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National Mall to Get Recycling Program
Tweet Share on Facebook April 30, 2009 Comment (1)Our National Mall is often called "America's Front Yard" - but if the nearly two miles of open space in Washington were in your neighborhood, it would perpetually be trash day. The Mall is the hub of D.C. tourism, and as such, it attracts a lot of trash - nearly four tons every day, all of which goes straight to a landfill. There have never been recycling bins on the Mall, but thanks to a grant from the Coca-Cola foundation, visitors will be able to recycle their trash as soon as October.
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Which Cities are a Breath of Fresh Air?
Tweet Share on Facebook April 29, 2009 Comment (3)Residents of Cheyenne, Wyo., Santa Fe, N.M., Honolulu, Hawaii, Great Falls, Mont., and Farmington, N.M.: Take a deep breath. You're breathing some of the cleanest air in the U.S., according to the American Lung Association's annual State of the Air report. The five cities were ranked the best in the U.S. for year-round particle pollution (the tiny, hazardous particles in the air that can come from transportation, agriculture and chemicals and construction, among other industries), and were among many western and mountain states that earned spots on the ALA's other lists for ozone and short-term particle pollution. Fargo, N.D. was the only city to earn a spot on all three lists.
California, usually commended in green lists of all types, did not fare so well in the rankings. Three of the top five cities for worst year-round particle pollution were in Southern California. Bakersfield, Calif., fared the worst, followed by Pittsburgh, Pa., Los Angeles, Visalia, Calif., and Birmingham, Ala. Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Visalia and Fresno also rounded out the top four spots for ozone.
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The Blog That Cried Greenwashing
Tweet Share on Facebook April 28, 2009 Comment (2)It's good that consumers are learning to keep a discerning eye on companies' green efforts. Greenwashing - the marketing of a product to make it appear more eco-friendly than it actually is - runs rampant in a market where the number of green products is increasing every year. A study by TerraChoice Marketing found that 98 percent of green products committed at least one of seven green 'sins' that include hidden trade-offs, vagueness, irrelevance, or fibbing. Because we have the power to cast a vote for green each time we go through a supermarket check-out, it's important that we know, and get, what we're paying for.
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Swine Flu and Factory Farming
Tweet Share on Facebook April 27, 2009 Comment (16)The way that our food is produced may have played a role in the recent outbreak of swine flu. Factory farms of hogs, which keep thousands of animals in close quarters, allow disease to spread quickly from hog to hog before making the jump to humans.
[check out our list of 14 Things You Should Know to Stay Safe from Swine Flu]
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Public Transit is Good For Your Health
Tweet Share on Facebook April 23, 2009 CommentWe already knew that public transit was good for the planet, but here's an added bonus: A recent study from the University of British Columbia has found that taking public transit is also good for your health. Public transit riders were found to be four times more likely to meet the Surgeon General's recommendation of 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise each day, in part because they walk to and from transit. This news comes hot on the heels of an inciting report linking obesity and climate change.
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Obama's Earth Day Message
Tweet Share on Facebook April 22, 2009 Comment (26)President Obama is in Iowa today, celebrating Earth Day by touring a wind turbine factory. He also signed an Earth Day proclamation. Excerpts below:
Climate change presents a serious test for humankind, but it also provides an opportunity for great innovation and adaptation. The United States has risen to such challenges before, and Earth Day inspires us to transcend differences among nations so we may lead the world in protecting our planet from this global threat.
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10 Things You Should Know About Earth Day
Tweet Share on Facebook April 22, 2009 Comment (50)Today is the 39th year of environmentalism and activism for Earth Day. Here's what you should know about the green holiday.
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Catholics Unveil 'Unprecedented' Earth Day Initiative
Tweet Share on Facebook April 21, 2009 Comment (4)Catholics worldwide will be heeding a new call beginning on Earth Day - one to care for all of God's creations by reducing their impact on our planet. The Catholic Climate Coalition today unveiled a campaign for Catholic families, parishes, schools and hospitals to consider their environmental impact and its effect on the disadvantaged, who bear the brunt of the consequences of climate change.
The effort, if met by the participation of the 67.5 million registered Catholics in America, and the 1 billion Catholics worldwide, will be "unprecedented in its scope," said Bishop William Skylstad, honorary chair of the covenant. "[The initiative] brings two fundamental principles - care for God's creation, and care for the poor and vulnerable." Catholics across the U.S. are being urged to take the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor, which encourages them to pray, learn, assess, act and advocate for environmental justice. -
Miss U.S.A. Dons Green Crown This Year
Tweet Share on Facebook April 20, 2009 Comment (18)All of the headlines from last night's Miss U.S.A. pageant focused on Miss California Carrie Prejean's gay marriage gaffe, which has managed to overshadow the actual victory of Miss North Carolina Kristen Dalton. But here's a new addition to the pageant - as part of NBC's green week, the Miss U.S.A. crown that sits atop Dalton's hairsprayed pageant mane has gone green:
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Big Waistlines Mean Bigger Carbon Footprints: Obesity and Climate Change Linked
Tweet Share on Facebook April 20, 2009 Comment (16)A smaller waistline isn't just better for our health - it's also good for the planet, according to a recent study from the International Journal of Epidemiology. Researchers found that a lean population will consume almost 20 percent less food and produce fewer greenhouse gases than a population in which 40 percent of people are obese, similar to the U.S.
The difference can be attributed to several factors. Many slimmer nations consume less meat. The study also found that it takes less energy to transport slimmer people. Says Science Daily: "The researchers estimate that a lean population of 1 billion people would emit 1.0 GT (1,000 million tonnes) less carbon dioxide equivalents per year compared with a fat one."
