Framingham Tab: Are these bulbs helping or harming the environment?

Filed under: Earth 911 - June 29, 2007

By John Hilliard

GateHouse News Service

Fri Jun 29, 2007, 08:39 PM EDT

After working diligently at ridding mercury from the state’s waste stream, Massachusetts is facing a new threat to its efforts from an unlikely source: compact fluorescent bulbs, which are being championed as environmental saviors but which rely on mercury powder to burn bright. Are the state and the local DPW equipped to handle the recycling demands posed by the increasing sales of fluorescents?

Compact fluorescent bulbs are cleaner, last longer, and are more efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs. They could literally light our way into the future.

But they’re also paired with mercury — an old toxic adversary that environmental officials have worked for years to eliminate.

According to Energy Star, a joint program of the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, compact fluorescents use about 75 percent less energy and last 10 times as long than their incandescent counterparts.

Federal officials say if every home in America had one compact fluorescent, the country would save about $600 million in annual energy costs — enough electricity to light about 3 million homes and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of 800,000 cars.

But to make those CFLs burn bright, they rely on a small amount of mercury powder — a substance that can lead to permanent nervous system and kidney damage and pollute the very environment that the use of fluorescents are supposed to help protect.

Mercury, which can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin, can cause permanent nervous system and kidney damage. Among other things, the substance gave rise to the phrase “mad as a hatter” - referred to a character in “Alice in Wonderland” — because workers once used mercury in the hat-making process before the practice ended in the early 1940s in the U.S.

Mercury thermometers have about 500 milligrams of the material inside them — far more than the four to five milligrams present inside a new compact fluorescent. Mercury is used to help the bulbs burn bright, said Ed Coletta, a spokesman with the state Department of Environmental Protection, and makers have not found a non-toxic substitute to do that job.

Now with a proposed national phase out on incandescent bulbs being led by manufacturers and other groups — following similar plans in Australia — local recyclers and waste disposal firms face having to safely dispose of another source of mercury from household waste.

In the early 2000s, Massachusetts worked to eliminate mercury from trash — where it can re-enter the environment — but the bulbs were not the focus of those efforts.

“I think the focus was on mercury products like thermometers… and less so on compact fluorescents,” said Coletta. “They’ve become more of an issue as they become more popular.”

If a bulb breaks, that mercury — in powder form — can spread into the air and potentially be inhaled. In Maine earlier this year, a homeowner who broke a bulb over a carpet reported a $2,000 clean up bill after an inspector from that state’s environmental protection office detected mercury traces in an area the size of a dinner plate.

In Massachusetts, the DEP recommends waiting about 15 minutes after breaking a bulb and then clearing the broken bits and mercury particles into a sealable container. Coletta said to use a stiff piece of paper or cardboard to sweep up the debris — and avoid using a vacuum cleaner.

“You have mercury powder there, and you don’t want it kicked up into the air,” said Coletta. Michael Lavin, an operations manager with the Framingham Department of Public Works, said the town offers recycling of compact fluorescents at its facility on Mt. Wayte Avenue.

He said officials are prepared to handle the material, but expect to be burdened with a greater financial outlay as more mercury-tainted light bulb material finds its way into the waste stream.

“We’re a little concerned about the cost,” he said.

He supported recycling the material, rather than simply throwing it away, because Framingham’s trash is sent to an incinerator — which could end up releasing waste mercury into the air.

Massachusetts enacted an all-out mercury ban that begins in May 2008. Until then, the state will allow residents to throw away broken compact fluorescent bulbs if they are sealed inside a container before being dumped in the trash.

Coletta recommended recycling the bulbs if possible and contacting local departments of public works to arrange a drop off for broken bulbs. He said more information can be found online at www.earth911.org.

He said the DEP is working on new regulations for the disposal of household CFL bulbs, but noted commercial users must recycle any mercury-containing lights.

“We want to get all the mercury out of the waste stream,” said Coletta, while noting the amount of mercury in the fluorescent bulbs is a relatively small amount.

(John Hilliard can be reached at 508-626-4449 or jhilliar@cnc.com.)

Business Wire: YP Corp. and LiveDeal.com Unveil First Integrated Yellow Pages/Classifieds Solution: Premium Yellow Pages Stores

Filed under: Pets 911 - June 27, 2007

June 27, 2007

First-of-Its Kind Integrated Advertising Solution Enables Small and Medium Sized Businesses to Market Specific Products and Services

MESA, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–YP Corp. (OTCBB:YPNT), a leading provider of local Internet Yellow Pages and classifieds, unveiled today that it will begin offering a Yellow Pages Premium Store Program for yellow page advertisers on its LiveDeal.com site. This is the first co-developed product between LiveDeal.com and YP Corp. since YP Corp acquired LiveDeal in June. The new solution virtually eliminates the traditional separation of classifieds and yellow page advertising, and delivers a highly competitive value to small and medium business by bundling two offline media solutions into a single lower cost advertising package.

Priced at $39.95 a month for most categories, the Yellow Pages Premium Program enables businesses to post merchandise and services in LiveDeal’s online classifieds marketplace. LiveDeal’s Yellow Pages Premium Store owners receive the benefit of having their products and services categorized as “premium listings” in LiveDeal’s classifieds marketplace, which means they are posted above LiveDeal’s free classifieds listings.

“YP Corp and LiveDeal’s mission are to be the ‘go to’ destinations on the Web for finding goods and services locally,” said Dan Coury, CEO of YP Corp. “We are excited to be the first online site to fuse relevant yellow pages and classifieds listings into one solution and help our users find the things they are looking for faster. That’s what YP Corp and LiveDeal are all about — helping buyers and sellers in local communities connect with one another quickly and effortlessly.”

Yellow Pages Premium Store owners can have their listings personalized with a company or store logo and include contact information such as phone number, business hours, maps, and link to the businesses’ Web site. The Classifieds-Yellow Pages accounts will also include bulk upload capabilities to upload multiple listings for a single merchant. YP Corp. and LiveDeal.com intend to market this program aggressively to its current customers and through its co-brand and channel partners. Companies can open a Yellow Pages Premium Store at no charge for the first 30 days.

About YP Corp. and LiveDeal

YP Corp. is America’s Local Online Yellow Pages(TM) and offers businesses a simple and affordable way of creating a web presence and marketing their products and services to local audiences online. The Company offers an Internet Advertising Package which provides advertisers preferred placement in yellow page search results and their own Mini Webpage(TM) where they can provide potential customers with details about their products and services.

LiveDeal is a leader in the local online classifieds and yellow pages market with millions of goods and services listed for sale, in every city and zip code across the U.S. Buyers and sellers come together through the vast LiveDeal.com marketplace, which is ideal for finding and listing business services as well as such items as automobiles, furniture, appliances, real estate and more. LiveDeal is also the perfect place for sellers seeking to place pets in loving homes and for buyers to find the pet of their dreams. LiveDeal has also joined forces with Pets 911 to increase pet adoptions from shelters. LiveDeal partners with online and offline media to quickly and cost effectively power their classifieds and yellow pages via its dynamic LiveDeal classifieds platform. LiveDeal was founded in 2003 by Rajesh Navar, an original member of eBay’s engineering team, with executives from other pioneering Internet companies. As part of its global expansion, LiveDeal recently launched LiveDeal Canada (livedeal.ca) in partnership with Torstar Corporation and Gesca Ltd. For more information about LiveDeal, see www.livedeal.com.

Worchester Telegram: Good question

Filed under: Earth 911 - June 26, 2007

June 23, 2007

Question: Where can I dispose of compact fluorescent lights? I’d like to start using them for economic and environmental purposes, but I understand that CFLs shouldn’t simply be thrown in the trash because they contain mercury.

Answer: Although recycling is best, your state may allow trashing the bulbs. Go to this Web site: www.lamprecycle.org and click on “State Lamp Recycling Regulations & Contacts.” There’s a list of recyclers at that address too. You can also try www.earth911.org. Type CFL in the What? box and your ZIP code in the other to find a recycling center. If you can dispose of them legally in your state the Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you double bag them in plastic before putting them in your trash bag.

CFLs contain about 5 milligrams of mercury, which is roughly enough to cover the tip of a ball-point pen. No mercury is released when the bulbs are intact or in use.

The EPA recommends CFLs be used to save energy and money. Replacing a 60-watt incandescent with a 13-watt CFL can save you at least $30 in energy costs over the bulb’s life. CFLs last up to 10 times longer and produce about 70 percent less heat.

Florida Today: It’s easy to be green

Filed under: Earth 911 - June 23, 2007

June 23, 2007

BY AUTUMN PHELPS
FLORIDA TODAY

Protect our planet with minor changes in your house

The Florida Green Building Coalition is dedicated to developing homes and communities where the environment takes top priority.

The organization can certify a home with a “green” seal of approval, meaning it meets several energy and water efficiency standards, from having solar water heaters to recycled roof material.

There are no official green home developments in Brevard County — yet. But researchers at The Florida Solar Energy Center in Cocoa expect that to change in years to come.

“We do see builders doing some things in other communities,” said Eric Martin, senior research engineer at the center. “It won’t be long before (Brevard County builders) realize how beneficial it is.”

Scientists at the Florida Solar Energy Center conduct lab research inside an on-site model of a manufactured home, which features energy-efficient lighting, appliances and other devices to simulate an environmentally sound lifestyle.

“The house acts like somebody’s living here,” Martin said.

That means the water runs to imitate showers, lamps flick on at night and carbon dioxide and moisture are released into the air. It’s the perfect environment to study green living, Martin said.

Going green, a term Americans tend to throw around causally, is a trend that could be crucial to the future of the planet. While most people don’t have the means to bulldoze their homes and start from scratch, there are several small and inexpensive adjustments that can help.

Here are suggestions for making each room of the house a little greener:

Every room

Perhaps you’ve seen those squiggly light bulbs on end displays at Wal-Mart, but passed on by. In case you haven’t heard, they’re called Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs and they save huge amounts of energy. An 18- to 20-watt CFL, for example, emits the same amount of light as a 75-watt incandescent light bulb.

CFLs are a little more expensive (average costs ranging from $3.50 to $7 per bulb, as opposed to an average of 89 cents for incandescent light bulbs. But here’s the payoff: CFLs last 10 times longer.

Another drawback to the energy-saving bulbs is they’re ugly, or at least many people think so.

“I think the lack of beauty has sort of been overcome by practicality,” said Adrienne Henzmann, public affairs coordinator for the Florida Solar Energy Center.

Plus, many retailers are starting to sell CFLs shaped like traditional light bulbs.

A final note about CFLs: They contain a small amount of mercury, so once they burn out, it’s wise to dispose of them at a hazardous waste drop-off. Visit www.earth911.org to find the nearest drop-off location.

Living room

To save on energy costs in your main living space, use common sense. Think back about what Dad used to say: “Turn the TV off if you’re not watching it,” and “Don’t you dare touch that thermostat!”

You might think, “so what?” It’s 99 degrees outside and the humidity is brutal. Why not take it down a few notches?

Understandable, but at least consider cranking up the temperature while away from home. With programmable thermostats, that’s a simple task.

“They’re easy if you’re fairly handy,” said Henzmann, who has a programmable thermostat. “You can program it to keep your house cool when you’re there, then warm it up when you’re not. You don’t have to keep adjusting it.”

Plus, most models are mercury-free and inexpensive, ranging from about $30 to $150. Visit www.prothermostats.com to check out different models.

Other devices that work well in living rooms are digital electricity meters, which measure the amount of real time energy being used in kilowatts, or sometimes more effectively, in dollar amounts.

“Even if you don’t use it, it makes you feel guilty about it,” Henzmann said.

Most meters range from $30 to $200. Visit www.energy
federation.org for examples.

Bedroom

Besides switching off light bulbs, what possibly could make a bedroom greener? An energy-efficient ceiling fan, for starters, could cool things off quickly on a hot summer night. Gossamer Wind series ceiling fans, developed by Danny Parker at the Florida Solar Energy Center, use 40 percent less energy and reduce noise and wobble as well. The fans are available at The Home Depot stores. They cost between $150 and $200. Visit www.gossamerwind.com.

Beyond energy conservation, another way to make the bedroom greener is to purchase organic sheets, which are manufactured with cotton grown without pesticides. Organic products contribute to keeping the air, water and soil chemical-free. Organic sheet sets usually range from $100 to $200. Visit www.thecleanbedroom.com for examples.

Bathroom

In the loo, there’s no better way to conserve than to have an up-to-date toilet. Many pre-1994 toilets have up to 5-gallon tanks, compared to new toilets, which are required to have 1.6-gallon tanks. Replacing a toilet might cost a chunk of money and time, but it’ll save big in the long run.

“From 5 to 1.6 gallons? That’s huge,” Martin said.

Another huge way to save water in the bathroom is by installing aerators on faucets that significantly reduce water flow. The best part is, aerators are cheap. Think in the $10 range. Visit www.niagaraconservation.com for examples.

Kitchen

Bounty may be most efficient at cleaning up kitchen spills, but when it comes to saving the planet, tossing paper towels is not be the best practice. Microfiber cloths are the reusable, green alternative, and cost as little as $5 apiece. Visit www.microfiber.org

And if you must have disposable paper products, take the time at the grocery store to look for paper products made from recycled materials. GreenWise is a popular brand available at Publix supermarkets. Visit www.publix.com/wellness/greenwise/products/Home.do

If you’re looking to invest big in a greener kitchen, the best way to do so is by purchasing an energy efficient dishwasher, refrigerator and range. Energy Star-qualified appliances are your best bet for saving up to 50 percent less on utility bills. Visit www.energystar.gov.

And don’t forget to let your utility company know when you replace appliances. You may qualify for a rebate.

Garage

How many people do you know who have a beer fridge or an extra freezer in their garage? It’s not uncommon, and often is an overlooked culprit to high energy bills. So consider replacing those, too, Martin said.

Willing to make a big investment that’ll eliminate most of your electricity or gas bill? A solar-activated water heater is the best way to do it, Martin said.

They cost between $3,000 and $4,000 up front, but some families might qualify for government rebates. Solar water heaters eliminate an average of 50 to 80 percent off bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Visit www.eere.energy.gov.

The curb

Granted, the end of the driveway is not a room, per se, but could be one of the greenest locations on your property. That’s because it’s where the recycling bins go.

“I would estimate 46 percent of Brevard County recycles,” said Pam Shoemaker, recycling coordinator for Brevard County Solid Waste Management, which covers the unincorporated areas of Brevard.

Some might feel recycling is too much work, or that one person can’t make a difference, but Shoemaker said it’s worth the effort.

“Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run your TV for three hours,” Showmaker said. “Every aluminum can your throw away is equivalent to throwing away a cup of gasoline.”

And all people have to do to have the proper bins delivered to their door for free, is call.

“It’s a very simple process,” Shoemaker said. “Put your stuff in the bins, carry it them to the curb. How much more simple can you make it?”

New Orleans Times-Picayune: CFLs AND MERCURY

Filed under: Earth 911 - June 23, 2007

June 23, 2007

While compact fluorescent lights contain small amounts of mercury, none is released while the bulbs are in use, and experts agree they’re safe to use in the home.

In fact, Wendy Reed, manager of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, which gives the bulbs its seal of approval, says that CFLs contribute less mercury to the environment than incandescent bulbs. That’s because they use less electricity and coal-fired power plants are the biggest source of mercury emissions in the air, she told National Public Radio recently.

However, care is recommended in recycling old bulbs and in handling broken ones.

According to CFL manufacturer General Electric, research has found no immediate health risk from broken bulbs. You can minimize any risk, however, by following proper cleanup guidelines:

Like paint, batteries and other hazardous household items, old CFLs should be disposed of properly. Do not throw away CFLs in household garbage if better disposal options exist. A check at www.earth911.org found only one site in Louisiana where the bulbs can be recycled. Lamp Environmental Industries (www.lei-inc.net) accepts household CFLs at its facility in Independence (Tangapahoa Parish.) “You come in and fill out a slip and we accept it for free,” a spokesperson said, noting that there is a charge for business waste.

CFLs contain an average of 5 milligrams of mercury. By comparison, older thermometers contain 500 milligrams, and many manual thermostats contain up to 3,000 milligrams.

The EPA says that airborne mercury poses a very low risk of exposure. However, when mercury emissions deposit into lakes and oceans, they can transform into methyl mercury, which builds up in fish. Fish consumption is the most common pathway for human exposure to mercury.

CBS: “Green” Light Bulb Buying Guide

Filed under: Earth 911 - June 22, 2007

June 22, 2007

NEW YORK, NY - “Going green” is all the rage, and many people are doing their part by switching to energy-efficient light bulbs.

But, says environmental lifestyle expert Danny Seo, not all “green lights” are created equal.

In the first installment in a monthly Early Show series, “Going Green,” Seo explained the differences between “regular” bulbs and the newer ones, and how to find the right “green” bulbs for various parts of your home, and various tasks.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs save electricity and save the environment, too. But many people complain that CFL bulbs can be too harsh and bright compared to traditional incandescent bulbs.

But Seo says knowing how to choose the right energy-saving bulb for the right task will go a long way toward making you happy with your selection.

FACT: If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

FACT: You save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb’s lifetime. The average U.S. household has 45 light bulbs; replacing that number of 75-watt incandescent bulbs with CFLs would save $180 per year.

FACT: CFL bulbs produce about 75 percent less heat, so they’re safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT BULB

CHEAPEST BULB: If the higher cost of a CFL bulb is stopping you from stocking up, think Ikea. Its SPARSAM 3-pack CFL set costs just $3.99 (available in IKEA stores). The bulbs are designed to last six times longer and use 80 percent less energy, and will last up to 6,000 hours. The light cast from the bulbs is harsh, bright and white — just like the old-fashioned CFL bulbs — so use these bulbs in little-used areas such as the basement, laundry room, or garage, where the quality of light isn’t an issue.
PRICE: $3.99; www.ikea.com

TIP: Try swapping out a white lampshade with a black one to help diffuse the light.

Ikea also scores for an energy-saving bulb that’s designed to diffuse the bright light to be a softer glow. Also part of their SPARSAM collection of light bulbs, the bulb has a silicone rubber covering that helps diffuse the light. Use these in high-traffic areas where lights are constantly turned on, such as the bathroom, and in a reading lamp. These are designed to last up to 10,000 hours.
PRICE: $8.99 for a set of two, www.ikea.com

DIMMABLE BULBS: The other biggest complain about CFL bulbs is that they don’t work with a dimmer. To use one with a dimmer switch, you must buy a bulb that’s specifically made to work with dimmers (check the package). GE makes some dimming compact fluorescent light bulbs (called the Energy Smart Dimming Spirals) that are specially designed for use with dimming switches.
GE Energy Smart Dimming Spiral PRICE: $11.99; www.gelighting.com

UNUSUAL FIXTURES: There are energy-saving bulbs for the chandelier or vanity mirror in the bathroom, too. Philips Vanity Globe CFLs are designed for bathroom vanity fixtures. Since these fixtures are usually designed with exposed bulbs, Philips uses a phosphor coating mix to help soften the bright light and mimic the warmth of incandescent bulbs. These bulbs also use 70 percent less energy than traditional light bulbs. For chandeliers, look for decorative candle-shaped lights using energy efficient light technology. These lights will work with most chandeliers and clip-on shades can snap right on top; this will also help diffuse the light a bit more, too.
Philips Candle Style PRICE:$9.75 for a pack of three; www.nam.lighting.philips.com

MIMICS AN INCANDESCENT BULB: Westinghouse Household Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, Mini-twist Style, are for interior standard base light fixtures. The 9-watt bulbs are equivalent to a 40-watt incandescent bulb and have an average life of 8,000 hours. Available at Ace Hardware stores.
PRICE: $6.99; www.westinghouselighting.com.

Philips Classic is also a good choice. Perfect for high-ceiling fixtures such as overhead lights and illuminating ceiling fans, these bulbs cast a soft white light and last up to six years, making them a good, hassle-free choice.
PRICE: $3.25; www.nam.lighting.philips.com

SPOTLIGHTS: Outdoor floodlights can be a real energy hog; a traditional spotlight uses 100 watts of energy and can be left turned on all night if the home doesn’t have a motion sensor for outdoor flood lights. Gaiam’s floodlight looks like a regular bulb, but has a CFL bulb inside, covered by a hard glass cover that mimics a floodlight. It puts out the same light as a 100-watt incandescent bulb, but uses only 23 watts of energy; over the life of the bulb (10,000 hours), the average home will save $92 in energy costs.
PRICE: $16; www.gaiam.com

SOLAR INDOOR LIGHTING: For an outdoor tool shed, this solar-powered shed light is the perfect solution to install lighting where you don’t have existing electric work. Brookstone’s solar powered shed light uses an adjustable solar panel that charges up outside during the day. Two 8-watt fluorescent bulbs mount to the inside of the shed; a full-charge will give you four hours of light, more than enough light to find what you need inside the shed.
PRICE: $99.95; www.brookstone.com

NEXT TECHNOLOGY: Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are tiny, yet powerful sources of light that are even more energy-efficient than CFLs. Manufacturing LEDs that produce the light equivalent to a 60-watt bulb is expensive, however. One bulb can cost as much as $75, but they last 10 times LONGER than a CFL bulb, or 60,000 hours with a total cost of energy of just $12 to power that bulb for the full 60,000 hours.

TIP IF YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT INCANDESCENT BULBS: Then choose a lower wattage bulb. Instead of a 60-watt bulb in a lamp, try something with less wattage, such as a 40-watt bulb. It’s using less electricity, but you won’t reap as much savings in electricity costs and the bulbs will need to be replaced more frequently.

TIP FOR RECYCLING YOUR LIGHTBULBS: CFLs contain a small amount of mercury and should be disposed of properly — ideally, recycled. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, CFLs contain an average of five milligrams of mercury, which increases the bulb’s efficiency. But that also means you can’t just trash them; CFLs must be properly recycled. Ikea is one national retailer with a recycling center in their stores to take old CFL bulbs back for recycling. Also, visit EARTH911.org and type in “CFL” and your city/state to find a recycling center near you.

SurveyGizmo and Earth 911 Partner to Develop Website Interactivity

Filed under: Earth 911, Press Releases - June 21, 2007

Scottsdale, AZ – Earth 911 now has a more interactive feel with increased user participation to better serve its audience after the Earth 911 website (http://earth911.org) launched a new survey/poll system in partnership with SurveyGizmo on June 21.

SurveyGizmo will help Earth 911 run web surveys, get feedback, conduct polls, and keep its finger on the pulse of the Earth 911 web audience. The system will also provide Earth 911 with valuable demographics on its viewers that will result in Earth 911 content continuing to meet and serve user demand.

The addition of surveys and polls is just part of the push to provide user-driven content to Earth 911’s website, which was officially relaunched on May 18, 2007. The new site currently features actionable content on numerous environmental issues with opportunities for users to interact and post comments.

Earth 911 is the pre-eminent environmental information network for the United States and Canada. Its website and toll free hotline, 1-800 Cleanup already provide a location-based search feature where consumers can enter their zip code to find the nearest recycling centers for thousands of products.

“This partnership with SurveyGizmo will allow a new level of interactivity previously unseen on Earth 911,” said Earth 911 Program Manager Mark Rappaport. “The survey ability will allow us to develop important relationships with global citizens committed to protecting the environment, and pinpoint exactly who our audience is.”

About Earth 911
For over 16 years Earth 911 has been the nation’s most widely used environmental information network, providing local access to environmental resources for communities throughout the United States and Canada. By simply entering a ZIP Code, local environmental information is available free of charge through the national Website www.Earth911.org and toll free recycling hotline 1-800-CLEANUP (in Spanish and English).

The vast array of environmental resources and information available through Earth 911 includes:

Earth 911 provides vast economies of scale by consolidating thousands of local public notification systems into one. To keep the system current, tens of thousands of government coordinators around the country have the ability to update their community-specific recycling information. Each month millions of pages are viewed on the Web site and thousands of calls are received on the phone system. Earth 911 provides these services through innovative public-private partnerships. Earth 911 partners with companies and industries as well as the EPA and other federal and local governments to educate businesses and individuals about the growing concerns of our planet.

Earth 911 is a recipient of the Al Gore Hammer Award for Environmental Excellence. For more information, contact Severn Williams at 510-336-9566.

About SurveyGizmo
SurveyGizmo provides interactive website features ranging from surveys and research questionnaires to contact forms and viral campaigns. The entirely web-based service allows for organizations to input data into pre-designed templates that are stored and managed on the secure SurveyGizmo website. For more information, visit http://surveygizmo.com.

Daily Southtown: Down to Earth - You’ll need an expert to get rid of Freon

Filed under: Earth 911 - June 18, 2007

By Christopher Appelt Down to Earth columnist
June 18, 2007

Q: Help! Help! Please! We are in desperate need of professional advice. I am writing to you regarding the proper disposal of the refrigerant and air-conditioning gas Freon. My husband and I have four old window air-conditioning units taking up space in our garage. It’s our hope to take the valuable metal in these units to the junk metal yard to earn extra money to supplement our pension checks, but dealers will not accept these units with the Freon still in them.

Albert and Dorothy Majersky
Chicago

A: This is a great follow-up to my last column, in which I recommended switching out old and inefficient air conditioners. I never mentioned what you should do with the old units!

As you mentioned, air conditioners (as well as refrigerators, freezers and dehumidifiers) contain Freon, which can damage the ozone layer. Only trained and certified technicians can remove Freon from appliances.

Some waste/recycling facilities employ trained technicians. The Freon can be purified and recycled, and then the metal can be recycled.

If you’re replacing your air conditioners with new ones, some retailers will dispose of your old units. Otherwise, some appliance and salvage places will pick them up or drop them off either for free or a fee.

Look them up in the phone book under “Appliance Service & Repair.” Another option I found is www.earth911.org. Type in the item you want to recycle and your location.

Locations and phone numbers are provided, but beware, I typed in “air conditioner” and the first place didn’t take appliances with Freon. The others did not explicitly exclude items with Freon.

You can also call your local waste management company to see if they will pick up your items. If you don’t know the company’s name, call your city or village hall.

The city of Chicago requires scrap companies to remove Freon on site. So if you do leave them in the alley, the Freon would be removed if they were taken for scrap. Similarly, if you leave them out and the city picks them up, they will be sorted and properly disposed.

So, I suppose leaving them out might be okay, but it’s always possible the tubing holding the Freon could be damaged if the air conditioners are thrown into a garbage truck or a scrapper’s pick-up.

For information on disposal of household appliances, also called “white goods,” check out www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/landfill/sw_landfill.htm#white.

Another follow-up

A couple of months ago, I answered a reader’s questions about electronics recycling on the South Side. I only knew of Household Chemicals & Computer Recycling at 1150 N. North Branch in Chicago.

Since then, N. Dunne of Hometown and L. Ward of Burbank have given me a couple of other alternatives.

The Assistive Technology Exchange Network refurbishes computers and related equipment and provides them to disabled students at no charge. Call (800) 476-2836 or (708) 444-8460, or send e-mail to ggrill@ucpnet.org.

Office supply company Staples collects computers and office electronics for recycling. They’ll take cell phones, pagers and digital cameras for free, and charge $10 each for monitors and computers (mice, keyboards and speakers are accepted for free).

Dr. Christopher Appelt is an assistant professor of biological science at Saint Xavier University in Chicago, where he teaches courses on animal behavior and the environment.

Daily Reflector: Web site provides pointers on how we call can be living green

Filed under: Earth 911 - June 18, 2007

By Cherie Speller
The Daily Reflector
Monday, June 18, 2007

We’ve all heard this water-saving tip before: turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth. While it sounds like such as small change to make, old habits can be hard to break. But, if 200 million Americans changed the way they brushed their teeth, it would save 1.6 billion gallons of water — a day!

That’s just one of the 99 things we can do to save the planet according to information on the The Daily Reflector’s new Living Green page on Reflector.com.

With scientific evidence emerging every day that humans and industry are contributors to global warming, The Daily Reflector, through its parent company, Cox Enterprises, is providing information on how to conserve natural resources and protect the environment.

Listed under the Features channel on the newspaper’s Web site, Living Green offers a variety of stories and activities to encourage us all to take the small steps that make a big difference in protecting the environment.

In addition to the news stories about the environment, there are photos and videos on climate and global warning issues and a links to Green sites, such as Earth911, Environmental News Network, Kids FACE (Kids for a clean environment) and TreeHugger among others.

The site offers tips on recycling, composting and other related topics. And, there’s a feature to encourage people like me, the “Environmentally Challenged.”

You can find out where the 2008 Presidential candidates stand on environmental issues and get reports on which allergens are active, such as weeds, trees, grass or mold.

Test your environmental knowledge on the Green-O-Meter quiz. For example, how many pounds of trash does the average person create everyday? Here’s a hint, it’s more than two and half pounds, which was my guess.

One of the neatest features is the tour of the Greenes’ eco-friendly house. Just click on a room in the house and green leaves appear to give tips on how to improve the environment in and around the home.

Click on the bowl of fruit in the kitchen and get this tip: “Local lettuce equals fewer fossil fuels. In one study of food consumed at Iowa institutions (PDF), researchers found that produce grown nationally or internationally travelled an average of almost 1,500 miles before reaching the consumer. Locally grown food typically travelled less than 60 miles in the study. Opting for locally-grown produce - although it is sometimes more expensive - reduces the energy used to transport food. National Geographic’s Green Guide recommends buying in-season produce at your local farmer’s market and freezing leftovers for the winter.”

Great idea and it benefits local growers, too.

Keep visiting the Greenes as the feature grows with a cast of characters and profiles of their houses, cars, business, etc.

Living Green also includes a section for children. Click on the Newspapers In Education (NIE) text and pick the grade level to go the appropriate section for information, games, activities and environmental links.

Visit Living Green on Reflector.com. It’s a fun place to browse around, and like me, you may learn something about how to keep the “green” in Greenville and Pitt County.

Cherie Speller is readership and community editor for The Daily Reflector. Contact her at 329-9512 or cspeller@coxnc.com.

Earth 911 expanding niche as recycling clearinghouse

Filed under: Earth 911 - June 16, 2007

Kate Nolan
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 16, 2007

The concept of recycling has been around since before there was an Earth Day.

One of the earliest attempts to recycle on a national basis, though, was launched here. In 1991, the late Chris Warner of Scottsdale founded an online resource called Earth 911. Warner started with 1-800-CLEANUP, a national telephone hotline for information on recycling, and followed with an electronic network that links consumers with federal, state and local agencies for resources to handle recycling and toxic waste disposal.

The operation was undergoing a financial reorganization in 2006 when new owners stepped in

Now Earth 911.org is plugged into 10,000 government agencies and 100,000 more recycling resources in the private sector.

Engineer Jeffrey Rassás is chief executive of Global Alerts, the Scottsdale company that purchased Earth 911. Rassás’ goal is to make Earth 911 a strong national brand, the universal brain alert for help with recycling and other environmental resources.

Despite its dot-org Internet address, Earth 911 is run for profit and has been restructured for expansion. Rassás said the site isn’t profitable yet, but he expects it to be in the black by the end of the year. The Web site offers environmental news and information, including alerts on weather conditions and beach water quality. But the main activity is staying on top of recycling opportunities across the nation.

His simple answer is: Go to earth911.org.

“I think the average person is good. If they are empowered with the information and it’s easy to use, they’ll recycle.

To use the recycling resource, people go to the site, type in a ZIP code and click on the type of waste disposal they need. The system finds the closest available recycler.

The terms are carefully programmed to omit communication glitches.

A special concern, Rassás said, is updating recycling options to reflect new types of discarded materials.

For example, those coiled fluorescent bulbs that people increasingly use to replace incandescent bulbs contain mercury and shouldn’t be placed in ordinary garbage bins.

Instead, Earth911.org says, take them to the Gilbert-Chandler Mesa Household Hazardous Waste Recycle Program or any of several other Valley locations.

Recycling profits

In addition to being a free recycling matchmaker, the Web site is a paid advertising site, a factor that probably will determine its success.

Spots are available to firms that want to reach environmentally savvy consumers with green messages.

The site also offers paid sponsorships for corporations, particularly those in industries identified with a particular recycling problem, such as car oil or used computer components. The corporations’ own recycling programs are featured.

For example, Staples, the office products retailer, is a sponsor and uses the space to boost its extensive E-waste recycling activities to rid the planet of trashed computers. Staples also sponsors a business resource page on the Web site to help other businesses go green.

“Our advertisers are on a very narrow, well-defined course,” Rassás said. They have to be involved in recycling or other environmentally useful activities, he said. The goal is to make it possible for sustainable businesses to be profitable.

“But we remain neutral. We’re non-activists. We align with companies,” Rassás said.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Q&A ON THE NEWS

Filed under: Earth 911 - June 14, 2007

June 14, 2007

Q: What happened to the Georgia NASCAR-themed license plates announced with much fanfare several years ago? I have yet to see one on a car.

— SCOTT KOROWOTNY, Jasper

A: Charles Willey, spokesman for the Georgia Department of Revenue, said the special NASCAR tags are available through your local tag office. There are more than 20 designs, some featuring drivers who have entered into a licensing agreement with the department.

For more information and to view samples, visit http://motor.etax.dor.ga.gov/motor/plates/nascar.asp

Q: Where in DeKalb County can I dispose of compact fluorescent lights? I’d like to start using them for economic and environmental purposes, but I understand that CFLs shouldn’t simply be thrown in the trash because they contain mercury.

— DAVID OWENS, Decatur

A: County spokeswoman Kristie Swink said one can legally dispose of CFLs in their garbage. However, DeKalb encourages Georgians to go to earth911.org, enter their ZIP code and find a recycling center.

CFLs contain about 5 milligrams of mercury, which is roughly enough to cover the tip of a ball-point pen. No mercury is released when the bulbs are intact or in use.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends CFLs be used to save energy and money. Replacing a 60-watt incandescent with a 13-watt CFL can save you at least $30 in energy costs over the bulb’s life.

Staff researchers Sharon Gaus and Joni Zeccola contributed to this column.

Do you have a question about the news? Our news researchers will try to get an answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include your name and city). Sorry, individual responses are not possible.

Lake County News-Sun: Bacteria closes 11 beaches

Filed under: Earth 911 - June 7, 2007

NEWS-SUN STAFF REPORT
June 7, 2007

Blustery weather and pounding waves Wednesday caused all but one Lake Michigan beach to close.

The one county beach that was open is located in the north section of Illinois Beach State Park in Zion just south of North Point Marina. The marina beach was one of those closed and the park beach is near an area under contention because of asbestos-containing materials and exposed old water lines sticking out of the sand.

Leslie Piotrowski, Lake County Health Department communications manager, said Wednesday the 11 county beaches were closed for swimming due to high E.coli bacteria counts.

“They are closed because of the high waves. The waves hitting the beach stirs up the E.coli in the sand and it moves back into the water,” she said. The bacteria comes mostly from gull droppings, but beaches are also contaminated after heavy rains wash into the lake, she added.

Walt Schamba, general manager of the Lake Bluff Park District that oversees Sunrise Park and beach area, said Wednesday supervised swimming starts Saturday and he is confident the E.coli readings will have subsided by that time.

It usually only lasts for a short period,” he said.

People can check on the beach conditions by going to the Health Department Web site at www.co.lake.il.us/health/ and click on “swimming ban”. You can also go the Web site www.earth911.org and click on beaches 911 and then Lake County.

The State: Northeast water customers tap into conservation

Filed under: Earth 911 - June 7, 2007

June 7, 2007

Some of Northeast Richland’s biggest users of city water are doing their part to conserve in light of recent restrictions.

Those restrictions remained in place as of earlier this week despite weekend rains that put a small dent in droughtlike conditions in the Columbia area.

Lack of rain, rapid residential and commercial development, an impeded water expansion project and bad timing on construction of the new Village at Sandhill water tank all have contributed to the Northeast’s water woes.

But some of the largest water users - Village at Sandhill, subdivisions and Richland 2 schools - are following or going beyond city guidelines.

At the Village at Sandhill, officials have enforced extra rules for the more than 300 acres of land at Clemson and Two Notch roads.

Scott McCarthy, director of property management, said the complex has taken several steps to conserve, from cutting down on water in toilets to stopping pressure-washing to watering only the newest plants.

“We’re running the risk that we might lose some flowers,” McCarthy said, “but we understand the restrictions.”

In Richland 2, it helps that nearly 23,000 students are out of school for summer. But the district - its water sources include wells and the municipalities of Columbia and Winnsboro - still has challenges.

Spring Valley High School, for example, normally uses well water for the football fields but has been using city water because of construction on site.

But in cases in which city water is used, the district is abiding by city restrictions on outdoor watering, said Elaine Delk, director of community relations.

“We follow their guidelines,” Delk said. “We’re not going to get in trouble with the city.”

Some of Northeast Richland’s well-landscaped subdivision entrances - Lake Carolina and The Summit, for example - rely on lake water for irrigation.

But roughly 86,000 residents within these and other Northeast Richland neighborhoods are feeling the biggest pinch from restrictions, which curb use of outside water to three times a week, with the exception of Friday.

Richland County Councilwoman Val Hutchinson said she has received “a ton of e-mails” from angry citizens about the water predicament. Residents also have called The State, complaining about dying plants.

“They pay these high prices for water, and they’re not getting the service that they are paying for,” Hutchinson said last week. “And they’re asking, ‘Why is the city spending the money - the profits from the water fees - on other city projects and not spending it on infrastructure?’”

City officials point to Richland County, saying it needs to put a cap on its own rapid development.

Some businesses that use a lot of water - such as Woodley’s Garden Center - have their own wells, so they’re not affected by public water issues. Car washes also tend to use recycled water, said John Dooley, Columbia’s utilities director.

According to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, there are thousands of wells in the area for residential and commercial properties.

Of the four Northeast parks within the Richland County Recreation Commission’s territory, only North Springs Park is not on a well. Killian Park is not irrigated, said Rodney Kinnett, who oversees park maintenance.

Last week, Kinnett voluntarily decided to stop watering the grass at North Springs.

“I didn’t want to be part of people having to boil water,” said Kinnett, referring to an earlier advisory imposed because of low water pressure in the Northeast.

Staff photographer Tracy Glantz and staff writer Dawn Hinshaw contributed. Reach Woodson at (803) 771-8692.

TIPS

It’s a good time to conserve water, and there are some easy ways to do it when it comes to lawn care. Some tips from earth911.org:

Don’t overwater your lawn. As a general rule, lawns only need watering every five to seven days in summer. A hearty rain eliminates the need for watering for as long as two weeks.

Don’t water your street, driveway or sidewalk. Position your sprinklers so that your water lands on the lawn and shrubs and not the paved areas.

Regularly check sprinkler systems and timing devices to be sure they are operating properly. Teach your family how to shut off automatic systems so they can turn them off when storms are approaching.

Do not leave sprinklers or hoses unattended. Your garden hose can pour out 600 gallons or more in only a few hours. Use a kitchen timer to remind yourself to turn the water off.

Raise your lawn mower blade to at least 3 inches. A lawn cut higher encourages grass roots to grow deeper, shades the root system and holds soil moisture better than closely-clipped lawns.

Mulch to retain moisture in the soil. Mulching also helps control weeds that compete with plants for water.

Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers. If your faucet is dripping at the rate of one drop per second, you can expect to waste 2,700 gallons per year.

Plant native and/or drought-tolerant grasses, ground covers, shrubs and trees. Check with your local nursery for advice.

WATER RESTRICTIONS

The watering schedule for Northeast Richland residents remains as follows:

Customers with addresses that end in even numbers are permitted to irrigate on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Customers with odd-numbered addresses can irrigate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Irrigation is allowed only between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.

Detroit Free Press: CFL mercury isn’t a concern

Filed under: Earth 911 - June 6, 2007

June 5, 2007
BY SUSAN AGER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

“Any mercury is too much mercury.”

So said reader Terry Fraser in response to a column I wrote about CFLs (compact fluorescent lightbulbs) displacing Thomas Edison’s old incandescents. CFLs are so wildly more efficient that nations like Australia and Canada are banning Edison’s bulb, steering consumers toward CFLs.

But yes, CFLs contain mercury, an amount equal to the period at the end of this sentence.

Other items containing mercury that Fraser might avoid are glass thermometers (which contain at least 100 times as much), home thermostats (which may contain 600 times as much), certain dental fillings and fish including shark, swordfish and tuna.

CFL-phobics also might want to hold their breath: Coal-fired plants emit five times as much mercury into the air to keep an incandescent bulb burning as to keep a CFL lit.

The hazmat hoax

True, lightbulbs occasionally break. But no, despite a widespread rumor, it will not cost you $2,000 to clean up a CFL.

That story started in April after a Maine newspaper described a woman who got a $2,000 estimate from a hazmat cleanup company after a CFL broke in her daughter’s room.

It took me most of a day to find out the truth: She got bum advice over the phone. And while a test showed a high level of mercury at the spot where the bulb broke, other tests show mercury dissipates fast, especially if a window is opened.

Turns out she picked up the pieces, taped off the bedroom (under renovation anyway) and waited a month before allowing a state waste management guy to pull up a square of carpet — which tested free of mercury — and carry it away.
She spent not a dime. Nor should anyone else.

“The risk is miniscule,” said Susan Smolinske, director of the Poison Control Center at Children’s Hospital in Detroit. “The dose is the poison, and while it’s best to minimize exposure to mercury, being a reasonable and practical person, it’s probably no more than you’d get from a tuna fish sandwich.”

She, like every other health and toxicology expert I spoke with, has many CFLs in her home, without worry. EPA cleanup guidelines (epa.gov/mercury/spills) warn against vacuuming a broken bulb (which increases the fumes) and urge ventilation, but they’re super-conservative because, well, mercury isn’t good for you. Break lots of CFLs, put your nose in the debris right away and, if you’re pregnant or under 6, you might be in trouble.

I wonder about CFL-phobics: Do they drive? Or eat PopTarts? Or spray chemicals on their lawns?

CFL drawbacks

Readers also complained CFLs give off poor light and aren’t dimmable. As demand increases, options do, too. My Home Depot sells CFLs that cast all kinds of light. Some are dimmable. Some are shaped like incandescents, so you can clip a shade to them.

Finally, disposal.

Like pesticides, paints, oven cleaners, tile cleaners, motor oil and batteries, fluorescent bulbs shouldn’t be tossed in the trash. It’s easy to recycle hazardous household wastes. Check with your county, check earth911.org or call 800-253-2687.

Then relax.

Contact SUSAN AGER at 313-222-6862 or sager@freepress.com.

Letters: Puppy mills inhumane, should be avoided by dog buyers

Filed under: Pets 911 - June 5, 2007

www.northwestern.com
June 5, 2007

I want to warn others about the dangers of puppy mills.

Many people think they’re buying a healthy puppy only to find out soon after that he is seriously ill and requires costly veterinary care to save his life.

Puppy mills are breeding facilities that produce purebred puppies in large numbers and sell them to unsuspecting consumers. They are inhumane, designed to maximize profits, and commonly disregard the physical, social, and emotional health of dogs in their facilities.

Puppy mill puppies are more likely to have physical and behavioral problems than dogs from good sources. Puppy mills lurk behind beautiful web sites, ads in the newspaper, even in pet stores.

The best way to stop puppy mills from continuing their abuse is for consumers to stop buying the puppies they breed. Many people think they are “rescuing” a puppy by buying one—don’t be fooled, you’re just creating space for another puppy to be sold. Never buy a dog unless you can see where he/she was born, how the parents are kept, and what condition all the dogs are in.

If you must purchase a purebred dog, it should be from a reputable breeder.

Checklists of good breeder characteristics are available on www.StopPuppyMills. com, and for information about finding your next pet, check The Humane Society of the United States’ site, www.hsus.org.

The best place to get your next pet is the local animal shelter. One in every four dogs in shelters is purebred. Most of them have already been spayed or neutered, and have received all vaccinations and checkups.

Purebred rescue groups are another excellent resource for finding a dog and you can find links at www.petfinder.org and www.pets911.com. People who love dogs need to help stop them from being mistreated by making sure they aren’t supporting a puppy mill.

Tera Williams Oshkosh

Daily Herald: How going ‘green’ can improve your health

Filed under: Earth 911 - June 4, 2007

Daily Herald
Harvard Health Letters
Monday, June 04, 2007

Aside from pesticide usage and a few other issues, most of us haven’t worried much about the connections between health issues and the environment. For our health, we work on our waistlines and fret over our cholesterol levels. For the environment, we recycle and maybe drive a fuel-efficient car.

But because of accelerating climate change and the havoc it could wreak, it’s not so easy to send environmentalism off into its own separate compartment these days. In February, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said the evidence for global warming is “unequivocal.” Everything we do now can be measured for its effect on the environment - and greenhouse gas emissions in particular.

There’s always danger in doling out “what you can do” advice. Bite-size solutions sometimes trivialize larger problems. We end up doing easy things because they make us feel good, not because they do much good. Policies set in Washington and elsewhere are far more important.

Still, there’s a place for individual responsibility - and certainly for voting with our dollars.
“The real answers are not going to come from individual action, but I do think that individual actions can have ripple effects,” says Dr. Paul Epstein, associate director of the Harvard Medical School’s Center for Health and the Global Environment. “We can educate our friends and colleagues and work to change the practices of employers, schools, even places of worship.

“As individuals, I think we can set in motion new patterns of sustainable consumption and help create markets for clean, efficient technologies.”

For starters, here are some “green” health tips:

1. Walk or bike to work.
At a bare minimum, we’re supposed to get 20 to 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. The Institute of Medicine says that isn’t really enough and recommends a full hour of moderately intense activity a day (biking and walking at a 4-mile-per-hour clip meet the moderately intense standard).

But the U.S. is a nation of drivers, not walkers or bikers, and almost every driving statistic you can think of is headed in the direction of a hotter planet. The average fuel economy of new cars has declined since 1988 because of the popularity of minivans and SUVs.

Combining exercise and a commute builds exercise into your day, which means you don’t have to summon extra willpower, to say nothing of time, to go to the gym. If you live too far away, consider walking or biking to public transportation or driving only part of the way.

2. Go to bed early.
Americans weigh more and are sleeping less. Average daily sleep time has decreased from about nine hours a century ago to about seven now. Epidemiologic studies have identified a correlation between short sleep and being overweight or obese. Hormones may be why: Lack of sleep depresses the levels of leptin, the hormone that tells the brain we’re full, and increases ghrelin, the hormone that makes us hungry.

Meanwhile, all the lights, televisions, computers, microwave ovens and music players that help keep us up at night use electricity, most of it generated by burning coal and natural gas. Household use of electricity has increased by over 50 percent since the early 1980s. By turning in earlier, we’ll dial down our appetite for kilowatts and maybe food.

3. Turn down the heat and the air conditioning.
Humans, like other mammals and birds, control their body temperature by continually adjusting their metabolisms. When the air is cool, metabolism revs up to produce more heat.

When it’s hot, sweating and other responses also burn up extra energy. But when air temperatures are in the thermoneutral zone (TNZ) - which for humans with their clothes on tends to be in the mid-70s - our metabolisms don’t have to work so hard to maintain body temperature, and we burn fewer calories.

So by adjusting your thermostat, you may keep your metabolism from getting lazy and also use less of another kind of energy.

4. Eat fish, but the right kind.
Fish needs no introduction as a healthful food. As the main food source of long-chain omega-3s, it’s good for your heart and probably your brain. But the sterling health credentials have some environmental tarnish. Some species are contaminated with pollutants - mercury and PCBs are the main concern. Stocks of others have been dangerously depleted by too much fishing. Some groups are working to steer consumers to species that are in good supply.

5. Switch to energy-saving light bulbs, but don’t throw them in the regular trash.
Those curlicue compact fluorescent light bulbs that Home Depot wants you to buy are the real deal. They use two-thirds less energy than a regular incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer. The Natural Resources Defense Council, a mainstream environmental group, estimates that each compact bulb keeps half a ton of carbon dioxide out of the air over its lifetime. But all fluorescent bulbs need mercury to work, and the compact versions contain about 5 milligrams of the metal.

That’s not much - an old-fashioned home thermometer contains a hundred times that amount - but if you throw them out in the regular trash, that mercury may end up in the air or water, and, by climbing the food chain, in the fish on your plate.

Call your town or city’s public works department to find out where you can dispose of fluorescent light bulbs safely. A corporate-sponsored Web site, www.earth911.org, lists businesses and local governments that handle household hazardous waste.

6. Learn a lesson from palm oil and good intentions gone awry.
As the tide turns against trans fat, food manufacturers are scrambling for substitutes. Palm oil has emerged as a candidate. Some varieties of trans fat-free Oreos are made with palm oil and another trans fat replacement, high-oleic canola oil. In Europe, palm oil has also been touted as an environmentally friendly renewable “biofuel” alternative to fossil fuels like coal and gas.

But to satisfy the growing demand for the tropical oil, huge tracts of Southeast Asian rainforest are being cut down and planted with palm trees. Farmers are also draining and burning huge swathes of peatlands, which help offset greenhouse emissions by soaking up carbon.

The moral of the story is not to be dazzled by alternatives in either the environmental or personal health realms. They, too, may have dark sides. As best we can, we need to look before we leap.

7. Eat local fruits and vegetables.
By all means, eat fruits and vegetables. Good health depends on it. But Michael Pollan’s book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” raises some questions about the means by which we get them. Flying kiwis in from New Zealand and grapes up from Chile is an energy-intensive way to fulfill the fruit-and-vegetable imperative. It’s possible only if energy is cheap, and cheap energy in this fossil fuel-era of ours means tons of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.

The Pollan book has inspired the buzzword “food miles” - how far food has been transported to reach our plates. “Local and sustainable” is flaunted as a virtue on restaurant menus. Some economists take issue with putting “local” on a pedestal. Their point: Global trade may entail high transportation costs, but it also organizes food production to occur where it’s most efficient. Besides, isn’t it wonderful to have fresh produce out of season?

The reasonable middle ground is to give some preference to locally grown food. Is that shiny Granny Smith apple from New Zealand worth the greenhouse emissions when a Macintosh from a nearby orchard might do? And shopping at farmers’ markets is a good way to reduce your food mileage. You’ll be even “greener” if you walk or bike there.

8. Don’t take more medications than you need to.
In most cases, our bodies use only a fraction of any drug we take. The rest gets excreted but it doesn’t disappear once we’ve flushed. Scientists are still sorting out which drugs are causing significant harm and at what levels. But there’s already evidence that pharmaceuticals in wastewater adversely effect aquatic ecosystems.

9. Get behind the greening of hospitals and medical buildings.
American hospitals are on a building spree that rivals the post-World War II boom. Hospitals aren’t getting bigger; the number of beds is declining. But they’re getting more deluxe, with additional private rooms and more sophisticated technology. Health economists worry that these gold-plated facilities will put further pressure on health care costs.

In some cases, though, hospitals are seizing the opportunity to build “greener” buildings, which have attributes that may also improve the health and well-being of patients.

As individuals, we can’t go build a green hospital the way we can buy an energy-efficient car. But we can encourage their construction by writing a letter (hospitals are very public relations conscious) and supporting policies and programs that encourage energy-efficient construction.

Santa Fe New Mexican: Letters to the Editor

Filed under: Earth 911 - June 3, 2007

June 3, 2007

THERE’S LOTS MORE RECYCLING TO DO

Recycling goes beyond the city recycling program, which accepts paper, cardboard, metal and glass food containers and plastic containers with no. 1 or no. 2 on the bottom.

Remove lids, caps and corks and donate them to day-care facilities for kids to make art/robots/spaceships. Donate magazines to the main public library or to St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, which has a drop-off bin by the main entrance. Some dry cleaners, such as Park Avenue Cleaners, on St. Michael’s Drive, accept wire hangers. For e-waste such as computers, TVs and iPods, drop-off sites are listed by zip code at www.mygreenelectronics.org. Currently, the closest e-waste site to Santa Fe is in Albuquerque. Note to anyone looking for a business opportunity in Santa Fe: We need an e-waste recycling business such as www.electronicrecyclers.com. For used motor oil, drop-off sites such as auto-parts stores and county waste transfer stations are listed at www.earth911.org. For old cell phones, bins are located at Wal-Mart and Best Buy, or check out www.wirelessrecycling.com. Free stuff can be listed for free on www.craigslist.org, www.sfrbackpage.com or through the city’s Santa Fe Beautiful program at santafenm.gov/parks/trash-to-treasures.asp.

Joseph Purvis

Santa Fe