Announcing my Ask EcoGirl Theme Pages!

Because I've designed this blog to be a more informal space, I'm going to be mostly keeping it separate from my more formal print columns and articles. Therefore I won't be publishing a post for each print article I publish, including my Ask EcoGirl columns. 

However, you can get easily notified of my print articles (which are mostly on eco-topics) by signing up for my low-volume Articles Announcement List at www.patriciadines.info/EList.html. (It's just 1 to 3 emails a month.) I also post these notices on my website's What's News page. 

And, if you want to get email notices when I post new blogs, just enter your email in the box to the right.

>> In this post I want to let you know about another convenient way you can peruse my high-quality and inspiring print eco-columns and articles: My Ask EcoGirl Theme Pages!

Here, I've gathered my more formal pieces into topic groups, so that it's easier for you and others to find the articles that meet your specific needs, when you need them. 

My pieces are written as always in a cheerful, accurate, and useful style – so that you can more quickly move into action and getting results, while having fun along the way. I believe that taking eco-action can feel inspiring and rewarding!

On my main Ask EcoGirl Themes Page, you will see links for these topic areas: Food and Agriculture, Jobs and Economy, Energy and Transportation, Toxics and Health, Healthy Home, Being an Eco-Smart Consumer, Eco-Citizenry, Effective Activism, Greening Your Holidays, and Shifting Our Thinking. 

I'll continue to update each of these Themes pages as new articles of mine are published, so they will stay current.  

I also invite you to look for ways to share these links with others in your personal or work worlds, as helpful resources for them. For instance, you might post the link to a specific theme on your Facebook page or website. Then people can access my quality print articles in that topic area on an ongoing basis.

I hope you find this helpful, and I welcome your feedback. 

Thanks for your interest!

Blog content (c) Copyright Patricia Dines, 2012. All rights reserved. Links are encouraged! My content is also available for reprint, but please contact me for permission first. Thanks!

What do we do now about GMOs?

Even though California Prop. 37 (GMO labeling) didn't pass, one of the positive aspects of the campaign has been to alert more people to the real dangers and prevalence of experimental GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) in our food.

So now I hear people wondering what they can do about GMOs. There are lots of options being discussed, with some more reasonable than others. 

I've been writing and educating folks about GMOs for many years (since before most people even heard of them!), so I thought it'd be helpful for me to write out some of my key suggestions about how to approach this. 

I encourage you to share this link with your friends and allies. And feel free to ask me further questions and/or share with me your ideas for constructive action in the comments below!

Book Review: Exposed

BOOK REVIEW:

Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What’s at Stake for American Power, 

by Mark Schapiro, 2007, 216 pages

Mark Schapiro’s book, Exposed, offers a new take on the tale of toxics in our daily lives.

Sure, reading this book will help you better understand the ways that common everyday materials and products are harming the health of ourselves, our families, and our ecosystems.

But Schapiro also lets us know that Europe is taking a whole new level of action to prevent that harm — and is demonstrating that this is good for business and economic growth as well.

Book Review: Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House

BOOK REVIEW: 
Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House 

by Carol Venolia and Kelly Lerner
280 pages 

Green remodeling is a hot topic nowadays, but too often the focus is primarily on substituting new green products for conventional ones. But being green is much more than that! 

To truly reduce our shared impact on the earth (and be smart about costs), we need to step back and explore how we can green the project not just the products.

That's why I was so delighted to find Natural Remodeling, which lays out a step-by-step process for "bringing your home into harmony with nature." The benefits of this approach, the authors say, include increased satisfaction, more opportunities to green economically, and a restored connection to the living world.

From the outset, it's clear something different is going on here. An early page describes why, contrary to common thinking, renovating a current home is usually more green than building a new green one, because it leverages the natural resources already used, existing community connections, and more.

How I got started on my eco-writing path

Growing up, I never expected to be doing what I am now, writing about eco-issues and seeking to help nurture positive change in my culture. I'm as surprised as anyone! But I'm also thrilled that somehow, though the path has certainly been rocky, I've been able to carve out a way to contribute to a better world.

I say that my eco-writing path officially began in 1992. At that point, I'd been a professional writer and trainer for about 10 years, and had recently moved into a wonderful cottage in the country, nestled on the edge of a valley. Just breath-taking! But then one day, I had a horrifying headache, unlike any I had ever experienced. I looked out the window and saw a huge machine pumping toxic chemicals into the air, running back and forth along the apple trees, as the toxics drifted towards my porch. Eek! 

The toxics made me sick, so I researched what they were, and found out that the impacts were indeed serious — for me, the local critters and eco-systems — even the farmers! But when I looked at how to stop it, I found out that there was little real recourse, that this was just normal and accepted. Really?!