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Label Pains

The U.S. is considering requiring that genetically modified foods be labeled as such, but no decision has been reached, a U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesperson said this week. Some reports indicate that the U.S. hopes to develop a labeling proposal by the time of the World Trade Organization meeting that will begin in Seattle in […]

This Plum Needs Some Pruning

The Sierra Club’s national board of directors is opposing a major swap of public and private land in Washington state, which was approved by the Senate last week. The board heard last week from residents of Randle, Wash., who live near a parcel of national forest called Watch Mountain that would be turned over to […]

Gee, You Mean We Can't Trust the Nuclear Power Industry?

The owner of the Millstone Nuclear Power Station in Connecticut yesterday admitted that the plant had falsified environmental records and deliberately promoted unqualified plant operators, pleading guilty to 23 federal felonies and agreeing to pay $10 million in fines, the largest penalty ever for a U.S. nuclear plant. Prosecutors said the plant’s actions could have […]

Come On, Rudy, Sign the Local Motion

Some 567 local officials from all 50 states — including the mayors of Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. — are calling on the federal government to act more aggressively to combat climate change, in a statement to be released today. As of late last week, enviros had been saying they’d scored a coup […]

Just Two Words: Scary Plastics

Phthalates, plastic-softening chemicals used in medical tubing and children’s toys, are at the center of a contentious debate, with enviros and a number of health experts arguing that the chemicals may cause serious health problems for humans. A panel of scientists led by former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop released a report in June that […]

A Rising Tide Floods All Islands

Small island nations throughout the world are threatened by climate change, toxic waste, and excessive tourism, island leaders said yesterday during a U.N. session in New York focusing on their problems. The 43 members of the Alliance of Small Island States say they want an end to industrial fishing and the transport of nuclear and […]

Pew! Climate Change Stinks

Global warming could have serious effects on both the quality and quantity of freshwater, according to a report released yesterday by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. In mountainous watersheds, global warming will increase the ratio of rain to snow and lead to earlier and greater spring runoff, the report says, which could improve […]

World Bank Plays Shell Game

Enviros yesterday called on the World Bank to deny funding for a proposed 650-mile pipeline that would carry oil from landlocked Chad to the Cameroon coast, cutting through a tropical rainforest and most of Cameroon’s major river systems. The World Bank is expected to decide by November whether to provide $190 million in loans to […]

Annie Berthold-Bond, author

Annie Berthold-Bond is the author of Better Basics for the Home: Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living and Clean & Green. She is also the creator of the betterbasics.com website. Monday, 27 Sep 1999 Rhinebeck, N.Y. The ticks are back. I noticed a bloated tick on the floor yesterday, fallen off our dog Samy. I […]

Natural Born Litterers