Free Republic

Don't blame your dishwasher if your eating utensils seem a little less squeaky-clean these days. On July 1, a law banning phosphates in dishwasher detergents went into effect in Virginia as part of a Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan.

A holiday all about seasonal food presents a real opportunity to eat sustainably. But making the right choices is more complicated than you think. Should you buy local or organic? Or is what you eat -- and how much -- more important? Researchers are racing to find an answer. Some are analyzing cooking methods and calculating the "carbon life cycles" of food. The Bon Appetit Management Company Foundation, a nonprofit organization that educates consumers about the impact of food choices, assigns carbon points to a variety of ingredients. (Each point is equal to one gram of gases that contribute to...