EPA Approves Pesticide Known to Cause Cancer and Miscarriages
Washington – On October 5, the EPA approved a new chemical fumigant for use on strawberries and other food crops across the U.S. The pesticide, methyl iodide, vaporizes quickly, causing it to drift far distances. Although the state of California has categorized it as cancer causing, and the EPA admits it causes thyroid tumors, the Bush Administration has been advocating approval of the fumigant for the better part of two years.
Hazardous Materials Found in Apple’s iPhone
Tests commissioned by Greenpeace reveal a variety of hazardous chemicals in both the external and internal components of Apple’s iPhone, the international environmental group said today. The chemicals included “phthalates” in the vinyl plastic earphone wiring at levels that are prohibited in young children’s toys in San Francisco and the European Union (EU). Greenpeace also previously found phthalates in the earphone wiring of Apple’s iPod Nano.
This is the third time that Greenpeace has tested an Apple product since 2006. Similar analyses of a MacBook Pro and an iPod Nano also revealed the presence of phthalates and BFRs.
Japan Struggles to Meet Its CO2 Emissions Limits
As Americans, we generate twice as much carbon dioxide as the average Japanese. The average Japanese lifestyle is greener than the average American’s because of the personal efforts of many Japanese. As a group, they recycle and ride bikes more than Americans. However, Japan is still struggling to meet its limits for CO2 emissions.
Japanese officials are counting on one incentive that Americans don’t have, which involves shaming Japanese companies.
“Basically what happens is that we publicize their name, the company name,” says Masa Ohara, the environmental policy director for the city of Tokyo. “And [we] tell publicly that they’re not [reducing emissions],” Ohara says. “This works very well for the Japanese.”
