith, a professor of...

Better bottles.
September 1, 2005... If the contents of U.S. landfills (and litter along roadways) are any indication, the bottled water industry is booming (see "Message in a Bottle," cover story, September/October 2003). Every day, 30 million used water bottles are tossed away...

Diabetics: don't breathe the air.(particulate pollutants may cause cardiovascular diseases)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... According to a recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health, particulate pollution can be directly linked to increasing the risk of cardiovascular problems and major heart failure in diabetics. The study, led by Harvard professor of...

Sinking the salmon plan.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... On May 26, federal court judge James Redden ruled, for the second time, that the federal salmon plan for the Columbia and Snake Rivers is unlawful (see "American Rivers," In Brief, July/ August 2000). In May 2003, Judge Redden had asked the...

Cities of the future: today's "Mega-cities" are overcrowded and environmentally stressed.(Cover Story)
September 1, 2005... We take big cities for granted today, but they are a relatively recent phenomenon. Most of human history concerns rural people making a living from the land. But the world is rapidly urbanizing, and it's not at all clear that our planet has the...

Can save the cities?(immigration and population effecting American economy and environment)
September 1, 2005... Wausau, Wisconsin may seem like the furthest thing from a global mega-city, but the forces in play in this small city are echoes of the worldwide issues of population and immigration. Over the past decades Wausau has received a large influx of...

Everything gives you cancer: but good lifestyle choices will help you fight it off.
September 1, 2005... Imagine inviting 12 friends to a dinner party--six men and six women. Look around the room and consider this: sometime in the future, two of the women and three of the men will develop cancer. Depressing as it seems, those are the odds we...

The Asian invasion: uncovering the secrets of the far east diet.
September 1, 2005... Asian food is everywhere. Cheap packets of ramen noodles make up a large portion of a typical college student s diet. Green tea is a common sight on grocery store shelves, not only as a drink but also as a dietary supplement. Egg rolls, wonton...

Green glass: stylish window treatments help clear the air.
September 1, 2005... There's that draft of wind again, and this time it was strong. You head toward the thermostat and turn the heat up some more. But that won't solve your problem. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), 25 percent of the energy used to...

Buying cleaner energy: few people realize the potential.
September 1, 2005... Turning off unused lights, insulating your house and buying energy-efficient appliances are all great ways to save energy, which decreases air pollution and saves you money in the process. And if everyone were truly conservation-minded, we...

Trekking for change: Vietnam's hill tribes benefit from ecotourism.
September 1, 2005... High on a mountain in northern Vietnam, the fertile wealth of forests and paddies belies the poverty of the people who live among them. Most houses are thin screens of wood with mud floors and no doors. Chickens and pigs wander in and out of...

L.A. environmental: Hollywood's Best and Worst "Green" Movies.
September 1, 2005... Name the speaker: "How many oil spills can we endure? Millions and millions of gallons of oil are now destroying the oceans and the many forms of life they support. Among these is plankton, which supplies 60 to 90 percent of the Earth's oxygen,...

Light it up.
September 1, 2005... Did you know that burning candles can be harmful to your health? In 2001, the American Lung Association issued a warning that candles might cause poor indoor air quality, which can damage home interiors and aggravate respiratory illnesses. Many...

All fueled up.
September 1, 2005... This tasty snack won't leave you ridden with feelings of guilt for indulging. Fuel Natural Endurance Bars from Natural Emphasis are certified organic and made with quality ingredients such as whole hemp and pumpkin seeds, rice crisps, coconut...

Cooking made easy.(Thinking Outside the Crate: Farm Sanctuary's First 15 Years)(Video Recording Review)
September 1, 2005... Compassionate Cooks' new 69-minute DVD treats audiences to a variety of vegan dishes from egg-free "egg salad" to chocolate chip cookies, from vegetable stir-fry with peanut sauce to harvest-stuffed acorn squash. Compassionate Cooks is a...

Green cleaning for furniture.(Tools for Green Living: Resources for Eco-Awareness and Action)
September 1, 2005... Howard Products has a solution to your house cleaning nightmares. The company's new line of synthetic chemical-free cleaners, Howard Naturals Furniture Care Collection, is made of natural, vegetable-derived ingredients such as soy and palm...

Hold the pumice, please!
September 1, 2005... Environmental etiquette doesn't have to evaporate on chore day. From greasy grills and stubborn grout to peeling paint and willful pool tiles, Earthstone's suite of Earth-conscious cleaning blocks will help you tackle any tough cleaning job...

Bad medicine for animals?(Tiger Bone and Rhino Horn: The Destruction of Wildlife for Traditional Chinese Medicine)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2005... At the turn of the 20th century there were nearly 100,000 tigers roaming the Indian continent, but today only 5,000 remain. In 1970, 65,000 black rhinos wandered across East Africa, and today only 2,500 remain. These sharp declines, according...

Searching for panthers.(Beast of Never, Cat of God: The Search for the Eastern Puma)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2005... "One of the most alluring things about nature, aside from its ability to constantly surprise, is that nobody who loves wildlife and the woods lives long enough to see everything," Bob Butz writes in his book Beast of Never, Cat of God: The...

Allen invaders.(Aliens in the Backyard )(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2005... Aliens don't just live in outer space. They live among us. You walk on them everyday to get to your car; you bake them into your favorite pie. They come up to your window to eat out of your birdfeeder, and you've seen kids use them to catch...

Nature for young ones.(The Kids' Guide to Nature Adventures )(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
September 1, 2005... The Kids' Guide to Nature Adventures (Lark Books, $17.95) is a must-have not only for kids, but also for teachers and parents. Bursting with colorful photos and loads of exciting activities, author Joe Rhatigan offers 80 ways to have an...

A guide for the new corporation.(The Company We Keep: Reinventing Small Business for People, Community and Place)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2005... John Abrams' advice on building a small business is quite straightforward. It comes down to the belief that a company serving the needs of the people, the community and the environment is guaranteed long-lasting success. In The Company We Keep:...

Consuming kids.(Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2005... Children have always enjoyed ownership: Whether the coveted object is a jackknife or an Ipod, a child's urge to acquire is nothing new. What's changed is the degree to which children are consumed by materialism. In Born to Buy: The...

Humane education.(The Power and Promise of Humane Education )(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2005... "Humane education" is an approach to teaching that aims to inspire in young people sensitivity for other people, the environment and all living creatures. Its goals include ending oppression, hate and destruction, and teaching children to be...

Safe for baby.(The Safe Baby: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Home Safety)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2005... Child-proofing your home is a difficult task. Some parents may not even know where to begin. Get going with The Safe Baby: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Home Safety (Sentient Publications, $14.95). The book is endorsed by many top safety and health...

In the name of science.(The Back Road to Crazy: Stories from the Field )(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2005... The blunders and wonders of field work are recounted in 38 tales edited by Jennifer Bove, in which an Alaskan mountain goat perches in a ship's galley and marmots eat through car engine wires. The Back Road to Crazy: Stories from the Field...

Bursting your balloons and caring for pets.(questions & answers about our environment)
September 1, 2005... Why is it bad for the environment to release balloons into the air? --George Young, New York, NY Given that "what goes up must come down;' balloons released into the air--whether by accident or in large quantities at events--eventually end...