A new report from Consumer Reports has found pesticide residue at levels that posed significant risks on about 20% of the foods analyzed. Among the foods with the highest risks are popular produce like strawberries, green beans and potatoes. Consumer Reports evaluated 59 common produce items using seven years’ worth of data from the U.S. […]
In a historic ruling, the European Court of Human Rights has found that Switzerland’s inadequate efforts to tackle climate change violated the human rights of its country’s citizens, represented by more than 2,000 older Swiss women. The landmark decision sets a powerful precedent for future climate-related lawsuits in Europe and around the world. “It is […]
A new study on global surface water and groundwater has found levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or “forever chemicals,” to exceed limits considered safe. As reported by CNN, the study found that limits of PFAS in some groundwater samples collected globally exceeded proposed limits by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency […]
This week, the European Court of Human Rights could make a landmark ruling that governments have an obligation to protect people from the adverse impacts of climate change. Judges will rule on three distinct cases concerning whether people’s human rights were breached when governments failed to protect them from the ravages of a warming planet. […]
In a new test commissioned by the Mamavation consumer activist website, results show the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in a majority of bandage brands tested. Mamavation tapped an EPA-certified laboratory to test 40 different types of bandages from 18 brands, including top brands like Band-Aid, CVS, Curad and Walmart. Most of the […]
A series of research articles published in the scientific journal The Gerontologist collectively outline several risks that climate change poses for aging well. The journal’s special issue, titled “Climate Change and Aging,” presents multiple links between climate change and human health, particularly for aging adults. In one of the forum articles included in the special […]
A historic new law in Phoenix, Arizona, will provide thousands of outdoor workers in the hottest city in the country with protections from extreme heat. In a unanimous vote, the Phoenix City Council passed an ordinance requiring that workers have easy access to rest, potable water and shade, as well as training to recognize signs […]
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in the U.S. on March 21 overturned previous orders by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that banned the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in product packaging by a plastics treatment company, Inhance Technologies. In December 2023, the EPA issued two orders for Houston-based Inhance Technologies […]
A new study by researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) has demonstrated that the use of particular paint coatings in urban settings can help city dwellers feel as much as 1.5 degrees Celsius cooler, creating a more livable environment. Additives in cool paint coatings reflect the sun, reducing the absorption and emission of surface […]