toxics
-
Two studies point to ecosystem damage from factory-style farming
How does chemical-intensive, concentrated agriculture affect surrounding ecosystems — and ones that lie downstream from large operations? Seems like a key question, given that upwards of 95 percent of our food comes from such agricultural methods. Yet there has been surprisingly little study of it. For example, when the meat industry started to rapidly consolidate […]
-
New program will certify responsible e-waste recyclers
Monday saw the dawn of the e-Stewards Initiative, the first independently accredited certification program for responsible recycling of electronic waste. “By choosing an e-Steward recycler,” explains Sarah Westervelt of the program, “consumers and large businesses are assured that their old computers and TVs will be safely managed, and not simply tossed into a local landfill, […]
-
E-waste scandal on 60 Minutes
60 Minutes will be airing a segment on the global toxic trade in e-waste tonight. Here’s a preview story and video.
-
The coming e-waste explosion
People should start paying attention to this: On February 17, 2009, television stations will throw the switch, and stop sending out analog TV signal in the United States. On that date, the millions of people who receive “over the air” TV signal (as opposed to cable or satellite subscribers) must have a TV capable of […]
-
Groups warn of possible EPA moves to weaken standards for radioactive releases
A group of 60 environmental and public health organizations sent a letter [PDF] to Environmental Protection Agency administrator Stephen Johnson expressing concern that the agency “is considering a series of actions aimed at dismantling and dramatically weakening decades of EPA policies for protection of the public from ionizing radiation” in the remaining weeks of the […]
-
![]()
![]()
How to green your garage
Start greening your car hole. Photo: Paul Salzman Alt-rock band Weezer kept a Dungeon Master’s Guide, 12-sided die, and KISS posters there. Yours likely has a jumble of old tires, extension cords, motor oil, tire pumps, or camping gear. Not to get all SAT on you, but a garage is to a house what a […]
-
Despite industry lobbying, EPA toughens lead pollution limits
Federal regulators announced Thursday a sharp reduction in legal levels of lead emissions, rejecting pleas by industrial battery recyclers who told White House officials earlier this month that they could be put out of business by tough new limits. “Our nation’s air is cleaner today than just a generation ago, and last night I built […]
-
Bottled water is a sham answer to low-quality tap water
Speaking of bottled water, get this, from Environmental Working Group: The bottled water industry promotes an image of purity, but comprehensive testing by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) reveals a surprising array of chemical contaminants in every bottled water brand analyzed, including toxic byproducts of chlorination in Walmart’s Sam’s Choice and Giant Supermarket’s Acadia brands, […]
-
Recyclers of industrial batteries work to derail tougher EPA standards
Lobbyists for industrial battery recyclers charged over to the White House recently to crank up arguments against possible tough new regulations of lead, a key ingredient of automobile and other heavyweight batteries. The closed-door meetings were prompted by a court order requiring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to act by Wednesday to update its 30-year-old […]
