Browsing environmental news sources so you don't have to. Contact Laura Barnes (lbarnes@istc.illinois.edu) with questions, comments, and suggestions.
Follow ENB on TwitterRead the full story from the Washington Post.
A congressional committee is investigating ties between the chemical industry and expert review panels hired by the Environmental Protection Agency to help it determine safe levels for a variety of chemical compounds.
Read the full post at HBRGreen.
A management oath should be created to encourage business leaders to be aware of the broader implications of their actions, including those related to the environment. Simply survey the history of management or business schools’ curricula, and you will see that the notion that corporations have a responsibility to society is not a new idea, simply a forgotten one. Perhaps the frightening and complex issue of climate change will serve as a wake up call for managers and business educators, spurring them to create their own code of conduct.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Children’s Sunglasses
Units: About 144,000
Importer/Distributor: StyleMark Inc., of Ormond Beach, Fla.
Hazard: Surface paint in the orange lettering on the temples of the sunglasses contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.
Description: The recalled children’s sunglasses have Main Street Drag characters on the bottom of one lens. The sunglass frames have dark metallic blue or dark metallic red fronts and gray checkered sides. “Main Street Drag” is printed in orange at the temples. Style number DI25K7116 is printed on the left temple. No other styles are included in this recall.
Sold at: Payless, Walgreen’s, Academy Sports, and CVS stores nationwide from October 2007 through March 2008 for between $6 and $9.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled sunglasses away from children and contact StyleMark for instructions on returning the sunglasses for a free replacement pair.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact StyleMark toll-free at (866) 928-1913 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.stylemark.net
The latest issue of Renewable Energy Weekly is now available. Highlights include:
Read the full post at Environmental Capital.
It’s not a surprise but a bummer nonetheless: Greenhouse-gas emissions are still rising in Europe despite lots of autographs on the Kyoto Protocol and an elaborate cap-and-trade system.
Early analysis of data out today from the European Commission shows that emissions rose about 1.1% last year to 1.9 billion metric tons. That’s after similar increases in 2005 and 2006.
Read the full story from Reuters.
A nationwide survey of nearly 700 people suggests Americans would prefer more money be invested in technology to solve the nation’s energy ailments than to cure cancer or other diseases.
Read the full story at News.com.
The government’s Energy Star program and the tech industry’s Climate Savers Computing Initiative will work over the next three years to develop more-efficient standards for consumer electronics.
Read the full story at Medscape.
The health effects of climate change will take center stage during National Public Health Week 2008, to be observed April 7-13.
With a theme of “Climate Change: Our Health in the Balance,” APHA’s National Public Health Week celebration will rally people, families and communities to help reduce climate change through healthy behaviors and lifestyles. Research has shown that warming temperatures and increases in greenhouse gas emissions are predicted to have dire health effects.
The April 2008 issue of Biomass Magazine is now available. Highlights include:
Read the full story at McMorrowReport.com.
Sustainable management and greener purchasing are becoming critical aspects for hospitals and clinics wanting to present the best face to the community on patient care. For FMs at healthcare facilities, managing green buildings includes meeting the needs of varied users 24/7 — patients, physicians, staff, visitors and community. Protocols leading to safe and healing surroundings are gaining traction.
Read the full story in Nature.
Water supplies are at risk of drying up as the climate warms, but mitigating climate change could mean shifting to water–intensive alternative energy sources. Brian Hoyle reports.
Read the full story in the New York Times.
Some of the most compelling advances in the solar power boom are taking place in financial engineering rather than photovoltaic technology.
Read the full story in Environmental Leader.
Nissan will issue new green procurement guidelines, a set of environmental protocol to augment The Nissan-Renault Purchasing Way, in April, Auto Spectator reports. The guidelines replace the previous green procurement standards issued in 2001 and will apply to all its global auto-parts and materials suppliers.
Read the full story at Environmental Leader.
Southern California Edison will install 250 megawatts of solar panels on 65 million square feet of roofs – that’s two square miles – of Southern California commercial buildings at a cost of $875 million. That project will be the nation’s largest solar cell installation. Enough solar to power 162,000 homes.
Read the full story in Environmental Leader.
Imposing carbon tariffs on China could drive some manufacturers back to North America, according to a new CIBC Coming Home (PDF), The Globe and Mail reports.
