It isn't summer without sunscreen, the convenient shield-in-a-bottle that protects us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. But the same chemicals that ward off damaged skin could burn us in other ways. Here are some strategies for healthier sun safety: Minimize sun exposure between the hours of 10:00 am and 3:00 pm when sunlight is strongest, and use your shadow as an indicator of the sun’s intensity. If it appears shorter than you are, the sun is at peak strength. Don’t use sunscreen on children younger than six months. Instead, keep infants out of the sun.

Carbon offsets are rapidly becoming the next Big Green Thing, touted as a promising solution to global warming. For a relatively small price, they offer the chance to “zero out” emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). Methods include tree plantings, renewable energy generation, and other projects that trap carbon or don’t produce it in the first place. When such a balance is achieved, offset subscribers become “carbon neutral.”

The weather forecast may still say "summer," but in millions of homes around the country, the calendar has a different message: another school year is almost here, and with it the season for new clothes, fresh supplies, and all the other gear that kids will need to continue their adventures in learning.

Unlike organic foods, conventional produce is often treated with pesticides and other chemicals while it’s being grown and after it’s been harvested. The pesticides are typically made from some of the most toxic substances available, and their residues often remain on the foods we buy in the supermarket.

In most areas of the country, the fall harvest is in or well on its way. With so much fresh food available, it's easy for many of us to take it all for granted. But our choices about what to eat can have a big impact on the environment. Recently, in the New York Times Magazine, writer Michael Pollan wrote an open letter to the next President about the need to create a healthier and more sustainable food supply, and he cited some surprising facts about the current state of our diets.

When it comes to animal testing, we’ve got just one word: Nope. We don’t like it. We don’t do it. And we think those still engaged in this barbaric practice should stop immediately if not sooner. There are plenty of technologies we can and do use instead to verify the safety of our products, and there’s no excuse whatsoever for torturing bunnies and others in the name of commerce, or anything else for that matter. Frankly, when it comes to animal testing, we’ve got an attitude. And now we’ve got an award to show for it.

For more than 150 years, most Americans with tooth cavities have received the same treatment: a so-called “silver” filling that dentists have used to seal the tooth and prevent further decay. But what most patients don’t know is that those fillings can contain high levels of mercury and may be causing more problems than they solve.

Is TV a pollutant? It might be. Studies have linked childhood television viewing with lower test scores, reduced cognitive development, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents limit childhood TV time to no more than one to two hours per day and keep younger children away from the tube entirely. Here are some ways to help keep the set turned off: Remove all TV sets from your children’s bedrooms and make them TV-free zones.

We live in a world that loves its computers. But we also need to be aware that most of the digital products we depend on are not so good for the environment. Computers, screens and laptops suck a lot of energy, and sometimes contain toxic materials. To learn how to choose products that are the most environmentally sound, here’s a web site that can help: Meet the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, or Epeat for short. The site rates computers, computer screens and laptops on a series of environmental criteria, and gives each a rating.

We all take steps to keep our kids safe from the surprises life can throw at them. One area to be particularly vigilant about is common household chemicals, which often contain toxins. Kids are far more susceptible to these pollutants than adults, and children under 10 have the most risks to exposure.