Newspaper or Magazine Articles

1) Associated Press (2008, January 22). Bans turning ‘paper or plastic’ into a debate. MSNBC.com, Business. Retrieved January 22, 2008 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22786052/.

This article discusses the actions certain states, such as California, have taken against banning plastic bags from use in grocery stores. Some cities, for example San Francisco, and some stores, for example Whole Food Markets Inc., have already switched. San Francisco doesn’t offer bags at grocery stores at all, a ban which took effect November of 2007. Whole Foods Markets has already decided on their ban but it will not take effect nation-wide until April of this year (2008). More cities have proposed similar bans. The plastic bag industry has attempted to answer consumers concern about the environment by researching and producing more eco-friendly bags that decompose; however, at 10-15 cents per bag, they aren’t catching on at grocery stores.


2) Moss, V. (2007, January). It’s Easy Building Green. E Magazine: The Environmental Magazine, 18(1), 6-6. Retrieved February 4, 2008, from Environment Complete database.

This article is helpful for those who would like to know more about green building, but don’t know where to begin. It mentions ideas that the author took when remodeling his own home in the 1900s, and notes that in today’s greening society, most of those options are easier to take advantage of at a much reduced price. The ideas are helpful because they provide ideas for those looking for somewhere to start or those who are struggling with how to go green (besides just changing a few light bulbs, the author mentions recycled hardwood floors and sofas). The best thing the article does is provide websites and organizations where follow-up information can be found.


3) Barringer, Felicity. (2008, February 7). In Many Communities, It’s Not Easy Going Green. New York Times. Retrieved February 16, 2008, from http://www.nytimes.com/.

This article begins by telling the reader how Arlington, VA and the community that surrounds it is so conducive for green travel. The urban suburb is clustered around metro stations and riding a bike is convenient if you’re going anywhere, really. It moves onto describe the difficulties other cities, such as Cleveland and Austin, have hit in their plan to live more sustainably. Though this source talks primarily about cities and the difficulties they are having, it is still useful because it tells green advocates about problems that they may encounter during their renovations. For example, one homeowner who planned to use solar panels was stopped by the neighborhood on grounds of aesthetics.


4) National Geographic (2007, December). Three Steps to Reducing Kitchen Paper Waste. Green Guide. Retrieved January 20, 2008, from http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/123/paperwaste.

This article briefly outlines three easy steps one can take to green up their kitchen slighty. The first is to reuse coffee filters. It adds that one may eliminate paper filters entirely by switching to a French press which doesn’t use a filter at all or by using a metal or hemp filter basket. The second suggestion is to use reusable clothes rather than paper towels 80 percent of the time. The remaining 20 percent it is acceptable to use standard paper towels. The third tip is to eat less processed foods. The article suggests to buy cereals that are packaged in plastic alone rather than waste cardboard boxes for no reason. Last, the article says to pack lunches in reusable lunch boxes.