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Ask Chicky: Clear Skies or Dirty Air?

Dear Chicky,

My boyfriend and I (we’re both in our early 30′s) have a bet: I say air quality is better than when we were kids, he says it’s worse. Who’s right?

–Itching to Be Right
Dear Itching,

Though it’s always fun to watch one half of a couple do the “I’m right and you’re wrong” dance, I’m sorry to report that nobody’s winning the bet on this one. You’re both right, depending on what kind of standard you’re using to judge air quality, and where you live.
Overall, air quality has improved in most parts of the United States, due to several decades of pollution rules and enforcement under the Clean Air Act. In the Southeastern parts of the country where population growth has exploded, there are higher levels of pollution than before (since housing wasn’t exactly planned around people riding their air-friendly bikes to work), but they’re still within the normal range on most days. Some cities, like Los Angeles, have made dramatic improvements in air quality, something that Angelenos notice when they step outside their doors and enjoy visible views. That’s the good news.

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State of the Union Address States Something Incredible

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by Jennifer Veilleux · 02/27/06

Although our President has tried to hold back the tide of change toward cleaner healthier energy, some things he said in his last State of the Union Address suggests that he may be changing his tune, at least for now. The oil money man said that “America is addicted to oil”, and implied that this is a bad thing.

Bush acknowledged that energy sources from solar, wind, and hydrogen not only exist, but that further support into research and development for “alternative energies” will be funded by the federal government! In his speech he declared that we have to push forward in two vital areas: how we power our homes and offices and how we power our vehicles. Following his speech, Bush even went so far as to visit a plant that produces solar panels in Michigan and make public statements about the importance of the technology.

Regarding vehicles, ethanol was mentioned specifically in the State of the Union Address. Ethanol is a fuel that can be produced from various plants and plant matter. It can be manufactured in our own backyard or rather our own rural communities, and in fact, it already is. There is a fuel available, called E85; a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, and it is used to power cars and trucks.

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I (Heart) Tom's

2 Comments

by Starre Vartan · 02/15/06

I’ve been a fan of Tom’s of Maine since I was a whippersnapping treehugger in tie-dye with a flower in my hair. They make the best natural toothpastes (who else would have thought of gingermint?), and some damn good deoderants and other personal care stuff. They’ve been doing it for years, too- they’re not just another LOHAS-loving capitalist company.

Now, Tom’s is going 100% wind-power. That means that their 100,000 square foot manufacturing plant will be run with energy from wind turbines in Nebraska. Their press release elucidates:

The change will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.5 million pounds per year, the equivalent of planting 214 acres of trees or removing 138 cars from the road.

Mmmmm……Tom’s gingermint.