Congratulations to my current home town! This is a big step in development. Did you know that when they lay down the carpets in new developments they have to do it weeks before anyone moves in so that the carpets can off-gas most of the toxic chemicals in them? (Unless of course they are recycled carpets like our friends at Interface Carpets www.interfaceinc.com). Believe me, conventional building is a often a horrible practice and the solutions for green building are there. I must say, I can’t cry for many developers who claim that green building is too expensive. Why? Because I know a lot of developers and believe me, the ones who build large developments have plenty of money. But that is beside the point. While building green may be a bit more expensive (though in many cases it is now on par with regular building), the benefits to health and the long term savings to the developer and tenants through energy saving devices offset any costs within a few years.

So you’re off to do your grocery shopping, equipped with a list of the essential ingredients for the dinner you’ll be making tonight for your friends. You get to the store and are faced with a now-familiar dilemma - to buy organic or conventional? Does it matter? Will your friends be able to tell the difference?

In short, yes and yes (unless their diet usually consists of frozen pizzas). In general, organic ingredients taste better, are healthier for you, and are better for the planet. Certified organic food is free of pesticides, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives. That translates to more flavor and less residue and additives in your body and in the earth and waterways.

If you want to buy organic but are on a budget, try out a couple of products at a time, and decide what you like and what you can afford.

• Start with the ‘dirty dozen.’ If you haven’t heard of it yet, this is a list of 12 fruits and veggies that contain the most pesticides. Since pesticides are not in our recommended daily allowance, it’s best to keep them out of your diet!
• Patronize local stores and resources. The average supermarket food travels 2500 miles - that’s a lot of carbon dioxide emissions for those potatoes. Check out the Eat Well Guide for local sources of meat and dairy, Organic Kitchen for general products, or your local community center for local organic stores and farmer’s markets.

And, to reward yourself for all that shopping, why not pick up a bar of organic chocolate - it’s ‘healthy’ and you’re doing a good deed for the planet!

Who doesn’t think that’s a good idea? I don’t know about you, but I will be canceling any plans to travel to Iceland I had. If you agree, let the Icelandic embassy know.

We always hear about depressing news, it’s nice to know that some good things are happening. This is great news about Sharks.

Consider that the federal budget for space exploration is 600 times the federal budget for ocean exploration and conservation. Forgive me, but we don’t need to know if there is life on Mars to be able to survive. We do need sustainable oceans to live. While astronomy is important, I believe we must demand more parity. It is a case of limited resources and what we need to survive, end of story. Currently, the House is proposing not to increase the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA), but to slash it.

Well, Britain has done it again. They have taken a stand on the future and it is bold and appropriate. Indeed, it makes the rhetoric coming from our federal leadership look like a joke. Taking into consideration Tuesday’s events here in the US, maybe some things will change, but let me tell you, as individuals, you are the ones who must demand action on the part of our leadership. Consider that the budget for renewable energy research is less today than it was 25 years ago. This article is scary and right on. We must demand action.