Environment and Health
Federal Marijuana Laws Reek of Hy-Pot-Crisy
For a few brief months, it looked like America might take a step closer to sanity. And then came the news: the Obama administration will not loosen federal restrictions on marijuana after all. Before delving into the issue of marijuana, consider its two fellow...
Waste Not, Save More
On average, each person in the U.S. throws away five pounds of solid waste each day. While many eco–conscious citizens do their due diligence to recycle, compost, and reduce waste, others remain apathetic about preserving the environment. Wherever you might land on...
The Challenges of ‘Leaving No Trace’
I just got back from hiking 95 miles in the Sierras. (Yes, just like that Reese Witherspoon movie Wild, only far fewer miles.) I returned from my trip with something eating at me. Backpackers are supposed to "Leave No Trace." It's not just a nice concept, but a...
Is Solar Energy Really Too Expensive?
In order for solar power to compete with other forms of energy, the conventional thinking goes, it needs to become way cheaper. Installing rooftop solar panels can be prohibitively expensive, after all, and it takes years before the resulting energy savings pay off....
To Stop ‘Bomb Trains,’ I Honeymooned in Jail
It was a few days after my wedding. I was supposed to be honeymooning at a nearby winery with my newly minted husband, celebrating our unlikely marriage at age 55. Instead, I was sitting on the railroad tracks in the pouring rain. Along with 20 other brave souls, some...
A Yellow-Brick Road for Immigrant Women
The Wizard of Oz was one of my favorite movies as kid growing up in Trinidad. I liked thinking that a magical storm could take you somewhere new, where you could meet fun new friends and even take your pet dog along. Heck, even a new pair of shiny red shoes awaited...
The Miserable Catch 22 of Mental Illness
I'm depressed. I've dealt with mental health issues for decades now. Nothing fancy or interesting like multiple personalities or hallucinations. Just run-of-the-mill boring ones — good old depression and anxiety, and maybe some undiagnosed PTSD to go with it. Mental...
Hooked on Conservation
Something remarkable has happened to recreational fishing. Increasingly, game fishers no longer publicly display their catches at rodeo weigh-ins or on taxidermy fish mounts. Even the age-old practice of rendering the day’s catch to fillets destined for a grill or a...
Is This New Reform a Toxic Waste?
There should've been an overhaul in how we regulate toxic chemicals years ago. Like when the 2010 President's Cancer Panel report concluded that babies are now born "pre-polluted." Or when it came to light that a common flame retardant used in household items actually...
Trump’s ‘Realty Check’ on Climate
Newsflash: Donald Trump isn’t as retrograde on climate change as we thought. It turns out he’s well aware of the dangers of global warming — at least to his golf courses. The Republican presidential hopeful is so concerned, in fact, that he’s petitioned the Irish...
