Julia Roberts in a scene from “Erin Brockovich”
By Lindsay E. Brown
Calif. Health Officials Failed to Set Standard for Cancer-Causing Chemical in Water
The Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Working Group filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Public Health for failing to set safe drinking water standards for the cancer-causing chemical hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium-6. The chemical was made famous in “Erin Brockovich.”
Should the Candidates Discuss Global Warming?
Climate change is one of the biggest threats to mankind, and yet candidates avoid it at all costs. But a new study from Yale’s Center on Climate Change Communication says that the majority of Americans want the issue at the forefront of the debates. Based on polling in March, 55 percent of registered voters said that the candidates’ views on climate change will factor into their decisions come November in the polling booths.
West Nile Virus Kills 17 in Texas, Sickens Hundreds
The rise in global temperatures — which have set new records around the world — are an ideal breeding environment for mosquitoes. The mosquito season is now beginning earlier and ending later. Texas is feeling the impact with approximately 465 West Nile Virus cases since January of this year.
5 Ways to Eat Your Tomato Harvest All Year
It’s tomato harvest time! If you’re growing them in your backyard, or enjoy picking them up from a local farmer’s market, here are several recipes so you can enjoy your home-grown tomatoes all year round!
Tapping Into the Land, and Dividing Its People
The Blackfeet Native American Tribe in Montana is divided on whether to turn to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to combat poverty on the reservation. Tribal leaders have decided to move forward, but many within the tribe don’t want their lands sacrificed in the name of oil.
Turn Your iPhone Into an Environmental Sensor
The Lapka Environmental Monitor hooks into your phone to sense radiation, electromagnetic feedback, nitrates in food, temperature, and humidity. With this app, you’d be able to tell if your food is really organic, and where the best spots are in your home to avoid pollutants. It’s in final production stages, so no one has been able to test whether this app lives up to its promises. One thing is for sure: it’s a cool idea!
Have a tip you’d like us to include in our next roundup? Tweet @LauraSeydel and @LindsEBrown using hashtag #EcoRoundup
Photo: Universal
