tagged w/ Plastic
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Now, it is possible to peruse the internet and peer into the fads that spring up and die out with the same curious sociological eye as the original trashspotters – ideas considered almost as temporary as aluminum cans and plastic bags.
Link: http://constructionmanagementdegree.org/?page_id=435Now, it is possible to peruse the internet and peer into the fads that spring up and... more
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eva2
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added this
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2 years ago
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The six major baby bottle makers in the United States have agreed to stop using the toxic chemical Bisphenol-A, suspected of harming human development, local officials said.
"All six major baby bottle companies — Avent, Disney First Years, Gerber, Dr. Brown, Playtex and Evenflow — have agreed to voluntarily ban BPA from bottles in a major public health victory," Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said in a statement.
Blumenthal and his counterparts in New Jersey and Delaware wrote in October to the companies urging them to stop using the controversial chemical, widespread in plastic, after studies linked BPA to a range of health problems in infants.
Over 130 studies over the past decade have linked even low levels of BPA to serious health problems, breast cancer, obesity and the early onset of puberty, among other disorders.
"There is no excuse for this avoidable and unconscionable threat to continue," Blumenthal said.
"I am calling for a complete ban against BPA in baby products to stop this needless and negligent public health threat."
Toxicologists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found last year that the chemical could interfere with the brain development of fetuses and newborns.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its European counterpart, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), have said the chemical is safe in the amounts used in such products as baby bottles.The six major baby bottle makers in the United States have agreed to stop using the... more
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This is an informative website about the five plastic garbage patches around the world.
http://5gyres.org/
http://vimeo.com/8350606
By MaximenkoThis is an informative website about the five plastic garbage patches around the... more
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States in the Northeast have set aside or spent between $228,874 and $527,107 a year for bottled water, according to a new report Getting States Off the Bottle released today by Corporate Accountability International. The states surveyed include four Northeastern states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Pennsylvania – all known for their high quality tap water.
The findings come as public water systems face a $24 billion annual shortfall, and during financial times where states can ill afford to be spending public dollars on such a non-essential use of an essential public resource.
“Not only is the spending patently wasteful at a time when states can not afford unnecessary expenses, but it broadcasts the absolute wrong message about our high quality tap water,” said Connecticut State Representative Richard Roy, Chair of the House Environmental Committee.
Roy is one of hundreds of public officials nationwide that are now calling for taxpayer dollars to cease flowing to bottled water. In 2008, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, representing more than 1200 mayors, passed a resolution encouraging mayors to phase out city spending on bottled water. To date, more than 100 cities have taken action to cut spending on bottled water or support public water systems as well as three states, including Illinois, Virginia and New York.
Governors and mayors are stewards of public water systems, responsible for overseeing budgets that provide the overwhelming majority of public funding for this essential public service. But the need for greater investment in these systems is growing rapidly, while public fundings for these systems languishes.
A major cause of the gap in funding has been the marketing and promotion of bottled water. Marketing campaigns, such as Nestlé’s Born Better, have convinced one in five people to believe the only place to get clean drinking water is from a bottle. And as public confidence in tap water has waned, so too has the political will to invest in public water.
“Swift action by governors to cut bottled water spending can be a strong first step in restoring public water systems and the public’s confidence in them,” said Kelle Louaillier, executive director of Corporate Accountability International.
After all, up to forty percent of bottled water sold comes from the same source as tap water. Tap water is also more highly regulated than what comes in the bottle.
Public education campaigns like Think Outside the Bottle are, however, restoring confidence in public water systems. A recent Harris Poll found that 29 percent of people switched from bottled to tap water in the last year. An overall decline in the North American bottled water market reflects this shift in behavior and attitude toward the tap. However, state action is still lagging. While each state profiled in the report has taken some steps to allocate funding towards water infrastructure – such as dedicating funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to water systems – even these steps are a drop in the bucket compared to what will be needed to close the gap.
“During these tough economic times our states need to be thinking, ‘we should only spend scarce public dollars on projects that grow the economy at large not just the bottom line for a handful of private corporations,’” said Louaillier. “Investment in public water is, in this respect, one of the wisest investments we can make.”
According to a U.S. Conference of Mayors report, every dollar invested in public water generates more than six for the economy at large in the long term.
For the full report visit www.StopCorporateAbuse.org/GettingStatesOffTheBottleStates in the Northeast have set aside or spent between $228,874 and $527,107 a year... more
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I'm starting to see these little empty non-recyclable, non-biodegradable petroleum-based plastic containers everywhere. I've seen entire trash cans filled with these things at convenience stores after the morning rush... day after day.
In this day and age, you would think that Keurig and the companies associated with this product (Paul Newman's Own, Heifer, Green Mountain Coffee, Celestial Seasonings, Ghirardelli) who claim to be "organic" and/or "sustainable", would be more aware of it's impact to our environment.
You can contact these companies at the blog post above.
"The Keurig single-cup brewing system uses a special packaging for coffee, tea and hot cocoa called K-Cup portion packs or "K-Cups". Each K-Cup is an airtight, mini-brewer that locks out oxygen, light, moisture and humidity while locking in freshness and flavor. "
Personally, I'll take a french press any day over hot plastic brew.
http://www.coffeehabitat.com/images/2007/05/15/pitfall.jpg
About the K-Cup:
http://www.keurig.com/explore/choose.asp?mscsid=M4DDGKT2QWHL8LUSJH2PWEX7NT2PDTGFI'm starting to see these little empty non-recyclable, non-biodegradable... more
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Chemicals in plastics alter the brains of baby boys making them "more feminine", say US researchers.Chemicals in plastics alter the brains of baby boys making them "more... more
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I think it's kind of sad that it takes people, or organizations, to donate their money (and sometimes) time for environmental issues to be covered. Also, I would think this is more of an environmental journalism thing, not communication, per say. Environmental Communication definatly has a journalistic aspect, and media for sure, but Enviro Comm is more about how we learn and come to out beliefs, attitudes and behaviors towards the environment. Eh, I guess it's all semantics in the end. Anyway, interesting short little article with reader participation.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/new-models-for-environmental-communication/I think it's kind of sad that it takes people, or organizations, to donate their... more
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1,000 miles northeast of Hawaii — In this remote patch of the Pacific Ocean, hundreds of miles from any national boundary, the detritus of human life is collecting in a swirling current so large that it defies precise measurement.
Light bulbs, bottle caps, toothbrushes, Popsicle sticks and tiny pieces of plastic, each the size of a grain of rice, inhabit the Pacific garbage patch, an area of widely dispersed trash that doubles in size every decade and is now believed to be roughly twice the size of Texas. But one research organization estimates that the garbage now actually pervades the Pacific, though most of it is caught in what oceanographers call a gyre like this one — an area of heavy currents and slack winds that keep the trash swirling in a giant whirlpool.
Scientists say the garbage patch is just one of five that may be caught in giant gyres scattered around the world’s oceans. Abandoned fishing gear like buoys, fishing line and nets account for some of the waste, but other items come from land after washing into storm drains and out to sea.
Plastic is the most common refuse in the patch because it is lightweight, durable and an omnipresent, disposable product in both advanced and developing societies. It can float along for hundreds of miles before being caught in a gyre and then, over time, breaking down.
But once it does split into pieces, the fragments look like confetti in the water. Millions, billions, trillions and more of these particles are floating in the world’s trash-filled gyres.
PCBs, DDT and other toxic chemicals cannot dissolve in water, but the plastic absorbs them like a sponge. Fish that feed on plankton ingest the tiny plastic particles. Scientists from the Algalita Marine Research Foundation say that fish tissues contain some of the same chemicals as the plastic. The scientists speculate that toxic chemicals are leaching into fish tissue from the plastic they eat.
The researchers say that when a predator — a larger fish or a person — eats the fish that eats the plastic, that predator may be transferring toxins to its own tissues, and in greater concentrations since toxins from multiple food sources can accumulate in the body.
Charles Moore found the Pacific garbage patch by accident 12 years ago, when he came upon it on his way back from a sailing race in Hawaii. As captain, Mr. Moore ferried three researchers, his first mate and a journalist here this summer in his 10th scientific trip to the site. He is convinced that several similar garbage patches remain to be discovered.
“Anywhere you really look for it, you’re going to see it,” he said.
Many scientists believe there is a garbage patch off the coast of Japan and another in the Sargasso Sea, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.1,000 miles northeast of Hawaii — In this remote patch of the Pacific Ocean,... more
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"In the U.S. each person produces 63 pounds (28.5 kilos) of plastic destined for landfills every year.
50-80% of ocean and beach litter in America is plastic.
In 2007 only 6.8% of plastics were recycled, including 37% of soda bottles and 28% of milk and water jugs.
300 million metric tons of plastic will be produced worldwide in 2010, half of which will be disposable.
93% of humans over the age of 6 have detectable levels of bisphenol A (BPA) – a chemical used in plastic production – in their urine.
It takes 450 years for a plastic bottle to degrade in the ocean.
Isn’t it time we all listened to that charming Edward Norton when he says ‘Bag the bag’?"
http://www.greenfudge.org/2009/11/06/scary-plastic-numbers-from-discover-magazine/
Watch the video.
We will end up like in the Wall-E movie if we don't do something about it.
Join Organic:
http://current.com/groups/organicgreen/"In the U.S. each person produces 63 pounds (28.5 kilos) of plastic destined for... more
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Come with Andy Smith as he explores Seattle's plastic recycling scene. An original soundtrack, skateboarding, and an insider's look at how a PET bottle links Seattle to China and beyondCome with Andy Smith as he explores Seattle's plastic recycling scene. An... more
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sokbok
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added this
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2 years ago
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Yes we know, everything causes cancer, nothing is safe for our kids, a lot of paranoia, right?
Sometimes these concerns are for real. A chemical of significant importance to parents and scientists these days is Bisphenol-A (BPA). BPA is a common chemical used in plastics for increased flexibility and molding. It can be found in your child’s plastic sippy cup, binkies, and even canned food. The lining found inside some canned foods is very similar to high density plastics, thus likely to contain significant levels of BPA. Numerous studies have proven that BPA can negatively impact your health. Experts have advised people to shop for BPA-free products. In general, avoiding plastics whenever possible is a good idea.
Read on and read the label before you purchase that pair of dangly keys or canned mac’n’cheese.
Leaching is the process of a chemical seeping out of its original binding and into its surroundings (see example here). A university study was conducted to determine the leaching abilities of plastic bottles wherein the interaction between warm liquids and polycarbonate plastics released Bisphenol A (BPA) into the drinking solution. During the Harvard study, each student was given two polycarbonate bottles, which were not to be cleaned in the dishwasher (to void increased heat) and filled only with cold water. The students’ urine samples came back positive for a BPA increase of 69 percent. Is this a concern? The unfortunate answer is “yes” because BPA has been shown to alter the endocrine system causing early sexual development. Changes in fetal development, sperm production, and malfunctioning hormones are also results of BPA ingestion.
Recently, the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill released a study, the first of its kind, linking behavioral problems in children from women that were exposed to BPA during pregnancy. The study measured levels of BPA in urine samples at three different stages of pregnancy- the first at 16 weeks, then at 26 weeks and finally at birth. The results showed that the women who had the highest levels of BPA in their systems at the earliest stages of pregnancy had daughters who were more aggressive and hyperactive. To the scientists’ surprise, girls seemed to be the most affected while boys didn’t have a big difference in aggression but instead became more anxious and depressed. The greatest effects caused seem to be those of the earliest exposures. Most women can be affected even before they know they are pregnant, which can later cause even greater problems for their unborn children. Last year Canada became the first country to ban BPA in baby bottles and Wal-Mart and Toys-R-Us have announced they will stock only BPA-free bottles.
It used to be simple. If people were worried about BPA exposure, all they needed to do was go out and buy a BPA-free bottle, usually made from aluminum. However, BPA-free doesn’t necessarily mean BPA-free anymore. A major bottle manufacturer, SIGG, revealed that their supposed BPA-free aluminum bottles actually did contain BPA in bottle linings. Another bottle manufacturer, Gaiam, recently revealed that their BPA-free aluminum bottles did contain BPA, 23.8 parts per billion under extreme heat conditions. This amount is ten times more potent than the BPA levels found in SIGG. So what is a worried consumer to do when bottles claiming to be BPA-free aren’t really BPA-free? Fortunately, more and more options are becoming available for the eco-conscious consumer.
http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/featured/side-effect-of-plastic-aggressive-kids/Yes we know, everything causes cancer, nothing is safe for our kids, a lot of... more
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"Up to 80% of the world's toys are made in China - often by children. But there are beautiful and affordable alternatives"
"With the festive countdown underway, the Toy Retailers Association has just released its "dream toys" list of this year's must-have Christmas gifts for kids, which they say won't break the bank
However, according to research recently carried out by Ethical Consumer magazine where I work, the price of many of these toys fail to reflect the hidden environmental and social costs of their production.
Take Hasbro. Its Transformer toys are made with PVC, a plastic that has come under fire from campaigners for its alleged carcinogenic properties and the dangerous byproducts, such as mercury, produced during its manufacture.
The campaigning organisation Centre for Health Environment and Justice says of PVC: "It is useless without the addition of a plethora of toxic additives including phthalates. These chemicals can evaporate or leach out of PVC, posing risks to children."
Hasbro defends the use of PVC, saying it has "carefully considered the science and believe that toys made from PVC and softened with phthalates pose no risk to children".
The EU attempted to remedy the situation in 2005 when it banned certain additives, but many still remain. In contrast to Hasbro, Lego – also on its Christmas list – banned the use of PVC in its products in 2003.
Hasbro has also been challenged over human rights abuses in its Chinese supplier factories. Up to 80% of the world's toys are made in China, where human rights are often overlooked. The report "Nightmare on Sesame Street" by the US-based National Labour Committee last year highlighted many of these problems.
It found that in the Kai Da factory in Shenzhen city, which supplies Hasbro, a hundred 16-year-old high-school children and several younger children were working. Conditions in the factory were said to be dangerous, with potentially toxic solvents and paints routinely handled by workers with only rudimentary protective gear. Shifts were allegedly routinely over 12 hours long, seven days a week, with no days off for many months, plus mandatory 19- and 23-hour shifts at busy times such as the pre-Christmas rush. Workers were also reported to be docked wages for room and board, leaving them receiving only 28 cents an hour. Little wonder, then, that Hasbro toys won't break the bank."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2009/oct/28/ethical-christmas-toys?
Support environmentally friendly toys.
Join Organic:
http://current.com/groups/organicgreen/"Up to 80% of the world's toys are made in China - often by children. But... more
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Underwater videographer, underwater photographer, and author, Annie Crawley joined Scripps Institute of Oceanography and Project Kaisei aboard the New Horizon on a 3 week long expedition to the North Pacific Gyre. They collected data to help find a solution to the "Plastic Vortex" forming in the Pacific Ocean.Underwater videographer, underwater photographer, and author, Annie Crawley joined... more
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Footage from the Kaisei, one of two research vessels Project Kaisei sent to the North Pacific Gyre in August, 2009 to study the extent of the marine debris problem in the gyre, the impact it may be having on marine life and the food chain, and to find ways to catch and recover some of the debris for a larger clean-up effort.Footage from the Kaisei, one of two research vessels Project Kaisei sent to the North... more
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