This past weekend I went on a retreat. Spirit and Nature...combining "spiritual folks" with "environmental folks" and seeing where our commonality lay, and how we can talk to one another. Interesting. I will post my thoughts on it tomorrow or so. I'm still "digesting"...now, on to "environmental news...to use"
'It is amazing how much we don't know' about our water sources. Across most of Minnesota, basic information to track underground pollution or to determine whether aquifers that supply drinking water can be replenished is lacking. Minneapolis Star Tribune
A toxic well, a life changed. Thirty-five years ago, three Perham, Minn., men drank contaminated well water. The last survivor still suffers its effects. Minneapolis Star Tribune
Proposed reservoir could seep toward Hanford. A massive reservoir intended to provide a more reliable water supply for Washington farmers could seep so much it would significantly raise the water table at the nation's most contaminated nuclear site. Associated Press.
Mattel toys' lead was 180 times the limit. Lead in the paint on some of the toys Mattel recalled this summer was 180 times the amount allowed by law, and Oriental Trading Co. sold jewelry that was almost 100% lead, documents released Tuesday by a congressional subcommittee show. USA Today.
More retailers found to have lead-tainted items. Major American retailers, including Target, Limited Too and Dollar General, have found more lead-contaminated children’s products in their inventories but have not yet notified the public. New York Times.
Toy firms outline delays in recalls. Companies under fire for importing lead-contaminated toys revealed that it can take the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission a month or longer to announce the recall of a dangerous item after the agency is notified of the problem. Chicago Tribune
Health disaster' in French Caribbean linked to pesticides. The indiscriminate use of toxic pesticides on banana plantations in the French Caribbean has left much of the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe poisoned for a century to come. London Independent
Food firms want FDA to oversee imports. The country's largest food suppliers, facing congressional food-safety proposals that could cost them millions of dollars a year, proposed to grant the government more oversight of the industry. Washington Post.
Does my bum look green in this? Natural v synthetic: what are the ecological costs of our clothes? Melbourne Age
Arctic sea ice at record low. Even for a society jaded by the continual breaking of climate records, the retreat of Arctic ice this year is stunning. Nature.
Global warming concerns after Africa deluge. More than 1m people have been hit by some of the worst floods in Africa in a generation, fuelling concerns over the continent’s exposure to extreme weather events linked to climate change. Financial Times
The products that never say die. When wearers of Nike’s Considered Boot decide their footwear has come to the end of its life, the world’s largest sportswear company offers them an alternative to the refuse truck: recycling. Financial Times
Eco barons spend to save the world. From Patagonia to Montana, millions of hectares are being bought by business leaders and placed in private charities, conservation trusts, or handed over to governments as a gift. Sydney Morning Herald
How climate change will affect the world. The effects of climate change will be felt sooner than scientists realised and the world must learn to live with the effects, experts said yesterday. London Guardian
Activist wants San Francisco to see stars, save energy. A former Google spokesman has launched the Lights Out San Francisco campaign. For one full hour on the evening of Oct. 20 he wants people to turn off all unnecessary lights as a way to reduce carbon emissions and preserve natural resources. Los Angeles Times
Firms sign up for carbon rating. Nine leading companies including Coca-Cola and Cadbury have signed up to a scheme to measure and reduce the carbon footprint of certain products. BBC
On the heels of rival, Qantas plants seed to offset footprints. Australia will become the first country in which all major airlines offer carbon offsets, with Qantas and Jetstar announcing a voluntary emission reduction scheme in Canberra yesterday. Sydney Morning Herald
Al Gore opens FEX SIM launch. The launch of a clean technology market on Wednesday had some serious pulling power including the former United States vice-president Al Gore. Australian Associated Press.
Mankind like a bull in a china shop: Gore. The ballooning world population and the dizzying pace of technological change have helped turn mankind into an environmental "bull in a china shop", says climate crusader Al Gore. Australian Associated Press.
Sisters go green at home. The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary have educated tens of thousands of students in Metro Detroit. Now they have set a new path, emphasizing the environment and scientific discoveries as part of their spirituality. Detroit News
Randall Edwards joins state treasurers in pressing for climate change risk disclosures. Oregon Treasurer Randall Edwards has joined a coalition of state treasurers, major investors and environmental groups asking the Securities and Exchange Commission to require publicly traded companies to assess and fully disclose their financial risks from climate change. The Oregonian
Aspen to consider energy use of new development. Aspen has taken the first step in a process that could result in a requirement that all new development be carbon neutral, meaning that buildings create as much energy as they consume, or buy carbon credits to offset the balance. Aspen Daily News
McDonald's to use waste to generate power. McDonald's is building its green credentials by planning to use waste from its restaurants to generate power. Instead of sending waste to landfill 11 restaurants in Yorkshire will go instead to a recycling facility to be converted into electricity. London Daily Telegraph
Green satellites dying. Downsizing climate sensor networks could be bad news for all of us. San Francisco Bay Guardian
Troubled waters and global warming. Scientists must do a better job to educate the public about the potential consequences of the impact on the whole Earth, and all of its inhabitants, of global climate change — and its influence on the ocean. Waldo County Citizen
U.S. pays high price for low-priced goods. Americans should start voting with their credit cards against a production system that trolls the Earth for the most downtrodden labor force and lowest environmental standards. Houston Chronicle
Corporations put profit before safety. Last year alone, unsafe products killed more than 8,000 Americans and sent millions more to emergency rooms. But let's not lay the blame on the crippled regulatory agencies or the Chinese. Atlanta Journal-Constitution