Chris Baskind

MY MOST RECENT CONTENT

Mon, Apr 12 2010 at 3:15 PM

Well-meaning pet owners use dryer sheets to control pet hair, and laundry companies are happy to encourage this secondary use of their products. But is it safe?

How to get a natural night's sleep

Mon, Apr 12 2010 at 10:43 AM

You'll spend a third of your life in bed. But mattresses and bedding may contain harsh -- and possibly harmful -- chemicals. Here's how to rest healthier and easier.

12 ways to green your 21st century office

Mon, Apr 12 2010 at 7:12 AM

Most businesses have immense carbon footprints. Follow some of these simple steps to decrease your company's impact.

The microwave oven is your kitchen's energy champ

Fri, Apr 09 2010 at 4:12 PM

Energy goes straight to heating the food, not to the pan or open air around it.

Tell mosquitoes to buzz off (without pesticides)

Fri, Apr 09 2010 at 12:39 PM

No one likes itchy bug bites, but using harmful chemicals to avoid them stinks, too. Check out these easy tips for having fewer mosquito encounters.

How to recycle or repurpose your cell phone

Thu, Apr 08 2010 at 11:00 AM

Don't put your worn-out cellphone phone in the trash -- it's probably filled with all sorts of toxic nasties. Here's how to hang up 'Old Faithful' the right way.

An inexhaustible supply of free scoopers: Plastic milk jugs

Tue, Apr 06 2010 at 3:23 PM

Finished the milk? Don't toss that jug -- it has many more uses.

5 ways to green your child's classroom

Tue, Apr 06 2010 at 1:39 PM

Your kids are watching ... how you treat the Earth's resources will guide the way they choose to live. Here are a few ways to make sure their school experience offers the greenest lessons possible.

10 tips for organic gardening with children

Fri, Apr 02 2010 at 11:41 AM

The simple act of gardening can help children explore the natural world and even combat nature deficit disorder.

7 tips for how to live with CFLs

Thu, Apr 01 2010 at 4:08 PM

Energy-efficient, sure. But CFLs aren't direct replacements for incandescent bulbs. Here's how to make CFLs work for you.

Commenting (2)

Ready or not ...

Thu, Mar 25 2010 at 2:30 AM

I'm 48, and live in just the sort of sprawling suburban situation you say is unsuitable for serious utility cycling. I haven't driven since last June. Yeah, I've found this inconvenient on a few occasions. But a quality utility bike meets virtually all of my transportation needs. It's improved my health, slashed my living expenses, and reduced my environmental footprint. My school-aged son cycles, too. Europeans do it, and so can we. Of course, Amsterdam and Copenhagen's vibrant bicycle culture wasn't an accident, and it didn't happen overnight. It takes work, planning, time, and public investment. It took Europe decades to get where they are. Our progress will be accelerated by necessity and declining oil reserves. But the process is already underway. Be prepared to share the road. ;-)

I sympathize with Mmeg, too ...

Mon, Mar 15 2010 at 3:38 PM

... Having been an ethical vegetarian for many years (I still hardly touch meat, preferring healthier, greener alternatives). The U.N. estimates that 2 billion people depend upon fishing for up to 20% of their protein intake. With world population swelling toward 7 billion -- and thousands dying of starvation each day -- the idea of a total fishing ban is laughable. That's not even what is being proposed. What we *must* have is better management, or the seas will be further emptied of species already on the brink of extinction. @Mmmeg isn't a wacko -- she's an idealist. But you can't eat ideals, and it's unreasonable to impose our on those for whom fishing is the difference between feeding your kids and watching them go hungry.

MNN - Mother Nature Network

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