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The article discusses the issue of sustainable buildings. Now people can live in a paper house that is so strong even stones would not make a dent. Researchers Kate Thayer and Clyde Curry of Marathon, Texas tell several advantages of building with recycled paper. For the past four years they have been testing and building with various forms of papercrete, manageable-sized bricks made of recycled paper products and Portland cement. With readily available raw materials and short construction times, interest is growing in the concept of turning trash paper and cardboard into inexpensive houses that are strong, well insulated and easily built. Papercrete provides strength without the weight of concrete, making it an ideal material for building arches, domes and vaulted ceilings. Construction costs with papercrete are estimated at 20 to 30 percent less than conventional housing. Scan Sands built his ecologically responsible home in Columbus, New Mexico with $500 in materials. Papercrete structures also require only 50 percent of the energy needed to heat and cool conventional buildings.

The article presents questions and answers related to environment. A person asks whether bamboo is really an environmental friendly alternative to wood for making paper. Experts at the periodical have replied that bamboo is a renewable resource and a good raw material for many goods including paper. Another reader asks about green-friendly hardwood floor waxes that can be used in homes. Beeswax, carnauba wax and natural resin paste formula are good dust-resistant coats without harsh chemicals.

Presents two books about environmental protection by Liz Harris and Allen Hershkowitz. 'Tilting at Mills: Green Dreams, Dirty Dealings and the Corporate Squeeze'; 'Bronx Ecology: Blueprint for a New Environmentalism.'

The article offers questions and answers related to environmental protection. One reader asks whether fast-food restaurants are taking substantial steps to recycle the huge amount of paper, plastic and foam they use. Another reader asks whether environmental education figures prominently in classrooms.

The article outlines the move undertaken by the Congress to become environmental friendly in the U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued an order that the House of Representatives must become carbon neutral by the end of 2008 and cut its carbon footprint in half within the decade. She also lure Dan Beard out of semi-retirement to act as Greening Czar whose previous job was in the Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation, the House Appropriations and Natural Resources. Within six months of her directive, Beard and his Green the Capitol crew employ the use of 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper, sparing 30,000 trees a year. House vending machines were swapped for energy-sipping models, bike racks sprouted around the Capitol campus and offices switch to compact fluorescent lamps.

The article offers some shopping ideas for customers that may also contribute to environmental protection. It is mentioned in the article that grocery shopping in greener pastures saves the environment from an onslaught of pesticides, hormones and other pollutants. Mickey Swisher, associate professor in the sustainable agriculture department at the University of Florida says that customers should prefer to buy locally because products lose its freshness and energy when it is transported from a distant location. He also says that buying recycled products like tissues and paper towels is good for consumers.

The article presents information on several alternative fuels. Fuel-cell vehicles run on hydrogen gas, the most abundant element in the universe. The fuel cell, which chemically converts hydrogen to electricity, has the potential to eventually replace the internal-combustion engine, because it's far more than just the best environmental choice. The most optimistic predictions see us driving fuel-cell cars by 2015 or 2020, though skeptics such as Joseph Romm, author of the book "The Hype About Hydrogen," think it might take longer. General Motors Corp. has said it will have a production-ready fuel-cell vehicle in place by 2010. Environmentalists such as Armory Lovins, head of the Rocky Mountain Institute, have long predicted that the world will eventually have a hydrogen energy economy, but in recent years the chorus has grown to include many people at high levels of government and industry. The supply of corn-derived ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol, is increasing rapidly, from 2.1 billion gallons in 2002 to 3.4 billion gallons in 2004. Traditional ethanol production from corn has not had a stellar track record. Some environmentalists champion so-called cellulosic ethanol, which could be made from agricultural, municipal and forestry waste, including corn stalks, sawdust or waste paper.

The article discusses the moves undertaken by the recording industry to become environmental friendly in the U.S. Green Owl is a company which goal to release records with a little impact on the planet and it is made possible by using 100% post-consumer paper in their compact discs (CD) packaging. It also raised funds through the sales of their Green Owl compilation wherein the money will go to the Energy Action Coalition. Tree Sounds Studios' energy is generated by methane from a local landfill and all of their employee vehicles and home energy use is offset by the purchase of wind and solar carbon reduction energy credits from Green Mountain Energy. Tree Leaf Music released and recorded CDs by using 100% recycled materials and use renewable energy sources.

Features the Planet Princess, the environmental program launched by Princess Cruises after all the bad publicity it gained when its ship was videotaped dumping garbage bags into the sea. Efforts to change products from plastic to paper; Investment in state-of-the-art waste management; Use of environmentally-safe products; Recognition of Princess Cruises as a leading conservation-friendly cruise line.