The Green Life

Cut Fat and Carbon at the Same Time

It turns out that fighting global warming is good for the waistline. If every American spent 30 minutes a day walking or cycling instead of driving, the citizenry would collectively cut carbon emissions by 64 million tons and shed 3 billion pounds of excess flab, according to Paul Higgins of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Trim even more by trading in that T-bone for tofu--livestock production produces 18 percent of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions, according to the United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organization.

-—Dashka Slater, Sierra Magazine

Recycled Runners

Are you a sports enthusiast and an environmentalist? RecycledRunners.com helps runners around the world find an alternative solution to tossing your old running shoes.

If your running shoes are "gently" used, RecycledRunners helps you find locations throughout the country where you can donate them to people in need. If you just finished the marathon and your shoes have seen better days, they can still be recycled and turned into new sports surfaces at playgrounds and basketball courts.

Check 'em out here: http://www.recycledrunners.com/

Now You're Cookin'

They say a watched pot never boils, but a covered one boils extra quickly, saving cooking time--and energy. Using smaller appliances, like a microwave, toaster oven, rice cooker, or crock pot when appropriate to the task; choosing the right size pan and burner for meals prepared on the stove; and keeping the oven door closed while baking are other great ways to conserve energy in the kitchen. It also doesn't take as much energy to reheat food as it does to cook it in the first place, so make enough for leftovers!

When buying new appliances, look for the Energy Star label. And when picking out new pots and pans, skip the nonstick ones. Teflon is made with a chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), that is a "likely carcinogen" (according to the EPA) and a major polluter of air and water near where it's produced. Old-fashioned cast-iron pots and pans are a safe alternative, as are those made out of anodized aluminum and stainless steel (unless you're allergic to nickel).

The Global Green Life

As if the pollution and litter caused by plastic bags weren't bad enough, soggy piles of the discarded sacks can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, posing a serious problem in malaria-stricken areas. In Uganda, this concern has prompted another ban on plastic bags, and more interestingly--to me, anyway--a campaign to get people to return to traditional methods of carrying goods instead. And whereas in Japan, that meant wrapping cloths, in Uganda, it means banana leaves.

This fascinating tidbit came my way via the fall issue of Earth Island Journal, which also notes that end-of-life customs are going green in India, where cremation is the traditional Hindu practice. A mechanical engineer has apparently developed an ultra-efficient funeral pyre that cuts the amount of wood used by 95 percent and carbon dioxide emissions by over half. It's great to read about innovative solutions popping up all over.

Walk This Way

Children walking to school, helped across the street by a smiling crossing guard--it's as American as apple pie, right? But this wholesome scene is becoming increasingly uncommon, as harried schedules, fear of predatory strangers, and lack of sidewalks and walking paths in many suburban communities lead many parents to drive their kids every day, adding to both environmental problems and the obesity epidemic.

In response, a group called the National Center for Safe Routes to School has declared today, October 3, Walk to School Day, but with a little community teamwork, you can help make walking and biking to school safer any day of the year. One idea with a proven track record is a "walking school bus" or bicycle train--essentially, just a group of children walking or biking together with one or more adult leaders. (Since there's safety in numbers, of course.) Sound simple? It is. Just goes to show that improving the environment and kids' health can be as easy as putting one foot in front of the other.

Centenarian Strategies

Perfect place settings and flawless floral arrangements aren't really my bag, so I've got to thank healthy-home guru Debra Lynn Dadd for pointing out this heartening tidbit in her newsletter:

Apparently, the September issue of Martha Stewart Living included an article on "Living to 100" that discussed the importance of environmental health. In it, the author, Dr. Brent Ridge, noted that "Anything we bring into our homes or put onto our bodies can affect our health. I use natural or green products whenever I can--detergents, cleansers, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. If a bathtub cleanser is labeled 'nontoxic,' for example, that means it's safe for kids and safer for me and the environment." Ridge even got in a plug for composite lumber made from recycled materials, saying that it "looks beautiful and works well."

Eco-conscious ideas being promoted to 2 million mainstream readers? Now that's a good thing.

That Not-So-Fresh Feeling

Sickly sweet smells aren't the only potential hazard of air fresheners. According to a report released this week by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), these scented sprays can aggravate asthma and contain hormone-disrupting chemicals known as phthalates. In response, drugstore chain Walgreens has already pulled some brands from its shelves. Today's San Francisco Chronicle names some of the problematic air fresheners and provides a list of easy, ecofriendly alternatives, including:

• "Mist a solution made from water and items like lavender or lemons."
• "Use a cup of baking soda in problem areas such as the fridge or the trash cabinet."
• "Make your own potpourri with dried flowers and fruits."
• "Grind up half a lemon in the garbage disposal."
• "Bake something. Nothing makes a home smell nicer than fresh cookies or bread."

The lemon and baking-soda tips have definitely worked for me. What are your favorite green ways to clear the air?

Uh-oh, Elmo!

Those of us who live in places with lots of older buildings are probably a bit resigned to the idea that we've been exposed to lead from the chipping paint in that shabby-chic Edwardian rental we shared with a multitude of roommates. But the recent recalls of more than a million lead-contaminated toys-- including this karaoke Elmo--were still shocking. In yet another unintended consequence of globalization, the toxic ingredient that the U.S. banned from paint in 1978 has come back into our homes in the form of die-cast cars, action figures, and children's jewelry, most of it made in China.

The Sierra Club has been trying for a while to get the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the EPA (which was not so long ago toying with the idea of dropping some of its health standards for lead air pollution) to crack down on lead in children's products. The CPSC is now making noise about a ban, but until that happens, here's what you can do:

• Check the Mattel recall list for any toys your child might already own
• Buy a home-testing kit from LeadCheck, Lead Inspector, Homax, or First Alert
• Schedule an appointment with your doctor to have your child tested for lead exposure

For more tips and information about the health effects of lead, visit sierraclub.org/healthycommunities/lead.

Read All About It

A roundup of news worth noting from the past month or so:

BUSINESS/MONEY
* GE jumped on the green-credit-card bandwagon with its GE Money Earth Rewards Platinum MasterCard, which must be applied for online or by phone (to save paper, don'cha know). Boosters and doubters weighed in.

* A Portland startup has developed software to reduce paper waste while printing.

GRAPEVINE
* Actress/activist Daryl Hannah is working to green this weekend's Virgin Festival (sponsored by the media company, silly) in Baltimore. Music-lovers coming to see the Police, the Smashing Pumpkins, and dozens of other acts will also find plates made of sugarcane, biodiesel-run generators, and "green angels" monitoring waste disposal. Don't miss Explosions in the Sky, y'all. They totally rock.

* Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro has joined the campaign to preserve the island's Northeast Ecological Corridor. (Yeah, the article is in Spanish and from April, but even old news is worth reporting when it comes to Benicio.)

A Tip a Day...

...keeps global warming at bay. (And other environmental problems too!)

Want to start living a lower-impact, higher-quality lifestyle? Not sure where to begin? Sign up for our new Green Life newsletter and receive an easy tip every day about a small change that can make a big difference. Simple steps like replacing conventional lightbulbs with more efficient ones, keeping your car tires properly inflated, or adjusting your thermostat a degree or two can save you money, reduce waste, and help save the planet. Don't delay, sign up today!

Toxics on Board?

If you've got a kid, you've now got yet another reason to drive as little as possible: toxic car seats, which Grist reports "have joined baby bottles and bath toys on the ever-growing list of Evil Things You're Subjecting Your Child To."

While car seats keep your little one snug and secure, they may also be leaching bromine, chlorine, lead, and other unpleasant substances. After extensive testing, the Michigan-based Ecology Center has published recommendations for safer brands and general suggestions to reduce potential exposures, including "using solar reflectors and parking in the shade whenever possible…ventilat[ing] your car before entering…and limit[ing] the amount of time a child spends in a car seat." I guess those sleeping-inducing drives around the block aren't such a good idea after all.

Apple Starts Polishing Its Image

After its dismal showing last month in Greenpeace's "Guide to Greener Electronics," Apple announced some sweet news: a phase-out of two particularly nasty types of chemicals, brominated fire retardants and polyvinyl chloride, in all of its products by 2008--a year before Dell and other competitors have planned to get BFRs and PVC out of their PCs. While heralding the move, Greenpeace plans to keep up its campaign until Apple gets even greener.

Sad Mac

Ouch. While I've been following my boyfriend around our apartment, turning off lights and recycling things he puts in the trash (he's getting a lot better about that), he may actually have been being the better environmentalist--at least when it comes to our respective choices of computers. As a devoted Apple partisan for more than two decades (ah, the memories), I was none too pleased to see the maker of my favorite machines come in dead last in Greenpeace's recent ranking of electronic manufacturers' policies on recycling and toxic contents. My better half's employer, Dell, was a respectable #4 on the list, and his boss got props for "challeng[ing] the entire industry to adopt a worldwide takeback policy."

Fortunately, I'm not the only one feeling a little pain. The Greenpeace folks admit to being Apple fans too, and have started up a "Green Apple" campaign to get the company to offer safer products and better recycling. I'm off to write my letter to Steve Jobs now...

The Dirt on Dry Cleaning

Get this: dry cleaning isn’t really dry. Nope, we’re not pulling your (dry-clean-only trouser) leg. Although no water is involved in the process (hence the name), liquid solvents are, and the main one, perchloroethylene, is nasty stuff. Better known as perc, it’s a likely carcinogen linked to a host of other health problems that also contaminates our soil and water.

Greener alternatives include wet cleaning (a kind of high-tech version of hand-washing) and liquid-CO2 dry cleaning.

Of course, the simplest (and probably cheapest) solution is to avoid clothes that require dry cleaning in the first place. These days, there are even machine-washable suits (look for ones that haven't been treated with wrinkle- or stain-repellents, which often use formaldehyde). And many cotton, linen, and silk clothes can be safely hand-washed in cold water even if they say "dry-clean-only."

Organic on the Cheap

Here at Sierra, we often get letters from readers who say they can't afford to eat organically. Fortunately, you don't have to buy organic versions of every single food item to make a difference for your health and the planet.

The Environmental Working Group in DC has done a great job figuring out which fruits and vegetables are most and least contaminated with pesticides—and they even offer their findings on a wallet-sized card that you can download. If you're on a tight budget, make sure you at least buy the most contaminated items organically.

Since all produce is not created equal when it comes to pesticides, eating a wide variety of foods can also help you reduce your exposure to dangerous chemicals. This is all especially important for kids, since their growing bodies are more susceptible to toxic exposures.

According to Mission Organic 2010, if everyone in the country increased their organic consumption to just 10 percent of their diet, it would restore more than 6 billion pounds of carbon to our soil, and eliminate more than 2 million pounds of antibiotics used in livestock and more than 2 billion barrels of imported oil annually, not to mention significantly cleaning up our drinking water. Who says little changes can't have a big impact?

Beauty You Don’t Have to Work At

The latest beauty trend is environmentally fashionable too: using fewer cosmetics. The New York Times reported last month on a "back-to-basics movement among dermatologists," exemplified by Dr. Fran E. Cook-Bolden in Manhattan, who advised, "Just two products, a gentle cleanser and a good sunscreen, are enough daily skin care for most people, and you can buy those at a drugstore or a grocery store."

This "skin-care minimalism" is good for the environment as well as consumers' health, since the ingredients in cosmetic products often include potentially toxic substances like mercury, lead acetate, formaldehyde, coal tar, and phthalates. It saves money too: why invest in exfoliation beads or a microdermabrasion system when, as Dr. Cook-Bolden recommends, you can clean up dead skin cells just as well with a washcloth?

Cheap, healthy, and mild on the planet: now that's a regime that’s easy to find beautiful.

For more on the environmental impacts of personal-care products, check out the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and "Skin Deep," an Environmental Working Group report on popular brands.

Medicinal Menus

With poor nutrition contributing to four of the six leading causes of death in the United States, why do more than 40 percent of the country's top hospitals host fast-food franchises--and serve unappetizing meals to boot? It's a problem that a growing number of healthcare providers are working to resolve by dishing up more organic, locally grown foods and antibiotic-free meat to patients, workers, and visitors; starting on-site farmers' markets and gardens; and showing junk-food purveyors the door. noharm.org/us/food/issue

(Illustration by Josef Gast)

Fast Fact

The average American walks about 300 yards per day.

Fast Fact

Airlines burned an extra 350 million gallons of fuel in 2000 due to U.S. passengers' increasing average weight over the past decade.

Fast Fact

Daily use of beauty products exposes U.S. women to up to 200 chemicals. Only 10 percent of cosmetic ingredients have been screened for safety. safecosmetics.org

Fast Fact

A recent study concluded that switching to organic foods provides kids with "dramatic and immediate" protection from toxic pesticides.

Whole-Earth Workout

People will do just about anything to lose weight, a tendency the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers is putting to use for the environment. Participants in the "Green Gyms" movement, which started in 1999 and is now established in 50 cities, get their weekly workout by planting trees, creating gardens, clearing trails, and carrying out other conservation projects. Sessions include warm-up exercises, training in the use of tools, and even a tea break.

Illustration by Josef Gast

Fast Fact

Exercising outdoors, exposed to the elements and uneven terrain, can burn 30 percent more calories than hitting the gym.

Welcome!

"The Green Life" was launched in the November/December 2005 issue of Sierra magazine as a place to showcase trendsetting people, cool products, and empowering ideas. Quickly we saw that there was too much happening, too fast, to limit our coverage to a few bimonthly pages, and thus this blog was born.

When we devoted our January/February 2005 issue to the burgeoning green-lifestyle movement, we saw there was a huge interest in earth-friendly options for living well. What we wear, where we live, how we get around, and how we spend our money affects not only our own quality of life, but the quality of our environment. Fortunately, style and sustainability increasingly go hand in hand, reaffirming our belief that the best things in life truly are green.

What's your favorite green product? What ideas have made your life a little easier and the Earth a little happier? Share your rants, raves, tips, and questions with other readers and us.

--Jennifer Hattam, editor