Why Weightlifters Should Do More Cardio Exercises
Weightlifting produces many health benefits, including stronger muscles and bones, better posture, and better joint flexibility. But lifting weights may not be enough to keep all your body systems in optimal condition. Supplementing weight training with cardio exercise can boost your overall health profile. Burn More Calories Lifting weights does burn calories, but a cardio […]
Pacific NW
Enjoy biking Oregon’s wild river coastal bikeway
Fat biking along the Oregon’s Southern Coast. Credit: traveloregon.com Editor’s note: The following article is reprint from the Travel Oregon. Written by Gary Hayes The Wild Rivers Coast Scenic Bikeway is a 60-mile route starting and ending in Port Orford with scenic stops all along the route including three scenic state parks, Cape Blanco Lighthouse […]
Winter RVing in Sunny Sequim
Caption: Olympic Discovery Trail. Written by Dave Helgeson Editor’s note: The following article is reprinted with permission from the Northwest RVing Blog hosted by MHRV (Manufactured Housing and Recreational Vehicle) Show Association. Are you one of the many readers of NorthwestRVing.com that lives in Western Washington? Have you had enough of the wet soggy weather […]
Emissions inequality especially harmful to the poorest
Caption: The richest 1% of humanity produces 15% of total carbon emissions, while the richest 10% is responsible for more than half. Credit: Pexels.com. Dear EarthTalk: Do wealthy people generate more pollution and/or carbon emissions than the less fortunate?-- George P., Greenwich, CT In a word, yes. The richest 10 percent of humanity was responsible for 52 percent of global emissions between 1990 and 2015, according to a 2020 Oxfam report. The richest one percent alone produced 15 percent of global emissions during that time, more than double that of the entire poorest half of humanity. This phenomenon is called emissionsAmazon’s environmental record is mixed bag
Caption: Despite efforts by Amazon.com to achieve net zero emissions, environmentalists still have plenty of beefs with the e-tailing juggernaut. Credit: Soumit, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: Is Amazon.com an environmental hero or villain?-- J. West, Orange, CA Not surprisingly, Amazon.com’s environmental performance is a mixed bag. One charge often levied by critics is that Amazon’s low pricing and expedited shipping encourages customers to spend more on more unnecessary stuff, further exacerbating our already rampant consumerism. Likewise, critics charge that the company’s “Prime” service encourages customers to order single items that must be rush-shipped to them instead of combining multiple orders in bigger
Technology may stop wind power wildlife deaths
Caption: Generating clean, renewable wind power is all well and good except for the killing of birds and bats — but new technologies to mitigate wildlife strikes are giving hope to clean power advocates. Credit: Soumit, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: Has anyone figured out how to build wind farms that don’t negatively impact birds, bats and other wildlife? Does building them off-shore help? -- Mary B, Hyannis, MA As the U.S. tackles the issues of climate change, the Biden administration is investing in wind power as a key strategy for sustainably meeting the country’s energy needs. Federal officials estimate that the U.S.
Dishwasher is green way to go
Caption: Running a full load of dishes in the dishwasher is much greener when it comes to energy and water usage than handwashing the same amount of dishes. Credit: Wendelin, Pexels.com. Dear EarthTalk: My husband thinks it's better for the planet to hand-wash dishes in the sink, but it seems to me using the dishwasher is more eco-friendly. Can you settle this debate for us?-- Chris B., Bowie, MD Hands-down, the dishwasher is the way to go, not only from the standpoint of water waste and energy use but also to preserve your own sanity. Who needs to be scrubbing, rinsingEnvironmentalists glad Biden is president
Caption: Environmentalists sure are glad Joe Biden is in the White House now, although some wish he would go further on sustainability initiatives. Credit: Prachatai, FlickrCC . Dear EarthTalk: Are environmental advocates happy with the Biden administration so far?-- B.C., Philadelphia, PA Overall, environmental advocates are much happier with Joe Biden in the White House than Donald Trump, given his administration’s interest in pursuing sustainability and climate goals. Indeed, on Day One Biden wasted no time making good on several environmentally related campaign promises. He signed executive orders rejoining the Paris climate accord (Trump had pulled us out in 2017), revoking
Bird numbers are declining rapidly
Caption: Blackbirds are among the avian species experiencing the greatest amount of population loss across North America as their preferred wetland habitat dries up and is filled in and paved over. Credit: Skyler Ewing, Pexels Dear EarthTalk: How are bird populations faring in the U.S. and around the world? What are some ways to help them? -- Mark Johnson, Butte, MT Not surprisingly, given the myriad environmental threats they are facing, bird numbers continue to decline rapidly today across North America and beyond. Researchers at Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology and Canada’s National Wildlife Research Centre found in a 2019 analysis that
Bezos envisions moving polluters to outer space
Bezos envisions moving polluters to outer space Caption: Artist concept of 3D printing with cementitious materials on the Moon. Credit: Greg Trent, Surface Construction. Dear EarthTalk: Is so-called “Off-Earth Manufacturing” really the environmental panacea that Jeff Bezos and other proponents say it is? — M. Traney, Smithfield, RI In July 2021, Richard Branson rocketed into suborbital […]
Conservation dogs help endangered wildlife
Caption: “Pips” of Rogue Detection Teams was able to find larvae and larval poop of the endangered checkerspot butterfly for the Forest Service in Washington State in 2019. Credit: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: What are conservation dogs?— Jon Gretcham, Portland, OR Simply put, conservation dogs are canines specially trained in […]
Should we ditch our gas stoves?
Caption: If you are concerned about the health implications of indoor air pollution, maybe it’s time to go electric in the kitchen. Credit: Roddy Scheer Dear EarthTalk: Should we all be ditching our gas stoves in favor of electric models?— Mary R., San Francisco, CA Walking into your kitchen to make dinner appears relatively simple […]
Backyard wind turbines seen as part of energy future
Caption:Backyard wind turbines could help us make the transition away from fossil fuels. Credit: Cowrin, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: You see a lot of people putting solar panels on their homes these days, but windmills not so much. Is there any future for small residential wind turbines as we transition to more renewable forms of energy?— […]
XPRIZE launches $100 million climate change competition
Caption: XPRIZE founder Peter Diamandis has steered several competitions toward solving pressing environmental problems. Credit: XDRIVE Foundation. Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard of XPRIZE, which funds innovations in space exploration technology. Is XPRIZE used to address climate change or other environmental problems?— J.D. via e-mail XPRIZE was launched in 1996 to spur innovation in the commercial […]
