EcoHearth: Come Home to the Earth

I like environmental tips. They offer practical ways to make one's life greener, bit by bit. But sometimes tips offer little in the way of real value.

As I check off items on my little green to-do list in order to save electricity here or reduce waste there, I often find myself in the wake of a creeping fog, which whisperingly suggests that I am subjecting myself to pointless inconveniences. There are no environmental police forcing me to recycle my plastic bags, no gold stars given for taking public transportation. Why should I, and why do many people I know, day in and day out, sacrifice the ease and convenience that is readily available to us? Read on...

In 19th-century Europe, it was still possible to scare children with stories about forests—dark and treacherous places, filled with spirits, wolves, bears and other man-eating animals. Nowadays, these stories don’t work anymore. The forests of Europe have become friendly places with names like “Green Heart” and “Lake Park.” Read on…

During my third year at UC Berkeley, I took an introductory environmental science class. As we discussed greenhouse-gas emissions, I remember one student who would not budge on his belief that he needed to drive. His car allowed him to live his lifestyle, and he had no desire to give that up. Driving was an efficient way to go many places in a short amount of time—and with little effort, of course. Read on…

A few days ago, I was reminded of the strength of tea tree oil when I accidentally spilled a few drops on a freshly painted dresser. Within moments, it ate through the paint. Whoever says that natural products aren’t as potent as their artificial counterparts has yet to encounter the powerhouse that is tea tree oil. Just one whiff of this essential oil’s harsh medicinal smell is enough to clue you in to its might. Read on…

Toss a mega loop of rope over the Four Corners where Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona meet. Now arrange the perimeter so it divides Utah diagonally northeast-southwest in half and encloses the western quarter-slice of Colorado. Pull the lower edge around the northwest corner of New Mexico and the northern half of Arizona. You’ve just cordoned off 130,000 square miles of “red rock country,” known as the Colorado Plateau. Within this province lie eight national parks, including the Grand Canyon and Canyonlands, and six national monuments. Read on…