We try to keep Green Living as apolitical as possible, reasoning that sustainable living must cut across boundaries of all kinds. The one area where we feel a strong stand is justified is with nuclear energy. No future for nukes until we solve the known safety and health issues from the past. This letter is from Amelia Shea, who, in addition for her volunteer work for the New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution is Advertising Manager of Green Living Journal. -- Ed

According to a five-year EPA study, the air in an average American home has chemical contamination levels three to five times greater than outdoor air. The EPA maintains that half of all illnesses occurring in the United States can be attributed to chemical contamination of indoor air. In fact, a 1985 EPA report states that household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than outdoor air pollution.

...the most important non-fiction book since Beyond the Limits in 1992...

What is your favorite way to Eat, Drink, and Be Merry?

It’s a simple question, but not quite a simple answer. We asked people from the world of Green Living what is their favorite way to eat, drink, and be merry during the holiday season. Here are their responses:

The tea plant (Camellia sinensis) has been used for more than 4,000 years to treat body, mind and spirit. According to legend, the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung was boiling water when a windstorm blew leaves from a nearby shrub into his pot. The aroma so captivated him he decided to taste the mixture, possibly the first cup of brewed tea.

Tea has been valued by societies throughout history, around the world. In colonial America, tea became so synonymous with quality of life that colonists used it to make political statements, such as the Boston Tea Party in 1773.

Although “tea” technically refers to the tea shrub, C. sinensis, today the term also is used to describe a variety of aromatic plants brewed into health tonics and refreshing drinks.