Image Source: PakTech Dear Pablo: I have recently seen a new kind of six-pack ring. It seems like it uses more material so I wonder what the environmental impact is. You have probably seen a packaging solution by PakTech that is growing in popularity among craft brewers. Likely, you've already seen their TwinPack handles when you buy two large bottles of fruit juice together at a warehouse store like Costco. My first reaction to seeing these new six pack rings on a respected brand of craft brew's product was that the environmental impact must be more. But since I knew that this brewery had a deep concern for its impact on the environment, I was willing to give it a closer look. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Image Source: El Patio 77 A stray dog scampers by on the search for food. I get an apprehensive sideways glance, her belly straining against her unborn pups. The sun leaves behind beams of light in the haze as it retreats behind the crumbling facade of a once beautiful building. Perhaps I have come to take the comforts and relative security of my home in Northern California for granted but this city, with its panhandling street children and ubiquitous police sirens, makes me long for home. If it were not for the business trip that brought me here, I probably would not have come. The warnings about the ever-increasing violence in Mexico from friends and family are ever-present in my thoughts, making me question my choice to extend my stay for a day of sight-seeing. But my whole perspective is about to change.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Image Source: Christian Yves Ocampo Dear Pablo: I have noticed that a lot of yoga mats are made from PVC. Isn't that bad? What should I look for in a healthy, planet-friendly yoga mat? Each year thousands of PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) yoga mats are sold in the US, a number that is growing with the increased interest in yoga and healthy lifestyles. This choice in material, however, is contradictory to the desire for a healthy planet that many yoga enthusiasts share and it can have serious health consequences for the communities in which they are produced and upon their ultimate disposal. This chlorinated compound is responsible for elevated cancer rates in certain parts of the world where PVC production facilities are located. Releases of dioxin, pthalates, furans, and other persistent organic pollutants are released into the air and find their way into drinking water. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger