Image via myessentia.comToxic Drinking Waters
Recent tests of Chicago’s water supply found levels of toxic metal hexavalent chromium to be 11 times higher than the standard California passed last month. But nation-wide regulation might never happen if industrial polluters and municipal water utilities get their way. In the meantime, Chicago residents will continue to drink a toxin that can increase the long-term risk of cancer. Chicago Tribune
McKibben Wisdom
An essay from climate scholar Bill McKibben on being prepared for the unforeseen (and sometimes inevitable) events that shake our world and threaten our environmental stability. As usual, McKibben effortlessly expounds on the subject, pointing to examples like the recent disasters in Japan and trickle down effects from increased fossil fuel use. Orion
Seeing the Light
A Mother Jones reporter tries out the new LED light bulb from Phillips. While LEDs have an impressively long 15-year lifespan and significantly reduce energy costs, the large price tag raises questions on the practicality of LEDs vs. CFLs. Important consumer information about buying LEDs also included. Mother Jones
So Long Lobstermen
Many life-long lobstermen of the Long Island Sound are abandoning their careers after continued disappointment with dwindling populations. The great lobster die-off happened in 1999, but thanks to further environmental troubles the crustacean population has yet to fully bounce back. Some lobstermen have taken up fishing and conch catching, while others are abandoning their seafaring career altogether. NY Times
