Is The H1N1 Flu Vaccine Going To Give Me Gulf War Syndrome?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:13:00 GMT

Photo credit: alvi2047 via Flickr No, this isn't another article about mercury in vaccines, it is also not about vaccines causing autism, nor is it about vaccines not being vegan. This article is about an entirely different argument against vaccines that has surfaced in the international media and on conspiracy theory websites (which I won't legitimize by providing a link, but Google will help you find them if you are curious). ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Ask Pablo: Refrigerator Water Dispenser or Refrigerated Bottles?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: Alex Muse Dear Pablo: We drink a great deal of water all day long and wondered which uses more energy: opening the refrigerator door to get a bottle of cold water or using the water dispenser on the exterior of the unit. Also, does it take more energy to get ice from the mechanical dispenser (which also uses energy to make ice) or more by opening and closing the freezer door to get some cubes? The big picture answer is that it probably doesn't matter. Simply the fact that you are filling your own water bottles rather than buying bottled water is a much more important environmentally-friendly act. Both your refillable bottle and water that is dispensed by your refrigerator are taken from the same starting temperature to the same final temperature, so there is no difference there. Where there is a difference, however, is in the act of opening the refrigerator door and allowing all of that cold air to spill out (hot air rises, cold air falls). By using the door-mounted dispenser this loss of cold air is avoided.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

In Defense Of TetraPak

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:59:00 GMT

Image Source: TetraPak TetraPak, the company that makes aseptic milk carton-like packaging that holds everything from wine to soup to tomato sauce, has been receiving a lot of coverage in the green media lately, both good and bad. This surge in attention is in part due to a recent TetraPak-sponsored media event in Sweden,to which I had the fortune to get invited. Before I continue I should state that what I am about to write is based entirely on my professional opinion as a sustainability engineer and was not influenced by pickled herring or Swedish meatballs.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Ask Pablo: Do Solar Panels Actually Contribute To Climate Change?

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: kevinthoule Dear Pablo: Is it true that the heat absorbed by dark solar panels contributes to climate change?

The Source Of The Myth

This myth recently surfaced in the sequel to Freakanomics, call Superfreakanomics. Some people are very disappointed with the authors, who created quite a stir with their first book. The source of the myth is a quote by Nathan Myhrvold, the former Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft (commenting outside of his expertise):... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Does Peeing Before Boarding an Airplane Really Save Carbon Emissions?

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: Specialkrb Dear Pablo: Can Airlines really save fuel by asking their passengers to empty their bladders before boarding? Although their website makes no mention of it, Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) has been widely reported to be trying an experiment for the month of October: they are asking their passengers to "lighten the load" by visiting the restroom before boarding.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Agriculture to Play a Major Role in Mitigating Climate Change

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:49:00 GMT

Image Source: KevinLallier Dear Pablo: What role does agriculture play in combating climate change and how will climate change affect it?

Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Land-Use Changes

The very first effect that humans had on the climate was through agriculture. As humans traded in their hunter/gatherer way of life for one based on farming and livestock, forests and grassland were cleared to make room for crops and domesticated animals. These land-use changes grew from near-zero over 8,000 years ago to today's 4+ billion acres of cultivated land. While the initial impact was relatively minor compared to today's industrial greenhouse gas emissions, it was still significant enough to prevent an ice age.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Ask Pablo: Is Nuclear Power Really "Carbon Neutral?"

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Dear Pablo: Too often I hear politicians, lobbyists, and others advocating for nuclear power, but doesn't the processing of the fuel take a huge amount of energy? So how can they call it carbon neutral? The short answer is that nuclear energy is not "carbon neutral." Wind and solar can also not be said to be entirely without greenhouse gas emissions. But with truly renewable energy sources such as solar and wind we are talking about a one-time "investment" of greenhouse gas emissions when the solar panels or windmills are built. The energy payback period for solar panels is less than two years according to some sources, and even less for wind.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Ask Pablo: What is the most efficient use of solar power?

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: greenlagirl

Dear Pablo: I was wondering what is the most efficient use of solar power? is it small arrays of panels used to heat water, large residential arrays used to power homes, or large solar thermal arrays in the desert? The answer to this question is a complex "all of the above." The use of solar for hot water and electricity on a residence, as well as the use of utility-scale Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) in the desert, are not mutually exclusive.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Ask Pablo: What's The Problem With Desalination?

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: Roplant

Dear Pablo: My city wants to put in a desalination plant for drinking water. Environmentalists are opposed, which makes me wonder: What's so bad about desalination? Desalination is any process whereby salt and/or minerals are removed from water to make it potable. In most cases desalination is used in arid coastal regions to turn sea water into drinking water but it is also used inland, where local ground or surface water is brackish. The main area in the US for desalination include Southern California, the Gulf Coast and Florida but about 75% of the world's desalination capacity is located in the Middle East.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

How Can An Electric Car Travel 100 Miles For $1?

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Dear Pablo: I have read time and again that an all-electric vehicle can use as little as one dollar's worth of electricity to travel 100 miles. How can this be? Electric Power Plants are burning oill to create electricity, and oil is expensive. How do Power Plants convert oil to electricity at a rate that is five times more efficient than a 2010 Prius? Over half of US electricity comes from coal (50.2% in 2004) while only 3% comes from oil. It is true that oil is expensive, which is why many oil-fired power plants have switched to natural gas, which produces 17.4% of our electricity. On the other hand most US automobiles are powered by gasoline which is a petroleum distillate, meaning that it is distilled from crude oil. The process of extracting and transporting foreign oil as well as processing and distributing the gasoline adds to its cost while coal is mostly extracted domestically and requires little processing. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Ask Pablo: Abracadabra in the Tailpipe

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: Mag3737

Dear Pablo: I heard that for every gallon of gasoline that I put in my car I emit 20 pounds of CO₂ emissions. How can this be?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Cutting Saturday Postal Delivery Would Reduce GHG Emissions

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: Wikipedia

Dear Pablo: I have heard that members of Congress are considering cutting the United States Postal Service's (USPS) Saturday delivery in order to cut costs. In addition to saving money, I imagine that it would cut pollution as well, but how much?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Red Light: Idle or Off?

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: Found_Drama

Dear Pablo: If I am stopped at a red light should I idle my car or turn it off?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Attic Fan or Insulation?

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:35:00 GMT

Image Source: Zieak Dear Pablo: Is it more cost effective to install an attic fan or add additional insulation?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Deck: Wood or Plastic?

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: Joe Schlabotnik

Dear Pablo: I am building a deck and am trying to decide between wood decking and a composite materials like Trex. Which one is more environmentally friendly?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Is "Locally Grown" the new greenwashing catch phrase?

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: Pablo Paster

I was perusing the produce section of my local Safeway supermarket when I began to notice signs proclaiming that certain fruits and vegetables were "Locally Grown." I thought that this was great. Supermarkets, which had finally fully embraced organics, are now beginning to understand the consumer demand for locally grow produce. My joy was muted when I spotted the fruit pictured above.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Are Paper Napkins More Environmentally Friendly?

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: Francesca Tronchin

Dear Pablo: With the energy and water used in washing and drying, isn't it actually more environmentally friendly to use paper napkins instead of cotton?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Does Recycling Waste Precious Water?

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Photo credit: jcheng @ Flickr We recently received the following comment from a reader: "The greatest saver of water for families is to stop trying to recycle. Each time you wash out a can, bottle, or plastic container, you are wasting over half a gallon of water. In California, 37 million people can easily waste 37 million gallons of water daily." My fellow writers asked me to take this question. So, does it use more water to recycle than to simply throw something in the trash?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Wine In A Box: The Greenest Way To Drink?

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: LookAtMeShirts.com

Dear Pablo: I visited a winery called La Delizia located in Casarsa de la Delizia, north of Venice in Italy. They have started selling 3 litre boxed wines at US retail outlets. I'd like to know how the carbon footprint of La Delizia's 3 liter boxes compare to boxed wine from California, for instance, Turning Leaf Vineyards' 3 liter merlot, produced in Modesto, CA, or any other 3 liter California boxed wine. It would also be great to know how 3 liter boxed wines from other leading wine regions such as Austraila, South Africa and Chile would compare to those two.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Which is More Environmentally Friendly: Storebought or Homemade Yogurt?

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: Rebecca Bent

Dear Pablo: I eat a lot of yogurt, about a quart a week, so I'm accruing a lot of containers. I've thought about making my own yogurt, but it seems then I'd just be trading a plastic yogurt container for a cardboard milk container. Taking into account the production and recycling of each container, is one environmentally any better than the other?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

How Will the Digital Television Transition Impact the Environment?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:30:00 GMT

"Sunset for Analog," by Robert Couse-Baker via Flickr. Dear Pablo: What will be the environmental impact of the digital television transition? I haven't been able to find any numbers on the increased electricity use from the digital converter boxes. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Sowing the Seeds of Sustainability: Victory Gardens are Back!

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 07:13:00 GMT

During World War II ordinary citizens across the country did their part for the war effort by planting victory gardens to lessen the demand on the food system caused by the war. Some have suggested that sustainability is about returning to the more efficient ways of the past and, until now, the concept of widespread victory gardens had been lost to history. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Put a (Wine) Cork in it!

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: CorkTruck.com

Dear Pablo: It seems that alternatives to traditional bottle corks are gaining in popularity but are they a more eco-friendly option?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

What is the Environmental Impact of the Internet?

Tue, 26 May 2009 07:13:00 GMT

A Map of the Internet. Image Source: DiscoveryMagazine.com

Dear Pablo: I know that it's better, from an environmental perspective, to shop online than driving to a store but what about other uses of the internet? What is the environmental impact of internet use?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Eat Local, Drink Local Beer

Mon, 18 May 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image via Lightning Labels Blog

Dear Pablo: My favorite beer comes from Germany and I am concerned about the environmental impact. Am I an eco-villain or does "eat local" not apply to beer?

... Read the full story on TreeHugger

How to Get a Roadmap for Greening Your Home

Mon, 11 May 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: HUD

Dear Pablo: You have written about home energy efficiency in the past, but aside from individual technologies like CFLs, what can I do to get the "whole picture" and how do I prioritize my investments?

... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Are Factory Farms to Blame for Swine Flu?

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image Source: DailyMail.co.uk

Dear Pablo: I have been following the media field day on the outbreak of swine flu but I can't help but wonder if factory farms are to blame for swine flu?

... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Why Do Rechargeable Batteries Suck?

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Chart showing rechargeable battery life versus alkaline battery life in a high-drain application. Source: GreenBatteries.com

Dear Pablo: I'm a New Yorker who tries to be environmentally conscious. For years now, I've been confounded by rechargeable batteries. They just don't seem to work for me as I imagine they should....and now I'm at the end of my rope. Before I give up completely on this technology, I decided to write to see if maybe I just don't understand how they work.

... Read the full story on TreeHugger

To Shred Or Not To Shred

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Image via Spectrum Data

Dear Pablo: I work for a large company. For our secure document disposal, we have a large paper shredder. On a regular basis, these shredded files are then emptied and recycled. Unfortunately, this is the only way we currently have for recycling documents, so many people put all of their paper into the shredder for recycling. I am curious, though, whether the savings we get from recycling is worth the energy it costs to shred the paper?

... Read the full story on TreeHugger

How To Get Chicks

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:13:00 GMT

Some of the author's chickens going outside for the first time

Dear Pablo, I am thinking about getting some chickens but I don't live on a farm. Can you raise chickens in the suburbs without causing trouble in the neighborhood?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Recent Posts by TreeHugger's Pablo Paster, San Francisco

Is The H1N1 Flu Vaccine Going To Give Me Gulf War Syndrome?

Ask Pablo: Refrigerator Water Dispenser or Refrigerated Bottles?

In Defense Of TetraPak

Ask Pablo: Do Solar Panels Actually Contribute To Climate Change?

The Source Of The Myth

Does Peeing Before Boarding an Airplane Really Save Carbon Emissions?

Agriculture to Play a Major Role in Mitigating Climate Change

Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Land-Use Changes

Ask Pablo: Is Nuclear Power Really "Carbon Neutral?"

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Ask Pablo: What is the most efficient use of solar power?

Image Source: greenlagirl

Ask Pablo: What's The Problem With Desalination?

Image Source: Roplant

How Can An Electric Car Travel 100 Miles For $1?

Ask Pablo: Abracadabra in the Tailpipe

Image Source: Mag3737

Cutting Saturday Postal Delivery Would Reduce GHG Emissions

Image Source: Wikipedia

Red Light: Idle or Off?

Image Source: Found_Drama

Attic Fan or Insulation?

Deck: Wood or Plastic?

Image Source: Joe Schlabotnik

Is "Locally Grown" the new greenwashing catch phrase?

Image Source: Pablo Paster

Are Paper Napkins More Environmentally Friendly?

Image Source: Francesca Tronchin

Does Recycling Waste Precious Water?

Wine In A Box: The Greenest Way To Drink?

Image Source: LookAtMeShirts.com

Which is More Environmentally Friendly: Storebought or Homemade Yogurt?

Image Source: Rebecca Bent

How Will the Digital Television Transition Impact the Environment?

Sowing the Seeds of Sustainability: Victory Gardens are Back!

Put a (Wine) Cork in it!

Image Source: CorkTruck.com

What is the Environmental Impact of the Internet?

A Map of the Internet. Image Source: DiscoveryMagazine.com

Eat Local, Drink Local Beer

How to Get a Roadmap for Greening Your Home

Image Source: HUD

Are Factory Farms to Blame for Swine Flu?

Why Do Rechargeable Batteries Suck?

Chart showing rechargeable battery life versus alkaline battery life in a high-drain application. Source: GreenBatteries.com

To Shred Or Not To Shred

How To Get Chicks

Some of the author's chickens going outside for the first time