#environmental working group

[kp777]

By Julia Conley

Common Dreams

Jan 30, 2024

“The commission shrugged off California's climate goals, put rooftop solar's benefits further out of reach of working-class families, and gave another gift to corporate utilities," said one climate advocate.

Climate advocates on Monday asked the California Supreme Court to reverse a new rooftop solar panel policy in the state that the groups say has proven "irony is alive and well," as the policy is impeding the expansion of renewable energy in California just as regulators are calling for a solution to the state's energy crisis.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved a new solar policy last year at the urging of the state's three investor-owned utilities, led by Pacific Gas & Electric. The new rules slashed a solar power incentive for homeowners by about 75%, sharply reducing the amount utilities pay people with solar panels when they sell surplus power to the grid.

The "disastrous decision," made with the approval of three companies whose "only real competition" is customer-owned solar, said the Environmental Working Group (EWG), has reduced solar industry jobs by 17,000 in less than a year, and the group reported that "75% of California's once-thriving rooftop solar installation companies face a 'high risk' of bankruptcy."

A state appeals court upheld CPUC's new policy last month, leading EWG, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), and the Protect Our Communities Foundation (POCF) to bring the case to the state Supreme Court.

"California utility regulators shouldn't be untouchable and I'm hopeful the state's highest court will agree," said Roger Lin, a senior attorney at CBD. "The commission shrugged off California's climate goals, put rooftop solar's benefits further out of reach of working-class families, and gave another gift to corporate utilities."

Last month, Lin said, "the appeals court wrongly deferred to these state regulators. This sets a dangerous precedent of endorsing utility talking points and torpedoing an essential tool to fight the climate emergency and environmental injustice."

CBD noted that the California Court of Appeals ignored a state law that "requires the court to review the commission's decisions as it would those of any state agency."

The three-judge panel claimed there was "no basis for faulting the commission's work."

State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-11) said the state is "shooting itself in the foot" by following the guidance of utilities which have a financial interest in reducing solar energy even as the state promotes its ambitious climate goals.

As CalMattersreported last week, California's aim of transitioning to 90% carbon-free electricity by 2035 and 100% by 2045 requires a significant shift to solar power.

"The market is in the gutter," Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of the California Solar & Storage Association, told CalMatters. "It should be no surprise to anybody. If you are a business and your market took a 80% nosedive, with great pain, you have to lay off. Some companies shut their doors."

"We are talking about the largest solar market in the country," Del Chiaro added. "This was the most impactful energy decision, easily, for this century so far."

EWG accused California regulators of holding a "confused position" on energy sources, as the group is also challenging a separate decision by the state in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. In that case, EWG is joining Friends of the Earth and Mothers for Peace in arguing against extending operations for "the dangerous, outdated Diablo Canyon nuclear plant," which opponents say runs a safety risk as the plant as its reactors are on several earthquake fault lines.

In the Diablo Canyon case, said EWG, "California is arguing—apparently with zero self-awareness—that the state is in the midst of an energy crisis and needs to generate more electricity... Solar is one of the energy leading solutions, but California can't even seem to agree with itself on the right path forward."

In its state Supreme Court case launched on Monday, EWG said it was asking the court to review the CPUC's "failure to assess the far-reaching benefits of widespread customer-owned rooftop solar."

"Instead, in approving the utility's plan, the commission looked at a narrow set of economic factors only," said EWG. "We'll argue this violates the CPUC's duty under state law to look at a broader range of benefits."

The commission impeded the expansion of rooftop solar power in the state as climate scientists and energy experts have made clear that extreme weather events including wildfires—which have increasingly plagued California in recent years—are intensifying and growing more destructive as a result of continued fossil fuel extraction and planetary heating.

CalMatters reported that the loss of solar power jobs has also devastated communities that would have benefited from employment in the growing industry, which pays solar panel installers an average of $70,000 per year.

"These jobs have been a foot in the door for people who have been in the justice system; their lives have changed," said Adewale OgunBadejo, vice president of workforce development for the non-profit Grid Alternatives, told CalMatters. "This is 100% a job killer."

Caroline Leary, general counsel and chief operating officer at EWG, said it was "absurd" to leave "the destiny of California's clean energy aspirations and the battle against the climate crisis" up to the CPUC's five unelected members. "We can only hope the state's Supreme Court shares this sentiment," said Leary. "The prospects of California attaining Gov. Newsom's ambitious emissions reduction goals are non-existent without a robust and expanding rooftop solar program. The CPUC's disastrous decision at the behest of PG&E and the other monopoly utilities is the most significant setback imaginable in our pursuit of meeting these crucial benchmarks."

#solar power #rooftop solar panel #california #california supreme court #california public utilities commission #cpuc #environmental working group #friends of the earth #scott wiener

[tiredtwstoutt]

EWG's Skin Deep® Cosmetics Database, a free online resource for finding less-hazardous alternatives to personal care products. Skin Deep® compares product ingredients to more than 60 toxicity and regulatory databases and scientific studies, and rates the products from 1 (lowest hazard) to 10 (highest hazard). With the addition of the products analyzed for this report, Skin Deep® now rates more than 64,000 products.

https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2022/12/ewg-welcomes-cosmetics-law-reforms-end-year-spending-bill

#toxic beauty ingredients #not just hair #environmental working group #black hair #black beauty #another study that confirms relaxers strongly linked to cancer as well

[joseywritesng]

Fruit Leather Has Detectable Pesticides: Report

Fruit Leather Has Detectable Pesticides: Report

September 15, 2022 – According to a new report from the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit that aims to improve human health and the environment, many brands of fruit leather, a popular snack for children, have detectable levels of pesticides. Many dried fruit snacks also have detectable levels of pesticides. It published the results today in a report, “Fruit leather: A snack that is…

View On WordPress

#are fruit snacks healthy? #best fruit snacks for kids #biological #dried fruit #environmental working group #ewg #ewg report #ewg study #fresh fruit #fresh vs dried fruit #fruit leather #fruit snacks #fruit snacks for kids #fruit snacks pesticides #how is fruit leather made? #organic fruit #organic fruit snacks #pesticides for fruit leather #pesticides in kids snacks #report of the environmental working group #snacks with dried fruit #what is fruit leather?

[amberwellnessgroup]

UV Safety Month

July is UV Safety Month, which seems quite appropriate. We wanted to share some of our favorite resources with you on how we keep protected from burns without coating ourselves in toxins. One great resource is put out by the environmental working group (EWG). They release various lists and tips on all things that have to do with environmental exposures. They also have an app called Healthy Living (formerly Skin Deep). On this app you can look up skin care products like sunscreens and see how their ingredients are rated for safety and purity. For instance, one of my favorite sunscreens for kids is the mineral sunscreen by Badger. This product gets an overall rating of 1 (the lower the better).

EWG also has another helpful app, we thought we’d give a quick shoutout to. Their Dirty Dozen app lists the top 12 produce items to be sure to buy organic. These 12 are the highest in pesticides. In the app they also list the Clean 15 which are the 15 produce items that are safest to get conventional (or non-organic). Lists are updated yearly.

To visit more wellness blogs please, click here.

#uv safety month #environmental working group

[timesofocean]

EPA: ‘Forever chemicals’ pose risk even at very low levels

New Post has been published on https://www.timesofocean.com/epa-forever-chemicals-pose-risk-even-at-very-low-levels/

EPA: ‘Forever chemicals’ pose risk even at very low levels

Washington (AP)_ The Environmental Protection Agency is warning that two nonstick and stain-resistant compounds found in drinking water are more dangerous than previously thought and pose health risks even at levels so low they cannot currently be detected.

The two compounds, known as PFOA and PFOS, have been voluntarily phased out by U.S. manufacturers, but there are a limited number of ongoing uses and the chemicals remain in the environment because they do not degrade over time. The compounds are part of a larger cluster of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS that have been used in consumer products and industry since the 1940s.

The EPA on Wednesday issued nonbinding health advisories that set health risk thresholds for PFOA and PFOS to near zero, replacing 2016 guidelines that had set them at 70 parts per trillion. The chemicals are found in products including cardboard packaging, carpets and firefighting foam.

At the same time, the agency is inviting states and territories to apply for $1 billion under the new bipartisan infrastructure law to address PFAS and other contaminants in drinking water. Money can be used for technical assistance, water quality testing, contractor training and installation of centralized treatment, officials said.

Several states have set their own drinking water limits to address PFAS contamination that are far tougher than the federal guidance. The toxic industrial compounds are associated with serious health conditions, including cancer and reduced birth weight.

“People on the front-lines of PFAS contamination have suffered for far too long,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. “That’s why EPA is taking aggressive action as part of a whole-of-government approach to prevent these chemicals from entering the environment and to help protect concerned families from this pervasive challenge.”

Radhika Fox, EPA’s assistant administrator for water, announced the actions at a national PFAS Conference in Wilmington, North Carolina, where PFAS contamination was discovered in the Cape Fear River watershed.

PFAS is short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are used in nonstick frying pans, water-repellent sports gear, stain-resistant rugs, cosmetics and countless other consumer products. The chemical bonds are so strong that they do not degrade or do so only slowly in the environment and remain in a person’s bloodstream indefinitely.

The revised health guidelines are based on new science and consider lifetime exposure to the chemicals, the EPA said. Officials are no longer confident that PFAS levels allowed under the 2016 guidelines “do not have adverse health impacts,″ an EPA spokesman said.

While the new guidelines set acceptable risk below levels that can currently be measured, as a practical matter the EPA recommends that utilities take action against the chemicals when they reach levels that can be measured — currently about four parts per trillion, a senior administration official told reporters Tuesday night.

Erik Olson, senior strategic director for health and food at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said “the science is clear: These chemicals are shockingly toxic at extremely low doses.” He called on the EPA to regulate all PFAS chemicals “with enforceable standards as a single class of chemicals.”

Melanie Benesh, legislative attorney for the Environmental Working Group, said EPA’s announcement “should set off alarm bells for consumers and regulators” alike.

The American Chemistry Council, which represents major chemical companies, said EPA’s announcement “reflects a failure of the agency to follow its accepted practice for ensuring the scientific integrity of its process.”

While the advisories are nonbinding, “they will have sweeping implications for policies at the state and federal levels,″ the group said. “These new levels cannot be achieved with existing treatment technology and, in fact, are below levels that can be reliably detected using existing EPA methods.”

The Chemours Co., a DuPont spinoff that uses GenX chemicals to produce fluoropolymers used in semiconductors, mobile phones, hospital ventilators and other products, called the EPA’s announcement “fundamentally flawed.′ It said the agency “disregarded relevant data and issued a health advisory contrary to the agency’s own standards and this administration’s commitment to scientific integrity.”

The company said it is evaluating next steps, “including potential legal action, to address the EPA’s scientifically unsound action.″

An investigation by the state of North Carolina found that Chemours had discharged GenX from its Fayetteville Works plant into the Cape Fear River for years. EPA chief Regan was the state’s top environmental official when the investigation began and led negotiations that resulted in cleanup of the river. Gov. Roy Cooper and his current environmental chief unveiled a three-pronged strategy last week address further efforts to reduce a broad category of PFAS chemicals in water sources.

Legislation passed by the House would set a national drinking water standard for PFAS and direct the EPA to develop discharge limits for a range of industries suspected of releasing PFAS into the water. The bill has stalled in the Senate.

#American Chemistry Council #chemicals in drinking water #Climate change news #climate news #drinking water #drinking water crisis #drinking water news #Environmental News Network #Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) #Environmental Working Group #health news #Times #Times Of Ocean #Top Environment News #Unravel News #Health

[blueiskewl]

The Mona Lisa Painting Attacked in Paris

Protesters hurled soup at the Mona Lisa painting in Paris on Sunday, but it was protected from damage by its glass casing.

The environmental group Riposte Alimentaire – which roughly translates to “Food Response” – said two protesters involved with their campaign were behind the vandalism.

The Louvre has since reopened the “Salle des Etats” room which houses the Mona Lisa after it was evacuated.

“Two activists from the environmental movement ‘Riposte Alimentaire’ sprayed pumpkin soup on the armoured glass protecting the Mona Lisa, this Sunday, January 28, 2024, around 10am (4aET),” a statement from the museum said.

“The Louvre’s security staff immediately intervened.”

The museum said it was lodging a complaint.

Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece the Mona Lisa hangs in the Louvre museum and is arguably the most famous painting in the world, drawing millions of visitors each year who line up to pose with the small artwork, which is just over 2.5 feet tall and under 2 feet wide.

The enigmatic portrait is no stranger to both vandalism and thievery.

It was stolen in 1911 by a Louvre employee, raising its international profile, and the bottom of the canvas suffered an acid attack in the 1950s, leading the museum to beef up protective measures surrounding the work, including bulletproof glass.

In 2009, a woman angrily threw a ceramic cup at the painting, breaking the cup but leaving the painting unharmed.

Then in 2022, a visitor smeared frosting all over the Renaissance-era painting’s protective glass.

By Stephanie Halasz and Chris Liakos.

#Leonardo da Vinci #Leonardo da Vinci The Mona Lisa #The Mona Lisa Painting Attacked in Paris #The environmental group Riposte Alimentaire #Salle des Etats #the Louvre museum #italian artist #painter #painting #art #artist #art work #art world #art news

[bagadew]

A detective who regularly investigates weird and inventive murders decides to start a blog…

Unfortunately rather than writing about his job, he decides to write about his interests: a collection of the most boring subjects known to man.

#welcom to this #my stealth death in paradise post that anyone can enjoy #I know next to none of you watch death in paradise but this is genuinely a through line they have going right now and it fucking rules #my guy (a man with four friends) started this week’s episode complaining that only four people had read his blog #and by the end of the episode even his massively supportive friend group don’t seems to be able hack it anymore #because by the end of the episode being read by one lone fringe weirdo #Nevil I of all people love and support your autistic ass but more people will read your blog if you mention your work some times #that said I would quite like to know if he told the blog that the environmentally friendly mosquito repellent didn’t work #or if he’s pretending it did for the sake of his public image and the hope of getting brand sponsorship #death in paradise

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

#my dads back in ohio again so im back on my own. i still feel terrible but at least i have a plan #i have 2 weeks of this semester left. so i have to not fail my genomics exam and work on a group project plus grade a bunch #shouldnt be too hard but everything makes me so tired rn and i just feel this barrier between myself and everything else #even when my dad was here. i just dont kno how to feel happy. just varied levels of stress #but after the semester is over ill have to find a job for the summer. which super stresses me out bc i havent really had a real job outside #academia and im worried about how stressful ill find it bc im sure its gonna suck but at least i wont have to work on my project #i just think if i had a normal job that doesnt dominate every aspect of my life id feel a little less terrible. or at least i wouldnt send #myself spiralling so much. if i stay here i might not survive it #but what if ill just make myself miserable wherever i am? i dunno. but im gonna try to find a non academic job this summer with the epa or #maybe the usgs. i mean ive gota a bachelor's and a masters in environmental topics. that's gotta count for something #just get a government job. pray for a not terrible set of coworkers. and build something from there #it just sucks bc i feel like everythings falling apart and like i kno if i gave it my all i could pull thru and get my phd but im just so #tired of struggling against something everyone else can do. i just cant read at a level appropriate for what im doing #ugh. i dont wanna study for genomics. i just wanna sleep. i just wish i wasn't in this position #and now i a baby about it. i mean my sisters r in similar positions bc the youngest is currently looking for a teaching job. and my middle #sister is looking to move to new york city in the next 6 months and she'd be quitting her job for that. so we're all sorta in flux #i just wanna not be flailing. not watch my hopes and dreams collapse. be excited about anything. im just sad bc i have to make hard choices #even if i know theyre the right ones to make if i want to continue to exist. sometimes u cant have the things u wany. #and that sucks and i hate it. theme of the year: sometimes life sucks and theres nothing u can do abt it #unrelated

[drafthearse]

im getting to be one of those conservative strawmen who wants to ban children from learning about god

#got so creeped out at work today overhearing a parent chaperone [christian elementary school] praise a kid who was hugging a tree 2 b funny #by saying ''look at you caring for God's creation! ^_^'' #like eurgh. no girl you shouldnt like a tree because you think god made it for you. just like it for what it is -_- #just so it's clear. i dont work at a christian elementary school. i work at an environmental center #there was a school group i was teaching #hark

[wild-at-mind]

Not reblogging it for reasons, but I really agree with that person on here who said people are reframing depression and generally feeling shit all the time as a good thing because of the horrors of Gaza. There are people on here heavily implying that you feeling bad and finding it more and more difficult to live with yourself is actually an appropriate response to war and genocide. In some way, it might be. But the thing is, where does that lead? Does it lead to decisive action in accordance to your values, or to nihilistic stewing and self isolation from your community?

The post went on to call it anti-recovery culture- I don't know if I would call it that, because I get why people don't like recovery culture, especially in relation to addiction, but mental illness also. I think that's something I'm not qualified to speak on. So I wouldn't call this anti-recovery culture. Instead I would call it pro-burnout in activism culture. Do you honestly think people who are the most productively working in their communities and participating in actions to help overseas are feeling like this? Or do you think they have learned to use self-accountability and community support to reign themselves in when they begin to burn out emotionally, and rest and recuperate their mind in order to come back stronger? Ask yourself, is that wrong of them to do, because they should be feeling bad, because after all that is the appropriate response....does it mean they don't care, because they don't spend all their time feeling shit? Or perhaps, the truth is, they do care, and are demonstrating it all the time, but they also understand that them feeling shit literally doesn't help anyone. Why can we not talk about or acknowledge this?

#i don't want to make out like i'm some amazing activist- absolutely am not talking about myself here #but i think they key thing is activism is best done as a group and one of the group's important functions is caring for one another #if you see an activist framework that encourages people to isolate from others it's not leading anywhere good- avoid #please do not let these ghouls trick you into thinking your depression and shit feelings are the right thing to feel #or that it's wrong to not want to have them any more #as that other post said: no thought crimes and also no thought activism #it's just thoughts and they don't do anything without actions and guess what makes you unable to do actions? (depression) #by the way i wish there was a better word than burnout to talk about this because it's so associated with work and capitalism #but it's a thing- i have seen it through my environmental activism group over the past 4 years #one woman just cut ties with everyone right down to her best friend and disappeared- we know she is alive but that's it #i miss her. but she had all the tools to avoid burning out and she didn't use them- at the end of the day you can't MAKE someone stop #oh yeah finally the above attitude to mental illness also puts you in a vulnerable place for conspiracy thinking #PLEASE do not become like my dad who listened to his mental illness too hard #and went from a leftist to a horseshoe theory conspiracist #guess how much activism he does now?! (hint: it's 0)

[dailyanarchistposts]

Contrary to what is often believed, affinity between comrades does not depend on sympathy or sentiment. To have affinity means to have knowledge of the other, to know how they think on social issues, and how they think they can intervene in the social clash. This deepening of knowledge between comrades is an aspect that is often neglected, impeding effective action.

One of the most difficult problems anarchists have had to face throughout their history is what form of organisation to adopt in the struggle.

At the two ends of the spectrum we find on the one hand the individualists who refuse any kind of stable relationship; on the other those who support a permanent organisation which acts on a programme established at the moment of its constitution.

Both of the forms sketched out here have characteristics that are criticizable from an insurrectional point of view.

In fact, when individualists single out and strike the class enemy they are sometimes far ahead of the most combative of the class components of the time, and their action is not understood. On the contrary, those who support the need for a permanent organisation often wait until there is already a considerable number of exploited indicating how and when to strike the class enemy. The former carry out actions that turn out to be too far ahead of the level of the struggle, the latter too far behind.

One of the reasons for this deficiency is in our opinion lack of perspective.

Clearly no one has a sure recipe that contains no defects, we can however point out the limitations we see in certain kinds of organisation, and indicate possible alternatives.

One of these is known as “affinity groups”.

The term requires an explanation.

Affinity is often confused with sentiment. Although not distinctly separate, the two terms should not be considered synonymous. There could be comrades with whom we consider we have an affinity, but whom we do not find sympathetic and vice versa.

Basically, to have an affinity with a comrade means to know them, to have deepened one’s knowledge of them. As that knowledge grows, the affinity can increase to the point of making an action together possible, but it can also diminish to the point of making it practically impossible.

Knowledge of another is an infinite process which can stop at any level according to the circumstances and objectives one wants to reach together. One could therefore have an affinity for doing some things and not others. It becomes obvious that when one speaks of knowledge that does not mean it is necessary to discuss one’s personal problems, although these can become important when they interfere with the process of deepening knowledge of one another.

In this sense having knowledge of the other does not necessarily mean having an intimate relationship. What it is necessary to know is how the comrade thinks concerning the social problems which the class struggle confronts him with, how he thinks he can intervene, what methods he thinks should be used in given situations, etc.

The first step in the deepening of knowledge between comrades is discussion. It is preferable to have a clarifying premise, such as something written, so the various problems can be gone into well.

Once the essentials are clarified the affinity group or groups are practically formed. The deepening of knowledge between comrades continues in relation to their action as a group and the latter’s encounter with reality as a whole. While this process is taking place their knowledge often widens and strong bonds between comrades often emerge. This however is a consequence of the affinity, not its primal aim.

It often happens that comrades go about things the other way round, beginning some kind of activity and only proceeding to the necessary clarifications later, without ever having assessed the level of affinity required to do anything together. Things are left to chance, as though some kind of clarity were automatically to emerge from the group simply by its formation. Of course this does not happen: the group either stagnates because there is no clear road for it to take, or it follows the tendency of the comrade or comrades who have the clearest ideas as to what they want to do while others allow themselves to be pulled along, often with little enthusiasm or real engagement.

The affinity group on the other hand finds it has great potential and is immediately addressed towards action, basing itself not on the quantity of its adherents, but on the qualitative strength of a number of individuals working together in a projectuality that they develop together as they go along.

From being a specific structure of the anarchist movement and the whole arc of activity that this presents — propaganda, direct action, perhaps producing a paper, working within an informal organisation — it can also look outwards to forming a base nucleus or some other mass structure and thus intervene more effectively in the social clash.

#affinity groups #organization #community organizing #community building #practical anarchy #practical anarchism #anarchist society #practical #revolution #anarchism #daily posts #communism #anti capitalist #anti capitalism #late stage capitalism #grassroots #grass roots #anarchists #libraries #leftism #social issues #economy #economics #climate change #climate crisis #climate #ecology #anarchy works #environmentalism #environment

[richarlisonny]

lecture this week went great WE WON

#except for the two girls who left the lecture halfway through bc they didn't want to do group work ejskekfjskdj #like they had to contribute Once (1) and when they saw they'd have to do it again they were GONE #but yes!!!! it went rlly well #it was on intersectional environmentalism so it was easier to relate to and grasp rather than pure policy i think #i'm giving the same lecture tomorrow to a group of first years so!!!! promising

[xtruss]

Blueberries, Strawberries Again on The ‘Dirty Dozen’ List

— By Sandee LaMotte | Wednesday March 20, 2024

CNN — Approximately 95% of Nonorganic Strawberries, Leafy Greens such as Spinach and Kale, Collard and Mustard Greens, Grapes, Peaches and Pears tested by the United States government Contained Detectable Levels of Pesticides, according to the 2024 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce.

Nectarines, Apples, Bell Peppers and Hot Peppers, Cherries, Blueberries and Green Beans rounded out the list of the 12 Most Contaminated samples of produce. It’s dubbed the “Dirty Dozen” by the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, an Environmental and Health Advocacy Organization that has produced the annual report since 2004.

Pesticides have been linked in studies to preterm births, congenital malformations such as neural tube defects, spontaneous abortions and an increase in genetic damage in humans. Exposure to pesticides has also been associated with lower sperm concentrations, heart disease, cancer and other disorders.

Farmworkers who use or are exposed to pesticides are at highest risk, according to studies. A 2022 meta-analysis found workers exposed to pesticides were nearly five times as likely to have DNA damage while a February study found children exposed at an early age showed poorer neurodevelopment from infancy to adolescence.

It’s not all bad news. Avocados, Sweet Corn, Pineapples, Onions and Papayas led the “Clean Fifteen” list of conventionally grown produce with the least amount of trace pesticides — nearly 65% of the fruits and veggies in that grouping had no detectable pesticide residues, according to the report released Wednesday.

Rounding out the “Clean Fifteen” were Frozen Sweet Peas, Asparagus, Honeydew Melons, Kiwis, Cabbage, Watermelons, Mushrooms, Mangoes, Sweet Potatoes and Carrots.

Crops which grow close to the ground, such as Strawberries, Spinach and Other Leafy Greens are Particularly Subject to Pests. Ekaterina Goncharova/Moment RF/Getty Images

Washed, Peeled and Scrubbed

Each year, a rotating list of domestic and imported produce is tested by US Department of Agriculture and US Food and Drug Administration. Staffers at the USDA Pesticide Data Program wash, peel and scrub fruits and vegetables as consumers would, while workers at the FDA only brush dirt off the produce. Then the fruits and vegetables are tested for more than 250 different pesticides and the results are posted online.

For 2024, EWG researchers examined testing data on 47,510 samples of 46 nonorganic fruits and vegetables, with the majority of testing from the USDA. An analysis of that data found traces of 254 pesticides in all fruits and vegetables analyzed, with 209 of those chemicals on produce in the “Dirty Dozen” list.

“We find that what ends up on one list versus the other reflects how those fruits and vegetables are grown,” said Alexis Temkin, EWG’s senior toxicologist. “Avocados, for example, aren’t pesticide intensive, while strawberries grow very close to the ground and have a lot of pests.”

Report Is Unfair To Farmers, Critics Say

About 70% of nonorganic produce tested by the USDA and FDA have pesticide levels within the legal limits allowed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, according to the EWG report. That fact makes the report misleading, said Carl Winter, emeritus professor of cooperative extension at the University of California, Davis.

“The dose makes the poison, not its presence or its absence, and that dose determines the potential for harm. In many cases you’d have to be exposed to a million times more than what we’re exposed to before you’d even see any effects,” said Winter, speaking on behalf of the Alliance on Food and Farming, which represents organic and conventional farmers.

However, “legal levels do not mean safe levels,” Temkin said in response. She pointed to times when regulators allowed potentially dangerous chemicals, such as the pesticide DCPA, to remain on the market long after scientific research had raised concerns. The herbicide was linked to thyroid concerns for years before the EPA told the public the chemical posed “significant risks to human health” in 2023.

Another example: chlorpyrifos, a pesticide linked to brain damage in children and fetuses. The American Academy of Pediatrics joined EWG in 2017 protesting the EPA’s continued approval of the chemical.

“No Washing Method Is 100% Effective For Removing All Pesticide Residues!”

In addition, pesticides banned by the government continue to show up on crops sold in the US, according to the EWG report.

“Green beans for example, continue to show traces of acephate, a toxic pesticide the EPA banned for use on green beans more than 10 years ago,” Temkin said. “A lot of pesticides found on the ‘Dirty Dozen’ have also been banned in the European Union because of their harmful effects on human health.”

Another concern from critics is that the “Dirty Dozen” list is insulting to multigenerational farmers who struggle to grow food for the nation and feed those same products to their own children, said Steve Clement, CEO of Pacific Northwest Tree Fruit

“When this report comes out it’s like getting stabbed a little bit because we’re working so hard to put out a nice healthy product, and the implication of the ‘Dirty Dozen’ list is that it is unhealthy,” Clement said. “It’s like doing something kind for somebody and then having them turn around and call you some sort of monster.”

The report may scare people away from eating the fruits and vegetables they need, said Neil Nagata, whose family has grown organic and conventional strawberries in Oceanside, California, for decades.

“Every time the report comes out, or there’s a scare on imported strawberries, we see our sales drop off,” Nagata said. “It’s not as if we’re doing something that is wrong or incorrect, we’re actually producing very healthy, safe food. In fact, we actually live in the strawberry field and my father is 100 and my mom is 97, and they still eat strawberries.”

Some farmers feel the term "Dirty Dozen" is insulting, according to the Alliance on Food and Farming. Kcline/iStockphoto/Getty Images

It is important that people eat lots of fruits and vegetables, even conventionally grown, said EWG’s Temkin.

“We always emphasize that,” she said. “We want to enable consumers who wish to avoid as many pesticides as possible by opting for organic versions of the ‘Dirty Dozen,’ where pesticide levels will be lower, and then, if they wish, choose less expensive conventionally grown produce from the ‘Clean Fifteen.’”

Organic produce is not more nutritious, but studies have found that levels of pesticides in the urine of adults and children can drop up to 95% after a switch to an organic diet.

Fungicide Levels Were High

For the first time, EWG analysts looked at reported levels of fungicides, one form of pesticide used to kill fungal diseases such as powdery mildew.

“Four out of five of the most frequently found pesticides on the ‘Dirty Dozen’ list were fungicides, and they were also found in particularly high concentrations,” Temkin said.

Two fungicides — fludioxonil and pyrimethanil — had the highest concentration on the “Dirty Dozen” list of any other pesticide, according to the report. Fludioxonil was found on 90% of peaches and nearly 30% of all “Dirty Dozen” samples, according to the report. Pyrimethanil was found on 65% of pear, 30% of apple, 27% of grape, 26% of strawberry and 24% of nectarine samples.

“Fungicides are often applied after harvest to keep produce mold-free on its way to market. That’s likely why the concentrations were so high on some samples – higher than other pesticides applied earlier in the growing season,” Temkin said. “The application of the fungicide is also closer to the time the produce is put on store shelves and consumers are eating them.”

Fludioxonil creates a waxy coating on the fruit or vegetable that studies find is difficult to wash away. While the EPA finds fludioxonil safe at regulated levels, some studies have raised concerns that it might disrupt hormone and neurological systems. Exposing breast cancer cells to fludioxonil in a petri dish found the fungicide increased cell production by 1.5%.

Pyrimethanil was classified as a “possible human carcinogen” by the EPA in 2004, but the agency determined in 2015 the chemical was “not likely to be carcinogenic to humans” at low doses. Studies have shown it to be toxic to tree frogs and aquatic life, and it may disrupt thyroid levels in pregnant women living in agricultural areas. In lab tests, pyrimethanil and fludioxonil were show to impact androgen activity — hormones that contribute to growth and reproduction in both men and women.

Ways To Reduce Pesticides In Your Food

Cleaning fruits and vegetables before eating does reduce pesticide levels, but “No Washing Method is 100% Effective For Removing All Pesticide Residues,” according to the National Pesticide Information Center.

Starting with clean hands, wash and rub produce under running water instead of soaking to remove the most pesticide, the center recommends on its website.

Don’t use soap, detergent or a commercial soak or scrub, however, as they have not been proven to be any more effective, according to the FDA. Dry the produce with a clean cloth or paper towel to further reduce bacteria that may be present.

#Life But Better Food 🍲 🍱 🥘 #Blueberries 🫐 🫐 🫐 | Strawberries 🍓🍓🍓 #Sandee LaMotte #CNN #Los of “Dirty Dozen” #2024 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides | Produce #Leafy Greens 🥬 #Spinach #Kale 🥬 #Collard #Mustard Greens 🥬 #Grapes 🍇 | Peaches 🍑 | Pears 🍐 #“Clean Fifteen” #Avocados 🥑 | Sweet Corn 🌽 | Pineapples 🍍| Onions 🧅 | Papayas #Environmental Working Group (EWG) #Environmental and Health Advocacy Organization

[sootandfangdiary]

I have less homework this semester than last semester but gah . It is much longer/harder than last semester

#I only have one assignment per week for psychology #but that can take me an hour or longer cause I have to read a textbook chapter for it (usually) #environmental science is pretty easy #just have to remember to do prelab stuff every Wednesday #and do the study guides when possible #but I have also . not started my honors project for that class . which I really should #English is mostly long papers with far enough away due dates where I can space them out decently #and maybe an occasional quiz or small assignment #not excited about this annotated bibliography we have to do though… #and critical reading is . critical reading #lots of quick easy assignments each week #but now that we’re starting our reading group activities I have to read a few chapters from a book each week #so that’s fun #tbf it’s A Brave New World #so I’m excited to read it #but still #simultaneously more and less work than last semester

[nope-body]

.

#midterms week is so stressful and for what #also losing my phone Thursday evening and only getting it back this morning meant that my functionality over the weekend plummeted #other issue is that with my fatigue I cannot handle a 3 class day- especially one that doesn’t give me time to rest #by the time I get to my last class on Mondays and Wednesdays I am like half asleep and barely capable of coherent thought #and it is an entirely discussion based class that I have to write an essay for #i have a test for one of my other classes but honestly half of it is 6th grade chemistry and the other half is environmental issues I #learned last semester so I’m not too worried #but there’s no clear prompt for the essay!! and I’m behind on the readings and barely remember classes because I’m so fatigued by the time I #get to the classroom- this isn’t even something that becomes a problem halfway through that class #honestly it usually becomes a problem a bit before my second class ends just because of how that class functions #we do small group discussions every class and I can never hear what people are saying because it’s so loud and there’s like three people who #are just. so. loud. and I can’t hear someone else talking even if they’re literally right next to me #so that saps a ton of energy #I might ask my professor if going forward I can choose to opt in or out of that part due to how much fatigue it causes and how much I #struggle just to understand what someone is saying #I also need to send an email to the ODA because they dropped the ball in a couple different ways in regards to my accommodations and I need #them to fix that. also like. I know the head of the department. we have had multiple conversations since I am the chair of the student #disability group and she is the head of the disability department #I also know multiple people working in the ODA (students) and another person who I specifically can go to if an accommodation is denied #because she will get them to revisit my case (and likely approve the accommodation) #what I’m saying is that I have Connections. but they’re worthless if I don’t know if I’ve been approved or denied an accommodation! #I’ll send them an email. cc the person I met with both this year and last year (who somehow managed to remember me?) and see what happens #one of the issues is that they approved me for an accommodation to use this application and said they’d send me a link to access my account #and they just. never did! like they approved an accommodation and then failed to provide me with said accommodation #and the last thing that the ODA wants is the person in charge of the disability group on campus to decide that they’re not doing a good #enough job because I can cause a huge commotion #I have semi-regularly emailed with one of the assistant deans. I am actively communicating with one of the organizers in our #campus’s student labor advocacy coalition (which I was a part of last year) and they are super experienced in making a big impact about #an issue. I also learned from them last year and we support each other this year so again. Connections #they really don’t want me on their bad side. should I have to threaten my way into getting my accommodations? no but I will as a last resort

[reasonsforhope]

Holy crap, I didn't think Biden would be able to get the Climate Corps established without Congress. This is SUCH fantastic news.

--

"After being thwarted by Congress, President Joe Biden will use his executive authority to create a New Deal-style American Climate Corps that will serve as a major green jobs training program.

In an announcement Wednesday, the White House said the program will employ more than 20,000 young adults who will build trails, plant trees, help install solar panels and do other work to boost conservation and help prevent catastrophic wildfires.

The climate corps had been proposed in early versions of the sweeping climate law approved last year but was jettisoned amid strong opposition from Republicans and concerns about cost.

Democrats and environmental advocacy groups never gave up on the plan and pushed Biden in recent weeks to issue an executive order authorizing what the White House now calls the American Climate Corps.

“After years of demonstrating and fighting for a Climate Corps, we turned a generational rallying cry into a real jobs program that will put a new generation to work stopping the climate crisis,” said Varshini Prakash, executive director of the Sunrise Movement, an environmental group that has led the push for a climate corps.

With the new corps “and the historic climate investments won by our broader movement, the path towards a Green New Deal is beginning to become visible,” Prakash said...

...Environmental activists hailed the new jobs program, which is modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps, created in the 1930s by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat, as part of the New Deal...

Lawmakers Weigh In

More than 50 Democratic lawmakers, including Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, had also encouraged Biden to create a climate corps, saying in a letter on Monday that “the climate crisis demands a whole-of-government response at an unprecedented scale.”

The lawmakers cited deadly heat waves in the Southwest and across the nation, as well as dangerous floods in New England and devastating wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui, among recent examples of climate-related disasters.

Democrats called creation of the climate corps “historic” and the first step toward fulfilling the vision of the Green New Deal.

“Today President Biden listened to the (environmental) movement, and he delivered with an American Climate Corps,” a beaming Markey said at a celebratory news conference outside the Capitol.

“We are starting to turn the green dream into a green reality,” added Ocasio-Cortez, who co-sponsored the Green New Deal legislation with Markey four years ago.

“You all are changing the world,” she told young activists.

Program Details and Grant Deadlines

The initiative will provide job training and service opportunities to work on a wide range of projects, including restoring coastal wetlands to protect communities from storm surges and flooding; clean energy projects such as wind and solar power; managing forests to prevent catastrophic wildfires; and energy efficient solutions to cut energy bills for consumers, the White House said.

Creation of the climate corps comes as the Environmental Protection Agency launches a $4.6 billion grant competition for states, municipalities and tribes to cut climate pollution and advance environmental justice. The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants are funded by the 2022 climate law and are intended to drive community-driven solutions to slow climate change.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the grants will help “communities so they can chart their own paths toward the clean energy future.”

The deadline for states and municipalities to apply is April 1, with grants expected in late 2024. Tribes and territories must apply by May 1, with grants expected by early 2025."

-via Boston.com, September 21, 2023

#climate change #climate crisis #climate anxiety #climate news #climate corps #biden #biden administration #democrats #voting matters #congress #environmental activism #environmental protection agency #environmental justice #climate activism #united states #us politics #good news #hope #hope posting #green jobs #hope punk #seriously this is SUCH a huge deal #climate hope #green energy #disaster preparedness #natural disasters #ecosystem restoration