Getting Purelled is the growing phenomenon of sanitizing one’s germ-infested mitts with the alcohol-based, Johnson & Johnson product known as Purell.

What’s in the name, William Safire students might ask?

Pure, I imagine, denotes the opposite of tainted, which in flu terms translates into ralphing, the runs and the unpleasant sensation of having been poisoned by Satan. Elle is French for she, as in, she is cruel that H1N1 Virus, widespread in 47 states now. Elle also is a swank Fifties ad-on, like ette for dinette. …

Tags: Alcada , alcohol , bacteria , cdc , eco , environment , germs , H1N1 Virus , Life in the Green Lane , plastic , Purell , sanitizers , schools , swine flu , teens , toxins , upcycling , vaccinations , viruses , waste , work

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How often do you have to empty the trash cans around your home? If you take a trip outside to the dumpster every couple days, it’s time to examine why your garbage bins fill up so quickly. To cut down the amount of waste you send off to the landfill, here’s a list of things you shouldn’t be throwing away.

Water Bottles

Yes, they can be recycled but, with a water filter on your faucet and a reusable thermos, there’s no need for disposable water bottles. Stopping the bottle habit …

Tags: disposables , garbage , how much do Americans throw away , landfill , things you can recycle , trash , waste

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Starbucks: people either love ‘em or loathe ‘em. My husband likes their coffee and admires their business brains. I, on the other hand, can’t stand them for their homogenized, yuppie style. Having grown up in grunge-era Seattle, once a land of artsy coffee shops crammed with kitschy sofas and local color, cookie-cutter Starbucks look to me like a department store: void of soul and chock-full of useless merchandise.

But how bad is Starbucks, really? I decided to find out.

1. Clean water is such a precious commodity in the world …

Tags: barista , coffee , corporate power , disposables , drink , fair trade , food and beverage , greenwash , starbucks , waste

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It’s not unusual in California to see from 1,500 to 2,000 sea lion deaths on our beaches each year. But this year is off – way off – and no one can figure out why.

Starting in May and continuing through September, an unexpected onslaught of emaciated, young sea lions has been beached along the coast, requiring a tremendously heightened response among the marine mammal rescue networks throughout the state.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which coordinates these networks, is just as concerned about what is …

Tags: beaches , California , Canada , disease , eco , human interference , Marine life , parasites , pollution , research , sea lions , seals , toxins , waste

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They coordinate with your bathroom, are super handy and heck, you can design your own. Seriously, who doesn’t want to honor their wedding memories by personalizing a Kleenex® canister?

But while these dispensers are crazy fun to look at, they do not have us blowing in the right direction: towards sustainability.

Joining the seduction is the new, highly decorative Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes part of a “Redesign Clean” campaign, which introduces seven new floral and …

Tags: Clorox Disinfecting Wipes , decorative cannisters , disposable cannisters , kleenex Expressions , recycle , reuse , tissues , waste

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We may be facing unprecedented world hunger caused by environmental degradation.

According to recent report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) prices may increase by 30-50 per cent within decades causing those living in extreme poverty to spend up to 90 per cent of their income on food.

Climate change – its impact on water supply, encouragement of invasive insects and plants and fueling of epidemics diseases – is the key reason that worldwide agricultural yields will fall.

The report talks about the need to change the way crops are …

Tags: agriculture , chemicals , climate change , UNEP , waste , water supply , world hunger

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Attention all dog owners. Thanks to Pet Habitats, you no longer have to scoop the poop into a plastic bag that you just know is not good for the environment. Instead, you can now use the Flusheze, the world’s first flushable dog waste transport bag.

Made from water soluble polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), the Flusheze bags are strong enough to hold the goods while out walking but will easily dissolve when flushed down the toilet.

But don’t just take their word for it. Head over the Pet Habitats and find out …

Tags: disposal , dogs , Flusheze , Pet Habitats , pets , waste

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Call me a cynic, but I’m always skeptical when a powerful, multinational corporation announces any sweeping green initiative. I can’t help but pull back the shiny press release and look behind it. In the case of Carl’s Jr.’s recent unveiling of a flagship green restaurant in Carpentaria, Calif. there was one glaring omission – the food.

This list of goodies from Carl’s Jr. will get a green building expert all hot and bothered:

- ENERGY STAR rated appliances
- Solar reflective roofing material to reduce cooling needs
- Rainwater collection …

Tags: Carl's Jr. , emissions , food , green restaurant , livestock , locavore , sustainability , waste

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After thousands of years of striving to develop the longest-lasting, hardest-wearing items for daily use, inventive-minded humans are now being urged to design things that deliberately fall to bits as quickly as possible, for the good of the environment.

Of course it’s only the throwaway parts of modern life that need to be shorter-lasting. (Everything else can simply be reused). Packaging, office supplies, newspapers ““ either we need to rethink our need for them, or stop making them so durable. There’s a difference between organic (in …

Tags: biodegradable , innovation , landfill , science , technology , waste

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