Our Mission: We are igniting a movement that inspires parents to protect young children from harmful chemicals. Donate ยป
Charity Navigator 4 Star CharityBlog
Healthy World Watch December 26th, 2008
Janelle Sorensen
Friday, December 26, 2008
• More than 100 million people living in 46 metro areas are breathing air that has gotten too full of soot on some days, and now those cities have to clean up their air, the Environmental Protection Agency said Monday. The EPA added 15 cities to the sooty air list, mostly in states not usually thought of as pollution-prone, such as Alaska, Utah, Idaho and Wisconsin. That's probably because of the prevalence of wood stoves in western and northern regions, a top EPA official said.
• More milestones for green products and green chemistry. This fall, California passed landmark green chemistry legislation; the U.S. EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) Program recognized its 700th green product; the annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, showcasing environmentally sound construction technologies, drew a record 28,000 people; and a group of influential businesses and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) announced a collaboration to develop products built around safer chemicals and sustainable materials. All of these developments attest to green chemistry’s expanding influence in the U.S. A fundamental tenet of green chemistry is to avoid toxic and hazardous chemicals to the greatest extent possible in both educational and industrial settings, and the discipline’s growing acceptance is “revolutionary,” says Mark Rossi, research director of the NGO Clean Production Action (CPA).
• So is Fish Safe to Eat or Not? The federal government has been trying to persuade pregnant and breast-feeding women to limit their intake of fish because of mercury contamination. Now some federal scientists are arguing that these women should actually increase their fish consumption. The behind-the-scenes disagreement is fierce and raises serious questions for consumers.
• Despite Worries Over Toxins, Breastfeeding Still Best for Babies. Many mothers who breast-feed have been alarmed and perplexed by reports regarding toxins discovered in breast milk. But a review of data from several studies has found that the benefits of breast-feeding far outweigh these potential risks.
