Green Policy: Daily Loaf, Creative Loafing Tampa

Environmental Activist Bill McKibben speaks at Eckerd College's 2013 Graduation

Samuel Johnson — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:37:00 -0400

Sunday, May 19, marked the Golden Anniversary of the annual Eckerd College graduation commencement in Saint Petersburg. More than 500 graduates, their families and well-wishers, the faculty and the board of trustees all gathered under a circus-styled big top for the ceremony.…

Electrifying Green Jobs

Samuel Johnson — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 09:11:00 -0400

Are green energy jobs the philosopher's stone that can turn stagnant employment cyphers into golden opportunities? They are according to U.S. Representative Kathy Castor.…

Safe and green-friendly hair care

Katie Machol — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:00:00 -0500

E — The Environmental Magazine
Dear EarthTalk: I always hear about hair products and sprays that claim to be natural and organic based. What are some hair products that can be purchased that are legit and cause no harm to the environment?…

How does mercury get into fish?

Katie Machol — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:00:00 -0500

E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: I know that large fish contain a lot of mercury, but where does it come from? And what are we doing to prevent this contamination?…

Oil vs. natural gas for home heating

Katie Machol — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:00:00 -0500

E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that gas furnaces cost less to run and burn cleaner than their oil counterparts? If I make the switch, how long should I expect it to take for me to pay back my initial investment?…

Can using thorium instead of uranium make nuclear energy safer?

Katie Machol — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:00:00 -0500

E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Thorium is a naturally occurring element that is supposedly more available, more efficient and safer to use than uranium for generating nuclear energy. Is this true and, if so, why haven’t we made the switch?…

Chemicals, pollution and rising cancer rates

Katie Machol — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:00:00 -0500

E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: How clear (or not) are the links between the rising incidents of cancers around the world and the prevalence of synthetic chemicals in modern society? — Alberto Buono, Lee, MA

With the World Health Organization hinting that cancer could unseat heart disease as the leading cause of death around the world, it’s no surprise that per capita cancer incidence is on the rise globally.…

The nasty business of shark finning

Katie Machol — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:00:00 -0500

E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: What is shark finning and why have several U.S. states outlawed it? — Betsy Englund, Tampa, FL

Shark finning is the practice of catching sharks, hacking off their fins, and returning them to the ocean (maimed and unable to swim or circulate oxygen through their systems) where they starve to death, suffocate or get eaten by other predators.…

Gold mining with cyanide threatens water supplies and wildlife

Katie Machol — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:00:00 -0400

E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Most gold mining operations use cyanide to extract gold from surrounding rock. What are the environmental implications of this, and are there alternatives?…

Deposits on beverage containers and "bottle bill" legislation

Katie Machol — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:00:00 -0400

E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Why don’t more states mandate deposits on beverage bottles as incentives for people to return them? Most bottles I’ve seen only list a few states on them.…

Beyond Sustainability Conference at Hillsborough Community College: Nov. 3-4

Sean Nordquist — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:30:00 -0400

TheBeyond Sustainability: Ecosystems, Economics and Education Conference, sponsored by Hillsborough Community College’s Institute for Florida Studies and the HCC Sustainability Council, will take place November 3-4, 2011, at the John R Trinkle Conference Center of the HCC Plant City campus, 1206 N Park Rd, Plant City, FL 33563

This is an event for eco-preneurs who want to learn about green opportunities as well as those looking to invest or find a job with an eye on a sustainable future. With over 70 presenters, panels on green jobs, socially responsible investing and social justice, it will showcase the latest in research, policy and grassroots actions throughout the two days.…

Add environmentalists to the list of '08 Obama supporters whose enthusiasm is lacking

Mitch Perry — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 08:34:55 -0400

In San Francisco on Tuesday, President Obama was met with protesters unhappy about his administration's refusal to commit one way or another on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline - which would transport tar-sands oil from Canada to refineries in Illinois, Oklahoma and the Gulf of Mexico.

On Sunday, more than 400 activists organized by the group Energy Action Coalition demonstrated in front of the Obama campaign headquarters in Cleveland, and another major protest is scheduled in a week and a half (November 6) at the White House.…

Is there any hope that the U.S. will limit its greenhouse gas emissions?

Katie Machol — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:00:00 -0400

E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: What’s the latest in regard to putting limits on greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.? Is there any hope that Obama can get something done?…

Energy use from social networking sites and web surfing

Katie Machol — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:00:00 -0400

E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: What is the environmental impact of so many people now using sites like Facebook and spending so much time online? —Bob Yearling, Paris, TX

The environmental impact of so much online time really boils down to energy usage, which in turn affects the amount of greenhouse gases we pump into our atmosphere.…

Banks funding destructive mountaintop removal mining

Katie Machol — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:30:00 -0400

E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: I understand that mountaintop removal as a way of coal mining is incredibly destructive. Didn’t a report come out recently that named major banks that were funding this activity?…

The climate impacts of freight transport

Katie Machol — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:00:00 -0400

E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Freight companies like FedEx, UPS and all those 18 wheelers on the highways probably generate a lot of pollution and global warming. Is anything being done to address this?…

Genetic pollution from GMOs threatens genetic diversity and global food security

Katie Machol — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 11:00:00 -0400

E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: What is “genetic pollution” as it pertains to the bioengineering of animals, fish and plants, and what happens if they cross breed with their wild cousins? — R. Ahearn, Rome, NY

Genetically modified organisms are those that have been altered by scientists to include genes from other organisms (known as transgenes) that may impart specific benefits.…

"Plan B" to stabilize population and climate

Katie Machol — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:00:00 -0400

E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Some friends of mine were talking about a book called “Plan B” that proposes a plan for rescuing the environment and ending poverty around the world. Is it a realistic plan or just some Utopian pipe dream?…

Pharmaceutical pollution in our water

Katie Machol — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:00:00 -0400

E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Pharmaceuticals were in the news again recently, how they are polluting water and raising a host of health issues because we dispose of them both unused and used through body waste elimination. What can be done?…

Adding many more plants and animals to the Endangered Species List

Katie Machol — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 09:30:00 -0400

Courtesy of: EarthTalk®
E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: What's the gist of the recent agreement between the Center for Biological Diversity and the federal government regarding adding many more plants and animals to the Endangered Species List? — J.J. Scarboro, Tallahassee, FL

The agreement in question forces the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to make initial or final decisions on whether to grant some 757 imperiled plant and animal species protection under the Endangered Species Act over the next six years.…

Improving light bulb energy efficiency: Saving energy, carbon emissions and consumer dollars

Katie Machol — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 10:30:00 -0400

Courtesy of: EarthTalk®
E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: What was the BULB Act pertaining to light bulb energy efficiency that just failed to pass in the House of Representatives? — Betsy Edgerton, Columbus, OH

The Better Use of Light Bulbs (BULB) Act (H.R. 2417) was a failed attempt in July 2011 by some Republicans in the House to repeal a 2007 law mandating increased efficiency for light bulbs sold anywhere in the U.S. Sponsors of the bill cited the 2007 bulb efficiency requirements—whereby light bulbs must be 25 to 30 percent more efficient by 2014 and then as much as 60 percent more efficient by 2020—as a key example of how government overreaches its authority.…

"Nonpoint source pollution" could be the largest threat to our water quality

Katie Machol — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:00:00 -0400

Courtesy of: EarthTalk®
E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: What is “nonpoint source pollution?” How much of a problem is it and how can it be controlled? — Devon Corey, New York, NY

Unlike pollution that comes from specific industrial factories, sewage treatment plants and other easily discernible ‘points’, nonpoint source pollution comes from many diffuse sources, but in the aggregate creates a formidable challenge for municipal, state and federal environmental and water control authorities.…

Report on Tampa's greenhouse emissions creates concern

Mitch Perry — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 07:00:00 -0400

The Tampa Tribune's Christian Wade blew some minds on Wednesday in his front page story regarding the fact that the carbon footprint from the city of Tampa is comparable to cities such as Boston, Baltimore and Seattle- cities whose population is roughly twice their size.

The majority of the city's emissions comes from gas, coal and other fossil fuels, prompting the director of USF's Office of Sustainability to surmise "That's a shocking number."

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Stricter water quality regulations to help keep medical waste off beaches

Katie Machol — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:00:00 -0400

Courtesy of: EarthTalk®
E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: I remember that medical waste, washing up in New Jersey, I believe, was a big issue in the late 1980s. Is it still today?…

Stripping the EPA of water quality regulatory authority

Katie Machol — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:00:00 -0400

Courtesy of: EarthTalk®
E — The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: The U.S. House of Representatives recently voted to strip the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of its authority over state water quality. Why did they do this, what are the ramifications and what do leading green groups have to say about it?…