Dear EarthTalk: I've heard that simply painting your roof white can reduce household electricity bills by 40 percent. Is this something any of us can do?
— Susan Pierson,
Dear EarthTalk: How is it that climate change is negatively affecting the health of rivers and, by extension, the quality and availability of fresh water?
— Robert Elman, St. Louis, Mo.
Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that asthma cases in children often correlate to living close to roads and all the associated pollution-spewing traffic?
— Jake Locklear, San Diego, Calif.
Living near
Dear EarthTalk: It might seem obvious, but what would be the primary benefits of public transit as an alternative to the private automobile if our country were to make a
Dear EarthTalk: Which are the greenest American cities, and why?
— D. Hansen, Wichita, Kan.
Which American city is the greenest depends on who you ask. Every year dozens of publications
Dear EarthTalk: What is "perchlorate" in our drinking water supply and why is it controversial?
— David Sparrow, Chico, Calif.
Perchlorate is both a naturally occurring and man-made chemical
Dear EarthTalk: How can I have a greener, healthier laundry room?
— Billie Alexander, Topeka, Kan.
While there are many ways to green one's laundry room, one place to
Dear EarthTalk: What was Proposition 37 in California that concerns the labeling of genetically modified foods and that was just voted down in that state?
— Peter Tremaine, Euclid, Ohio
Many
Dear EarthTalk: What are the new nutrition standards for school lunches that have some students boycotting their cafeterias and discarding the food?
— Melissa Makowsky, Trenton, NJ
Indeed, some 31 million
Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that cutting and burning trees adds more global warming pollution to the atmosphere than all the cars and trucks in the world combined?
— Mitchell Vale,
Dear EarthTalk: What is currently being done in the U.S. to ensure the wise use and safety of our nation's groundwater?
— Kevin Orr, Baton Rouge, La.
Keeping
Dear EarthTalk: I heard that the Arctic summer sea ice is at its lowest level since we began recording it. What are the implications of all this melting?
— Jo Shoemaker,
