Sandy Bauers, Inquirer GreenSpace Columnist
Today, Lauren E. Leonard of greenlimbs.com and I are are hoping to start a conversation about chemicals in everyday products ... by ‘fessing up about what’s under our kitchen sinks.
Many cleaners contain caustic, even toxic, chemicals that may be bad for our health. There are alternatives, but do they work as well?
We hope you’ll join the debate by commenting below or on the greenlimbs site.
Sandy Bauers, Inquirer GreenSpace Columnist
Fisheries management usually involves trying to "restore" a fish population, or a particular stream or river, to some former, better level.
But at a three-day science conference about the Delaware Estuary, Jim Uphoff, a biologist for Maryland's Fisheries Service, said they've started using the word "revitalize" instead. In other words: In some cases, restoration just isn't possible.
He also said managers "need to dispell the notion that all we need is best management practices" to revitalize some fisheries. It's just not enough.
Sandy Bauers, Inquirer GreenSpace Columnist
Jill Lipoti, Director of the Division of Water Monitoring and Standards for the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, just participated in a panel about how policy-makers need to adapt to changing conditions.
A member of the audience asked how the state was dealing with beachfront residents who still objected to sand dunes, which greatly lessened the impacts of Hurricane Sandy.
"I think Governor Christie answered that when he said he wants dunes," she responded, adding pointedly, "We're working very closely with deputy attorney general to make sure we have the authority to make his wishes come true."
Sandy Bauers, Inquirer GreenSpace Columnist
Climate change has been steadily altering the weather in the Delaware Estuary, and scientists have documented it.
The changes were one of the presentations at a three-day science and environmental summit hosted by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.
One of the things that surprised me most in the presentation by Raymond Najjar, a professor of oceanography and climate change expert at Penn State, is that wind speeds in the estuary are declining.
Sandy Bauers, Inquirer GreenSpace Columnist
The efficiency upgrade for America's light bulbs continues.
When the calendar turned to January, 75-watt bulbs joined 100-watters in having to meet new energy efficiency standards.
Some have referred to the legislation, signed by President Bush, as a "ban" on incandesents. But that's not true. It's just that, so far, manufacturers haven't figured out how to get incandescents to meet the new standards. Nor are they likely to. There are just too many other wonderful choices.
Sandy Bauers, Inquirer GreenSpace Columnist
After pressure from an environmental group, a 78,000-signature petition and a court suit, Proctor & Gamble, which makes Tide and Tide Free & Gentle detergents, has agreed in a California court to significantly reduce the levels of the chemical 1,4 dioxane in its laundry products.
The substance is classified as a carcinogen under California’s “Proposition 65,” an initiative that requires the state to maintain a list of chemicals that cause cancer or birth defects. 1,4 dioxane was listed in 1988.
Women’s Voices for the Earth, a women's environmental health advocacy group and one of the groups demanding that P&G remove the chemical, called the agreement a public health victory.
Sandy Bauers, Inquirer GreenSpace Columnist
As of today -- and none too soon -- Pennsylvania residents will no longer be able to toss their TVs and other electronics into the trash.
Now, the devices have to be recycled. In some communities that have curbside collection of electronics, that will simply mean waiting for the collection date. Other communities have civic groups that host collection events.
For the rest of us, it means schlepping the device to a place that recycles electronics. But, thanks to the law that put all this in motion, those places are growing more numerous. They include not only dedicated electronics recycling centers, such as eForce Compliance in Philadelphia, but also big box stores such as Best Buy.
Sandy Bauers, Inquirer GreenSpace Columnist
As part of its Alternative Fuel Rebate Program, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has been dishing out $3,500 in rebates to people who buy electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids with large batteries.
Now, with the agency expecting to reach its limit of 500 rebates in late February, the program is being extended, albeit with a lesser amount.
The DEP will offer $3,000 rebates to people who buy large-battery electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus and Chevy Volt. Rebates of $1,000 will be offered for plug-in hybrids and electric cars with smaller batteries, such as the Toyota Prius plug-in and Ford C-Max Energi.
Sandy Bauers, Inquirer GreenSpace Columnist
I can't figure how they do it.
Just yesterday, one one of the coldest days of the year, I found a stink bug crawling on the stairwell wall.
So, despite a huge attic insulation project, at least a few (I've found others this winter, too) found their way into my home. And this one woke up and wanted food and/or warmth.
Sandy Bauers, Inquirer GreenSpace Columnist
This morning's column about the movement to get kids into the great outdoors has generated some wonderful comments.
The prize so far goes to one reader who identified him/herself only as "over 65." That person wrote, "Maybe kids stay inside with their video games because it's about the only activity left where they're not made to wear helmets."
I burst out laughing.
GreenSpace - her column about how to reduce your carbon footprint in everyday life - appears every other Monday in Health & Science. Reach Sandy at sbauers@phillynews.com.
- Former DEP secretary John Hanger
- A daily forecast of water quality in the Schuylkill River
- Academy of Natural Sciences’ Center for Environmental Policy
- All about Philly recycling
- Baltimore Sun’s environmental blog
- Bucks County Audubon Society
- California’s Beth Terry goes without
- Citizen journalism on the environment.
- Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future
- Clean Air Council in Philadelphia
- Clean Water Action in PA
- Delaware River Basin Commission
- Delaware Riverkeeper Network
- Delaware Valley Ornithological Club
- Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
- Dumpster Divers of Philadelphia
- Energy Coordinating Agency
- Environment New Jersey
- Environmental issues and Transition Cheltenham
- Environmental news and commentary from grist.org
- Green Living from the Natural Resources Defense Countil
- Greenspace blog
- Interfaith Partners for the Environment
- Mayor’s Office of Sustainability
- Mother Jones' enviro blog
- National Geogoraphic’s Green Guide
- New Jersey Audubon Society
- New Jersey Environmental Federation
- NJ environmental policy expert Bill Wolfe
- NJ Pinelands Commission
- NJ PIRG
- NJ wildlife and conservation expert Larry Niles
- NJ’s American Littoral Society
- NJ’s Clean Ocean Action
- PennEnvironment
- Pennsylvania Center for Environmental Education
- Pennsylvania environmental advocacy
- Pennsylvania Environmental Council
- Philadelphia Air Management Services
- Philly urban sustainability
- PhillyCompost
- Philly’s Women’s Health and Environmental Network
- Pinelands Preservation Alliance
- RecycleNOW Philadelphia
- Regional air quality partnership
- Sierra Club, NJ Chapter
- Sierra Club, Pennsylvania Chapter
- Sustainable Delaware County
- The Daily Green
- The Nature Conservancy, Pennsylvania Chapter
- Transition Cheltenham
- Transition Town Media
- Treehugger green living site
- Valley Forge Audubon Society
- What’s happening birdwise at Cape May
- Wissahickon Growing Greener
- Wyncote Audubon Society
