[social_buttons] Most of us know the sad and destructive history of former widespread pesticide DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane for you chemists). It’s egg shell thining properties have famously taken out many a generation of bald eagle, as well as many other bird species. The once heralded solution to malaria, DDT was sprayed everywhere without a thought. This […]
Lead is a metal found in the earth’s crust. However, due to human activity such as mining, burning fossil fuels and manufacturing, it has become more widespread. Lead is also toxic. Lead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in the body over time. At very high levels lead can be fatal; but even in small amounts it can cause serious health problems, particularly in children under the age of 6 who can develop mental and physical impairments.
EPA to Reconsider Monitoring Requirements for Airborne Lead Read More 👉
Nike has a financial investment in getting people to live more active lifestyles, but it is broadening its agenda a bit with a new campaign to encourage people to “Beat Gasoline” and use more muscle power for their transportation needs. In partnership with Youth Noise, the initiative is sending this video to athletically minded kids,
Nike Engages in Anti-Car Competition: BEAT GASOLINE Read More 👉
Our love lives can be physically, emotionally, and environmentally taxing. You’re on your own with the first two issues; I’m here to offer suggestions for the third… Step One: Meet You’ll save precious time if you know where to find an equally environmentally-conscious mate. Some suggestions–head to your local farmer’s market or Green Drinks chapter,
5 Steps to a Greener Wiener (err…love life) Read More 👉
The planned closure of a wind turbine manufacturing facility on England’s Isle of Wight moved several workers to seize control of the plant on Monday night. [Update: July 21, 11:36pm GMT: Since workers first seized the plant on Monday night, 5 more workers slipped police lines to join the 25 workers already occupying the administrative
30 Workers Now Occupy Ill-Fated UK Wind Turbine Plant Read More 👉
Power plants play a huge role in emitting pollutants that make up the ozone. This pollution browns and blackens our horizons. We call it smog. Smog has been linked to premature deaths, thousands of emergency room visits, and tens of thousands of asthma attacks each year. Pollution in the ozone is particularly dangerous to small children and the elderly, who are often warned to stay indoors on days with poor air quality due to pollutants.
Breaths of Fresh Air: Bush-Era Pollution Waivers Rejected By Courts Read More 👉
[social_buttons] Colony Collapse Disorder is still with us …though not getting the same press it did the last couple of years. According to a joint survey conducted by the Apiary Inspectors of America and the Agricultural Research Service’s Bee Research Laboratory, 29 percent of honey bee colonies vanished between September 2008 and April 2009. That
Five Things You Can Do To Help The Bees Read More 👉
[social_buttons] Editor’s Note: This was a multi-party contribution involving Kim Komenich (photos) Kwan Booth (text) NewsDesk.org (editing) Spot.Us (financial support). This is part of a series that we’ll be posting over the next week. Tuesday night saw the end of two years of negotiations between the Port of Oakland, environmentalists, truckers and West Oakland residents,
Cleaner Trucks Coming to Oakland Ports Read More 👉
[social_buttons] Editor’s Note: This was a multi-party contribution involving Kim Komenich (photos) Kwan Booth (text) NewsDesk.org (editing) Spot.Us (financial support). This is part of a series that we’ll be posting over the next week. West Oakland is pinned between the Bay Area’s largest, busiest port and two major commuter freeways, and is home to decades
94607: Oakland’s Childhood Asthma Hotspot Read More 👉
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) has recently reported a link between genetically modified (GM) foods and adverse health effects. The AAEM is advising precaution because GM foods have not been properly tested for human consumption and because there is significant evidence of probable harm. Therefore they advise: Physicians to educate their patients, the
Report: Genetically Modified (GM) Crops are Harmful to Your Health Read More 👉
[social_buttons] Editor’s Note: This was a multi-party contribution involving Kim Komenich (photos) Kwan Booth (text) NewsDesk.org (editing) Spot.Us (financial support). This is part of a series that we’ll be posting over the next week. Talking to Dr. Washington Burns the other day I learned some pretty shocking information: 37 percent of the adults and 20
Toxic Tour Blog: Inside West Oakland’s ‘Breathmobile’ Read More 👉
[social_buttons] Editor’s Note: This was a multi-party contribution involving Kim Komenich (photos) Kwan Booth (text) NewsDesk.org (editing) Spot.Us (financial support). This is part of a series that we’ll be posting over the next week. While much of the debate on reducing emissions from the Port of Oakland has revolved around trucks, diesel pollution from the
Ship Pollution Escapes Oakland Diesel Debate Read More 👉
[social_buttons] Editor’s Note: This was a multi-party contribution involving Kim Komenich (photos) Kwan Booth (text) NewsDesk.org (editing) Spot.Us (financial support). This is part of a series that we’ll be posting over the next week. Just about any long-term West Oakland resident can rattle off a list of health issues effecting their community: toxins from cargo
[social_buttons] Desert spreads endlessly beyond the horizon, where crystalline azure meets rusted bronze. This is red rock country. Moab, Utah is known for its breathtaking scenery. Red rock arches, labyrinth-like canyons, the clever Colorado River. This paradise permeates the soul and the soil. But something else sleeps in the soil: uranium tailings. Uranium was discovered
Uranium Tailings Removed From Moab Site Read More 👉
The NAACP has joined with environmental groups to oppose the construction of three power plants because of concerns that burning the feces will expose poor people to arsenic and other contaminants. “Everyone wants jobs, but you have to be against a job that on the back end may bring disease,” said William Barber II, president
NAACP Opposes Planned N.C. Chicken-Waste Power Plants Read More 👉
In a ruling that could impact thousands of similar cases, a Florida jury has ordered Philip Morris, the largest tobacco company in the US, to pay the family of a lung cancer victim $8 million in damages. [social_buttons] Elaine Hess presented evidence to the jury showing that her husband Stuart had smoked three packs of
Cancer Victim's Widow Awarded $8 Mil. in Philip Morris Lawsuit Read More 👉
Environmental groups will sue Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and two other chemical cleaner manufacturers later today to demand that they release the ingredients to their products. [social_buttons] Attorneys from EarthJustice will file the suit on behalf the Sierra Club and American Lung Association and four other groups. The lawsuit will be filed in New York
Do You Know What's in Your Detergent? Activists Sue to Find Out Read More 👉
Environmentalists are organizing a protest against the arrival of a ship in Hartlepool, England from France next week because the ship is loaded with 700 tons of toxic asbestos. [social_buttons] A Hartlepool company has been contracted to dismantle the ship, but environmental groups worry that they do not have the proper equipment or expertise to
Groups Try to Stop Asbestos Ship of Death from Docking in UK Read More 👉
[social_buttons] In shocking news, the Canadian government has announced that two chemicals used in cosmetics are carcinogens that are severely harmful to human health. A further two chemicals found in lipstick and other personal care products have also been found to be highly toxic to the environment. The two cancer-causing chemicals, isoprene and epichlorohydrin, have
Canada Says Chemicals Used In Cosmetics Could Cause Cancer Read More 👉
Scientific research has long linked environmental toxins to a variety of cancers. Is autism next?
Five Ways You Can Help Stop Autism and Cancer Read More 👉
Thanks to a new program, New Yorkers will now have yet another way to compare the relative prestige of where they live within the city: air quality. The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recently initiated what will be the city’s most comprehensive air quality monitoring effort to date. Rather than monitor air quality
New York City Rolls Out Comprehensive Air Quality Monitoring Program Read More 👉
Following a slew of environmental failures by Bayer CropScience, the EPA has issued a punishment that some say does not go nearly far enough. While the chemical giant will be required to pay about one million dollars in fines and safeguards against future disasters, the punishment will hardly put a dent in their profits, which
Should Bayer be Forced to Buy Gas Masks for an Entire City? Read More 👉
The BBC posted a new report stating that elephants in captivity do not live as long as their free-roaming counterparts. Also, they are noticeably more stressed and unhealthy by comparison. Seems logical. What struck me most from this article is how we can replace the word “elephants” with “humans” and the same rings true.
Elephants in Captivity Teach Humans a Lesson Read More 👉
This holiday season, you can save a cloud forest, adopt a tiger and remove 1 ton of CO2. Although none of it will fit in a box or under the tree, Changing the Present makes all these things possible by giving consumers access to a variety of charitable initiatives so that they can give the gift of hope,
In two weeks The National Organics Standards Board is expected to vote in Washington on what kinds of fish can actually be labeled organic. Tell Washington what YOU think by signing a petition from the Consumer’s Union. [social_buttons]We’re all pretty clear on what “organic” means when it comes to vegetables, poultry and red meat, but
America to Decide: What is Organic Fish? Read More 👉
In this day and age of highly processed, artificial ingredient-infested “food products”, fermentation offers a beautifully simple, healthy, and delicious alternative to preserving some of our favorite foods. Fermentation is a natural food preservation process typically requiring nothing more than very simple ingredients and time. Many popular, everyday foods would not exist without magical fermentation
How to Preserve Foods and Our Food Culture: Wild Fermentation Read More 👉
A Florida ranch was raided yesterday after repeated complaints from residential neighbors about a horrible smell lingering around the property. Officials discovered a shed with floor drains and butcher knives, a freezer full of various types of animal flesh and a horse’s head, and over 400 live animals living in poor conditions. Ramiro Perez, who
Over 400 Animals Rescued in Raid on Filthy Illegal Slaughterhouse Read More 👉
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) tested ten brands of bottled water and found that Wal-Mart’s “Sam’s Choice” contained chemical levels higher than is legal in California, and exceeding voluntary limits set by the industry. [social_buttons]The study found that 10 popular brands of bottled water, purchased from grocery stores and other retailers in 9 states and
New Report Finds Toxic Bottled Water at Wal-Mart Read More 👉
Scientists in Australia have discovered antibodies in the blood of sharks that could potentially prove effective in battling cancer. [social_buttons] It has been discovered that the antibodies (molecules that fight disease) in sharks are extremely resilient and researchers hope that this quality can be isolated to help slow the spread of cancer, malaria, and other
Shark Blood May Slow the Spread of Cancer Read More 👉
Across the country, cities are passing new laws to allow backyard chickens. Cities across the country have shown new leniency in the urban chicken arena. Ann Arbor, Michigan, South Portland, Maine and Fort Collins Colorado, have all voted in the past year to allow backyard chickens. They join the growing number of U.S. cities
New Cities Join The Urban Chicken Movement Read More 👉
One in six people on the planet do not have access to safe, clean drinking water. Your tap water is fine. Worried it isn’t? Get it tested. If it turns out that it isn’t get a tap water filter, and join a “stream team” (google it to find one in your state). Need to take
The Only Good Bottle of Water is a $20 Bottle of Water Read More 👉
This is a guest post by Meg Hamill who works at LandPaths in Partnership with The Open Space District of Sonoma County, California. Here’s a question, not meant to keep you up at night, but definitely worth thinking about: Which of the foods in your refrigerator right now would be likely to survive a global
The Search is On for Food Crops That Will Survive Global Climate Change Read More 👉
This most recent weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting about two dozen different superheroes. These weren’t your typical eye beam-blasting, web-slinging, high-flying superheroes, though. Instead, they were bicycle-riding, service-providing, and compassion-inspiring superheroes with names like CompashMan (short for compassionate man), Believe-Oh, Love Ninja, Queen Bee, Atomic Calm, and Super OK With Himself Guy. They
Riding a Bike: Superhero Bike Tour of Missouri Read More 👉
There’s something that’s been made increasingly apparent to me living in an ecovillage for the past year: environmental sustainability requires a change in culture. Society cannot achieve this sustainability through simplified living alone. Growing organic food, using renewable energy, and decreasing one’s ecological footprint are all positive things, no doubt, but true, holistic sustainability comes
Ecological Sustainability Requires a Cultural Revolution, Too Read More 👉
You will soon be reliving the summer of ’69, rolling through the Kansas cornfields without a care.
High-Fructose Corn Syrup is Good for You, Aphrodisiac Read More 👉
[social_buttons] Previously believed to be a food-borne disease, researchers have discovered that some cows are genetically predisposed to contract bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The report shows that up to 48,000 cattle in the United States alone could carry the gene. The study concludes that even under the best grass-fed, grazing conditions, cows could still contract the
Study Shows Mad Cow Disease Can be Genetic Read More 👉
Run, Walk or Cycle 30 miles within 30 days starting October 1 to provide safe drinking water to 1,200 kids for life! Register now, it’s easy. You can form a team, find a team or go solo. Cover all of your 30 miles in one shot or spread it out over the entire month! Go
Blue Planet Run: Walk or Cycle 30-Mile Challenge Read More 👉
Milestone Move by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission It’s taken two decades and billions of dollars, but the proposed Yucca Mountain Nuclear Repository project has finally reached a new plateau. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, (NRC) has accepted an application for licensing, and will begin a lengthy process of safety studies, hearings and public meetings. The application
Yucca Mountain Nuclear Repository One Step Closer to Licensing Read More 👉
This is a guest post by Meg Hamill who works at LandPaths, in Partnership with The Open Space District of Sonoma County, California Monday evening, the UN’s top Climate Scientist, Rajendra Pachuari, will speak in London at a meeting organized by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), urging people to fight global warming by taking meat
UN's Top Climate Scientist Urges People to Combat Climate Change by Eating Less Meat Read More 👉
Nature has published a major analysis concluding that higher sea surface temperatures caused by global warming are creating stronger hurricanes. The net effect of global warming on the frequency of hurricane formation remains uncertain. Global warming causes sea surface temperatures to increase, but it also causes wind shear to increase, which disrupts hurricane formation. However,
New Study Concludes Hurricanes are Becoming Stronger Due to Global Warming Read More 👉
This guest post comes to us from the Blue Planet Run Foundation. Annette Fay visited Blue Planet Run’s project in Kisii, a crowded town nestled on top of a hilly, green part of the Kenyan countryside. The news from the completed water project demonstrates just how immense the impact of safe drinking water can be
My Issues and Support of Nuclear Power In the past year or so I’ve been writing articles in opposition to the proliferation of nuclear power stations, not only in the United States, but in the world. The responses have been enlightening, intelligent, pedestrian and downright rude. In each case, the respondents seem to have either
Challenge to the Nuclear Industry: Honest Questions Require Honest Answers Read More 👉
Putting an Old Dog to Rest…Hopefully For years, there have been rumors, and concerns, about playground areas at the Grand Canyon School District, located inside the park, being contaminated with radioactive soil from old uranium mines in the area. I talked with park Public Affairs Officer Maureen Oltrogge, and she said that an investigation is
Uranium Contaminated Soil at Grand Canyon School District Playgrounds? Read More 👉
Note: This post examines Population and Climate Change in honor of World Population Day, Friday, July 11. This post, written by Carolyn Vogel of Population Action International (PAI), originally appeared at RH Reality Check, a daily publication dedicated to news, analysis and commentary on the issues surrounding reproductive health and justice. Examining linkages between population
RH Reality Check: Taking On Population and Climate Change Read More 👉
Just another reason why uranium isn’t the way to go, it costs the taxpayer way too much money for what he receives. Take the former Fernald Feed Materials Production Center at Fernald, Ohio, that’s about 20 miles northwest of Cincinnati. The former uranium processing site opened in complete secrecy during the Cold War in 1951.
Uranium Cleanup in Ohio Costs the Taxpayer Billions Read More 👉
It is one of the least discussed issues when we discuss solutions to the environmental crisis. It is not whether or not the food is organic or sprayed with synthetic chemicals, or whether or not it is grown locally. The underdiscussed issue is the importance of a vegetarian diet for addressing critical environmental issues. As
The Hidden Giant #1: "Food" — Vegetarianism Read More 👉
I am still waiting to hear back from a spokeswoman at the USDA to find out the answer to the question I posed last week: who is in charge of protecting us from crops affected by flood water? In the meantime, I got an alert from the Centers for Disease Control about contaminated water in
Iowa Flood Waters Contaminated Read More 👉
Any time you eat non-organic food, there is a 70 percent chance you are ingesting genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Modern genetic modification is different from historical alterations–such as plant breeding–because today, genes are transferred from one species to another. For instance, when you eat GM food, there is a good chance it has been injected with genes from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)—hence Bt Corn.
Are these GM foods a path to end world hunger and ensure a robust harvest in the face of possible harsh future climates? Or, is it a way for corporations to gain global control over agriculture for profit, releasing organisms that have unknown effects on the environment and human health?
According to the USDA, in 1996, less than 5 percent of soy products were genetically modified. Within 12 years, that amount increased to 90 percent. These have been in our foods for over a decade and as far as we can tell, nothing has really gone wrong. Is that why most Americans are not hearing about GMOs?
You Are Eating GMOs, Should You Care? Read More 👉
