Dear EarthTalk Can you explain what “desertification” is and why it is an important environmental issue? Jay Harris Nashville, TN Desertification is the degradation of land in already dry parts of the globe that results from various factors, including natural climate changes as well as human activit
CITY HALL — Beekeepers are all abuzz about the City Council’s decision Tuesday to lift its ban on beekeeping, joining the long list of cities that in recent years have authorized the activity in urban settings as concern has spread about “colony collapse disorder” — the mysterious decline in the wor
Dear EarthTalk Are the world’s amphibians still in decline and what’s being done to help them? Chris W. Stamford, CT Unfortunately yes, amphibians are still in serious trouble around the world.
Dear EarthTalk Where can I find information on which electronics and their manufacturers are greener than others, with regard to components, manufacturing processes and end use efficiency? John Franken New York, NY Now that many consumers are beginning to care about their own environmental footprint
Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard that New York City schools are trying out “Trayless Tuesdays” in their cafeterias in order to reduce waste. Why are trays such a big issue? And how can cutting them out on one day a week really make a difference? — Mark, Brooklyn, NY Unlike the old days when many school ca
Dear EarthTalk Given the environmental and economic benefits, why doesn’t the U.S. have a federal law mandating recycling nationwide? N. Koslowsky Pompano Beach, FL The U.
CITY HALL City officials are revising a proposed ban on single-use plastic bags after the passage of Proposition 26 in this month’s election raised questions about whether the City Council retained the authority to outlaw plastic.
Dear EarthTalk: I work at a fast food place and I am appalled by the amount of unpurchased food we throw away. The boss says we can’t give it away for legal reasons.
CITY HALL — Residents who are attempting to stop a controversial condominium project from being built on Ocean Avenue, just steps from picturesque Palisades Park, were thwarted earlier this week when the City Council denied an appeal of the Planning Commission’s decision giving the Dallas-based deve
CITY HALL — In a move that will dramatically reduce the number of cabs on Santa Monica streets, the City Council Tuesday awarded five taxi franchises and put a cap on the total number of cabs operating within the city at 250.
Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing series that tracks the city’s expenditures appearing on upcoming Santa Monica City Council consent agendas.
Dear EarthTalk I’ve heard of global warming, of course, but what on Earth is “global dimming?” Max S. Seattle, Wash. Global dimming is a less well-known but real phenomenon resulting from atmospheric pollution.
