The Real Reason Chris Christie Won't Run in 2012

“Lower taxes” “Cut the Deficit!” “Tort Reform!” It’s that time of year again! It’s politician season!

The governor of the Great State of New Jersey just declared officially, for perhaps the 829,729^th  time that he will not, repeat not, be running for president this go around.  Considering that he has the same amount of political experience as your average 2 year old has of life experience, millions of GOP-ers are speculating about the real reason is for declining to run.

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What do Japanese McDonalds Have That You Don't?

Only 50% of Americans have access to curbside recycling. But 100% of Japanese McDonald's (note: pretend statistic) have recycling bins that put ours to shame. A reader who spent some time studying abroad in Japan sent along photos from a blog called Yokohamamama (say that 5 times fast!) to show us an example of what recycling is like in Japan.

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What do mall rats and plastic bags have in common?

Mall rats wear clothes, and new clothes wear plastic bags.

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Why Do Garbage Patches Matter to Me? Part 2 of 2

Earlier this week we defined the garbage patch by what it isn’t.  If it’s your first time learning about the garbage patch, it helps to understand the many misconceptions surrounding it. Today we answer another question: “Why does it matter to me?”

And why does the plastic garbage patch matter to you, thousands of miles away from it? The effects on the environment are obvious (plastic never breaks down; wildlife often mistake it for food, eat it, and then die), but how does it affect you in your cozy apartment, thousands of miles away from the floating plastic soup? Here’s why it matters.

Here's why it matters to you:

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3 Minute Pasta with a Side of Plastic Bag

I saw this commercial last night, and I don't know about you, but the 3 minutes Ronzoni's pasta portions would save me is enough time to accomplish all sorts of major tasks. It's enough time to get done all those pesky chores like laundry and installing that ceiling lamp in my room that I always grumble about. "If only I had 3 extra minutes at dinner time, my life would be in order!

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What isn't the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Part 1 of 2

Marine Debris on Hawaiian coast; NOAA

If you travel out into the middle of ocean, thousands of miles from the closest continent, you’ll see a floating soup of plastic commonly referred to as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.  By some estimates, it’s twice the size of Texas. By others, it’s just really enormous. It swirls around in the middle of the ocean in what’s called a gyre, or an ocean current similar to a whirlpool.

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Our Plastic Travels Farther Than We Do

We're doing a lot of bad things to the environment. From global warming to oil spills, from fracking to deforestation. This film, called Midway Journey and produced by visual artist and cultural activist Chris Jordan, is a reminder for why we should focus on kicking the single use disposable habit. If you didn't see it with your own eyes, you wouldn't believe it.

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