Helen Suh MacIntosh

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  Ask TreeHugger: What Does "Carbon Neutral" Mean Anyway?

  Question: I fail to understand how these logs could be considered carbon neutral. Are you saying that the material they are made of has absorbed carbon over its growth life and is now releasing it, so that carbon is neutral? What about the extra

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  Ask TreeHugger: Is Duraflame a Burn Out?

  Answer: As is often the case, the answer depends on what you compare them to. Manufactured firelogs, such as those

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  Ask TreeHugger: What is an Endocrine Disruptor?

  Question: I realize that we are exposed to all types of chemicals everyday, many that we are unaware of and some which are unavoidable currently. My particular concern is of endocrine disruptor's and their effects on developing kids. I know for

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  Ask TreeHugger: Don't Eat Yellow Snow or Black or Brown or Pink

  Response: If the snow is yellow, black, brown, pink or otherwise dirty, it should not

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  Ask TreeHugger: Emissions vs. Concentrations

  I live in Nevada County California where open

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  Ask TreeHugger: Leave Your Shoes at the Door

  Response: In the olden days (as my kids call them),

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  Ask TreeHugger: Do Cell Phones Give You a Headache?

  Response: It is possible that talking on your cell phone is giving you a headache, but

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  Ask TreeHugger: Does An Organic Diet Matter?

  Response: Yes, with

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  Ask TreeHugger: How Do I Test My Toys for Lead?

  Question: I have three young children and they have many painted toys. I am worried that these toys have lead in them, especially because I don't know where they were made. Is it dangerous to have my kids play with them? How do I test my kids'

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  Ask TreeHugger: Microwave Popcorn and The Kernel of Truth

  Answer: Microwave popcorn has been around for more than 50 years,

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  Ask TreeHugger: Airplanes and Personal Air Cleaners

  Question: I travel a lot for work. Lately, every time I take a trip on an airplane, I seem to get a headache or get sick. I have seen advertisements for several personal air cleaners or for air purifiers that I can screw onto the fresh air nozzle above

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  Ask TreeHugger: Nearby Construction and Pollution

  Question: A large apartment complex is going to be built in my neighborhood, starting next month and lasting through the year. There is already a lot more congestion and many more construction vehicles near my house. Is this construction dangerous? What

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  Ask TreeHugger: Is Aluminum Cookware Bad For You?

  Question: I've seen Asktreehugger articles on Treehugger.com and I'm very glad that you're doing this. I have a question about aluminum. I know the health risk aluminum can create for the body if one takes in too much as well as it's link to Alzheimers

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  Ask TreeHugger: How Much Pollution is Emitted from Yard Waste Fires?

  Response: Open burning

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  Ask TreeHugger: Is Mercury from a Broken CFL Dangerous?

  Question: I have been in the process of converting to an all CFL household only to find out by trial and error (and some googling) that CFL's fail very quickly in track lighting and recessed fixtures. In my online searches I have stumbled upon some real

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  Ask TreeHugger: Are Tattoo Inks Toxic?

  Response: The safety of tattoo inks or pigments have recently been the subject

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  Ask TreeHugger: Household Green Paint Alternatives

  Response: Traditional household paints contain many chemicals, including

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  Ask TreeHugger: Wood vs. Pellet Stoves

  Question: We recently purchased a condo in the Boston area (Somerville, to be specific), and after a winter heated by the existing (gas-fired) forced air heating system we're thinking about looking at alternatives to augment our heating system and