How imports swamp FDA. The FDA inspects less than 1 percent of all food imports -- yet until several weeks ago planned to close half of its 14 labs. Critics said the plan revealed just how out of touch the FDA is with its food-safety mandate. Chicago Tribune
China's contamination scandals exposed. Under intense pressure to salvage the country's reputation, the government was forced to concede last week that China has "deep-rooted" problems with food and product quality and safety. London Daily Telegraph
Made-in-China kids' pencils recalled over high lead levels. Another children's product made in China has been added to the growing list of recalls over concerns about lead, making it the fourth such recall in less than one month. Canadian Press.
In their prime, and dying of cancer. Adolescents and young adults with cancer once had better prospects than children and older adults. But their survival rates have been virtually frozen since about 1975. Science. (subscription required)
North Dakotans wary of renewed uranium interest. Nearly 50 years later, stung by unregulated uranium mines and worried about their health, many locals wish the radioactive element had never been found in their back yards. Associated Press.
Small-town battle in Fort Worth court. Some people in Somerville, Texas, are convinced that the chemicals used by a plant in town to treat railroad ties made them sick. They are suing the railroad for not doing enough to protect them from the health risks. Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The pine beetle's deadly march. The mountain pine beetle has lived for thousands of years in B.C. forests, usually attacking older, weaker trees. But never before – at least not on record – has it struck so voraciously. Toronto Globe and Mail
More 'megafires' to come, say scientists. Fires of unprecedented ferocity, dubbed "megafires", are sweeping around the world, fuelled by global warming and misguided environmentalism. London Independent
Warming presses fall grape harvest into summertime. Throughout the wine-producing world, from France to South Africa to California, vintners are in the vanguard of confronting the impact of climate change. Washington Post.
Next in biofuels: Poultry power. Poultry poop is a serious ecological problem in Virginia. So is the burning of fossil fuels. Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot
Coastal residents seek water. Pat and Gary Skowron knew something was wrong with their water supply in 1999 when some houseguests turned on the shower one morning — and nothing came out. Oakland Tribune
Service with 'green' purpose. Mary Bixler blamed her chronic ear and sinus infections on her work environment: a traditional dry cleaning shop. York Daily Record
How green is your golf course? Golf courses — partly because of new regulations and partly because water, fertilizer and pesticides cost a lot of money — are becoming more ecologically friendly. Cape Cod Times
Architecture firm living nicely in the green. When Michael Watson, Tom Savory and Sanders Tate go to work each day in their renovated offices at 1316 Washington St., they are practicing what they preach: Green is good for business. Columbia State
Going green: Lifestyle inspires business. T.S. Designs in Burlington, NC is in the business of generating green -- the crisp greenbacks issued by the Federal Reserve and the intangible eco-friendly lifestyle pursued by executives at the T-shirt printing company. Greensboro News & Record
Setting a green pace: Nursing home on leading edge. Notre Dame Health Care is demonstrating how a green transformation can simultaneously cut back on worries and costs. Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Toxin study gets attention. A report produced by a Missoula nonprofit about toxins in common household products is making national headlines. Billings Gazette
Thin whales may be victim of warming, scientists say. Researchers off Mexico's Pacific coast have observed what might be a case of global warming's effects in the far north: gray whales returning to calving grounds malnourished. Associated Press.
Pollution stunts Canada's beluga whales. "The beluga is currently accumulating the biggest load of persistent contaminants," chemicals that do not break down quickly, said Michel Lebeuf, a specialist from the Maurice-Lamontagne research institute. Agence France-Presse.
Executive faces call for green solutions. Scottish National Party ministers are this week being challenged to solve the problems that plague their environmental policies on pollution, transport, waste and wildlife. Glasgow Sunday Herald
Levees get look from above. Helicopters towing what appear to be airborne torpedoes over Central Valley waterways beginning this week are actually using radio waves to measure the stability of hundreds of miles of levees. Stockton Record
NMSU goes green with on-campus vehicles. The newly acquired Global Electric Motorcar is the latest in a series of ongoing efforts to reduce the university community's dependence on traditional fuels for vehicles and make as small an impact on the environment as possible. Las Cruces Sun-News
Pope leads eco-friendly festival.The Catholic Church has declared Sunday "Save Creation Day" as Pope Benedict joined about 300,000 young Roman Catholics for an eco-friendly festival.BBC
Cleanup funds in jeopardy. Unless state lawmakers act quickly to replenish the fund when they return to Harrisburg, PA in mid-September, all of cleanup being done at the Ivy Industrial Park could grind to an abrupt halt. Scranton Times Tribune
$20M needed to upgrade sewer. The updated sewage facilities plan for Hanover Borough, Pennsylvania requires more than $20 million in upgrades to the system and a possible increase in sewer fees for residents. Hanover Evening Sun
Public transit must be a priority. Frustrating, environmentally harmful, debilitating and conducive to rude, obnoxious behavior. What else can you say about automobile traffic in Lake Tahoe? North Lake Tahoe Bonanza
A big harvest isn't necessarily better. Farmers harvest more bushels of corn, pecks of apples and tons of broccoli from an acre of land today than they thought possible decades ago. But impressive yield increases come at a price: less nutritious crops. Albany Times Union
Murray's blustering could mean bigger mine disaster. The Crandall mine disaster, and Robert Murray's position on climate change, can be seen as American entrepreneurship gone bad; the story of how one's balance sheet slowly becomes corrupted by the drive to get more, or get it faster, or get it cheaper. Salt Lake Tribune
Time to tune in to the real world. People are more interested in reality TV than the real world, says Joanna Benn. In this week's Green Room, she argues that environmental groups find it hard to compete for attention in a celeb-obsessed age. BBC
The Australian supermarket company Woolworths has withdrawn a range of tissue products after being outed by an anonymous blogger for using a "Sustainable Forest Fibre" logo on products sourced from a notorious Indonesian forestry company. - PRWatch