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Tag: #ForeverChemicals

Summertime – and the Livin’ Ain’t as Easy as It Was

Summertime – and the Livin’ Ain’t as Easy as It Was

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Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

It’s summer in our part of the world, where we were recently hit with MAJOR heat waves, and before you go all global warming, do remember that it’s summer. It’s meant to be hot.

The week of July 4th  is the biggest vacation week of the year, and just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, Jaws is making a big-screen comeback in honor of the movie’s 50th anniversary! Since its release, we have a lot more to fear from the water than just sharks:

Many of you are or will be taking vacations right about now, hitting the beaches or points unknown, and considering the heat, let’s get into the water: you’ll no doubt be carrying a bottle of the stuff – staying hydrated is important – and may even pick up one or several more along the way. Read More...

The Case for 360 Degree Thinking

The Case for 360 Degree Thinking

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New York City has a composting mandate that’s been in effect since October, but now the powers that be are getting serious about implementing it, meaning, they’re levying fines on buildings/landlords who don’t comply and separate organic material from other detritus.

“But despite the mandate, the participation rate is abysmal: Public data indicates less than 5% of the city’s organic waste is actually being composted,” Gothamist reported.

Meanwhile, NYC landlords fume over new composting fines turning them into dumpster divers: ‘Detached from reality, wrote the New York Post. Read More...

The Science Unintended Consequences

The Science Unintended Consequences

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Image by nugroho dwi hartawan from Pixabay

There’s an old German proverb that says that all things have an end, except for a sausage, which has two. Well, all things have a beginning, too,  including environmental issues. Especially since it seems everyone’s concerned with solving the problems, but that perhaps we’re quickly offered solutions that aren’t.

PFAs

Example: plastic straws were outlawed/removed from many fast-food establishments as they tended to end up in the oceans, endangering marine life. Enter paper straws, but as xatakaon  reported, “Paper Straws Are Often Touted as a Great Alternative to Plastic, But There’s a Small Problem: They’re Toxic… After analyzing 39 brands of straws made of various materials such as plastic, paper, glass, stainless steel, and bamboo, a team (of scientists) found that paper straws contain the most perfluoroalkylated and polyfluoroalkylated substances, also known as PFAS. These synthetic substances are considered harmful to humans, animals, and the environment.”

PFAs are ‘forever chemicals’ that “can lead to health problems such as liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility issues and cancer,” according to the European Environmental Agency, and they’re also found in packaged foods, fabrics, paints, electronics, and pizza boxes, to name just a very few. Read More...