Marchok will write every about environmental matters. This will not be a preachy, finger-wagging type of column; the working assumption will be that, if you are inclined to read it, you already are interested in such topics.

What the column will offer is information, help and advice -- news you can use.

With global warming and other threats to the environment constantly in the news, many want to live a more "green" lifestyle, decrease their carbon footprint, etc.

I have seen, among friends and acquaintances, a broad interest in conservation and being kind to Mother Earth that goes well beyond the tree-hugger types that may initially have been at the forefront of this trend.

A column giving information to people who want to live a green lifestyle seemed to us to be a timely idea -- and a good use of this page.

Marchok, a 44-year-old North Raleigh resident, has spent most of her career in the telecommunications and software industries. (She has a bachelor's in electrical engineering and a masters in instructional Design.)

She moved here from Pittsburgh after her husband was relocated by IBM in 2002.

She was widowed two years ago. Her husband died of cancer.

Marchok took an interest in environmental matters when one of her four daughters was born in 1989.

"I was so obsessed with protecting her that I spent 18 months researching and writing a book on home environmental hazards," Marchok said.

Marchok's book, published in 1991, was titled, "Oh No! Not My Electric Blanket, Too? A Guide to a Healthier Home."

Her husband's death only intensified that interest.

"My up-close and personal experience with cancer has made me even more determined to do what I can to care for the environment and minimize the effects of waste and toxins on my family and our planet," she said.

"I cannot stand to see any recyclable item thrown away. I frequently collect recyclables like bottles, cans, and cardboard from the homes of friends, at school functions, or at parks and take the items to a recycling center."

Please welcome Janice.