monty-ross68

Q: I’m told that, despite improvements in recent years, pesticides in flea collars are still harmful to pets and humans. Are there ways to minimize fleas without resorting to chemical concoctions? And is anything being done to ban these dangerous products from store shelves? A: Americans spend some $1 billion each year on products designed […]

Q: Given the huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, isn’t it high time the government put a stop to offshore oil drilling once and for all? Short of banning it altogether, what can be done to prevent explosions, leaks and spills? A: The explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon drill rig on April 20 […]

Q: Which woods are OK to purchase and which are not, in the interest of preserving forests and not harming those who depend upon them? A: Deforestation continues to be one of the world’s biggest environmental problems, especially in fast-developing regions like South America, Southeast Asia and Africa. Cutting down large numbers of trees erodes […]

Q: What is “smart growth” and how does it benefit the environment? And what are the downsides, if any? A: Originating in the early 1970s when city planners began renovating crumbling inner cities in the face of widespread suburbanization and sprawl, smart growth is now a top buzzword in both municipal policy and environmental circles. […]

Q: How effective have plastic bag bans and restrictions been on reducing plastic litter and other problems associated with their proliferation? And is it really better to use paper bags, which will just lead to more deforestation? A: Plastic bags, first introduced in the 1950s as a convenient way to store food, have since developed […]

Q: I know that purchasing organic crib sheets, mattresses and baby clothes is better for the environmentbut do they make any difference in terms of the baby’s health? A: It’s true that conventional baby clothing and beddingconventional referring to that made with cotton grown using synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and bleached and dyed with yet […]

Q: What happens to major appliances that get carted off when new ones take their place? We have a dishwasher and a refrigerator that are both on the blink and may need replacement. I’d rather fix them than buy new, even if it’s more expensive to do so, because I don’t want to add these […]

Q: Are there any health hazards associated with the use of the new silicone bakeware and cooking utensils? I have found information associated with the hazards of Teflon and other cookware but nothing on the use of silicone. A: With all the negative press about Teflon and about metals leaching out of pots and pans, […]