EarthTalk® From the Editors of E – The Environmental Magazine Dear EarthTalk: Any tips for reducing the amount of disposable plastic I use for food storage? —J. Spencer, Gaithersburg, MD Analysts estimate that of the over six billion tons of plastic produced worldwide since the 1950s, we have recycled only nine percent of it and incinerated…
Category: Environmental protection
A Plastic-Free World for You and Me
by Tracey Szynkaruk Author Tracey Szynkaruk’s new book is a great way to help you do just that. Children are often far wiser than we oldsters, but their voices are usually ignored. I’ve asked Tracey how a kid can convince grown-ups to reduce plastic waste. See her response below.
Plastic Free July – Just the Facts, Ma’am.
From Earthday.org: The End Plastic Pollution campaign helps people understand the impacts of plastic pollution on human and ecosystem health and how everyday actions can help change the outcome. Join us this Plastic free July and you too can help #EndPlasticPollution Educate yourself in order to protect yourself. How much disposible plastic do we use? Single-use…
“It’s only one straw,” said 8 billion people.
With no regularity whatsoever, I give myself challenges. I did the Local Eating Month, the Buy Used When Possible Year, the Buy No Magazines Year, and other experiments. Today begins my Reduce Single-Use Plastic Year. It’s been almost a decade since Susan Freinkel’s book Plastic: A Toxic Love Story presented me with a startling awareness…
Plastic Free July – Small Steps
Every solution begins with something small: a single step. You can begin your journey to better health for yourself, your family, and the world by taking this quiz: Pesky Plastics Quiz See more posts like this one. ~You can share this post on social media or receive updates on new posts by clicking one of…
And so it begins…Plastic Free July
Join millions of people reducing their plastic waste. “Every year, we produce four hundred million tons of plastic waste and less than 8 percent is recycled. Every minute, every day, we buy one million plastic bottles, and each year we use five trillion plastic bags, almost all of which end up in our rivers, oceans,…
Get Ready for Plastic Free July
Plastic Free July® is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. Will you be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics? Why should you care? Disposable plastic items don’t biodegrade. They just…
Making use of kinetic energy
Dear EarthTalk: Can we harness kinetic energy to reduce our carbon footprint? – J.B., via email Harnessing kinetic energy as a means to reduce our carbon footprint is indeed a promising avenue for a sustainable future. Kinetic energy is the energy possessed by an object due to its motion, and finding innovative ways to capture…
Have a cool, green summer
Dear EarthTalk: With summer bearing down on us, are there any environmentally friendly air conditioners out there? –Fred Johansen, Grand Rapids, MI Air conditioners are essential for keeping us cool and comfortable during hot summer months, but their environmental impact cannot be ignored. Traditional air conditioning units consume significant amounts of energy and rely heavily…
Slow Design
Dear EarthTalk: I recently heard the term “slow design.” Can you enlighten? – J.M., New York, NY Slow design is a design philosophy that emphasizes quality, longevity and sustainability. It seeks to counteract the fast-paced, disposable nature of contemporary culture by prioritizing thoughtful, intentional design over mass-produced, trend-driven products. It is about creating objects that…