Ask Ed

Q. I have recently been doing a lot of research on plastics. I have learned that there are chemicals called phthalates that pose various health concerns. They are in plastic bottles, acrylic products, lotions...basically they're everywhere because they're lubricants and plasticizers. Because of the chemical make-up they leach into the atmosphere, water bottles, soil, water, etc. Is this a concern for you?

A. I do believe that phthalates pose some potential harm. I try to limit our use of plastic containers in our home whenever possible, particularly when it relates to food items. The biggest one is probably bottled water, something that is troublesome on so many levels. Since installing our new water filter system, I've even got Rachelle to use a reusable bottle now. I call that progress!

Ed

Q. I am sure this is not a new concept, but how can we get legislation for each city/state to coordinate their red light patterns? It is very frustrating and wasteful to accelerate up to speed only to have to stop at the next light, stop and go, stop and go, at each intersection. With technology, we should be able to time our traffic light patterns so we move more fluently, thus saving time and energy. I think if all countries did a better job at this we could save a tremendous amount of time/money and Mother Earth.

A. I agree—and from what I read, the development of better traffic controls is part of the "smart grid" technology development area. Hopefully we'll see positive changes here soon. My personal solution has always been electric cars, and more recently hybrid cars. When you have a car that shuts down at stop lights and uses no fuel when it's not moving, it makes an immediate impact in both fuel consumption and emissions.

Comment

I couldnt agree more with the traffic light situation. You might think that somebody would have figued this out by now. I have a Prius and really enjoy the fact that no gas is being wasted at stoplights or stop signs. I buy a 24-pack of bottled water each hurricane season, just in case, and then drink it over time after the season is over. I dont want to be caught without water if a hurricane approaches. I also refill the water bottles, reuse them at work, and recycle them after about a week of reuse. My tapwater is pretty good at home, so I dont have a water filter at this time.