E Magazine Blogs Feed

The Cookie Thieves

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:46 GMT

by Jeffrey Hollender Not everything about the cookie industry is sweet – in fact, the recent trials and tribulations of union workers at the Stella D’Oro and Archway & Mother’s cookie brands bring this stark reality into focus, and point to a necessary bridge to the future of business in America: We need to…

Builder in Chief

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:09 GMT

by Christopher Weber What a shift in rhetoric this 2012 campaign has brought. Back in 2008, the presidential hopefuls tackled major environmental issues at every debate. Republicans and Democrats alike proposed green-job and renewable energy programs, then argued about whose was better. Now, the major…

Cooped Up

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:32 GMT

by Jessica Patton Pellegrino One of the most common questions I get about keeping chickens is “What do you have to do for them in the winter?” Surprisingly little, is the answer. For this to be the case, we first made sure to get cold-hardy hens: golden- and silver-laced wyandotte, buff orpington, New Hampshire red,…

EU Flies High on Cutting Carbon Emissions

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:32 GMT

by Jessica Knoblauch Beginning this year, airline passengers going to, from or within the European Union will fly a bit greener thanks to a new EU law that cuts carbon emissions from aircraft. The European Union Aviation Directive is the world’s first and only mandatory program designed to address emissions from…

Keystone XL and Green Messaging

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:23 GMT

by Stephen Dworkin Talk in the politically active wings of the environmental movement is all about President Obama’s decision last week to reject a plan by TransCanada to build a massive oil pipeline from Canadia’s tar sands to refineries in Texas—a plan that would open the floodgates of the carbon-emitting…

Raised on Sunshine

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:18 GMT

by Melinda Tuhus I had the good fortune to attend the seventh annual Connecting for Change conference in late October in New Bedford, Massachusetts. This is the East Coast version of the Bioneers Conference that’s been held for many years in San Rafael, California. Each of the three days began with a whole…

Solar Heats Up in Hawaii

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:51 GMT

by Jessica Knoblauch As snowstorm season approaches, many shovel-bearing, snowsuit-clad folks are thinking wistfully about tropical escapes like Hawaii. And why wouldn’t they? Hawaii’s crystal clear waters, laid-back island culture and warm temperatures are powerful attractions. But, recently, Hawaii’s Public…

Cats, Crickets, Cows and Pigs

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:07 GMT

by Ethan Goffman Over the course of the past three years, my wife and I acquired two cats, which may have led to my shrinking consumption of meat. A cat, after all, is a big fluffy animal capable of an athletic bolt of speed and amazing leaps, delightful for petting and hugging. I would never eat a cat. Highly…

Growing Little Readers

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:05 GMT

by Jessica Patton Pellegrino Books are my favorite gifts to give, especially to children. Books rarely end up in the trash, as myriad toys will. They are interactive—a story shared between reader and reader-to-be; a young person immersing themselves in fictitious and real-life stories, empathizing and rooting against and…

Handcrafted for the Holidays

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:33 GMT

by Alexandra Gross If you lack the time or motivation to give the whole DIY thing a chance this holiday season, there are many talented craftspeople willing to take up the task in time for your next holiday get-together. From the ethical gardener to the creative baker, here are unique gift solutions from three East…

Buying Season

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:58 GMT

by Sarah Mosko Americans today are generally aware that we consume far more energy per capita than most of the world’s peoples, over four times the world average and double that of regions like Japan and Europe which enjoy a similar standard of living. Most of us reflect on home, gas and electric bills plus the…

Selling Less Stuff

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:52 GMT

by Jeffrey Hollender Having not broken my obsession with the print version of The New York Times, I was thrilled to greet the day-after-Thanksgiving shopping spree known as Black Friday by opening to a full-page ad from Patagonia that urged readers “Don’t Buy This Jacket.” To the best of my knowledge, Patagonia…

My Green Rant

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:35 GMT

by Brita Belli I know it’s completely off base as an environmental writer and editor, but I’ve really grown tired of “green” as a synonym for “environmental.” It would be fine if used on occasion, perhaps when writing about organic summer cocktails or BPA-free beach toys. But in general, it’s too…

Giving Thanks for Dandelions

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:55 GMT

by Chris Weber Reading a lot of the environmental press, you could easily come away with the idea that the key to saving the earth lies in the fields of technology (inventing thrifty new energy systems, for instance) or politics (e.g., getting Congress to admit that climate change is real and human-induced). I,…

Child Labor

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:09 GMT

by Jessica Patton Pellegrino “If they can walk, they can work.” This is one of best bits of child-rearing advice I’ve acquired—and put to good use—thus far. I’m pretty sure this pearl came from Vicki Hoefle, creator and director of Parenting on Track. If she didn’t say it you should check her out, anyway, because…

Rick Perry’s Toxic Energy Policy

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:44 GMT

by Stephen Dworkin With all the talk from GOP presidential candidates about job creation over the past few months, you would think one of them would discuss details of how the U.S. is to ensure its economic future. You would also think that an intelligent set of policies on job creation would include keeping our air…

Playing with Fire

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:12 GMT

by Don Lieber As I ponder the dramatic media warnings of yet another imminent, record-setting storm (“Crushing, Cruising Snowstorm to Plaster the Northeast”, per a recent accuweather.com post), I am reminded of the old parable used to teach children about safety:  The curious child will only touch a…

The PR Push Behind Processed Food

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:55 GMT

by Christine MacDonald October is proving a busy month for the country’s old guard food industries. After a decade of books and documentaries exposing the more unsavory aspects of how our food is produced, Big Ag and consumer brand companies are striking back with campaigns aimed at quelling the country’s growing…

Fighting Goliath in Michigan’s Dunes

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:43 GMT

by Chris Weber Along the southeast corner of Lake Michigan, near the coastal town of Saugatuck, Michigan, lies a line of snowy, pristine freshwater sand dunes up to 240 feet in height. I have yet to see the dunes myself, but they are said to be spectacular. Of them poet Carl Sandburg wrote: “Those dunes are to…

Occupy Wall Street’s Environmental Turn

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:08 GMT

by Melinda Tuhus I took the train from New Haven, Connecticut, to New York City on October 5, for the big rally called Occupy Wall Street (OWS) that’s supported by labor unions across the city. On a picture-perfect fall day, thousands gathered in Foley Square near City Hall. While OWS organizers and union leaders…