Living Today: Issues of modern living

CLEANER NON-ROAD ENGINES

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is adopting new standards to reduce pollutants from several groups of non-road engines, including snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles.

When fully implemented, the standards will remove more than 3 million tons of pollution each year -- the equivalent of removing the pollution from more than 32 million cars annually.

"This action will not only protect public health, but will help restore the view of our nation's treasured scenic parks and wilderness areas," says EPA Administrator Christie Whitman.

The fuel savings are estimated at more than 800 million gallons -- $500 million annually. The new standards apply only to new engines produced in the future and have no effect on existing engines.

LACK OF LOGOS

Gucci. Fendi. Ferragamo. Chanel. Prada. Throughout the 1990s, designers kept turning up the volume on their initials, putting their company logos on a mind-boggling array of new products, The New York Times reports.

Now the logos have become scarce. The row of shop windows along Madison Avenue, from 60th to 80th Streets, appears to be a logo-free zone.

Designers and department store executives say the reasons for the decline in logos include a backlash against conspicuous consumption, a return to individuality in fashion and the erosion of brand names through cheap knockoffs.

Some suggest it's a reaction to last year's terrorist attacks -- "the world is a more sober place now."

RADIATION SUITS

Radiation Shield Technologies says the world's first ionizing/nuclear radiation blocking garment -- Demron -- offers lightweight, non-toxic and lead-free radiation protection.

At approximately one-eighth the weight of older, traditional leaded garments, Demron provides comparable radiation blocking power to that of standard lead vest material.

Fused between two outer layers of fabric, Demron can be manufactured into any garment pattern, such as full-body suits.

"Until now, we've simply ignored the threat of radiation because there was nothing that could be done. Lead has been the standard for over 50 years; a toxic, heavy, impractical standard," says the fabric's inventor, Ronald F. DeMeo.

BONO SERA, JOHN-BOY

The HBO series "The Sopranos" misrepresents the average Italian-American family and its values, according to the Order Sons of Italy in America.

"This is a family that teaches its children nothing about good manners, ethics, or morality," says OSIA President Robert A. Messa.

According to Messa, a more authentic portrait of the average Italian-American family is found on the 1970s classic television series "The Waltons."

Creator Earl Hamner based the grandparents in the popular television series on his own maternal Italian-American grandparents, Col. Anderson Gianniny and Ora Lee Mann.

Hamner says his Italian heritage gave him "a love of good living, strong family ties, and a belief in religion."