Good Green News

Chestnuts Roasting in a Solar Oven

Jennifer Roberts — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:57:20 +0000

As the days get shorter and cooler and the trees lose their leaves, holiday lights and Christmas trees have started making their annual appearance. I’ve been getting in the spirit of the season in my own way—by roasting chestnuts in a solar oven. Gathering around the solar cooker may not be as romantic as getting cozy in [...]

Goodbye Eatwell, Hello Nevermore

Jennifer Roberts — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:21:27 +0000

Back in February, in “What’s an Eater to Do?”, I said I would write soon about my experiences as a CSA member (that’s community supported agriculture). But I’ve had this blog on a back burner for the past six months because of some changes in my life. Opening our CSA box the other day and unpacking [...]

July 1 in Berkeley, CA: Keeping Buildings Safe without Toxic Flame Retardants

Jennifer Roberts — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:55:34 +0000

I’ve written before about health and environmental concerns associated with halogenated flame retardants in foam building insulation and furniture foam. Levels of these toxic substances are increasing in household dust, human breast milk and wild animals, according to the Green Science Policy Institute. Evidence is mounting that these chemicals don’t belong in our buildings or [...]

Sierra Club Offers Help for Greening Your Home

Jennifer Roberts — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:38:40 +0000

Are you looking for a trustworthy source of practical information about how to green your home and your life? Check out the Sierra Club’s new website, Sierra Club Green Home. The site features exclusive articles on more than 100 topics, from choosing eco-friendly countertops to selecting a solar energy installer. I may be biased, since [...]

Creating Dream Green Kitchens at SF Design Center

Jennifer Roberts — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:36:56 +0000

On April 1, from 12 to 2 pm, I’ll be giving a seminar titled “Creating Dream Green Kitchens” at the San Francisco Design Center, as part of SFDC’s seventh annual Designers’ Wednesday lunch-and-seminar series for the design professional. I’ll be talking about how to create beautiful kitchens that are healthier for people and easier on [...]

What’s an Eater to Do?

Jennifer Roberts — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 02:01:29 +0000

In this land of free-flowing corn syrup and 600-calorie coffee drinks, the specter of food scarcity may seem remote to many Americans. That could change in the coming decades. This week the United Nations Environment Programme released a report predicting that by 2050, global food production may drop by as much as 25% due to climate change, [...]

Flame Retardants on Front Burner in the Bay Area

Jennifer Roberts — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:42:24 +0000

In a recent post, I wrote about the ubiquitousness of halogenated flame retardants and their potential health effects on humans and other species. If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, there are a couple of events coming up where you can learn more about why halogenated flame retardants are a problem and what we can [...]

Take This Advice Today

Jennifer Roberts — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:19:53 +0000

This post belongs in the category of shamelessly tooting my own horn. The January/February issue of the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine has a special section called “25 Amazing Alumni, 25 Amazing Ideas” in which Dartmouth College alums “from all walks of life offer the ultimate in how-to advice that will make you smarter, richer—and more interesting,” according [...]

Message to Obama: We Need a Secretary of Sustainable Agriculture

Jennifer Roberts — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:15:09 +0000

I got an email today from my friend and former colleague Liz Muller. She’s spreading the word about Food Democracy Now’s petition asking President-elect Obama to choose a Secretary of Agriculture who will lead this country toward saner agriculture and food policies. Liz and I worked together years ago on environmental programs and policies at Gap [...]

Fired up over Flame Retardants

Jennifer Roberts — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:52:02 +0000

This is a good news/bad news post. In 2005, U.S. manufacturers voluntarily phased out the use of the flame retardant chemicals penta-PBDE and octa-PBDE because of growing concerns about their toxicity and their buildup in the bodies of humans and wildlife across the globe. That phase-out is the good news. What’s the bad news? Those two compounds [...]