Environment and Health
France’s Waste-Not Experiment
France has embarked on two experiments we should take note of. First, the nation just banned all non-biodegradable disposable plastic cups, plates, and utensils. Second, they passed a law requiring supermarkets to donate unspoiled food they don't want to charities...
Anti-pipeline Movement Gathers Steam
Thousands of Native Americans at Standing Rock in North Dakota are protesting a pipeline project that puts their water supply at risk, threatens to plow up their sacred sites, and would worsen climate change. Their rallying echoes hundreds of local struggles across...
Washing Our Hands of Toxins
Some people love to hate government regulations. Many believe they're just bureaucratic barriers that waste our time. But the Food and Drug Administration just passed a new regulation that'll actually protect us, and may save you a few bucks and an unnecessary...
The Cure for A Taxing Allergy
Millions of families live in constant dread of what an unexpected encounter — with a bee or a food additive or even a dye — could bring. One slip, and breathing could quickly become difficult, or a heartbeat dangerously low. Severe allergies, untreated, can kill. But...
Greater Than the Sum of Our Parks
It's the 100th anniversary of our national parks and in 2016, to date, I've visited Death Valley, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Yosemite, King's Canyon, the Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone. The price tag for admission? $80. That's the cost of an annual pass to all of America's...
Stop Playing Politics With Reproductive Rights
Young women voters have a lot to worry about this election cycle, from a flurry of anti-abortion messaging to diminishing access to reproductive services. Just this month, in fact, Congress put the brakes on vital legislation that would fund efforts to prevent the...
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....
