Weekly Environmental News: March 31 – April 6, Earth Month, Arkansas Oil Spill and More
Earth Month, the White House garden planting, aging oil pipelines in Arkansas, watering the desert in Peru, and late-coming cherry blossoms in the nation’s capital are all featured in this week’s environmental news.
Exxon Mobil Oil Spill in Arkansas
The Exxon Mobil Pegasus pipeline ruptured on Friday, leaking an estimated 4500 barrels (189,000 gallons) of oil into a subdivision in Mayflower, Arkansas – less than 30 minutes from Little Rock. There are conflicting reports on the source and type of oil that was spilled, with some environmentalists claiming this to be a Canadian [...]
CFL Bulbs and Mercury: What You Need to Know
Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) contain an average of 4 milligrams of mercury, about the amount that would cover the tip of a ballpoint pen. This is much less than the amount contained in those old mercury thermometers, or even the amount deemed safe to consume in our diet from fish. But make no mistake, mercury is a neurological toxin. The EPA uses 0.1 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day as the accepted exposure level for oral consumption without recognized adverse effects. Inhaling mercury vapor in significant amounts (greater than 0.025 mg/m3) can cause deficits in cognitive functioning, tremors, kidney damage and even death in cases of high exposure. If mercury is so toxic, why is it in a common household item such as a lightbulb?
Weekly Environmental News – March 10, 2013
Game Changer: Whole Foods Market to require GMO labels Despite the blessings of FDA and WHO that food containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is safe, consumer are exercising their “right to know” and have made great strides in the fight to see labeling on grocery store shelves.Whole Foods Market stores in the U.S. and Canada [...]
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