http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/sandy_bauers RSS Feed for Inq Col Sandy Bauers en-us Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:56:46 GMT http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/sandy_bauers/20091116_GreenSpace__The_really_effective_conservation_steps__not_just_feel-good_ones.html We've never met. But Paul Stern knows a lot more about me than I care to admit. He knows that while I'm racing around turning out lights and turning off the shower while I suds up, my attic is like a giant sieve, with cold winds zipping through. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/sandy_bauers/20091102_GreenSpace__Combat_global_warming_by_having_fewer_babies_.html In 2006, the last year for which the U.S. Census Bureau has tallied the data, close to 4.3 million babies were born in this country. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/sandy_bauers/20091005_GreenSpace__Plants__at_work_cleaning_our_air.html I should be a lot nicer to the plant struggling along on my dining-room windowsill. The poor, wilted thing could be improving the air quality in my home. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/sandy_bauers/20090921_GreenSpace__Bubble__bubble_______this_palm-oil_soap_is_trouble.html This is depressing: I've concluded that my bath soap, of all things, is contributing to global warming. It contains palm oil. And buying an eco-brand doesn't help. Many of them have it, too. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/sandy_bauers/20090907_GreenSpace__The_water_wasted_in_boiling_pasta.html Harold McGee had just dumped a big pot of pasta water into the sink and was waiting for his fogged eyeglasses to clear when he began to think about water. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/sandy_bauers/20090309_GreenSpace__A_new_refrigerator_could_save_you_cool_cash.html Is your refrigerator eating you out of house and home? Chances are, if it's more than 10 years old, it's gulping enough energy to put a serious hurt on your wallet. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/sandy_bauers/20080324_GreenSpace__Light_thats_hard_to_love.html When it comes to the lights, Sean Kelly feels guilty. He cares about the planet, but he also likes his 16 dimmer switches, which help him create the perfect ambience in his Queen Village trinity. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/sandy_bauers/20080407_GreenSpace__On_a_roll__Dead_trees_go_down_the_toilet.html Of all the things to obsess about, toilet paper has never been at the top of my list. Or the bottom. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/sandy_bauers/20080421_GreenSpace__Doors__Say__you_want_a_revolution.html Frank Eliason didn't know any better. Lunch in hand, he pushed open the wrong door of the new Comcast tower. He used the swing door, not the revolving door - not the right choice for someone aiming to be environmentally correct. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/sandy_bauers/20080505_GreenSpace__Is_it_recyclable_or_trash_eternal__An_expert_tells_the_best_choices.html If you want to be a green shopper, choosing the right freshly grated Parmesan cheese can be baffling. Is the plastic bag of Parmesan the better choice? The plastic tub? The plastic jar?