#environmentalpollution — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #environmentalpollution, aggregated by home.social.
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Clinical Waste Washes Ashore on Sheppey Coastline
Illegal clinical waste, including medical vials, found on Sheppey beaches. Concerns rise over environmental and health risks. Cleanup plans are being made.
#SheppeyWaste, #ClinicalWaste, #EnvironmentalPollution, #PublicHealth, #WasteCrime
https://newsletter.tf/clinical-waste-washes-ashore-sheppey-beaches/
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Clinical Waste Washes Ashore on Sheppey Coastline
Illegal clinical waste, including medical vials, found on Sheppey beaches. Concerns rise over environmental and health risks. Cleanup plans are being made.
#SheppeyWaste, #ClinicalWaste, #EnvironmentalPollution, #PublicHealth, #WasteCrime
https://newsletter.tf/clinical-waste-washes-ashore-sheppey-beaches/
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Clinical Waste Washes Ashore on Sheppey Coastline
Illegal clinical waste, including medical vials, found on Sheppey beaches. Concerns rise over environmental and health risks. Cleanup plans are being made.
#SheppeyWaste, #ClinicalWaste, #EnvironmentalPollution, #PublicHealth, #WasteCrime
https://newsletter.tf/clinical-waste-washes-ashore-sheppey-beaches/
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Clinical Waste Washes Ashore on Sheppey Coastline
Illegal clinical waste, including medical vials, found on Sheppey beaches. Concerns rise over environmental and health risks. Cleanup plans are being made.
#SheppeyWaste, #ClinicalWaste, #EnvironmentalPollution, #PublicHealth, #WasteCrime
https://newsletter.tf/clinical-waste-washes-ashore-sheppey-beaches/
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Clinical Waste Washes Ashore on Sheppey Coastline
Illegal clinical waste, including medical vials, found on Sheppey beaches. Concerns rise over environmental and health risks. Cleanup plans are being made.
#SheppeyWaste, #ClinicalWaste, #EnvironmentalPollution, #PublicHealth, #WasteCrime
https://newsletter.tf/clinical-waste-washes-ashore-sheppey-beaches/
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Thousands of tonnes of illegal clinical waste have washed ashore on the Isle of Sheppey, posing serious environmental and health risks.
#SheppeyWaste, #ClinicalWaste, #EnvironmentalPollution, #PublicHealth, #WasteCrime
https://newsletter.tf/clinical-waste-washes-ashore-sheppey-beaches/ -
Thousands of tonnes of illegal clinical waste have washed ashore on the Isle of Sheppey, posing serious environmental and health risks.
#SheppeyWaste, #ClinicalWaste, #EnvironmentalPollution, #PublicHealth, #WasteCrime
https://newsletter.tf/clinical-waste-washes-ashore-sheppey-beaches/ -
Thousands of tonnes of illegal clinical waste have washed ashore on the Isle of Sheppey, posing serious environmental and health risks.
#SheppeyWaste, #ClinicalWaste, #EnvironmentalPollution, #PublicHealth, #WasteCrime
https://newsletter.tf/clinical-waste-washes-ashore-sheppey-beaches/ -
Thousands of tonnes of illegal clinical waste have washed ashore on the Isle of Sheppey, posing serious environmental and health risks.
#SheppeyWaste, #ClinicalWaste, #EnvironmentalPollution, #PublicHealth, #WasteCrime
https://newsletter.tf/clinical-waste-washes-ashore-sheppey-beaches/ -
Thousands of tonnes of illegal clinical waste have washed ashore on the Isle of Sheppey, posing serious environmental and health risks.
#SheppeyWaste, #ClinicalWaste, #EnvironmentalPollution, #PublicHealth, #WasteCrime
https://newsletter.tf/clinical-waste-washes-ashore-sheppey-beaches/ -
Inside America’s carpet capital: an empire and its #toxic legacy
Covering the world in carpet came with a cost no one wants to pay
By Dylan Jackson, Jason Dearen and Justin Price, February 5, 2026
"Bob Shaw glared at the executives from the chemical giant #3M across the table from him. He held up a carpet sample and pointed at the logo for Scotchgard on the back.
" 'That’s not a logo,' fumed Shaw, CEO of the world’s largest #carpet company, one attendee later recalled. 'That’s a target.'
"Weeks earlier, 3M Company announced it would reformulate its signature stain-resistance brand under pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency because of human health and #environmental concerns.
"Mills like Shaw’s had been using Scotchgard in carpet production, releasing its chemical ingredients into the environment for decades. And on a massive scale: The shrewd CEO built Shaw Industries from a family firm in Dalton, Georgia, into a globally dominant carpet maker worth billions.
“I got 15 million of these out in the marketplace,” Shaw told his 3M visitors. 'What am I supposed to do about that?'
"A 3M executive replied that he didn’t know. Shaw threw the sample at him and left the room.
"The answer to Shaw’s Scotchgard question from that moment in 2000 would be the same as that of the broader industry. Carpet makers kept using closely related chemical alternatives for years, even after scientific studies and regulators warned of their accumulation in human blood and possible health effects. Customers expected stain resistance; nothing worked better than the family of chemicals known as PFAS.
"A lack of state and federal regulations allowed carpet companies and their suppliers to legally switch among different versions of these stain-and-soil resistant products. Meanwhile, the local public utility in Dalton responsible for ensuring safe drinking water coordinated with carpet executives in private meetings that would effectively shield their companies from oversight.
"Year after year, the chemicals traveled in water discarded during manufacturing from mills across northwest Georgia, eventually reaching a river system that provides drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people in #Georgia and eastern #Alabama.
"The #pollution is so bad some researchers have identified the region as one of the nation’s PFAS hot spots. Today, the consequences can be found everywhere. PFAS, often called forever chemicals because they can take decades or more to break down, are in the water and the soil.
"They’re in the dust on floors where children crawl, the local #fish and #wildlife, and as ongoing research has shown, the people.
"Doctors have few answers for those like Dolly Baker who live downriver from Dalton’s carpet plants. She recently learned her blood has extraordinarily high PFAS levels.
" 'I feel like, I don’t know, almost like there’s a blanket over me, smothering me that I can’t get out from under,' she said. “It’s just, you’re trapped.' "
Read more:
https://apnews.com/projects/pfas-forever-stained/#PFAS #Scotchguard #ThreeM #3MKnew #3MLied #BigChem #Accountability #WaterIsLife #CancerCausing #EnvironmentalPollution #ForeverChemicals #Carpeting #WoolRugs #HempRugs #DontTrustBigChem #PFASPollution
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Inside America’s carpet capital: an empire and its #toxic legacy
Covering the world in carpet came with a cost no one wants to pay
By Dylan Jackson, Jason Dearen and Justin Price, February 5, 2026
"Bob Shaw glared at the executives from the chemical giant #3M across the table from him. He held up a carpet sample and pointed at the logo for Scotchgard on the back.
" 'That’s not a logo,' fumed Shaw, CEO of the world’s largest #carpet company, one attendee later recalled. 'That’s a target.'
"Weeks earlier, 3M Company announced it would reformulate its signature stain-resistance brand under pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency because of human health and #environmental concerns.
"Mills like Shaw’s had been using Scotchgard in carpet production, releasing its chemical ingredients into the environment for decades. And on a massive scale: The shrewd CEO built Shaw Industries from a family firm in Dalton, Georgia, into a globally dominant carpet maker worth billions.
“I got 15 million of these out in the marketplace,” Shaw told his 3M visitors. 'What am I supposed to do about that?'
"A 3M executive replied that he didn’t know. Shaw threw the sample at him and left the room.
"The answer to Shaw’s Scotchgard question from that moment in 2000 would be the same as that of the broader industry. Carpet makers kept using closely related chemical alternatives for years, even after scientific studies and regulators warned of their accumulation in human blood and possible health effects. Customers expected stain resistance; nothing worked better than the family of chemicals known as PFAS.
"A lack of state and federal regulations allowed carpet companies and their suppliers to legally switch among different versions of these stain-and-soil resistant products. Meanwhile, the local public utility in Dalton responsible for ensuring safe drinking water coordinated with carpet executives in private meetings that would effectively shield their companies from oversight.
"Year after year, the chemicals traveled in water discarded during manufacturing from mills across northwest Georgia, eventually reaching a river system that provides drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people in #Georgia and eastern #Alabama.
"The #pollution is so bad some researchers have identified the region as one of the nation’s PFAS hot spots. Today, the consequences can be found everywhere. PFAS, often called forever chemicals because they can take decades or more to break down, are in the water and the soil.
"They’re in the dust on floors where children crawl, the local #fish and #wildlife, and as ongoing research has shown, the people.
"Doctors have few answers for those like Dolly Baker who live downriver from Dalton’s carpet plants. She recently learned her blood has extraordinarily high PFAS levels.
" 'I feel like, I don’t know, almost like there’s a blanket over me, smothering me that I can’t get out from under,' she said. “It’s just, you’re trapped.' "
Read more:
https://apnews.com/projects/pfas-forever-stained/#PFAS #Scotchguard #ThreeM #3MKnew #3MLied #BigChem #Accountability #WaterIsLife #CancerCausing #EnvironmentalPollution #ForeverChemicals #Carpeting #WoolRugs #HempRugs #DontTrustBigChem #PFASPollution
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Inside America’s carpet capital: an empire and its #toxic legacy
Covering the world in carpet came with a cost no one wants to pay
By Dylan Jackson, Jason Dearen and Justin Price, February 5, 2026
"Bob Shaw glared at the executives from the chemical giant #3M across the table from him. He held up a carpet sample and pointed at the logo for Scotchgard on the back.
" 'That’s not a logo,' fumed Shaw, CEO of the world’s largest #carpet company, one attendee later recalled. 'That’s a target.'
"Weeks earlier, 3M Company announced it would reformulate its signature stain-resistance brand under pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency because of human health and #environmental concerns.
"Mills like Shaw’s had been using Scotchgard in carpet production, releasing its chemical ingredients into the environment for decades. And on a massive scale: The shrewd CEO built Shaw Industries from a family firm in Dalton, Georgia, into a globally dominant carpet maker worth billions.
“I got 15 million of these out in the marketplace,” Shaw told his 3M visitors. 'What am I supposed to do about that?'
"A 3M executive replied that he didn’t know. Shaw threw the sample at him and left the room.
"The answer to Shaw’s Scotchgard question from that moment in 2000 would be the same as that of the broader industry. Carpet makers kept using closely related chemical alternatives for years, even after scientific studies and regulators warned of their accumulation in human blood and possible health effects. Customers expected stain resistance; nothing worked better than the family of chemicals known as PFAS.
"A lack of state and federal regulations allowed carpet companies and their suppliers to legally switch among different versions of these stain-and-soil resistant products. Meanwhile, the local public utility in Dalton responsible for ensuring safe drinking water coordinated with carpet executives in private meetings that would effectively shield their companies from oversight.
"Year after year, the chemicals traveled in water discarded during manufacturing from mills across northwest Georgia, eventually reaching a river system that provides drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people in #Georgia and eastern #Alabama.
"The #pollution is so bad some researchers have identified the region as one of the nation’s PFAS hot spots. Today, the consequences can be found everywhere. PFAS, often called forever chemicals because they can take decades or more to break down, are in the water and the soil.
"They’re in the dust on floors where children crawl, the local #fish and #wildlife, and as ongoing research has shown, the people.
"Doctors have few answers for those like Dolly Baker who live downriver from Dalton’s carpet plants. She recently learned her blood has extraordinarily high PFAS levels.
" 'I feel like, I don’t know, almost like there’s a blanket over me, smothering me that I can’t get out from under,' she said. “It’s just, you’re trapped.' "
Read more:
https://apnews.com/projects/pfas-forever-stained/#PFAS #Scotchguard #ThreeM #3MKnew #3MLied #BigChem #Accountability #WaterIsLife #CancerCausing #EnvironmentalPollution #ForeverChemicals #Carpeting #WoolRugs #HempRugs #DontTrustBigChem #PFASPollution
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Inside America’s carpet capital: an empire and its #toxic legacy
Covering the world in carpet came with a cost no one wants to pay
By Dylan Jackson, Jason Dearen and Justin Price, February 5, 2026
"Bob Shaw glared at the executives from the chemical giant #3M across the table from him. He held up a carpet sample and pointed at the logo for Scotchgard on the back.
" 'That’s not a logo,' fumed Shaw, CEO of the world’s largest #carpet company, one attendee later recalled. 'That’s a target.'
"Weeks earlier, 3M Company announced it would reformulate its signature stain-resistance brand under pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency because of human health and #environmental concerns.
"Mills like Shaw’s had been using Scotchgard in carpet production, releasing its chemical ingredients into the environment for decades. And on a massive scale: The shrewd CEO built Shaw Industries from a family firm in Dalton, Georgia, into a globally dominant carpet maker worth billions.
“I got 15 million of these out in the marketplace,” Shaw told his 3M visitors. 'What am I supposed to do about that?'
"A 3M executive replied that he didn’t know. Shaw threw the sample at him and left the room.
"The answer to Shaw’s Scotchgard question from that moment in 2000 would be the same as that of the broader industry. Carpet makers kept using closely related chemical alternatives for years, even after scientific studies and regulators warned of their accumulation in human blood and possible health effects. Customers expected stain resistance; nothing worked better than the family of chemicals known as PFAS.
"A lack of state and federal regulations allowed carpet companies and their suppliers to legally switch among different versions of these stain-and-soil resistant products. Meanwhile, the local public utility in Dalton responsible for ensuring safe drinking water coordinated with carpet executives in private meetings that would effectively shield their companies from oversight.
"Year after year, the chemicals traveled in water discarded during manufacturing from mills across northwest Georgia, eventually reaching a river system that provides drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people in #Georgia and eastern #Alabama.
"The #pollution is so bad some researchers have identified the region as one of the nation’s PFAS hot spots. Today, the consequences can be found everywhere. PFAS, often called forever chemicals because they can take decades or more to break down, are in the water and the soil.
"They’re in the dust on floors where children crawl, the local #fish and #wildlife, and as ongoing research has shown, the people.
"Doctors have few answers for those like Dolly Baker who live downriver from Dalton’s carpet plants. She recently learned her blood has extraordinarily high PFAS levels.
" 'I feel like, I don’t know, almost like there’s a blanket over me, smothering me that I can’t get out from under,' she said. “It’s just, you’re trapped.' "
Read more:
https://apnews.com/projects/pfas-forever-stained/#PFAS #Scotchguard #ThreeM #3MKnew #3MLied #BigChem #Accountability #WaterIsLife #CancerCausing #EnvironmentalPollution #ForeverChemicals #Carpeting #WoolRugs #HempRugs #DontTrustBigChem #PFASPollution
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Inside America’s carpet capital: an empire and its #toxic legacy
Covering the world in carpet came with a cost no one wants to pay
By Dylan Jackson, Jason Dearen and Justin Price, February 5, 2026
"Bob Shaw glared at the executives from the chemical giant #3M across the table from him. He held up a carpet sample and pointed at the logo for Scotchgard on the back.
" 'That’s not a logo,' fumed Shaw, CEO of the world’s largest #carpet company, one attendee later recalled. 'That’s a target.'
"Weeks earlier, 3M Company announced it would reformulate its signature stain-resistance brand under pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency because of human health and #environmental concerns.
"Mills like Shaw’s had been using Scotchgard in carpet production, releasing its chemical ingredients into the environment for decades. And on a massive scale: The shrewd CEO built Shaw Industries from a family firm in Dalton, Georgia, into a globally dominant carpet maker worth billions.
“I got 15 million of these out in the marketplace,” Shaw told his 3M visitors. 'What am I supposed to do about that?'
"A 3M executive replied that he didn’t know. Shaw threw the sample at him and left the room.
"The answer to Shaw’s Scotchgard question from that moment in 2000 would be the same as that of the broader industry. Carpet makers kept using closely related chemical alternatives for years, even after scientific studies and regulators warned of their accumulation in human blood and possible health effects. Customers expected stain resistance; nothing worked better than the family of chemicals known as PFAS.
"A lack of state and federal regulations allowed carpet companies and their suppliers to legally switch among different versions of these stain-and-soil resistant products. Meanwhile, the local public utility in Dalton responsible for ensuring safe drinking water coordinated with carpet executives in private meetings that would effectively shield their companies from oversight.
"Year after year, the chemicals traveled in water discarded during manufacturing from mills across northwest Georgia, eventually reaching a river system that provides drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people in #Georgia and eastern #Alabama.
"The #pollution is so bad some researchers have identified the region as one of the nation’s PFAS hot spots. Today, the consequences can be found everywhere. PFAS, often called forever chemicals because they can take decades or more to break down, are in the water and the soil.
"They’re in the dust on floors where children crawl, the local #fish and #wildlife, and as ongoing research has shown, the people.
"Doctors have few answers for those like Dolly Baker who live downriver from Dalton’s carpet plants. She recently learned her blood has extraordinarily high PFAS levels.
" 'I feel like, I don’t know, almost like there’s a blanket over me, smothering me that I can’t get out from under,' she said. “It’s just, you’re trapped.' "
Read more:
https://apnews.com/projects/pfas-forever-stained/#PFAS #Scotchguard #ThreeM #3MKnew #3MLied #BigChem #Accountability #WaterIsLife #CancerCausing #EnvironmentalPollution #ForeverChemicals #Carpeting #WoolRugs #HempRugs #DontTrustBigChem #PFASPollution
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https://www.europesays.com/uk/203228/ Newly discovered soil microbe helps clean water #BiogeochemicalRemediation #CriticalZone #DeepSoilMicrobes #EcologicalHealth #Environment #EnvironmentalPollution #GroundwaterPurification #JamesTiedje #MicrobialCommunities #MicrobialEcology #MSUResearch #PNASJournalStudy #PollutionCleanup #Science #SoilHealth #Sysuimicrobiota #UK #UnitedKingdom #WaterPurification
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#Trump #EPA’s Next Move: Making It Harder to Sue for Getting Cancer from #Roundup
The corporation behind Roundup #herbicide has paid out nearly $11 billion in lawsuits. Now it's backing an EPA rule that would stop the bleeding.
by Schuyler Mitchell, March 21 2025
"Last August, 11 industry-friendly red states, led by Nebraska and Iowa, submitted a 436-page petition asking the agency to amend its labeling rules under the Federal #Insecticide, #Rodenticide, and Fungicide Act, or #FIFRA. The proposed rule change would explicitly prohibit states from labeling #pesticides and #herbicides with warnings about cancer, #BirthDefects, and reproductive harm if those notices contradict the EPA’s risk assessment.
"The states made clear that their ultimate goal is to thwart future lawsuits against pesticide manufacturers. Their petition argued that recent court rulings have created a 'gap in FIFRA’s regulatory framework' that the proposed rule change would plug.
"In January, in a move initiated by the Biden administration, the EPA took a first step of accepting public comment on the rule-making petition, with a deadline of March 24 — though this step is exploratory and does not mean a new rule will be issued. Still, the EPA’s decision could have disastrous consequences if Donald Trump’s second administration is as friendly to the #ChemicalIndustry as it was in his first.
"'It’s telling of the lengths that pesticide manufacturers will go to make sure that nothing interferes with their profit margins,' said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity. 'There’s a reality that the industry itself generates much of the data, and they say it’s safe, and then EPA approves that determination.”
Read more:
https://theintercept.com/2025/03/21/trump-epa-monsanto-roundup-bayer-cancer-chemicals/Archived version:
https://archive.ph/VsfWELink for public comment:
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-HQ-OPP-2024-0562
#KillThePoor #Ecocide #GlyphosateKills #MonsantoKills #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #Pollution #RunOff #Cancer #EnvironmentalPollution #USPol #BigChemical #BigAg #RoundupReady #Microbiota #BeeKilling #BayerKills #CenterForBiologicalDiversity -
So, fracturing amongst the various environmental and social justice groups has been going on as long as I've been in the movement. But there have always been those (like myself and some of my colleagues in #EarthFirst and the #ThomasMortonAlliance and #AIM) that saw #HumanRights abuses and #EnvironmentalPollution as being connected -- and that #CorporateGreed was the main driver of most of the issues facing our planet!
Hear Me Out: In 2025, Climate Activists Should Spend Less Time on Climate
If you’re a climate activist who doesn’t know what to do for the next four years, the answer is remarkably simple: Join other movements.
“[Climate is] not more urgent than kids being ripped away from their families and dying in the desert—anyone who tries to win that argument is monstrous themselves. We either merge, join forces, or we lose,” #NaomiKlein, 2019.
Sophie Shepherd
Jan 09, 2025, Common Dreams"Yet my optimism arises out of a different trend in the climate movement: Climate activists are (finally) showing up for other movements.
"Historically, the climate movement has attempted to isolate itself from other political and social issues, arguing that climate policy is 'just science.' This majority-white movement has failed to see that fossil fuel emissions are part of a larger history of the Global North #colonizing and exploiting both people and the planet for decades. The climate crisis is a symptom of a broader exploitative system. To change that system, we need a united left that will fight for all people—not just those who identify as environmentalists.
"In 2020, climate activists were rightfully berated for not showing up enough for the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Thankfully, I think many climate activists heard that message because today, they have come out in droves for #Palestine.
"Many of the college students who organized campus encampments last spring to urge their school administrators to divest from Israel and the U.S. imperial war machine were students who had previously organized for climate justice. I witnessed this firsthand at the Claremont Colleges when I was a senior: The student organizations demanding fossil fuel divestment fell to the wayside as the crisis in Gaza intensified. Globally, many climate organizations chose to speak out and take direct action to call for a cease-fire in Gaza.
"But none of these climate activists had stopped caring about the climate. In fact, they often pointed out that Israel’s actions were not just #genocide, but #ecocide as well. The onslaught of #bombs dropped on Gaza will contaminate the soil and groundwater in the region for decades. And the destruction has produced at least 54.5 million tons of carbon dioxide, equal to the annual emissions of 16 coal-fired power plants.
"Climate activists cannot claim to fight for a just future and stay silent about genocide. 'If we, as climate activists, aren’t able to see and speak up against the current #marginalization and oppression and killing of people today, then I don’t think we should be able to call ourselves #climatejustice [activists],' climate champion #GretaThunberg told Al Jazeera in early December 2024.
"As Trump prepares to enter the White House, we will undoubtedly see more people oppressed and killed. Among the many groups who are vulnerable under his administration are undocumented immigrants, whom Trump has vowed to round up and deport.
"Migrant justice has long been intertwined with climate justice. As climate change makes many areas around the world uninhabitable, climate refugees have no choice but to leave their home.
In response to Trump’s election, climate organizers Jeff Ordower and Ahmed Gaya called on their fellow activists to bring their experiences of shutting down pipelines and coal plants to fight the incarceration and deportation we can expect under Trump. Climate activists should answer this call: The struggles for migrant justice and climate justice are intertwined, and we must meet the needs of the current moment.
"'[Climate is] not more urgent than kids being ripped away from their families and dying in the desert—anyone who tries to win that argument is monstrous themselves. We either merge, join forces, or we lose,' writer and activist Naomi Klein said in 2019.
"With Trump as president, things will undoubtedly get worse before they get better. We need to build a strong left to fight fascism during Trump’s presidency and to build a just green future in its aftermath. To do so, climate activists must put their words into action when they say they fight for every living being."
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/climate-movement-fight-fascism?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
#WaterIsLife #NoGenocide #NoBombs #HumanRightsAreNeverWrong -
So, fracturing amongst the various environmental and social justice groups has been going on as long as I've been in the movement. But there have always been those (like myself and some of my colleagues in #EarthFirst and the #ThomasMortonAlliance and #AIM) that saw #HumanRights abuses and #EnvironmentalPollution as being connected -- and that #CorporateGreed was the main driver of most of the issues facing our planet!
Hear Me Out: In 2025, Climate Activists Should Spend Less Time on Climate
If you’re a climate activist who doesn’t know what to do for the next four years, the answer is remarkably simple: Join other movements.
“[Climate is] not more urgent than kids being ripped away from their families and dying in the desert—anyone who tries to win that argument is monstrous themselves. We either merge, join forces, or we lose,” #NaomiKlein, 2019.
Sophie Shepherd
Jan 09, 2025, Common Dreams"Yet my optimism arises out of a different trend in the climate movement: Climate activists are (finally) showing up for other movements.
"Historically, the climate movement has attempted to isolate itself from other political and social issues, arguing that climate policy is 'just science.' This majority-white movement has failed to see that fossil fuel emissions are part of a larger history of the Global North #colonizing and exploiting both people and the planet for decades. The climate crisis is a symptom of a broader exploitative system. To change that system, we need a united left that will fight for all people—not just those who identify as environmentalists.
"In 2020, climate activists were rightfully berated for not showing up enough for the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Thankfully, I think many climate activists heard that message because today, they have come out in droves for #Palestine.
"Many of the college students who organized campus encampments last spring to urge their school administrators to divest from Israel and the U.S. imperial war machine were students who had previously organized for climate justice. I witnessed this firsthand at the Claremont Colleges when I was a senior: The student organizations demanding fossil fuel divestment fell to the wayside as the crisis in Gaza intensified. Globally, many climate organizations chose to speak out and take direct action to call for a cease-fire in Gaza.
"But none of these climate activists had stopped caring about the climate. In fact, they often pointed out that Israel’s actions were not just #genocide, but #ecocide as well. The onslaught of #bombs dropped on Gaza will contaminate the soil and groundwater in the region for decades. And the destruction has produced at least 54.5 million tons of carbon dioxide, equal to the annual emissions of 16 coal-fired power plants.
"Climate activists cannot claim to fight for a just future and stay silent about genocide. 'If we, as climate activists, aren’t able to see and speak up against the current #marginalization and oppression and killing of people today, then I don’t think we should be able to call ourselves #climatejustice [activists],' climate champion #GretaThunberg told Al Jazeera in early December 2024.
"As Trump prepares to enter the White House, we will undoubtedly see more people oppressed and killed. Among the many groups who are vulnerable under his administration are undocumented immigrants, whom Trump has vowed to round up and deport.
"Migrant justice has long been intertwined with climate justice. As climate change makes many areas around the world uninhabitable, climate refugees have no choice but to leave their home.
In response to Trump’s election, climate organizers Jeff Ordower and Ahmed Gaya called on their fellow activists to bring their experiences of shutting down pipelines and coal plants to fight the incarceration and deportation we can expect under Trump. Climate activists should answer this call: The struggles for migrant justice and climate justice are intertwined, and we must meet the needs of the current moment.
"'[Climate is] not more urgent than kids being ripped away from their families and dying in the desert—anyone who tries to win that argument is monstrous themselves. We either merge, join forces, or we lose,' writer and activist Naomi Klein said in 2019.
"With Trump as president, things will undoubtedly get worse before they get better. We need to build a strong left to fight fascism during Trump’s presidency and to build a just green future in its aftermath. To do so, climate activists must put their words into action when they say they fight for every living being."
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/climate-movement-fight-fascism?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
#WaterIsLife #NoGenocide #NoBombs #HumanRightsAreNeverWrong -
So, fracturing amongst the various environmental and social justice groups has been going on as long as I've been in the movement. But there have always been those (like myself and some of my colleagues in #EarthFirst and the #ThomasMortonAlliance and #AIM) that saw #HumanRights abuses and #EnvironmentalPollution as being connected -- and that #CorporateGreed was the main driver of most of the issues facing our planet!
Hear Me Out: In 2025, Climate Activists Should Spend Less Time on Climate
If you’re a climate activist who doesn’t know what to do for the next four years, the answer is remarkably simple: Join other movements.
“[Climate is] not more urgent than kids being ripped away from their families and dying in the desert—anyone who tries to win that argument is monstrous themselves. We either merge, join forces, or we lose,” #NaomiKlein, 2019.
Sophie Shepherd
Jan 09, 2025, Common Dreams"Yet my optimism arises out of a different trend in the climate movement: Climate activists are (finally) showing up for other movements.
"Historically, the climate movement has attempted to isolate itself from other political and social issues, arguing that climate policy is 'just science.' This majority-white movement has failed to see that fossil fuel emissions are part of a larger history of the Global North #colonizing and exploiting both people and the planet for decades. The climate crisis is a symptom of a broader exploitative system. To change that system, we need a united left that will fight for all people—not just those who identify as environmentalists.
"In 2020, climate activists were rightfully berated for not showing up enough for the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Thankfully, I think many climate activists heard that message because today, they have come out in droves for #Palestine.
"Many of the college students who organized campus encampments last spring to urge their school administrators to divest from Israel and the U.S. imperial war machine were students who had previously organized for climate justice. I witnessed this firsthand at the Claremont Colleges when I was a senior: The student organizations demanding fossil fuel divestment fell to the wayside as the crisis in Gaza intensified. Globally, many climate organizations chose to speak out and take direct action to call for a cease-fire in Gaza.
"But none of these climate activists had stopped caring about the climate. In fact, they often pointed out that Israel’s actions were not just #genocide, but #ecocide as well. The onslaught of #bombs dropped on Gaza will contaminate the soil and groundwater in the region for decades. And the destruction has produced at least 54.5 million tons of carbon dioxide, equal to the annual emissions of 16 coal-fired power plants.
"Climate activists cannot claim to fight for a just future and stay silent about genocide. 'If we, as climate activists, aren’t able to see and speak up against the current #marginalization and oppression and killing of people today, then I don’t think we should be able to call ourselves #climatejustice [activists],' climate champion #GretaThunberg told Al Jazeera in early December 2024.
"As Trump prepares to enter the White House, we will undoubtedly see more people oppressed and killed. Among the many groups who are vulnerable under his administration are undocumented immigrants, whom Trump has vowed to round up and deport.
"Migrant justice has long been intertwined with climate justice. As climate change makes many areas around the world uninhabitable, climate refugees have no choice but to leave their home.
In response to Trump’s election, climate organizers Jeff Ordower and Ahmed Gaya called on their fellow activists to bring their experiences of shutting down pipelines and coal plants to fight the incarceration and deportation we can expect under Trump. Climate activists should answer this call: The struggles for migrant justice and climate justice are intertwined, and we must meet the needs of the current moment.
"'[Climate is] not more urgent than kids being ripped away from their families and dying in the desert—anyone who tries to win that argument is monstrous themselves. We either merge, join forces, or we lose,' writer and activist Naomi Klein said in 2019.
"With Trump as president, things will undoubtedly get worse before they get better. We need to build a strong left to fight fascism during Trump’s presidency and to build a just green future in its aftermath. To do so, climate activists must put their words into action when they say they fight for every living being."
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/climate-movement-fight-fascism?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
#WaterIsLife #NoGenocide #NoBombs #HumanRightsAreNeverWrong -
So, fracturing amongst the various environmental and social justice groups has been going on as long as I've been in the movement. But there have always been those (like myself and some of my colleagues in #EarthFirst and the #ThomasMortonAlliance and #AIM) that saw #HumanRights abuses and #EnvironmentalPollution as being connected -- and that #CorporateGreed was the main driver of most of the issues facing our planet!
Hear Me Out: In 2025, Climate Activists Should Spend Less Time on Climate
If you’re a climate activist who doesn’t know what to do for the next four years, the answer is remarkably simple: Join other movements.
“[Climate is] not more urgent than kids being ripped away from their families and dying in the desert—anyone who tries to win that argument is monstrous themselves. We either merge, join forces, or we lose,” #NaomiKlein, 2019.
Sophie Shepherd
Jan 09, 2025, Common Dreams"Yet my optimism arises out of a different trend in the climate movement: Climate activists are (finally) showing up for other movements.
"Historically, the climate movement has attempted to isolate itself from other political and social issues, arguing that climate policy is 'just science.' This majority-white movement has failed to see that fossil fuel emissions are part of a larger history of the Global North #colonizing and exploiting both people and the planet for decades. The climate crisis is a symptom of a broader exploitative system. To change that system, we need a united left that will fight for all people—not just those who identify as environmentalists.
"In 2020, climate activists were rightfully berated for not showing up enough for the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Thankfully, I think many climate activists heard that message because today, they have come out in droves for #Palestine.
"Many of the college students who organized campus encampments last spring to urge their school administrators to divest from Israel and the U.S. imperial war machine were students who had previously organized for climate justice. I witnessed this firsthand at the Claremont Colleges when I was a senior: The student organizations demanding fossil fuel divestment fell to the wayside as the crisis in Gaza intensified. Globally, many climate organizations chose to speak out and take direct action to call for a cease-fire in Gaza.
"But none of these climate activists had stopped caring about the climate. In fact, they often pointed out that Israel’s actions were not just #genocide, but #ecocide as well. The onslaught of #bombs dropped on Gaza will contaminate the soil and groundwater in the region for decades. And the destruction has produced at least 54.5 million tons of carbon dioxide, equal to the annual emissions of 16 coal-fired power plants.
"Climate activists cannot claim to fight for a just future and stay silent about genocide. 'If we, as climate activists, aren’t able to see and speak up against the current #marginalization and oppression and killing of people today, then I don’t think we should be able to call ourselves #climatejustice [activists],' climate champion #GretaThunberg told Al Jazeera in early December 2024.
"As Trump prepares to enter the White House, we will undoubtedly see more people oppressed and killed. Among the many groups who are vulnerable under his administration are undocumented immigrants, whom Trump has vowed to round up and deport.
"Migrant justice has long been intertwined with climate justice. As climate change makes many areas around the world uninhabitable, climate refugees have no choice but to leave their home.
In response to Trump’s election, climate organizers Jeff Ordower and Ahmed Gaya called on their fellow activists to bring their experiences of shutting down pipelines and coal plants to fight the incarceration and deportation we can expect under Trump. Climate activists should answer this call: The struggles for migrant justice and climate justice are intertwined, and we must meet the needs of the current moment.
"'[Climate is] not more urgent than kids being ripped away from their families and dying in the desert—anyone who tries to win that argument is monstrous themselves. We either merge, join forces, or we lose,' writer and activist Naomi Klein said in 2019.
"With Trump as president, things will undoubtedly get worse before they get better. We need to build a strong left to fight fascism during Trump’s presidency and to build a just green future in its aftermath. To do so, climate activists must put their words into action when they say they fight for every living being."
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/climate-movement-fight-fascism?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
#WaterIsLife #NoGenocide #NoBombs #HumanRightsAreNeverWrong -
So, fracturing amongst the various environmental and social justice groups has been going on as long as I've been in the movement. But there have always been those (like myself and some of my colleagues in #EarthFirst and the #ThomasMortonAlliance and #AIM) that saw #HumanRights abuses and #EnvironmentalPollution as being connected -- and that #CorporateGreed was the main driver of most of the issues facing our planet!
Hear Me Out: In 2025, Climate Activists Should Spend Less Time on Climate
If you’re a climate activist who doesn’t know what to do for the next four years, the answer is remarkably simple: Join other movements.
“[Climate is] not more urgent than kids being ripped away from their families and dying in the desert—anyone who tries to win that argument is monstrous themselves. We either merge, join forces, or we lose,” #NaomiKlein, 2019.
Sophie Shepherd
Jan 09, 2025, Common Dreams"Yet my optimism arises out of a different trend in the climate movement: Climate activists are (finally) showing up for other movements.
"Historically, the climate movement has attempted to isolate itself from other political and social issues, arguing that climate policy is 'just science.' This majority-white movement has failed to see that fossil fuel emissions are part of a larger history of the Global North #colonizing and exploiting both people and the planet for decades. The climate crisis is a symptom of a broader exploitative system. To change that system, we need a united left that will fight for all people—not just those who identify as environmentalists.
"In 2020, climate activists were rightfully berated for not showing up enough for the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Thankfully, I think many climate activists heard that message because today, they have come out in droves for #Palestine.
"Many of the college students who organized campus encampments last spring to urge their school administrators to divest from Israel and the U.S. imperial war machine were students who had previously organized for climate justice. I witnessed this firsthand at the Claremont Colleges when I was a senior: The student organizations demanding fossil fuel divestment fell to the wayside as the crisis in Gaza intensified. Globally, many climate organizations chose to speak out and take direct action to call for a cease-fire in Gaza.
"But none of these climate activists had stopped caring about the climate. In fact, they often pointed out that Israel’s actions were not just #genocide, but #ecocide as well. The onslaught of #bombs dropped on Gaza will contaminate the soil and groundwater in the region for decades. And the destruction has produced at least 54.5 million tons of carbon dioxide, equal to the annual emissions of 16 coal-fired power plants.
"Climate activists cannot claim to fight for a just future and stay silent about genocide. 'If we, as climate activists, aren’t able to see and speak up against the current #marginalization and oppression and killing of people today, then I don’t think we should be able to call ourselves #climatejustice [activists],' climate champion #GretaThunberg told Al Jazeera in early December 2024.
"As Trump prepares to enter the White House, we will undoubtedly see more people oppressed and killed. Among the many groups who are vulnerable under his administration are undocumented immigrants, whom Trump has vowed to round up and deport.
"Migrant justice has long been intertwined with climate justice. As climate change makes many areas around the world uninhabitable, climate refugees have no choice but to leave their home.
In response to Trump’s election, climate organizers Jeff Ordower and Ahmed Gaya called on their fellow activists to bring their experiences of shutting down pipelines and coal plants to fight the incarceration and deportation we can expect under Trump. Climate activists should answer this call: The struggles for migrant justice and climate justice are intertwined, and we must meet the needs of the current moment.
"'[Climate is] not more urgent than kids being ripped away from their families and dying in the desert—anyone who tries to win that argument is monstrous themselves. We either merge, join forces, or we lose,' writer and activist Naomi Klein said in 2019.
"With Trump as president, things will undoubtedly get worse before they get better. We need to build a strong left to fight fascism during Trump’s presidency and to build a just green future in its aftermath. To do so, climate activists must put their words into action when they say they fight for every living being."
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/climate-movement-fight-fascism?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
#WaterIsLife #NoGenocide #NoBombs #HumanRightsAreNeverWrong -
@KeithDJohnson That was an excellent episode. Just finished watching it.
#DeadZones #EnvironmentalPollution #NitrogenPollution #Corn
#CropRotation NOT #monocrops -
#FloorWaxing could be an important source of #PFAS #contamination, with increased #occupational health risks for #workers
May 25, 2022
"There’s a special satisfaction that comes from walking on perfectly shined floors — but is it worth the potential risk to floor waxing workers?
"A study published earlier this year measured per- and #polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in #dust and airborne #ParticulateMatter [which means it's going into the air that everyone breathes -- just not humans] during professional floor stripping and waxing. After estimating PFAS emission rates generated from the process, researchers concluded that significantly higher levels of PFAS were present during floor waxing.
"The study was led by Jiaqi Zhou, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health. Collaborators include Karsten Baumann; Naomi Chang; Glenn Morrison; Wanda Bodnar; Zhenfa Zhang; Jason Surratt; and Barbara J. Turpin — all with the Gillings School — and Joanna M. Atkin, with UNC’s Department of Chemistry.
"PFAS are human-produced chemicals commonly used in industry and consumer products. Most PFAS do not break down over time, so they remain in the environment and in the bodies of exposed human and #animals long after initial use. Scientific studies have shown that exposure to PFAS may be linked to harmful health effects, which was the impetus for this study.
"Published in Atmospheric Environment, the paper reports that floor waxing floor waxing workers could have increased occupational health risks due to PFAS exposures.
“Assessment of occupational exposure due to floor maintenance is important because PFAS exposures can lead to increased risk of #cancer, #immunotoxicity and #neurodevelopmental problems, the co-authors write."
#PFASPollution #WaterIsLife #EnvironmentalPollution #CleaningProducts #FloorWax #EnvironmentalPollution
-
How Soaring E-Waste Pollution Is Putting Lives at Risk
by April Miller
Mar 3rd 2022The Growing Amount of E Waste Pollution
"The proper disposal of electronics is a heated topic in the minds of those looking to live more sustainably and reduce their carbon footprint. As more devices come out each year, it only adds to the amount of e-waste generated. Consider how #Apple, #Huawei, #Samsung, #Google and other companies release several new phone models annually. Older models then become #obsolete and must be disposed of properly.
"Statista reports that the amount of e-waste generated worldwide was around 54 million metric tons in 2019. Due to increased spending power and the wide availability of electronics, e-waste is becoming the fastest-growing waste stream worldwide. It’s estimated that generation will increase by 30% by 2030.
"These figures make sense, considering how common it is for people to throw away small electronic devices along with their other trash. However, most are not aware of opportunities to recycle electronics, what environmental impact they’re making by throwing away e-waste or how much cash they can earn by selling it.
How E Waste Harms the #Environment and Our #Health
"Why is e-waste becoming a more prevalent issue worldwide? #ElectronicWaste poses unique ecological concerns. Most e-waste contains #HazardousChemicals, and the manufacturing processes may also harm the #environment.
"When e-waste ends up in a #landfill, the surrounding #soil can become #contaminated with #toxic substances such as #mercury, #cadmium, #beryllium and #lead. These chemicals enter the soil, waterways and air, leading to polluted environments and negatively impacting human and #marine life.
"Consider people who use natural wells or the animals who rely on bodies of water. They could be exposed to toxic chemicals that can impact their health.
"It’s also important to note that when high volumes of e-waste enter landfills, device manufacturers must mine more materials to build new devices. #Phones and other #electronics contain small amounts of valuable metals like #gold, #silver and #palladium, among other critical components. These materials are becoming harder to mine, especially with the increased demand for more electronic devices.
How E Waste Contributes to #Air Pollution
One journal from Environmental Research Letters reported that researchers took air samples from a large e-waste disposal site in #China and found that the products in these landfills harmed human #lung cells.
"According to the World Health Organization (WHO), these are some adverse health effects caused by exposure to e-waste:
- Negative birth outcomes for expecting mothers, such as #stillbirth or #premature birth
- Increased rates of #ADHD in young children
- Changes in lung function
- #DNA damage
- Respiratory issues
- Impaired thyroid function
- Increased risk of chronic diseases like #cancer and #cardiovascular disease"Additionally, the WHO reports that appropriate collection and #recycling of e-waste can help protect the environment and human health.
"Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP) found that 17.4% of e-waste that was collected appropriately prevented as much as 15 million tons of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere. High levels of carbon dioxide entering the environment and therefore contributing to global warming make it clear that e-waste is a much larger issue than some believe it to be. It may seem easy to toss away old electronics in the trash, but doing so negatively affects the environment and can harm human health.
Recycling Electronics to Benefit Humans and the Environment
"More state and federal action is needed to reduce the negative impact e-waste has on humans and the environment. So far, around 25 US states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation to establish an e-waste recycling programme. Additionally, several manufacturers offer some type of electronic return initiative, with some hosting or sponsoring recycling events for consumers.
"Many manufacturers have adopted more #sustainable business practices to prevent outdated devices from entering landfills. However, this can be challenging, considering how often users want to upgrade to the latest technology due to new features and designs.
Republicans and Democrats are pursuing laws that would make it easier for consumers to repair their devices, from vehicles to refrigerators to smartphones. This movement is being coined as the Right to Repair movement. Manufacturers often make it difficult for consumers to fix a wide range of products by limiting the availability of parts or limiting who can perform repairs.
The goal of the movement is to prohibit manufacturers from taking these measures. This can directly reduce the amount of e-waste entering landfills in the first place. Consumers would then be able to repair devices themselves, save money and avoid tossing obsolete products in the trash.
E-waste is a growing problem worldwide, and more emphasis should be put on the importance of recycling electronics. The benefits of recycling far outweigh the drawbacks. Governments, consumers and manufacturers need to find viable solutions to this prevalent issue. Whether it’s contaminated soil entering waterways or toxic chemicals released into the atmosphere, more work needs to be done to mitigate the negative effects e-waste causes."
https://earth.org/e-waste-pollution/
#ElectronicWaste #SupportLegacyProducts #Windows11 #Consumerism #Capitalism #Crapitalism
#PlannedObsolescence
#Landfills #RightToRepair #EnvironmentalRacism #WaterIsLife #SoilIsLife #RightToRepair
#RepairReuseRecycle
#Consumerism
#Anticonsumerism #EnvironmentalPollution -
#Farmers allege link between popular #herbicide and #Parkinsons disease
November 29, 2023
"It is against the law to use #paraquat in China, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and dozens of other countries. Many countries have banned the herbicide due to its extreme #toxicity, while others have expressed concerns over the possible risk for Parkinson's disease.
"Yet the herbicide, manufactured by a #Swiss company that is owned by the #Chinese state, is still widely used throughout the #UnitedStates in part because it is a highly effective way to kill weeds.
"The company, Syngenta, says that paraquat, which it produces under the name Gramoxone, 'is safe for its intended and labelled use.'
"Clayton Tucholke, who used Gramoxone for years on his farm in LaBolt, #SouthDakota, and has since been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, says otherwise.
"'It should have been pulled, I think, you know, so it didn't happen to somebody else,' Tucholke told ABC News.
"A 76-year-old father and grandfather, Tucholke lived on his farm with his wife Denise, but as the symptoms of #Parkinson's have worsened, he says he was forced to give up his career in #agriculture and had to move to the nearby town of Milbank to be closer to medical professionals.
"Daily tasks have become arduous for Tucholke, who now has to travel to physical therapy three times a week to slow the progression of his symptoms.
"'This man was so independent,' Denise Tucholke said. 'And his independence has been taken from him, which is unfair.'
"The Tucholkes are among the more than 4,000 Americans who have filed lawsuits as part of a multi-district litigation against #Syngenta, which currently manufactures #Gramoxone, and #Chevron, which distributed it in the U.S. from 1966 until 1986.
"Although Syngenta and Chevron told ABC News that there is no scientific evidence that supports a causal link between #paraquat and #Parkinsonsdisease, the Tucholkes and other plaintiffs allege that such a link exists, arguing that Syngenta and Chevron knew or should have known that the #herbicide could 'cause severe #neurological injuries.'
"'Our daughter and son-in-law are still #farming. I think any time [a] chemical is applied to the fields that they have to use, they should know what's going to happen,' Denise Tucholke said.
"'All the generations that are coming up afterwards need to know,' she said."
#SyngentaKnew #ChevronKnew #Herbicide #Toxins #WaterIsLife #EnvironmentalPollution
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#StevenDonziger: The man who stood up to an oil giant, and paid the price
Rex Weyler
26 February 2020"The link between #ecological protection and #HumanRights is evident in #Ecuador’s #Amazon basin, where massive #OilPollution has destroyed #forests and #farms and left some of the world’s poorest people with #BirthDefects and a #cancer epidemic. In 1993, Ecuador’s Frente de Defensa de la Amazonía (FDA), representing 30,000 victims of #Chevron’s toxic oil waste, asked Donziger to help them win compensation for what is likely the largest oil-related human disaster in history."
#PeopleNotProfits #Pollution #ToxicWaste #EnvironmentalPollution #EnvironmentalRacism #FreeDonziger #PardonDonziger
#BigOil #BigEnergy #Chevron -
This is why I've been distracted the last five days (since June 9). A deep dive reading the 539 page review report on design, use and impacts of synthetic turf in public open spaces by the NSW Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer. 77 pages of report based on 462 pages of scientific assessment and responses in 19 appendices.
This is a globally significant current science based assessment on synthetic turf in public open space. My comments and summary:
https://takvera.blogspot.com/2023/06/major-scientific-review-of-synthetic.html#SyntheticTurf #ArtificialTurf #ArtificialGrass #FakeGrass #Microplastics #AirPollution #HeatImpacts #HealthImpacts #EnvironmentalPollution #Plastics #PlasticsCrisis
-
#MoralPanic over fat kids—and claims of an “Epidemic” obscure rather than inform. The term #Obesogenic,” as used in the press and in public discourse, emphasizes fatness itself as the disease (to be cured through changes to the environment).
”We show an association between early life exposure to glyphosate and liver inflammation and metabolic disease in young adults,” said Eskenazi, who led the study.
#Roundup #Pesticides #EnvironmentalPollution
[h/t @00Aaron]
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17032023/roundup-glyphosate-health-kids/