toxics

Vote in Alaska Puts Question: Gold or Fish? Just up the fish-rich rivers that surround this tiny bush town on Bristol Bay is a discovery of copper and gold so vast and valuable that no one seems able to measure it all. Then again, no one really knows the value of the rivers, either. They are the priceless headwaters of one of the world’s last great runs of Pacific salmon.

Joel Makower and the editors of GreenBiz.com answer the following: How are U.S. businesses doing in their quest to be greener and more environmentally responsible?

Greennbiz.com introduces its GreenBiz Index, "a set of 20 indicators of progress, tracking the resource use, emissions, and business practices of U.S. companies: carbon, materials, energy, and toxics intensity, clean-tech investments, e-waste recovery, paper use, employee commuting, and more."

Question: switching from a computer running on Windows to one running on Linux could slash computer-generated e-waste levels by 50 per cent. True or false?

And the answer is (cue long drawn-out tension building drumroll): TRUE!

The governor of California is currently considering a ban on phthalates. The bill is on his desk awaiting his signature or veto. Find out more and send an email to the governor asking him to protect our kids from toxic chemicals.

MassHighway is planning to use toxic herbicides to control weeds along roadsides across the state. These chemicals, Oust Extra and Accord Concentrate, have been linked to health risks such as blurred vision, eye soreness, anemia and reproductive development problems. This map shows which cities and towns are being sprayed, and which highways are affected. Also included is a link to sign a petition to stop the spraying.

Jewelery, Curious George, Thomas, SpongeBob and more on latest made-In-China Black List. What's next, apple pie and Martha Stewart? Oh, wait.