Green, Environment News 14 March 2018

A round-up of this week’s environmental, green and ecofriendly news and updates.

Good news! I’ve written before about the 21 American kids who want to sue the government for failing to protect them against the negative impacts of climate change. The Trump Administration tried to dismiss the suit, but last week the San Francisco–based Court of Appeals ruled in favour of the kids – hooray! They’ve been working on the suit for 3 years now, hopefully this will help Juliana v. United States to make real progress.

And on a related note, a judge ruled last week that people can sue oil companies in federal court – also good news. (Until now, it was only the EPA and lawmakers who could try to keep polluters in line). Apart from suing oil companies for illegal pollution for example, it also means that oil companies can now be sued for contributing to climate change.

When you buy fresh fruit and vegetables, do you ever wonder about the “nasties” on them – like pesticide residues and other toxic chemicals? It’s a real problem.

Luckily, it’s easy to solve.

Find out what you need to do to safely remove residues – and learn some tips and tricks along the way too! It’s all here.

As you’ll see in US Green News (below), there are concerns about water quality. But don’t buy bottled water! It’s revoltingly expensive, you have to carry it home, it generates a lot of plastic waste, it’s lousy for the environment – and most of it is simply tap water (and marketing) anyway!

Instead, consider a water filter. But not just any old water filter. Because different types of filter remove different things.

For example, if you have radium in your water, you’ll need either a water softener filter (aka ion exchange) or a reverse osmosis system.
If you want to remove fluoride from your water, again an ion exchange or reverse osmosis will work, also an activated alumina filter.
Or all of the above options will remove arsenic. So will an activated carbon filter, though not as efficiently.
A simple activated carbon filter will reduce chlorine, copper, lead and sediment.

Tip: Don’t buy a more complex system than you really need. For example, a reverse osmosis system is expensive to buy and uses a lot of water. It also generates a lot of waste compared to a more simple activated charcoal system.

Tip: You may only need a filter on the tap or faucet you use for drinking and cooking water, rather than a whole-house system.

Tip: Always check exactly what’s in your water before buying a filter, so you’re sure you’re buying the right one.

Do you get enough iron into your body? Iron deficiency is incredibly common all over the world.

But the problem is, it’s not quite a simple as eating more iron-rich foods (although that does help).

There’s something else you need to know about getting enough iron too. (Oh, and too much iron is also a problem).

Here’s everything you need to know about iron – what it does, how to get it, how to make sure it’s absorbed properly, risk factors, symptoms and more!

Global Green News:

You know that Summer will arrive soon when Swiss residents make an arduous trek up their massive mountain ranges bearing massive white blankets. Why? To cover critical sections of the Rhône Glacier in blankets. The white covers are designed to deflect the sun’s light, wrapping up the massive glacier like a freezer bag in hopes of preserving it from the summer sun. With glaciers melting fast, it’s a desperate attempt to preserve the ecosystem. Of course, all it’s delaying the inevitable melt – unless we humans change our ways and move away from fossil fuels.

U.S. Green News:

Whenever there are natural disasters, it’s often women who suffer the most. And that’s proving to be the case in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

Months without electricity to power modern conveniences like washing machines has led to bleeding hands and aching backs for women cleaning clothes by hand. (A visitor recalls one grandmother apologizing for not being able to help with the meals because her hands were raw from scrubbing clothes).
Although many men are responsible for carrying clean water home (not an easy job), the work of cooking, cleaning and managing limited water supplies falls on women. And the stress of rationing takes an emotional toll as well as a physical one.
The additional domestic work can make it more difficult for women to recover economically. Spending more time on chores and childcare (due to closed schools), means women have less time to seek outside employment.
Limited lighting at night makes public places feel less safe, and women say contractors brought in to repair the island’s infrastructure have sexually harassed them. When women have been displaced, separated from loved ones, and are taking shelter in crowded spaces where tensions are high, the risk of sexual violence heightens. In addition, the breakdown of infrastructure in a storm’s wake makes it more difficult for women to report violence or seek help.

You might want to check this new map released by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) that pinpoints the locations in the United States where drinking water contains high levels of radium, a naturally-occurring radioactive element that’s also a known carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). California has the most residents impacted by radiation in drinking water, and Texas is another radium hotspot. If you are concerned, you may want to purchase a water filter that’s certified to remove it.