Food: the Next Recycling Challenge
Only in a land of plenty like ours could this staggering statistic be true: 40 percent of food goes uneaten—most of it tossed in landfills or torched in incinerators. The social and ecological costs...
Food / Pollution/Waste / Sustainable Practices / Uncategorized
by Marina Schauffler · Published May 3, 2015 · Last modified June 12, 2016
Only in a land of plenty like ours could this staggering statistic be true: 40 percent of food goes uneaten—most of it tossed in landfills or torched in incinerators. The social and ecological costs...
Climate Change/Energy / Economics / Pollution/Waste
by Marina Schauffler · Published April 19, 2015 · Last modified June 12, 2016
When Holly Zadra suggested that Pittsfield’s First Universalist Church divest its holdings in fossil-fuel corporations, she recalls that church councilors responded with awkward silence “as if I’d said something impolite.” People naturally resist discussing...
In the muddy-puddle depths of April, winter’s white has turned road-sand brown while summer’s uplifting palette is still a mirage. If I were ever to fall out of love with Maine, it would be...
Pollution/Waste / Sustainable Practices
by Marina Schauffler · Published March 22, 2015 · Last modified June 12, 2016
A cousin well into her empty-nest years acknowledged that she finds herself increasingly focused on “reducing inventory.” Despite being at a different life stage, I knew just what she meant. For years, I’ve been...
Coastal Issues / Pollution/Waste
by Marina Schauffler · Published March 8, 2015 · Last modified June 12, 2016
Imagine if someone had proposed this idea in a public forum 25 years ago: “Let’s start having microscopic plastic bits in products like facial scrubs. They’ll wash down drains, slide past wastewater treatment plant...
Ecological Values / Education/Family / Slower Living / Technology
by Marina Schauffler · Published February 22, 2015 · Last modified June 24, 2016
Are we all secretly proud of our capacity to multitask–conversing, texting and walking (or worse, driving!)–all while listening to music? Captivated by the limitless potential of e-connectivity, we convince ourselves that we can effectively...
by Marina Schauffler · Published February 8, 2015 · Last modified June 12, 2016
If you’re fortunate enough to have some savings, what’s a sustainable way to invest that nest egg? The ready answer is often socially responsible investment (SRI) funds – which typically screen their holdings (ruling...
Climate Change/Energy / Health / Pollution/Waste / Sustainable Practices / Transportation/Travel
by Marina Schauffler · Published January 25, 2015 · Last modified June 12, 2016
The easiest paths to sustainability offer multiple benefits – helping the environment while benefiting health and finances. Businesses refer to the “triple bottom line” when choosing options that simultaneously enhance people, profits and planet....