Another intriguing article in New Scientist, this time on Clean Solvents. Get this: “Because to make medicines, cosmetics and bathroom cleaners, as well as paints, inks, plastics and lubricants, you need vast quantities of solvents to dissolve the chemical reagents. For every little pill, for example, you may produce 25,000 times its volume in solvent waste.” What matters here isn’t just the welcome fact that there are some improvements in the works. I’m struck by how ignorant I have been–even working in this area for quite a few years now–of the sheer scale of impact. We’ve been living in such blithe denial of how dependent we are on inefficient, dirty industrial processes. I feel quite certain that this fact is going to be front and center very soon, and my goal here is to figure out–for myself and my readers–how we can make a transition to a sustainable way of life at a pace that’ll enable us to avoid an intervening disaster. Keep reading, don’t be afraid. We can work it out together.

How about doing one new thing today to lighten the pressure you place on the earth?