Candles Smell Good, But They Could Be Toxic (Links)
When it Comes to Los Angeles Lawns, Brown is Golden You know it’s the silly season when a member of the Los Angeles City Council weighs in on the importance of green lawns during a drought, as the 12th District’s Greig Smith did several weeks ago. How Much Weed Killer Is Safe in Your Water Glass? New research suggests that atrazine may be dangerous at lower concentrations than previously thought, particularly for fetuses. California Moves Toward Stringent Chromium 6 Standard for Drinking Water California took the first step Thursday toward setting a drinking water standard for chromium 6 that could force cities and water districts to undertake costly treatment. E.P.A. to Set Limits for Water Pollution in Florida After a 2008 lawsuit by the Sierra Club, Florida Wildlife Federation and others, the settlement is the first time the agency has forced numeric limits on nutrient runoff on a state. California to Mandate Recycling for Businesses, Apartments California residents not living in permanent housing may no longer have to deal with the frustration of searching for recycling options. China Closes Factories Amid Growing Protests Over Lead Poisoning Chinese officials have temporarily closed at least five heavy metal smelters as concerns rise over high levels of lead found in children in nearby villages and towns. Environmental Racism? Brazil Sends Toxic Ship Back to Britain A ship supposedly carrying recyclable materials was in fact full of toxic waste, including condoms, syringes, and human waste. Sugar vs. Corn Syrup High-fructose corn syrup was invented in 1957. Calls to Tax Junk Food Gain Ground Cigarette ’sin taxes’ have turned out to be the most effective ways to reduce smoking; will the same tactic work to fight obesity? Candles Smell Good, But They Could Be Toxic Burning certain kinds of candles may generate indoor air pollutants.
Biodiversity and the True Significance of the Human Species (Links)
Lessons From the Reverse Engineering of Nature The importance of biodiversity and the true significance of the human species. Most Damaged Ecosystems Recover in Decades Nearly 75 percent of damaged ecosystems fully or partially recover within decades. Obama team calls a timeout on logging in roadless areas Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says no new activity can begin in roadless areas of national forests without his permission. What Are Zoos For? Behind the rusting gates of Wroclaw Zoo, ivy is claiming the walls of the ramshackle gothic administration building. Recipe for a Resurrection Bringing extinct species back to life is no longer considered science fiction. Why Coral Reefs Around The World Are Collapsing An explosion of knowledge in the last few is helping to explain why coral reefs around the world are collapsing and what it will take for them to survive mounting threats. Toxin Is Accelerating Demise of Prehistoric Chinese Sturgeon A chemical applied to ship hulls is robbing Chinese sturgeon of their eyes and causing other deformities. How to clean up a lake? Man-made floating islands may be the answer. The Luxury City vs. the Middle Class The sustainable city of the future will rest on the revival of traditional institutions that have faded in many of today’s cities. Deer Heaven Humans invented suburbia, but it is deer who may be its most enthusiastic residents. Where’s the Environment Section on Google News? Visit Google News’s home page and you’ll see lots of important stories: elections in India, armed conflict in Pakistan, and the US debate over torture, to name just a few. Is Unesco Damaging the World’s Treasures? Is the “gold standard” project harming the very places it seeks to protect? You Are Here The world’s eco-disasters up close. Why Health Warnings Can Be Bad Researchers warned potential participants that electrodes would be strapped to their temples, and could cause serious headaches. Despite this, 34 students came forward. Recycling Mysteries: #5 Plastics If you’re trying to be more eco-conscious, you might wonder about what to do with yogurt cups, hummus tubs or cottage cheese containers. The Human Influence Index A measure of direct human influence on terrestrial ecosystems using the best available data sets on human settlement (population density, built-up areas), access (roads, railroads, navigable rivers, coastline), landscape transformation (land use/land cover) and electric power infrastructure (nighttime lights). The Human Footprint Index The percentage of relative human influence in each terrestrial biome. percentage the relative human influence in each terrestrial biome.
Stop Drinking Bottled Water
The (many) downsides of bottled water:
• American tap water is among the safest in the world.
• As much as 40% of the bottled water sold in the U.S. is just filtered tap water anyway. Be sure to check the label and look for “from a municipal source” or “community water system”, which just means it is tap water.
• By drinking tap water, you can avoid the fertilizer, pharmaceuticals, disinfectants, and other chemicals that studies have found in bottled water.
• Tap water costs about $0.002 per gallon compared to the $0.89 to $8.26 per gallon charge for bottled water. If the water we use at home cost what even cheap bottled water costs, our monthly water bills would run $9,000.
ESA, UCS, SEX (Links)
Hot on the heels of the Bush Administration’s order to remove science from the Endangered Species Act, a new government report has found more interference with ESA decisions. The EPA has released a ‘most wanted’ list. Maryland State Police used their anti-terror powers to spy on peaceful environmentalists. The UCS has released a guide to low-carbon vacations. Diesel trucks in California must meet new pollution guidelines. Chemicals are killing your sex drive. A group of students ages 9-18 have found a way to stop curb 90% of roadkills. Researchers are trying to find a way to meet golfers and enviros halfway. CSM explores America’s Great Lakes. Ocean fish farming spreads infection to wild fish. A deep sea expedition in the Gulf of California found unprecedented biodiversity and a troubling breadth of human impact. Recyclables are currently worth the same as trash—and aren’t being recycled. After almost 20 years, Exxon Valdez victims have received their first settlement payments. Enviros ‘counter’ clean coal oxymorons. Soldiers returning to the Middle East can look forward to breathing smoke from open air incinerators burning human remains and toxic waste. CNN has laid off its entire environmental, science, and technology news staff.
