Category Archives: Environmental News

The Right to a Clothesline?

This is really cool, I think. There’s a new movement trying to get states to make laws keeping homeowner’s associations from banning clotheslines.

I love the idea. So far as I’m concerned, most homeowner’s associations go too far in trying to protect property values in their area. The back yard really is none of their business, even if it can be seen from the street.

I’ve seen them be too invasive in other areas, such as one that demanded trash cans be out no more than an hour before or after pickup. Yes, really. Happened to my husband’s friend. All a part of why I would do a lot to live in an area without homeowner’s associations once I can buy my own.

I still haven’t figured out what to do about a clothesline in the house we’re renting. So far as I’m concerned, the huge part of the yard covered in nothing but woodchips is utterly perfect, except that there’s nothing to attach one to. The back fence is cinderblock with rebar and filled with concrete (massively overbuilt, I have no idea why).

But for those of you who haven’t been able to hang a clothesline due to HOAs, there’s light at the end of that tunnel in some states.

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So Many Recalls

There’s a lot of talk right now about all the toy recalls going on. It really is amazing that so many unsafe toys are still being made.

I was watching my local news broadcast a story on this. They showed a toy executive talking a bit about why they make toys overseas. Lots of hedging of course, and avoiding admitting that it’s mostly a cost cutting measure. Apparently a toy that costs $1 to make overseas costs about $8 to make in the United States.

But I honestly don’t understand why anyone thinks it’s okay to use lead in paint, especially on toys. As noted on the Green Options blog, the damaging effects of lead have been know since about 100 BC. And it’s not exactly arcane knowledge. I don’t think anyone I know isn’t aware of that these days.

To me, the big question is why would anyone use lead in paint, anywhere? It’s not just that it’s making it here, it’s that it’s apparently so easy to use in places such as China, despite that the effects are so well known. I wish more countries wouldn’t let manufacturers use so harmful a chemical so easily. It’s not good for anyone.

I’m feeling quite fortunate right now that none of the toys my kids have are impacted by this recall.

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Newsweek and the Global Warming Hoax

Looks like the current Newsweek should be an interesting read. I read about it over on Green Options. They’re looking into the global warming deniers. You can read the article online, which saves needing to buy the magazine.

With a $10,000 reward for scientists willing to deny global warming, the people who don’t want it to exist are pretty serious about making it look bad. Never mind the chances that it’s a real problem. They’d rather keep earning their money without worrying about consequences.

I’ve said it before. Global warming or no, the environment needs better care. We’ve made progress in some ways through the years, and now have more rules protecting the environment from the most obvious of abuses. But global warming is one heck of a risk to take.

Let’s see… if we’re wrong about global warming and/or the causes, the worst that happens is we spend money cutting back on pollution for no reason.

At best, we give the human race a chance to survive in reasonable comfort. Hmm… that’s such a difficult choice, really. Your money or your life, potentially.

Go read the article. It’s always good to keep up on what the naesayers are trying to get people to believe.

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No Child Left Inside

I read about the new No Child Left Inside bill over at Green Options. The idea of this bill is to encourage schools to offer more in the way of environmental education.

In some ways I like this idea. Children should know more about the environment.

On the other hand, whose version? What if the teachers prefer the no global warming version of things and teach it that way. The one trouble I can see is that many environmental issues are very much subject to personal interpretation, no matter how much science is behind it.

Some basics are pretty easy to teach. Don’t leave your trash on the ground, pollution is bad and so forth. But I can see a lot of controversy coming around with this topic, just because there are so many opinions on the big environmental topics.

What do you think?

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Is the Final Harry Potter Novel Green?

I’ve seen a lot of discussion about the final Harry Potter novel. Apparently there was some effort to use recycled paper in its production.

In Canada, the entire release was printed on recycled paper. Conservation groups are recommending that people order it from Canada in order to benefit from this.

Scholastic, the printer in the United States, does not disclose how much recycled paper they use. However, they do say they only use fiber not made from ancient forests for all their publications, and that they use some recycled paper.
I haven’t bought the latest Harry Potter; in fact, I think I own one of them. For most books I like to avoid hardcover. There are few books I reread enough to make hardcover worthwhile.

But the question here relates to which would you rather buy? The Canadian, recycled paper version or the U.S. printed one that is printed on what Scholastic uses regularly, but is more easily available. You probably won’t even have to have it shipped, unless you buy from Amazon or another online book seller.

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