Drink Outside the Box

Drink Outside the Box

I recently checked out an upscale yoga studio here in Madison, Wisconsin and discovered a new and disturbing trend: boxed water. Boxed water? OK, I’ve heard of boxed wine — and maybe even drunk a little. But water? The yoga studio in question appeals to a young,...
Warning: Fracking May Harm Public Health

Warning: Fracking May Harm Public Health

What do public health advocates like me tell people all the time? Get tested. Use protection. In practice, that means we’re always explaining how everything from cancer screenings to immunizations to bike helmets can save lives. The same logic ought to apply to...
Some Serious Potty Talk

Some Serious Potty Talk

There’s a photo-word montage on the Internet in which a little boy, presumably from Africa, looks skeptically at a woman who is apparently from somewhere else. The boy asks, “You mean to tell me you have so much clean water, that you (poop) in it?”...
A Prickly Question

A Prickly Question

California’s harsh new measure to deal with long-term drought is making waves. Residents caught wasting by washing sidewalks with their garden hose and committing similar reckless acts are incurring fines of up to $500. Is that fair? Or will the fine be...