Columbus, Ohio USA
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Earth Talk
The following articles were reprinted in the Short North Gazette
Others are available on the Earth Talk website
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2019
July/August: I suffer from occasional acne but am loathe to treat it with harsh chemicals. Do you know of all-natural ways to get rid of pimples or prevent them altogether? - J.W., Miami FL
March/April: Do animals respond to or enjoy music recorded or played live by humans? - Jane W., Herndon, VA
January/February: Does the Scott brand's "tube-free" toilet paper really save much paper or is it just another form of corporate greenwashing? - J. Matt Potamkin, Milwaukee
2018
July/August: My vet tells me my 18-year-old cat is nearing the end of her life and I’m wondering what my options are for a green-friendly burial.
May/June: I recently read about the toxic dangers of particle board. I still am using the same laminate on particle board bedroom furniture that I bought new 30 years ago. Do you think it’s still harmful to my health after all this time, and is there any way to make it less unhealthy? Jane Woodard, via e-mail
March/April: I’ve heard that the chemicals we use to unclog backed-up drains are harmful to our health and the environment. Can you suggest safer alternative products or methods?
2017
September/October: Any tips for how to green up my Halloween this year?
April: The environmental movement was built on the philosophies of people like Henry David Thoreau, Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson. But who are the great environmental visionaries of our own day and age?
2016
July/August: Why did Ringling Brothers stop using elephants in its circus performances?
2015
January/February: What are the potential health and environmental impacts of so many genetically engineered organisms in our food supply?
March/April: What is being done to get toxic flame retardants out of children's furniture and other products?
July/August: What are so-called non-human rights?
September/October: How is that being around trees and other plants can help us feel good?
2014
March/April: Which are the most eco-friendly and non-toxic (to people, cats and sanitation systems) cat litters?
November/December: What are "dark factories" and are they good for the environment?
2013
January: How is it that global warming could negatively impact water supplies in the U.S.?
2012
January: There are a number of companies out there now doing “energy audits” for the home, after which they try to sell you attic insulation and other products and services. Is this just a scam or would it be wise for me to look into this?
May: Are all the commercial messages kids are bombarded with today having any noticeable negative effects? And if so what can a concerned parent like me do to limit my own kids’ exposure to so much advertising and marketing?
2011
April: Where do you recycle plastic stuff like sandwich bags, Saran wrap and plastic grocery store wrappers? Can they just go in with other plastics in the recycling bin?
May: What’s the nutritional difference between the carrot I ate in 1970 and one I eat today? I’ve heard that that there’s very little nutrition left. Is that true?
July: I saw a TV ad for toilet paper with no cardboard core to save paper. I understand that green groups recently struck a deal with Kimberly-Clark to protect eastern U.S. forests from decimation for, among other things, toilet paper. Can you tell me if any efforts are underway to protect Canada’s boreal forest, also long used for making tissue paper?
August: Isn’t it a waste that we buy water in plastic bottles when it is basically free out of our taps? Even health food stores, which should know better, sell it like crazy. When did Earth’s most abundant and free natural resource become a commercial ‘beverage’?
October: Pharmaceuticals were in the news again recently, how they are polluting water and raising a host of health issues because we dispose of them both unused and used through body waste elimination. What can be done?
November: I heard someone say that legalizing pot – as Californians considered doing last year – would benefit the environment. How would that be?
December: Are as many cats and dogs being euthanized these days as back in the 1970s and 1980s when indiscriminate breeding led to explosions in pet populations?
2010
June: At a meeting of a local art association, an artist who paints in acrylics said that doing so is more eco-friendly than painting in oils. I somehow doubt it. Aren’t acrylics petroleum based? And aren’t some oil paints made from natural materials?
November: I’m considering going for a teeth whitening, but is this safe to do?
December: I work at a fast food place and I am appalled by the amount of unpurchased food we throw away. The boss says we can't give it away for legal reasons. Where can I turn for help on this, so the food could instead go to people in need?
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