TipSheet : Environment

Make Your Backyard a Wildlife Habitat

Newsweek — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:21:27 GMT

By Christina Gillham
Aug. 4, 2008 issue

Years of suburban development and unsustainable gardening practices have led to vanishing wildlife populations. The National Wildlife Federation has stepped up its efforts to promote its Backyard Wildlife Habitat program, which certifies homeowners who provide friendly environments for small mammals, birds, butterflies and reptiles.

The program asks residents to raise native plants and trees, which provide animals with food and shelter, and to put out water in the form of a birdbath or small pan for birds to drink and bathe in. Homeowners should also practice sustainable gardening by reducing lawn size, removing invasive plants and keeping rain barrels to collect water that can be used in lieu of the hose. (See nwf.org/ backyard for more details.)

David Mizejewski, a naturalist at the NWF, says that the certification, which costs $15, does not have to apply to your entire property. “The idea is to create a movement to get gardeners to adopt some of these principles,” he says. And, listing your home as a certified “wildlife habitat” can’t hurt its value.

Money: Explaining Carbon Offsets

Newsweek — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:35:35 GMT

By Paul Tolme

Growing concern about climate change has fueled a boom in sales of carbon offsets, which allow consumers to support clean-energy or reforestation projects that, at least in theory, remove as many greenhouse gases from the atmosphere as the donor contributes. While some cheer this growing market, others question whether consumers get what they pay for. Carbon offsets are unregulated in the United States. “The majority of offset retailers have good intentions, but it’s still a market where you have to do your homework,” says Katherine Hamilton of Ecosystem Marketplace.

Smart shoppers should look for offsets certified and audited by third-party organizations. These include the Gold Standard; Environmental Resources Trust; the Voluntary Carbon Standard, and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance. Buyers should also consult carbon-offset buyers’ guides published by the Tufts Climate Initiative (tufts.edu/ tie/tci/), Clean Air–Cool Planet (cleanair-coolplanet.org) and the Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org).

Consumers who shop wisely can spur positive change. Maureen Murphy of Santa Monica, Calif., recently gave $50 to carbonfund.org. The group is working with the Trust for Public Land (TPL) to purchase and restore 11,000 acres of degraded woodlands in Louisiana’s Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge. “Offsets made this acquisition possible,” says Don Morrow of TPL. And so did the guilty conscience of donors like Murphy.

Bag It, With Style

Newsweek — Sat, 24 May 2008 15:00:00 GMT

By Miyoko Ohtake

The problem with reusable grocery bags is that they often get left in the car or piled up at home. New ultracompact versions, small enough to stash in a purse or clip to a key chain, are helping to solve that problem.

- The Flip & Tumble folds like a pair of socks into a three-inch ball in less then five seconds. The secret is the patent-pending, sewn-in, spandex pouch ($12; flipandtumble.com).

- The no-nonsense, 16- by 14-inch nylon ChicoBag folds into its three- by four-inch integrated pouch and can hook onto anything with its carabinerlike clip. Even better, it’s machine washable ($5; chicobag.com).

- The Envirosax bags ($8.50; envirosax .com) come in 44 different designs and are certified up to 40 pounds, nearly twice the load capacity of all its competitors—and enough to make it double as a hip laundry bag.

Free to Be Green and Clean

Newsweek — Sat, 03 May 2008 17:19:19 GMT

By Anne Underwood

Not so long ago, ecofriendly cleaning products were expensive, didn’t work as well as regular cleaners and were available only in health-food stores. No longer. That’s good news for the environment and for anyone who’s ever gotten a headache from scrubbing the bathroom with traditional cleaners. “People who clean houses for a living have twice the rate of asthma,” says Alexandra Scranton, director of science and research at Women’s Voices for the Earth.

Even Clorox has gotten the message. In January, it launched an ecofriendly line called Green Works, which includes toilet-bowl, glass and all-purpose surface cleaners. Made with lemon oil, citric acid and coconut-derived surfactants, Green Works carries the EPA’s Design for the Environment logo. Last month the Sierra Club put its logo on the products, too, having vetted the ingredients, production process and even the source of the ingredients ($2.99 to $3.39 wherever Clorox is sold).

Among our other favorites: Citra Solv’s Citra Dish Natural Dish Soap cuts through grease, and the new lavender-bergamot scent is like aroma- therapy in the kitchen ($4.39; see citrasolv.com for a store locator and $10 in coupons). Ecover (“Does the dishes, not the fishes”) offers a comprehensive line, including an Ecological Limescale Remover as good as any tub-and-tile cleaner we’ve tried ($3.99 at Whole Foods). From Earth Friendly Products, Ecos laundry detergent is made from ingredients like coconut kernel oil and soap bark (an evergreen whose inner bark contains soaplike compounds). It even contains soy-based fabric softeners ($7.99 at Whole Foods). And we love the company’s Parsley Plus All-Surface Cleaner ($5.09 at ecos.com).

For ovens, you’re on your own. But Scranton, who advocates homemade cleaners (womenandenvironment.org), says you can clean an oven bottom and door with a quarter inch of baking soda, spritzed well with water and wiped down in the morning. Better yet, prevent greasy buildup by lining the bottom of the oven with foil.

Gardens That Go ‘Ribbit!’

Karen Springen — Sat, 03 May 2008 17:16:54 GMT

Celebrate spring with new shows at zoos and botanical gardens across the country. Here’s what’s blooming at a park near you.

Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pa.: Climb to the top of three large treehouses (one is handicapped-accessible) and look out over some of the garden’s 1,050 acres. Through Nov. 23. Price: $16 for adults, $6 for kids over 4 (longwood gardens.org).

Oregon Zoo, Portland, Ore.: Go back millions of years with an outdoor exhibit of 14 dinosaur species that roar, snarl and move; open May 17 through Labor Day. Walk through a rain forest and dig for “fossils.” Price: $4 plus regular zoo admission—$9.75 for adults, $6.75 for kids 3 and up (www.oregonzoo.org).

Newport Aquarium, Newport, KY.: Its Frog Bog, beginning May 23, has 20 kinds of frogs. In this “year of the frog,” zoos are launching temporary exhibits that show the global threat to amphibians. Price: $18.95 for adults, $11.95 for kids 2 through 12 (newportaquarium.com).

Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa, Fla.: This month the zoo will open Gator Falls, a 185-second water-flume ride that includes views of white alligators. Don’t panic: it’s a smooth log ride, not a roller coaster. Price: $4 for the ride, plus the cost of admission—$18.95 for adults, $14.50 for kids 3 to 11 (lowryparkzoo.com).

Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Ill.: View 12 giant bug sculptures made from forest materials like twigs and saplings. They’re all part of the “Big Bugs” special exhibit, through July 20. Price: $9 for adults, $6 for kids 3 to 17 (mortonarb.org).

Spring Clean Your Air

Newsweek — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 20:08:11 GMT

Illustration: Chris Gash for Newsweek

By Joan Raymond

Joe Minott says he sometimes feels like a bit player in a remake of the B-movie classic “Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster.” On hot, sunny days, when a blanket of smog—a noxious mix of ground-level ozone and other pollutants—darkens the skyline near his Philadelphia home, Minott is loath to venture out. He suffers from an autoimmune disorder called sarcoidosis that affects his lungs. And when pollution is high, his ability to breathe is laid low. “No one wants to be stuck inside because it hurts to breathe the air outside,” says Minott, 53, executive director of the Clean Air Council, a Philadelphia-based environmental group. “We have to do a better job of cleaning up the air.”

Minott may soon be breathing a little bit easier. In March, the Environmental Protection Agency lowered the limit for the acceptable concentrations of ground-level ozone from 84 to 75 parts per billion. That’s still higher than the level of 60 to 70 parts per billion recommended by the EPA’s independent scientific advisory panel. “Based on the science and how best to protect health, we wanted a lower standard, period,” says Janice E. Nolen, assistant vice president of national policy and advocacy for the American Lung Association. “But this is a small step in the right direction.”

When it comes to health, ground-level ozone is a major threat. “The thing about ozone is that once you breathe it in, you can feel something is wrong almost right away,” says Dr. Herbert Wiedemann, chairman of the Respiratory Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. The gas is formed when sunlight and heat cause a chemical reaction between volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are emitted as gases from such items as dry-cleaned clothing, paints, aerosols and nitrogen oxide—pollutants that come mostly from coal-powered industrial plants and motor vehicles. Epidemiologic studies show that long-term exposure causes premature aging of the lungs and decreases in lung capacity and function. Though children, the elderly and those with heart disease or respiratory problems like asthma and emphysema are at particular risk, about 20 percent of otherwise healthy adults are unusually sensitive to ozone’s effects, experiencing symptoms like coughing, wheezing and pain when they breathe deeply in highly polluted areas.

Short of fleeing civilization, there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself and improve air quality, both outdoors and inside your home. The first step: check the Air Quality Index (airnow.gov). The site gives daily readings by state and region for ozone levels and particulate matter (a mix of soot and other pollutants). To see specific pollutants for your state or to drill down to a specific county, go to the interactive map at epa.gov/ air/data/geosel.html. See if your state and county get passing grades for ozone levels and particle pollution at the American Lung Association State of the Air: 2007 report (lungaction.org/reports/stateofthe air2007.html). For more information about outdoor air quality, go to the National Library of Medicine (sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/ outdoorairpollution.html). For more tips on how to protect yourself on high-ozone days (and expect more ozone alerts due to the EPA’s new standards) check out lungusa.org, epa.gov and cleanair.org.

When driving, avoid jack-rabbit starts and long idling. Choose air-friendly alternatives for home improvement, such as using a rake instead of a gas-powered leaf blower, trading in your gas-guzzling lawnmower for a manual model or planting shrubs to reduce the size of your yard. For more tips, go to sparetheair.com.

Don’t forget about indoor air quality, since it can be worse than outdoor air. First, don’t allow smoking in your home. VOCs can be a big problem indoors. Cut down on VOCs by cleaning up dust (which is a VOC magnet) and using low-VOC or water-based paints, nonaerosol pumps and sprays, and eco-friendly cleaning products. Simple strategies like keeping air conditioners and furnaces maintained; vacuuming rather than sweeping; running ceiling and attic fans, and opening windows to improve circulation and ventilation can help, too. Keep humidity in check to prevent mold growth. For more ideas, go to airqualitytips.com and healthhouse.org. Make sure you have a working carbon-monoxide detector (see lungdiseases.about.com/od/buyersguides/tp/ top_ codetectors.htm for a buyer’s guide). And consider radon testing (see epa.gov/ radon/pubs/citguide.html for more info).

The best advice: “Get off the couch, get involved and let officials know you want cleaner air,” says Minott. For ideas, check out cleanair-coolplanet.org/action or ww2.earthday.net. That way we can all breathe easier.

Put Me In (The Garden), Coach

Newsweek — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:11:06 GMT

By Christina Gillham

March 10, 2008 issue

If spring’s impending arrival has got you wondering what to do about your overgrown yard, you might consider hiring a gardening coach. Gardening coaches provide one-on-one consultations to first-time gardeners, as well as those with a little more experience looking for a second opinion. They’ll help you get a handle on that chaotic overgrowth, as well as identify your flora, make design suggestions or show you how to fertilize properly. “We try to teach people how to do it themselves, not do it for them,” says Susan Harris, a Takoma Park, Md., gardening coach. And, compared with the cost of a full-time landscaper, they are relatively cheap, charging as little as $25 an hour. To find a gardening coach near you, log on to thegardeningcoach.com, a worldwide directory. If there isn’t one for your area, check with your local garden center, nursery or garden club and ask if someone is available to serve as a consultant or coach. Then put on your garden gloves and get ready to face the spring.

How Green is Your Stuff?

Newsweek — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 16:28:37 GMT

March 3, 2008

By Linda Stern

Greenwashing isn’t about salad prep. It’s what companies do when they plaster their products with meaningless but inspiring labels like EARTH-FRIENDLY and ECO-SAFE. Sounds good, looks pretty, but how do you know whether you’re really getting an environmentally sound product?

You don’t, according to the Federal Trade Commission, which is reviewing the guidance it gives consumers on green pitches. “There’s a heightened potential for deception” with green claims like carbon offsets when you can’t monitor the actual effect, says FTC chair Deborah Platt Majoras.

Ignore the fluff and look for specifics, suggests the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank. The words “organic” and “recycled” are regulated by the government and have legal meaning, as do the Energy Star designations given to appliances, electronics and other products by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Department. You can look for independent certification by groups such as Green Seal (greenseal.org), EcoLogo (ecologo.org), the Greenguard Environmental Institute (greenguard.org) and the Forest Stewardship Council (fscus.org).

The more details you get, the better, says the FTC. Instead of going for the box that says “less waste,” buy one that says “20 percent less material.” If a product has those three little green chasing arrows, check to see if the box offers more info, like whether it’s recyclable or recycled, whether the symbol refers to the product or the package and what percentage is actually made of recycled materials. Be aware of what the environmental marketing company Terra Choice calls “hidden trade-offs”: products that claim one environmental virtue, like energy efficiency, but deliver another sin, like hazardous contents. Finally, don’t get smitten with the word “biodegradable.” Most of that stuff ends up in landfills anyway, and still takes a long time to go away.

Shirts: Good Enough to Eat

Newsweek — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:33:46 GMT

By Paul Tolme

The odd ingredients appearing on the labels of ecofriendly fitness apparel—from corn to soy and coconuts—may cause consumers to wonder whether they should wear or eat their shirt. What can these products do for the environment? The Base3 Long Sleeve Zip, a thermal top made for cold-weather exercise, contains 92 percent Ingeo, a corn-based fiber. Supporters say it can be composted when worn out, though corn farming’s intensive water use takes away a kernel of sweetness ($98; nau.com). Marmot’s Midweight Long Sleeve Zip for women contains Cocona, a fiber made from coconut shells. The fabric traps odors, and it uses a waste product of the coconut-growing industry ($49.95; marmot .com). Recent media reports have questioned whether the Vitasea fabric from Lululemon Athletica (lululemon .com) really contains seaweed, but the company stands by its products. Before buying any newfangled shirt, remember: the most ecofriendly garments are the ones you already own.

Save On Slopes

Newsweek — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:07:12 GMT

Nov. 12, 2007 issue

Ski season has officially begun. The early season is when skiers can find the best deals—crowds and prices jump at Christmas. But snowfall is unpredictable now, so consider the higher-elevation resorts of the West, where many areas plan to open by Thanksgiving.

Stay three nights at the Teton Mountain Lodge and Spa, in Jackson, Wyo., for $330 per person, which includes two lift tickets and breakfast daily (Dec. 1–20; tetonlodge.com). Book by Nov. 16 and stay two nights with two days of skiing at Breckenridge’s Liftside Studios ($160 per person; breckenridge.com). Colorado’s smaller ski areas offer some of the best prices. Loveland offers a four-pack of tickets for $109 with no blackout dates (skiloveland.com). Monarch Mountain’s $27 early-season tickets are valid through Dec. 14 (skimonarch.com).

Beginners get the best deals, as the ski industry wants to win new customers. Learn to ski or snowboard for $25, rental gear included, Dec. 8–9 at California’s Lake Tahoe (squaw.com). Kirkwood offers a $5 discount for tickets bought online (kirkwood.com). For more ski deals, check wholesalers like ski.com, which buy and resell large blocks of rooms and tickets at reduced prices.

—Paul Tolme

Nice Rump! A Guide To The Birds Of Fall.

Paul Tolme — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 15:34:03 GMT

Oct. 29, 2007 issue

The autumn migration is an ideal time to go birding because species gather in large numbers as they wing their way to warmer climes in search of food. With the crisp air and colorful foliage, it is easy to see why avid birders consider fall their favorite season. Here are a few locations to join the flock:

The peninsula of Cape May, N.J., funnels birds southward, concentrating them at Cape May Point State Park, where it is possible to see up to a million American robins, hundreds of thousands of yellow-rumped warblers and other songbirds in one visit. That’s what birders call a “big day” (birdcape may.org).

New England birders head to elevated overlooks along the Atlantic to witness the migration of sea ducks and loons. Andrews Point at the tip of Cape Ann, Mass., is a perfect vantage to look down on undulating lines of eiders as they fly close to the water. Fair-weather birding is nice, but head out after a storm to see species along Cape Cod that typically stay farther out to sea, such as razorbills, dovekie and Atlantic puffins (massaudubon.org).

Located on a 550-foot-high ridge overlooking Lake Superior, the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, Minn., is a hot spot for Northern goshawks, red-tailed hawks, rough-legged hawks and golden eagles. Arrive at midday, when the birds of prey circle upward on warm thermals of rising air (hawkridge.org).

Texas’s Lower Rio Grande Valley offers astounding diversity because the area is a favorite stopover for birds heading down the Gulf Coast. At dusk, the skies swirl with barn swallows heading to roosting areas to bed down for the night (worldbirdingcenter.org).

Paddle a canoe or kayak into the sloughs and wetlands of Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge in northern California to see Aleutian geese feed in the eelgrass beds, or wait until Thanksgiving, when the swans arrive (www.fwsgov/ humboldtbay/).

Seeing one bald eagle is a treat. Seeing tree after tree filled with them is a memory of a lifetime. It’s possible at the Alaska Bald Eagle Festival, Nov. 7 to 11, when thousands of the national symbols gather in the Chilkat Valley outside Haines to feed on salmon that spawn in the warm, shallow waters (baldeaglefestival.org).

Don’t forget binoculars for an up-close look. Beginners should try 6X- to 8X-power binoculars, such as the Echo Compact, which is small enough to stuff inside your coat ($99; brunton.com). And buy a good field guide, like the “Peterson First Guide to Birds of North America” ($5.95). Another good thing about fall birding: no bugs.

How to Stop Being a Drip

Charlene Dy — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:31:40 GMT

Aug. 13, 2007 issue - Water use soars in the summertime, and drought-affected regions have been tightening their faucets in an effort to conserve water. While some towns have gone so far as to restrict lawn watering and public fountains, better technology and a new EPA labeling system called WaterSense make it easier to be miserly with your H2O at home. Some room-by-room tips:

Bathroom: In the past 10 months, 35 models of high-performance, high-efficiency toilets that use less than 1.3 gallons per flush, compared with the standard 1.6gpf, have earned the EPA's WaterSense seal of approval. Unlike many of their low-flow predecessors, these new models, which sell for $200 to $550, guarantee a clean flush (for more information, see epa.gov/watersense). If you bought your toilet pre-1994, it probably uses 3.5gpf or more, and you could be eligible for a rebate from your local water utility if you switch to a more efficient model.

And pick up an aerator (from $2 at hardware stores), a gadget that screws into your faucet and either introduces a steady supply of bubbles or separates the water into thin streams that can save you more than a gallon a minute. Finally, check out water-efficient showerheads at your local hardware store or at niagaraconservation.com.

Laundry room: If you're in the market for a new washing machine, choose one with an Energy Star label. As of January 2007, the EPA had implemented a water requirement, so now most washers use between 18 and 25 gallons of water per load as compared with the 40 gallons used by a standard machine (energystar.gov).

Outdoors: If you live in the suburbs, the lawn probably is your biggest water guzzler, and evaporation and runoff are your biggest enemies. Ask an irrigation-systems analyst from your local utility to check out your grass and offer tips on how you can use less water to keep it green. They might suggest adjusting your sprinkler system to make sure you're nourishing your plants and not your sidewalk, installing a drip irrigation system or simply watering less frequently to encourage deeper root growth. Other easy tips are watering in the early morning and fertilizing less, or mowing taller, which "protects the water that would ordinarily be lost to evaporation," says Mitch Basefsky, the Tucson (Ariz.) Water Department's public-information officer.

The garage: During drought season, hosing down your driveway is a big no-no. You can save an easy 80 gallons by using a broom to clean instead. And think twice before pulling out the hose for your car. Instead, try a waterless product like No-Wet, an organic, wax-based cleaner ($30.99 per quart; nowet.com), or head to a carwash that recirculates its water.

The kitchen: Everybody knows not to run the dishwasher unless it's full, but if you have an older model, consider replacing it with a high-efficiency washer, which can use up to 50 percent less water per load. The biggest savers are Bosch's 800 and select 500 series, which use as little as 1.8 gallons of water per load (from $1, 099; boschappliances.com). When used effectively (scrape, don't rinse, dishes before they go in and use the shortest cycle you can manage), a machine can save more than hand-washing your dishes several times a day. And even something as simple as fixing a leaky faucet with a new washer or gasket can make a huge difference, saving up to 140 gallons per week. Here's to a (responsibly) wet summer.

Take A Literary Field Trip

Newsweek — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 21:07:00 GMT

Silvia Otte
Book It: A sunflower field in Gascony, the setting for the Hours’ literary tour ‘Madame Bovary’s France’...

By Anna Kuchment
Oct. 22, 2007 issue

Last summer Bill Busse, a retired architect from Palo Alto, Calif., took a trip down the Mississippi River and through the pages of his favorite childhood stories. In the Mark Twain Mississippi River Tour (from $5,495; literarytraveler.com), Busse, his wife, Barbara, and a dozen other travelers stayed aboard a 1920s paddlewheel steamboat, heard lectures about Mark Twain and his work and visited Twain’s hometown of Hannibal, Mo. The highlight: walking through the cave where Twain set some of Tom Sawyer’s and Becky Thatcher’s exploits in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” “I’m not sure that people realize this was a real place,” says Busse. “It just grabbed me.”

Though trips like Mark Twain’s Mississippi appeal to all age groups, their popularity has grown as baby boomers approach their empty-nest years. “Baby boomers are a very well-read group and they travel quite a bit,” says Cathy Keefe, spokeswoman for the Travel Industry Association. A 2006 TIA survey showed that 56 percent of adults were interested in enrichment, or educational, trips. “As kids, we ask, ‘Why, why, why?’ but then we get busy with our lives and put those questions away,” says Ann Kirkland, founder of Classical Pursuits (classical pursuits.com) in Toronto. “But there comes a time when we have a little more space for reflection and we go back to those questions.”

Literary tours range from laid-back sightseeing excursions to more intellectually rigorous experiences that involve reading lists and seminars. On the more laid-back end is British Tours Ltd.’s private one-day Jane Austen trip from London ($970 for four people; british tours.com). Travelers visit her home at Chawton, where she wrote “Emma” and “Mansfield Park”; Bath, which figured prominently in many of her works, and the cathedral city of Winchester, where she is buried. On the more rigorous end is The Hours, a New York City-based company that mixes sumptuous tours of Tuscany and southern France with book discussions lead by a literature professor. Henry James’s Tuscany ($1,160 per person for six nights; thehours nyc.com) is set on an estate in the hamlet of Monterongriffoli, Italy, and includes cooking classes and truffle hunts. Madame Bovary’s France, planned for next fall, will be set in Gascony and will include visits to cheese and olive farms.

More independent-minded travelers can plan their own itineraries at literarytraveler .com, which publishes articles about writers and the places that inspire them. Later this month, the site will debut a searchable index of popular literary destinations in the United States. Many companies, including Literary Traveler and British Tours Ltd., will also lead private excursions for individuals and book groups.

The purpose of the trips is to help bring readers’ favorite books to life. Marjorie Noonan, 58, just returned from Classical Pursuits’ Mystery and Manners in Savannah: Selected Works of Flannery O’Connor ($1,960 for four nights). Her favorite moment: visiting O’Connor’s church and hearing firsthand memories of the author from her (former) fellow parishioners. It doesn’t get more lifelike than that.