Home/Articles in: Ask Joanna
Articles in: Ask Joanna
Ask Joanna, Oct 6th, 2010,
If wool doesn’t come from dead animals, why do some vegetarians and vegans refuse to wear wool clothes? Don’t sheep need to be shorn to remove their excess wool? A: Most people don’t realize that the wool industry involves exploitation of sheep and a lot of cruelty. If you think it’s less cruel than leather or fur production, you are wrong. As you know, wild sheep do not need our help. When winter is over, they shed their coat to stay cool in the summer; then grow it again, just enough to be warm during colder months. Selectively bred sheep,…
Tags: anaesthetics, cruelty, mulesing, mutilation, sheep, wool industry
Ask Joanna, Sep 30th, 2010,
A: There are some tips that can help you keep your workplace eco-friendly. Plug in your computer and other devices to a surge protector and always turn them off when you’re finished working, so they won’t draw energy while you’re not using them. High-tech computers, copiers, monitors and printers have a power management function that provides an option to use up to 50% less electricity. A screensaver does not help to save energy. It is better to set your computer so the monitor turns off after a few minutes of inactivity. If you’re not going to work on your computer…
Tags: eco-friendly home, electric power, energy saving, stand-by
Ask Joanna, Sep 22nd, 2010,
A: Being the owner of a garden is a pleasure, but also means many duties: watering, weeding, replanting, mowing. If your bills are significantly higher during the summer months, it means that you use water and energy uneconomically. Don’t forget about a few green rules and not only will you enjoy a beautiful garden, but also lower bills. Maintaining a lawn is the most water- and power-consuming cultivation in the garden. To water a square metre of grass you need several cubic metres of water per year. It also has to be mowed regularly, and using an electric lawn-mower can…
Tags: compost, eco-friendly, energy, garden, lawn care, mulch, mulching, water
Ask Joanna, Sep 15th, 2010,
I have mixed feeling about energy efficient bulbs. They aren’t easily disposed of and contain mercury – isn’t it dangerous? What are the advantages of using them? A: Energy saving light bulbs should not be put in your household waste. Because they belong to the ‘electrical waste and electronic equipment’ category, sellers are obliged to provide information on how they can be recycled. The amount of mercury that energy efficient bulbs contain is as small as the head of a pin. They use about 80% less electricity than standard bulbs. Fossil fuels, such as coal, are the biggest sources of…
Tags: bulb, efficient, energy, LED, light, mercury
Ask Joanna, Sep 8th, 2010,
A: Organic cosmetics are made from natural, plant-based ingredients from certified organic plantations. If they aren’t vegan, they still don’t contain any substances that come from dead animals, but ingredients such as honey and milk protein may be used in their composition. The amount of harsh substances like parabens and SLS that non-organic cosmetics often contain, is approved as safe, but things aren’t that simple. If you use many cosmetics one after the other, like a cleansing gel, mask, toner and then cream, the combined amount will often exceed approved, safe levels. Also, producers are not obliged to inform consumers about…
Tags: animals, certified, cosmetics, cruelty free, dioxins, mercury, natural, organic, packaging, parabens, petrochemicals, SLS, testing
Ask Joanna, Sep 1st, 2010,
I don’t get animal rights activists’ crusade against circuses. The animals are fed well and their lives are in less danger in comparison to their natural environments. They look happy while performig. An hour spent in a circus is also a rare occasion to look at wild animals. Why do some people want to ban them? A: For several reasons. Wild animals are wild, which means they should be born, live and die in the wild. Those that are used for entertainment aren’t really wild – they’re usually born in captivity; neglected, not fed properly and often tortured while being…
Tags: animals, captivity, circus, circuses, cruelty, elephants
Ask Joanna, Aug 25th, 2010,
I’d choose paper bags for my groceries, but since plastic bags are offered for free in shops and said to be not that bad for the environment, it’s hard to resist them. What is more eco-friendly: plastic or paper shopping bags? A: Neither. We have been conditioned to believe that paper bags are eco-friendly. Paper is made from trees, which are logged by clear-cutting methods. When the collected trees are dry, they are cooked into a pulp for many hours in a chemical mixture. The pulp is then washed and bleached; both stages require thousands of gallons of clean water….
Tags: biodegradable, bioplastics, chemicals, clear-cutting, eco-friendly, fertilizers, fossil fuel, GMO, paper bags, pesticides, petroleum, plastic bags, Pollution, re-usable, Recycling, shopping bags, TOXIC, transport
Ask Joanna, Aug 18th, 2010,
A: The environmental impact of meat and dairy products is a complex problem. The livestock industry is damaging our planet in many ways. It is polluting the air – according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report, it generates more greenhouse gas emissions, including CO2 (18%) and methane, than the whole world’s transport (13,5 %). It is polluting the water – gigantic containers called “lagoons”, where livestock animals’ manure and urine are stored, may leak or even break under heavy rains and storms. The waste is highly toxic and very often contains lots of antibiotics and dangerous bacteria….
Tags: Air Pollution, biodiversity, co2, dairy, ecosystem collapse, environment, lagoons, livestock, meat, methane, overfishing, TOXIC, water pollution
