Enviro Health

Let there be darkness
Electric light makes for safer nights, but scientists are worried that our artificially extended days may be causing cancer.

Not just burial or cremation
When pondering the fate of our mortal remains, most of us think burial or cremation. If these strike you as dull, why not consider some of the more exotic choices available?

The illegal line fish of the day
Eating fish is a healthy choice. But you may be eating fish in danger of extinction, or a species that may be illegal to buy or sell in South Africa. Check here.

Are you an e-waster?
Traded in your cell phone for a new model recently? Starting to worry that your PC’s nearly three years old? If the answer’s Yes, then chances are you’re guilty of e-wasting.

Stop being such a gasbag
A little less conversation, a little more action. Cut your consumption and keep your cool with these energy-saving tips for the summer.

What is World Population Day?
The world's population is at 6,6 billion, and counting. But what's all the fuss about World Population Day?

How to annoy a vegetarian
Meat-eaters have a perverse need to antagonise non meat-eaters. Olivia Rose-Innes has her say.

Getting high on doing good
Volunteering is a good thing for many reasons; best of all, it's really good for Numero Uno. Olivia Rose-Innes infiltrated the Volunteer Wildfire Services to test this theory.

Freshen up
Turn off lights, walk to work. Worthy, sure, but a bit boring. What's needed are some Fresh Green Tips - quirky, surprising, smart. What's your coolest save-the-planet move?

Why the Green Revolution has failed us
Since 1945, when the so-called Green Revolution was started in the interests of improving food security, the world’s population has increased and more of us are starving.

Live world population counter
With a current estimated population of over 7 billion people, the planet is taking strain. Watch the human population of earth grow with this live graphic.

Tree tips
Reputable tree-planting projects and suitable tree species.

Make your own: non-toxic fragrances
Make your own non-toxic fragrances: it saves money, your health and the environment. Also it's quite fun.

Grow up!
Vertical gardens and ecoroofs can fight both hunger and obesity in our most crowded cities. Don't like dirt under the fingernails? Plant a virtual strawberry on a real Living Wall.

Skip the mystery meat
Cut down on processed meats. High consumption is linked to raised risk for cardiovascular disease and cancer, and production of these foodstuffs also weighs on the planet.

Big hair and lightning bolts
The shocks and sparks you get when you touch a metal doorknob or even someone’s hand are caused by the same culprit responsible for lightning: static electricity.

A greener way to go
Being green needn't end when you do. From recycling your organs to natural burial, there are environmentally friendly ways to bow out. And now SA has opened its first eco-cemetery.

Hello, 7 billion
The term "population explosion" used to crop up often in the media. Now we’re hearing how countries are fretting over falling birth rates. Was the population bomb a damp squib?

Greywater keeps it green
It's possible to save water during the dry months without having to watch your beloved garden shrivel. Greywater doesn’t sound appealing, but it helps keep things green.

Protect your kids from toxins
Today’s children are exposed to a more toxins than any generation in history. But there are ways to lighten their ‘chemical load.’

10 steps to sustainable living
Forget deprivation: eco-friendly living is also health-friendly. Most of the time, it's also a more delicious way to live. Here are a few suggestions:

Your carbon footprint
Is the planet barely feeling your dainty tread or are you Bigfoot?

Save-the-planet games
Environmental issues are pressing and real. Your children should learn about these things from you.

A better way to live
Worms can save the world (with a little help from their friends).

The real road warriors
On 22 May local cyclists joined thousands internationally, riding in solemn silence through city streets to commemorate fallen comrades. But do bicycles really belong on the roads?

How not to sh*t in the desert
The Leave No Trace movement teaches that everything we take into the wilderness, we must take back out. And that means EVERYTHING.

Greening your career
South Africa is committed to becoming a low carbon economy, with consequent rising demand for businesses to 'green-skill' staff. There is a variety of training courses on offer.

Take back the streets
Cities like Portland, Oregon, accept bicycles as integral to the 21st-century, environmentally-conscious, daily urban scene. What's stopping us from doing the same in South Africa?

Why veganism matters
Veganism is about saving the environment, excellent health and ending world hunger - or so say its followers. On World Vegan Day, 1 November, we give them the floor.

Clean machine
Where do all the bikes go the morning after the Argus? Given their multiple benefits, these beautiful beasts should grace our streets every day of the year.