Election Day is only four days away, and if you aren’t one of the more than 15 million people to have already cast a ballot, then you’ve got just a little time left to do some research, find out where you’re supposed to vote, or get answers to any other election questions you may have. Here are a few resources to help you find the information you're looking for:

Wondering if you really are registered or how to find out? Maybe you’d like to know what other issues will be on the ballot and make sure you understand what exactly you’re voting “Yes” or “No” for. Find links to sample ballots for your precinct along with answers to these and many other election questions in Get Ready to Vote on Election Day.

Yup, you’re registered, but which polling place is yours? Find your voting place in Find out Where and When to Cast Your Vote.

Curious about those ballot initiatives you’ve been hearing about (Vote Yes on 2! Vote No on 3!)? Our sister magazine Utne Reader has found a new online resource for researching all those other questions on the ballot — you know, everything that comes after “Please fill in the oval to the left of the presidential candidate of your choice.” Check out Deciding Ballot Initiatives Before Election Day.

You can find a quick look at the presidential candidates’ positions on energy in The Presidential Candidates on Energy Issues and The Candidates Discuss Energy, and on the environment, in Where do the Presidential Candidates Stand on Environmental Issues? These articles also contain links to a number of additional resources for anyone wanting to dig deeper.

Whew! Just in case that’s not enough fun for you, Utne Reader has stumbled on some actual election entertainment. Check out Beat the Political Experts, Win Cash to find out how winning this election guessing game can get you $500.

Before you know it, the election will be over, the votes will be counted, and the 44^th President of United States will have a lot on his plate — so why not make it a plate full of local (as in, the White House front lawn) and organic goodness? Check out Mother Earth News writer Roger Doiron’s plans for the new administration in This Lawn is Your Lawn.

ISTOCKPHOTO

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a long tradition of  neglecting to determine the safety of genetically modified (GM) foods, and it appears that tradition is holding strong. According to GM Sugar Beet: Trick or Treat? from Grist, GM beet sugar may begin appearing in the food supply as early as 2009 — combined with non-GM sugar and sold as "sugar" — and without any labeling to indicate that the final products contain any GM ingredients.

According to Grist, "Manufacturers of candy, cereal, granola bars, baby food, breads — anything that contains sugar — would be hard-pressed to avoid using sugar derived from GM beet sugar once it's introduced into the market. This "no label" policy eliminates food producers' right to know, choose, or refuse to use non-GM sugar in its products. It also keeps consumers in the dark."

While Monsanto's Roundup-Ready sugar beets are being increasingly used as food shortages create a demand for higher yielding crops (Read more about the Millions Against Monsanto at the Organic Consumer Association Web site.), there is some hope for satisfying your sweet tooth without sampling engineered treats. Simply stick to candies that are made with sugar cane, cane juice or certified organic sugar to make sure you're getting the real deal. 

I didn’t believe this when I heard it, but after typing “glow in the dark animals” into Google, I realized there was no denying it:  geneticists are engineering glow-in-the-dark animals, fish, crops and who knows what else from a fluorescent-producing gene found in jellyfish.

Proponents say they can use the glow-in-the-dark “feature” as an indicator of different environmental stresses — such as exposure to pollution or drought. Scientists have already produced glow-in-the-dark cats, fish and pigs, and if the YouTube videos with glowing-red cats and pictures of bright green pigs aren’t enough to spook you — imagine a field of corn glowing fluorescent orange because the crop is in need of water. It sounds like something out of a science fiction novel to me.

I guess I can see the benefits of using these “designer genes” to help monitor and contain environmental stresses, but as with any genetically modified organisms, be it crops or animals, these alterations of nature come with potential risks to humans, the environment and, specifically, small farms. GMOs just haven’t been around long enough for us to know their effects — but one thing’s for sure:  the animals don’t like them. And if a rat won’t even touch it, I don’t think I’m going to either.

What do you think? Is gene splicing a good idea given the exponential human population growth and its increasing demand for food? Can glow-in-the-dark indicators provide some answers for growing and protecting our environment? Or are they just another Frankenfood?

ISTOCKPHOTO

According to Women Buying Health Policies Pay a Penalty from The New York Times, women are paying far more for the same individual health insurance policies as men of the same age. While some argue that women of childbearing age often incur higher medical expenses than men, the pattern applies also to policies purchased by women that do not include maternity care. The cost of coverage for women outpaces that for men by percentages in the 20s and 30s, and in some examples costs a staggering 49 percent more. Read the full article for more information, and check out the Gap Between the Sexes graph from the story.

Climate change wasn’t even a figment of Henry David Thoreau’s imagination when he was living at the start of the Industrial Revolution, but his observations are proving valuable to climate change researchers today. Between 1851 and 1858 Thoreau recorded observations of approximately 500 species of plants and flowers near Concord, Mass. And though Thoreau never would have guessed it, researchers from Boston University and Harvard have been able to use Thoreau’s observations to discern changes in the climate from the 1850s to today, many of which aren’t good.

Even though fans of the author still can go visit Thoreau’s Walden pond, many of the actual plants and flowers that he wrote about won’t be seen by today’s audience. Because of climate change, a number of species are blooming seven days earlier, and many have actually disappeared. According to the New York Times, 27 percent of the species that Thoreau observed are gone and another 36 percent will soon be. And it’s not only the plants that are affected. The researchers also have found that birds are continuing to change their migration patterns because of climate change, which may be a problem if they are no longer in sync with the insects that they feed upon.

Scientists hope to continue to use the observations of Thoreau and others in their research on climate change. They specifically plan to look at which species are moving into Concord to occupy niches where some have vanished and whether or not those species are related to one another. Whatever they find, it just shows that historic documents really can make a difference in understanding today’s ever-changing world.

Who knew that driftwood could be art? At Earth’s Journey, it is! This three-month-old Web site offers environmentally-friendly art, varying from driftwood necklaces to bicycle chain earrings to handmade paper. All of the pieces on the site have been created using recycled, up-cycled and/or environmentally friendly materials. And when you make a purchase, these eco-artists donate 10 percent of the profit to an environmental charity. That’s what I call smart art!

Mother Earth News recently attended the annual Bioneers conference in San Rafael, Calif., where we met the movers and shakers of the environmental movement and came away with a wealth of fun, exciting and inspiring ideas to share with you. To start things off, a look at the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL), which was presented by Marie Studer, Ph.D., EOL's director of education and outreach.

According to Dr. E.O. Wilson, scientists have only just begun cataloging the Earth’s species. Karl Linneus started the classification system a mere 250 years ago, and it's estimated that today only 10 percent — 1.8 million — of the Earth’s species have been named. There may be 10 to 100 million unamed species in the world, depending on the classification of bacteria.

Seeing an opportunity to connect researchers and make available data collected over multiple generations and continents, Dr. Wilson — a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and Harvard research professor — created the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL), to "organize and make available via the Internet virtually all information about life present on Earth." (Read The New York Times' interview with Dr. Wilson about the EOL.)

According to the Web site, the EOL "synthesizes biodiversity knowledge about all known species, including their taxonomy, geographic distribution, collections, genetics, evolutionary history, morphology, behavior, ecological relationships and importance for human well being." The site works somewhat like Wikipedia in that individuals, libraries and academic departments can access the collected research of generations of scientists and contribute their own findings, as well. 

While the EOL accepts listings and entire databases from libraries and research facilities, their goal is ambitious and will require the discovery and naming talents of generations of curious seekers, both professional and amateur — which is why you're invited to participate. Whether you're a student, teacher or hobbyist, you can contribute photos, text or video. Learn more at the EOL About page, see how other people are using the Encyclopedia, and find out how you can Help Build the Encyclopedia of Life.

Not sure when and where to vote? Enter your ZIP code at GoVote.org to confirm your polling location and its hours. Simple as that!

ISTOCKPHOTO

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced today that it is reopening the public comment period on the 2007 proposal to delist the gray wolf in the northern Rocky Mountains from the Endangered Species List. The public has until November 28, 2008 to submit comments.

The Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Plan started in 1987. The Recovery Plan committee did not believe the wolves would naturally reestablish themselves in the Yellowstone ecosystem. The committee proposed the transplantation of healthy wolves to the area to increase and aid the recovery of the wolf population, something the 1982 Amendment to the Endangered Species Act allowed.

There are two ways to submit a comment on the proposal to delist the gray wolf: through the Federal eRuling Portal at www.regulations.gov or through the U.S. mail to: Public Comments Processing, Attn:  RIN 1018-Au53; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA  22203. E-mails and faxes are not accepted.

The affected areas are all of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, the eastern one-third of Washington and Oregon and parts of north-central Utah, although FWS welcomes comments from the public of all states and regions.

Minimum recovery goals of 30 breeding pairs and 300 wolves for three consecutive years have been met and retained since 2002.

Some livestock owners argue for taking the gray wolves off the Endangered Species List because the increased wolf population has depleted livestock.

FWS’s September 2008 estimates said there were 1,463 gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains and 172 depredating wolves were killed. The Service also estimated that wolves killed 170 cattle, 244 sheep, 10 dogs and 6 llamas.

Defenders of Wildlife president Rodger Schlickeisen disagrees with delisting the gray wolf. “The Fish and Wildlife Service is merely repackaging a severely flawed rule instead of taking a fresh look at the management of wolves in the region,” Schlickeisen said. “The original proposal allows around 1,000 wolves to be killed as soon as they lose the protections of the Endangered Species Act – slashing the population by as much as two thirds.” 

Wolves play a key role in ecosystems. This predator typically preys on young or elderly and injured or sick animals. By controlling the population of large herbivores such as deer and elk, wolves help maintain biodiversity. If elk and deer overgraze, they destroy the plant base, which makes the area less habitable to other species.

At the Care2 Web site last week, Annie B. Bond — author of Better Basics for the Home, and a favorite here at Mother Earth News — offered a list of 11 easy swaps you can make in the kitchen to create a healthier, safer cooking environment. Check out her article, Top 11 Swaps to Detox Your Kitchen.

A friend sent this quote to me today, attached to an email:

“I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it." ... Groucho Marx

Sometimes what we need to know appears and it is up to us to recognize and accept it ... or not.

I think that dealing with the changes of the seasons is similar. In the break room I hear people complaining that it is getting more rainy, cold, winter is coming. And while I admit to being especially fond of the perfect late spring day, I also am energized by the changes in the weather and especially the seasons.

Take a walk today, pay more attention to your senses than you normally do. Fall brings with it not only a brilliant visual transformation of the landscape, but a change in the feel and aroma of the air and the sounds that surround us. Remember being a child scuffing through the piles of leaves, crunching the brown dry ones on the sidewalk? As the cars sped by, the rows of dried leaves huddling by the curb would swoop up into the air and cover the street with a layer of yellow, orange, red and brown – until the next car came by swirling them back towards the curb. The dance of the leaves.

For me, it is the smell of autumn that enriches my seasonal experience – that earthy, moist smell of leaves and grasses becoming one with the earth – it is the smell of the absence of chlorophyl – the green stuff that signifies life. Woven among the smells of moist dirt and decaying leaves is the woodsy aroma of smoke – a few leaves burning, an early-in-the-season fire on the hearth.

And last, the wonderful thing about this seasonal affect is that just as you are getting accustomed to it – it all changes! After the moist earthy smell of autumn comes the cold metallic feel of winter – but that is a story for another day.

The president of the Environmental Working Group is calling for volunteers and accountability to curb the run-off from the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico’s “dead zone.”

Craig Cox issued a statement today that outlines three steps that need to be taken to reduce the runoff: keep soil on the land, manage nitrogen and phosphorous use more responsibly, and capture the chemicals by installing more wetlands and filter strips.

The area in the Gulf is known as a “dead zone,” because nitrogen and phosphorus are carried down to the gulf, limiting oxygen in the water (referred to as hypoxia), and drastically damaging marine life in the region.

The “dead zone” has been a known victim of phosphorous and nitrogen runoff since 1985. This year, the area of the zone is predicted by some to be the second-largest area in the zone’s history, at 8,000 square miles – almost the size of New Jersey. The area has grown by more than 4,000 square miles since 1993.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that 70 percent of the runoff comes from agricultural processes, and that nine states contribute 75 percent of the nitrogen and phosphorous found in the Mississippi River.

Cox directed the statement to Iowa residents, but his suggestions on volunteerism and the problems confronted by the economy apply pretty much everywhere.

What’s startling to me is that we’ve known about this impact for nearly a quarter of a century and the area is still growing.

October 15 is Blog Action Day, a day that people all over the world write about a single issue. This year the topic is poverty, and today we have several related blog posts on this subject, especially as it relates to the sustainable living topics we write about here at Mother Earth News.

First, here’s yet another reason to love wind turbines and solar panels. Find out how Renewable Energy Can Help Combat Poverty.

You also can learn more about a practice that is not sustainable, but is unfortunately a reality for many people around the world who live in poverty. Learn more about how you can Become Aware, and Stop Child Labor.

Hunger is another important global issue, and how to feed the world’s people is one of the biggest challenges the global community faces. Tomorrow is an international day to draw attention to the problem of world hunger, so find out how you can Join in for World Food Day on October 16.

Finally, our magazine has a long history of exploring ways to save money and live with less. So for people who are not necessarily living in poverty, but who certainly understand the need to stretch every dollar, here’s our best advice from readers for saving money and living well on limited resources.

Do you have thoughts to share about poverty and what can be done about it? You can tell us your ideas by posting a comment below.

This year, join the fight to help alleviate world hunger. Currently, 923 million people around the world are starving. World Food Day, held every year on October 16, is an international event put on to acknowledge the founding of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and promote ways to diminish hunger around the world. All planned events bring people together to raise awareness and funds.

Many events will be held in the United States and around the world. Check the World Food Day Web site to see if there is an event in your area. Anyone can host their own gathering, so if you’re interested, get tips here. It can be as simple as meeting with a small group and brainstorming ways to get involved in your own community.

To learn more, watch the video promo below and see how global warming contributes to this ongoing crisis.

This blog has been written, in part, in response to Blog Action Day 2008. This year thousands of bloggers will unite to discuss poverty and raise awareness.

Right now, over 200 million children work long hours in poor conditions to feed themselves and/or their families. Almost 75 percent of those children are working in the worst forms of child labor — trafficking, armed conflict, slavery, prostitution and hazardous work. Poverty is the sole cause of this type of exploitation because poor families have no other choice if they want to survive.

In 1999, the International Labour Organization’s Convention 182 set a goal to set international legal standards to protect all children from the worst forms of child labor by 2016. As of April 2007, 163 ILO member countries ratified the convention, agreeing to provide and enforce these legal standards. Unfortunately, 14 ILO member countries —Afghanistan, Burma, Cuba, Eritrea, Guinea-Buissau, Haiti, India, Kiribati (Republic of), Sierra Leone, Soloman Islands, Somalia, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan —have still not ratified it. Because of these countries’ refusal to participate, the ILO published a report last year saying that the international 2016 goal will not be achieved.

While the child labor movement has come a long way, there is still a lot to be done, especially in bringing about awareness of the issue. The Tides Center’s project, Child Labor and the Global Village: Photography for Social Change, is doing just that.

A team of 11 photographers are photographing child workers around the globe. Through their photos, they hope to illustrate the conditions and raise awareness of the problem to people that can do something about it: politicians, business people and consumers. The photos from the project are part of an on-going exhibit, traveling across the world from the U.S. congress to Bangladesh. You can see some of the photos here, or you go visit one of their exhibitions, listed here. Hopefully it will encourage you to join the cause and help give those 200 million children a chance at having a childhood.

If you’re interested in joining the cause, check out the Global March Against Child Labour to see how you can help.

I hope you didn’t get too worn out celebrating Columbus Day on Monday, because there’s more celebrating to do all this week for National Wildlife Refuge Week. This week, Oct. 12-18, go enjoy a national wildlife refuge and take pride in the fact that there are 548 nationwide!

National wildlife refuges are made to conserve fish and wildlife populations and their habitats in this ever-expanding, ever more unnatural world. This year, the Refuge Week also celebrates the 75^th anniversary of the Federal Duck Stamp and the 50^th anniversary of the Small Wetlands Program — both of which have helped expand the Refuge System to its 97-million-acre size.

So, go out and celebrate America’s wildlife! Check out a list of the events for this week, or just go straight to your local refuge. You can find the one closest to you here.

Kiss your gas tank good-bye. Well, for your mower anyway.

By 2011, the EPA will require a 35 percent reduction in emissions produced from gas-powered lawn equipment with less than 25 horsepower.

There are some shocking statistics out there about the impacts of gas-powered lawn care equipment. One site I found said Americans use 800 million gallons of gas in one year spent solely on their lawns and that 17 million gallons are lost to spillage alone. The same site said running one gas-powered motor for one hour produces the same pollution as driving eight new cars at 55 mph for one hour. That’s nuts.

EPA officials say the regulations will save 190 million gallons of gas and 300 lives a year, though the changes will cost about $236 million.

Electric lawn-care equipment is already out there, though it is more expensive. According to an article in the Washington Post, electric mowers will cost 18 percent more in three years than gas-mowers do today.

The initial cost may be expensive, but electric mowers save you money in the long run – and help our environment by reducing the release of hydrocarbons into our atmosphere.

If you don’t want to buy a new electric mower yet, don’t worry, there will still be gas-powered mowers on the market until 2011, and even then most will be grandfathered in. In the meantime, here are some ways you can reduce your mower’s impact on the environment. Remember, though, that the older a mower gets, the less efficient it is, thus more hydrocarbons and other particulates into the environment with age.

If you do want to look into buying some electric (or even solar!) lawn-care equipment, here’s an article with some advice on how to make your choice.

One man in the Washinton Post article put it pretty succinctly:

“If they’re a tree-hugger, they’ll pay extra for the environmentally friendly one, and if they think it’s a bunch of bunk, they’ll take the cheaper one.”

By 2010, the EPA requires a 70 percent reduction in emissions from recreational boats.

There are ways we can help the environment in our daily lives; sometimes we just need to a push in the right direction. 

Do you like to shop and be green? Well, now you can do both by joining Carrotmob KC at World of Spirits (1722 W. 39^th St.) on Oct. 21. Recently, Carrotmob KC went to 15 different Midtown area businesses in Kansas City. They asked them to commit a percentage of revenue towards making their business more energy efficient if the team brought a mob of paying customers. And World of Spirits won with the highest bid. That means that 24 percent of the revenue collected between 5-10 p.m. on Oct. 21 will go towards making this business greener.

Carrotmob originally started in San Francisco as a plan to make sustainability profitable for businesses through contests. Now, it has moved to a new level with the company Vigrance, which plans on creating a social network to create thousands of Carrotmob-type contests around the world.

So be a part of the carrot madness! Start on Oct. 21 by stocking up on beverages for the year — or even the decade — and help World of Spirits become greener. Or start a Carrotmob in your city! Check out the video below to get an idea on how.

Talk about perfect timing. Just as the weather is getting cooler and we're approaching dry-skin season, Mother Earth News reader Pamela Koontz sent in a few of her favorite homemade skincare recipes. As she pointed out, when compared to commercial products, homemade skincare can save you money, is often easier on the environment, and makes it easy to care for your skin naturally. So, go ahead, "whip one of these up and let nature do all of the work!"

Farmer's Wife Secret Mask
2 chilled egg whites 
1/8 tsp cornstarch

Whip the egg whites until they form peaks; then slowly add the cornstarch.  Apply the mixture immediately to your face, leaving it on for 20 minutes. Rinse face with cool water. 

Bumblebee Facial Mask
1 tbsp dried milk
1 egg yolk
1 tsp honey

Mix honey with the egg yolk and then stir in the dried milk powder. Mix into a paste and apply. Remove after 20 minutes with cool water.

Glorious Green Face Mask
1/2 cup of oatmeal
1 smashed avocado
1/3 cup of honey

In a bowl, mix smashed avocado with the honey, then continuously add oatmeal. When all ingredients are mixed well, apply to face and relax for 15-20 minutes. Remove with a splash of cool water.

No Monkey Business Mask
1/2 banana
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sour cream

Smash the banana and add the honey and sour cream. Apply to face and leave on 15-20 minutes. Gently wipe off with a damp cotton wash cloth.

Pamela Koontz
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Exercise is often touted as a kind of golden ticket to health and longevity: lower blood pressure, weight loss, lower cholesterol levels, even improved energy, to name a few. And from doctors to weekend joggers, it's easy to find those who will attest to the health improvements they've gained from getting physical. But according to Does Exercise Really Keep Us Healthy?, exercise alone might not deliver the stellar results you might be hoping for. Now, before you gleefully shred that gym membership and head for the couch, note that the last sentence says "exercise alone." Here are a few points: 

1. "While exercise has undeniable benefits, many, if not most, of its powers have been oversold."
2. "Physical activity alone will not lead to sustained weight loss or reduce blood pressure or cholesterol."
3. And, my personal favorite, "More intense exercise has been shown to provide only slightly greater benefits." (Italics mine.)

While I'm not giving up my daily walks, I love anything "official" that says I don't need to ramp it up and go running. Once again, the moral of the story seems to be that good health relies more on overall lifestyle — including diet, physical activity, not smoking, etc. — than on any one magic silver bullet.

Read more about exercise benefits vs. exercise hype in Does Exercise Really Keep us Healthy?, from The New York Times.

When I get into work each morning, I get a cup of always-needed coffee and then spend some time cruising the Web for story ideas, current events or just anything shiny that catches my eye. This morning I found the Hunger Site, and the words “Free Food” definitely caught my eye.

The Hunger Site is set up so that anyone that visits and clicks on the “Click Here to Give — it’s Free!” button gives 1.1 cups of food to the hungry. Sounds a little unreal … I know, but here’s how it works. When you click the button, the site displays ads from their site sponsors, and then 100% of the advertisers’ money goes to fund programs that give food to the hungry. Right now, about one billion people in the world suffer from hunger and about 24,000 die each day from it. And three-fourths of those deaths are children.

So far, the site’s 300 million visitors have given more than 500 million cups of food since the site began in June 1999. Each day 220,000 individuals across the globe visit the site, which is pretty easy because you can sign up to get daily reminders to go to it. So, go be number 220,001, and help fight the cause. All it takes is an extra click in your daily routine.