Dear EarthTalk: I've been having trouble sleeping and my doctor suggested that indoor air pollution could be a contributing factor. Do you have any tips for how to improve my home's air quality without breaking the bank? -- Jennifer Abromovitch, Putney, VT
The Internal Revenue Service said today that it expects more than 90 percent of all 2017 individual tax returns to be prepared using tax software. The majority of those will be e-filed. Since 1986 when the IRS started accepting electronically filed tax returns, more than 1.8 billion have been securely processed.
Depression is more than just feeling sad or blue. It is a common but serious mood disorder that needs treatment. It causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, and working.
When you have depression, you have trouble with daily life for weeks at a time. Doctors call this condition "depressive disorder" or "clinical depression."
Losing someone close to you may leave you feeling sad, lost, alone, or even angry. You may miss the person who has died--you want him or her back. You might have also been so busy with caregiving that it now seems you have nothing to do. This can add to your feelings of loss. This is all part of mourning, a normal reaction to the loss of someone you've cared for.
Dear EarthTalk: I want to set a good environmental example with my gift-giving this holiday season. Any tips on how--or even better, what--to give greener? -- Jane P., Bowie, MD
The holidays are a time for giving but it is also important to be conscious about spending your gift budget wisely to eliminate packaging waste, buy products that will last and patronize manufacturers and retailers known for social and environmental responsibility.
Dear EarthTalk: I'm looking for cool holiday gift ideas for a strident vegan who won't tolerate items that make use of animals or animal products. Any ideas? -- Doug Halpern, Washington, DC
If you are like me, which I hope you aren't, you're having a little trouble getting your pants buttoned in the morning after an amazing Thanksgiving feast. I'm also thinking ahead to the Christmas Parties and of course Christmas Day and how all that yummy food is going to affect my physique. In contrast, as my belly gets bigger, my finances will become smaller with the purchasing of presents and various other charitable giving.
Cooking is leading cause of home fires. Smoke alarms and other precautions can help prevent them.
Millions of people will gather for Thanksgiving to enjoy time with loved ones and a delicious holiday dinner this week. With cooking being the number one cause of home fires, the American Red Cross recommends that everyone follow these fire safety steps:
Dear EarthTalk: What are some ways we can encourage more commuters to ditch their cars in favor of bikes? &nb
The 19th Annual Sand Creek Massacre Spiritual Healing Run begins at 7:00 am Thursday, November 23, 2017, at Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. The run/walk is an annual event sponsored by the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana, the Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes (Oklahoma) to honor the victims and survivors of the Sand Creek Massacre and for healing of ancestral homelands. This year's event will mark the 153rd year since the Sand Creek Massacre. (For locations of each phase of the event, see the map at the bottom of this page.)
