The structure of this entire website was founded on the idea that most people just want the answer to a Green Question.
As a result, I’m slightly obsessive about keeping my word count to 350 words or less on any given Green Investigation. Word count doesn’t mean much to the average reader, but to me, it means a lot.
It means I get the message to you in no more than a minute or two of reading. It’s enough, I believe, for most people to get the general idea, remember a few talking points to explain to their friends why the sudden change in habit, and to remember what to do and what not to do.
But in my hours of research to write these Green Living Investigations, there have been a few larger issues that have come up that I believe warrant a bit of a deeper dive. Some issues just can’t fit into 350 words.
In keeping with the theme of this entire website, I’m only allowing myself to double this word count. So, give yourself 4 or 5 minutes, and let’s dive a little deeper…
Deep Dive / by - November 28, 2022 6:52 am
What’s really so great about B Corporations?
In early 2006, three friends decided they’d like a totally different model for business. Less than a year later, 19 businesses had signed up to be Certified B Corporations. Today…
Deep Dive / by - October 3, 2022 10:59 am
What is Greenwashing?
At it’s core, greenwashing is a lie. It’s a glossy sheen over a product, organization or business to make us think they are eco-friendly when they are most definitely not….
Deep Dive / by - July 11, 2022 5:37 am
What is a Circular Economy?
Circular Economy is a term, like Sustainable Development, that keeps cropping up in my work. But I didn’t really understand what it meant in terms of the environment. So, I…
Deep Dive / by - August 26, 2020 10:34 am
‘It’s raining plastic’ on my house. Is yours next?
Most of the time, scientific studies lurk in the background of the news cycle. But sometimes, a headline or two (like the one announcing “Eating lettuce is more harmful to…
Deep Dive / by - July 1, 2020 7:09 am
Is Lab-Grown Meat Good for the Environment?
When this technology first surfaced, I was revolted. I am not a vegetarian, and I like my meat to be, well, meaty. But then, my curiosity got the better of…
Deep Dive / by - May 27, 2020 6:01 am
Is lip balm eco-friendly?
Of all the cosmetics we use, lip balms and chap sticks are the ones we all apply most frequently. I didn’t set out to write a Deep Dive about lip…
Deep Dive / by - January 29, 2020 6:23 am
What are the UN Sustainable Development Goals?
If you’re like most of us, major global issues generally take a backseat to the pressing day to day issues. But recently, I’ve come across the UN Sustainable Development Goals…
Deep Dive / by - December 19, 2019 5:46 am
What does Zero Waste really mean?
For most of us, it’s hard to imagine producing zero waste. Which makes sense, since every person in the U.S. creates about 4.4 pounds of trash a day. At its…
Deep Dive / by - November 21, 2019 6:22 am
Why is methane so bad for climate change?
I mention methane a lot in my Green Living Investigations. Methane has come up in investigations on the landfill, dairy, rice, composting and in palm oil, to name a few….
Deep Dive / by - October 17, 2019 12:04 pm
Why aren’t we burning all our trash?
When the neighborhood trash truck pulls away from your curb, it’s only going one of two places. The landfill or an incinerator. On the surface, it sounds like a great…
Deep Dive / by - September 27, 2019 8:06 am
Can You Recycle Plastic?
Even before I started researching this article I knew chucking something into the recycling bin wouldn’t free us from our environmental sins. But I wanted to know about the back-end…
Deep Dive / by - June 27, 2019 6:46 am
The Myth Behind ‘Eat Local’
We’ve long known the farther food travels to our plate, the worse it is for the environment. But is this really true? Or is Eat Local just a marketing ploy…
Deep Dive / by - April 10, 2019 5:54 am
How bad for the environment is palm oil?
If you follow environmental issues at all, you know a product with palm oil is equivalent to World Destruction. It’s the evil brainchild of mega-agro companies hell-bent on destroying the…
Deep Dive / by - March 21, 2019 5:25 am
How Climate Change is Making you Depressed. (seriously)
Climate change is often described in scientific, abstract, futuristic terms. Something we should worry about, sure. But not something that impacts our daily, personal lives. There are far more immediate…
Deep Dive / by - February 15, 2019 6:31 am
What is “Sustainable” Development?
It’s estimated every year we use 40% more resources than can possibly be replenished. If we keep this up, experts believe our future is anything but stable. In fact, there’s…
Deep Dive / by - January 17, 2019 9:44 am
What’s so bad about the landfill?
Obviously, we know landfills aren’t that great. Most of us wouldn’t want to work at one, and we sure as hell wouldn’t want to buy a house right next to…
Deep Dive / by - November 15, 2018 7:23 am
Does “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” Do Anything?
The Three R’s… known to nearly every schoolkid as a catchy little phrase. In theory, it helps us remember key points to living a sustainable life. But what does it…