EPA & GE Accused of Concealling PCB Contamination

According to Trudy Tynan of the Associated Press, residents of Pittsfield, MA are accusing the EPA of concealing the extent of pollution caused by GE's use of PCBs (a known carcinogen). Additionally, residents and business owners say that they are being punished for balking at the measures taken to cap contamination. In response, owners of two local businesses are suing GE and the U.S. federal government, "seeking to compel them to fully remove PCBs from their properties and pay them damages".

If the EPA is not accountable for holding corporations responsible for environmental damages and cleanup who is?

Wal-Mart - America's most admired company?

In an article published in Ethical Corporation (free registration required) Annabel Easton accurately uncovers the many ironies of Wal-Mart -- a company supposedly dedicated to the principles of excellence and individual respect -- and their recent defeat at the ballot box in Inglewood, California.

From the Classroom to the Boardroom...

Many of you are familiar with Ecopledge's work on college campuses to organize students to work for corporate environmental change. But you may be unaware that Ecopledge also organizes investors in order to take your environmental concerns directly to executives at the world's largest companies. Investors have significant power within corporations, and so those that express concern about a company's environmental record can have a powerful effect.

This is known as shareholder advocacy.

For example, I am currently in Austin, Texas in preparation for a meeting tomorrow with Dell executives and CEO Michael Dell. I will be representing Green Century Capital Management, an environmentally responsible mutual fund company. Green Century engages in dialogues such as this one as part of its mission to improve corporate environmental responsibility.

This meeting will focus on Dell's efforts to deal with the problem of e-waste. 300 to 600 million computers will soon be obsolete, and they could pose a threat to public health and the environment if they are not disposed of properly. Dell has made good progress in setting up a recycling program, and I'll thank them for their efforts. But I'll also encourage the company to go further by offering a recycling program that is both convenient and free.

Check back in on Thursday for an update.

Living in a Teflon world

Every day, Americans use products made with C-8 (also known as PFOA), one of the chemicals used to make Teflon. From walking on a carpet treated with StainMaster to scrambling eggs, to using paper plates at an outside barbeque, consumers are constantly partaking in what DuPont calls "the Teflon World." In the Teflon world, health risks are prevalent, environmental degradation rampant, and calls for accountability don't stick.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) the Teflon chemical does not break down in the environment and has been linked to several kinds of cancer and other health problems. DuPont and other companies have derailed past investigations by the EPA. However, the EPA announced on June 24 their decision to re-launch their investigation rather than wait on industry data.

BIG is not always better.

Not according to France's Environment Ministry. Under a new green road tax, effective in January 2005, French drivers who favor large SUV's and other large luxury cars will have to pay up to 3500 euros more. Under this plan cars will be divided up into five classes, from the least polluting to the most. Smaller cars, emitting less than 140 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer driven, will qualify for a rebate paid for by the taxes generated from the gas-guzzler vehicles. (Converting for the metricly challenged, this means that cars need to get about 40 miles per gallon or more to qualify for the rebate.) (via EarthBlog>

In the United States one out of every four new cars bought are SUV's. Some Americans believe that SUV's will make them safer, but it just isn't so.

Gretchen Dubeau of U.S. PIRG blames the Bush administration:

While it's true that the government could and should do more, we can't let that stop us from getting companies like Ford to do the right thing.

Known Carcinogen and Reproductive Toxin Found in Tuna

Californians are enraged that methylmercury compounds, a known cancer-causing chemical and reproductive toxin are being detected at levels above the approved threshold, in canned tuna. In a civil suit naming Del Monte Foods (maker of StarKist tuna) Bumble Bee Seafoods, and Tri-Union Seafoods (maker of Chicken of the Sea tuna), Californians seek to bar these companies from selling tuna in California without providing warning labels. Signage noting the high levels of mercury in the tuna could take the form of signs posted in grocery store aisles or labels on the can.

Attorney General Bill Lockyer states, "We're not trying to eliminate tuna from people's diet. We're trying to enforce the law and protect the health of California women and children." Testing has shown that mercury levels in both canned albacore and light tuna are higher than the threshold that requires a warning.

Despite the fact that firms may have no incentive to provide consumers with information, consumers have the right to know. And companies must adhere to the health and safety regulations especially when there known health consequences of consumption. Although the U.S. Tuna foundation says that the canned tuna is safe and the industry is in full compliance with California law, local grocers and restaurants have posted an interim warning developed by the attorney general's office.

In a galaxy far far away

the paperless office existed. Yet here on Earth the global consumption of wood products has risen, 64% between 1961 and 1998, and is expected to double by 2050, keeping pace with population growth. Even with the advent of email in the mid 1990’s, paper consumption has increased by 40%.

In the United States paper producers consume 1 billion trees, producing 725 pounds of paper per person per year. In Indonesia the pulp and paper industry destroys the rainforest so quickly that an area the size of Belgium disappears annually. In The Paper Chase, Jim Motavalli puts it this way:

The major source of this pollution is the chlorine used to bleach wood pulp white. Increased uses of recycled content could drastically reduce the levels of this potent carcinogenetic dioxin found throughout the world in air water, soil and food. Not surprisingly the paper industry says that it is doing its part. According to Michael Klien, a spokesperson for the American Forest and Paper Association, the paper and pulp industry is using all of the recycled paper it can get. He says that environmental advocates need to shift their demands and get people to recycle more!

Environmentalists agree that consumers need to more actively recycle. By doing so consumers will assure big potential buyers of recycled paper that a steady source of recycled paper will continue to exist. However, the paper industry must also do their part! Jeanne Tombly, founder of Fiber Futures, says that, “traditional companies are floundering and contracting, but there’s still not much enthusiasm for applying research and development money to innovative non-woods.�

The paper industry is at a crossroads right now. Until we reach the far away galaxies of paperless societies, we’ll need increased consumer recycling and increased industry commitment to ensure that alternatives to wood-based paper are sought and widely used. Only then will can we reduce the rate of climate change, save forests and cease the pollution of our life’s essentials.

Full Disclosure

It's often said that if you want to change something, it's a good idea to start by measuring it. This isn't just a matter of helping you keep track of your progress. There are times when the simple act of measuring something and putting the numbers in front of people's faces will generate change. Visibility is the first step to reform.

Bill McKibben had a wonderful piece about this in Orion a couple of years ago. In My Mileage is Better than Your Mileage he describes how a little LCD on the dashboard of the Honda Insight has made Insight drivers not only aware, but obsessed with the mileage of their cars.

Kevin Drum has just proposed a wonderful new application of this rule.

And what are some other ways that we could change behavior just by showing people the numbers in their every day lives?

Chairman of Shell Fuels Debate over Global Warming

Ron Oxburgh, chairman of Shell, recently said that, "No one can be comfortable at the prospect of continuing to pump out the amounts of carbon dioxide that we are pumping out at the present...." By way of solution, Lord Oxburgh proposed capturing carbon dioxide emissions and storing them underground via a technique known as carbon sequestration.

Yet, many environmentalists and consumer advocates alike feel as though this plan is just plain rhetoric. Critics believe that carbon sequestration is an expensive and unproven smokescreen for the continued dependency on fossil fuels and will in the end harm the both marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

I believe a more viable, economically sound and environmentally friendly approach involves higher fuel efficiency standards and increased levels of hybrid production among all major car manufacturers complemented by agressive development of clean renewable energy sources.

Online Product Catalogs = A Possible Avenue for Paper Reduction

In a New York Times e-commerce report entitled "Product Catalogs on the Web" the reemergence of online catalogs was described as a boon not only for high-speed Internet customers but also for Internet retailing executives. With the advent of a growing broadband customer base and technological advances, high quality photos previously found only in conventional catalogs can be viewed on the Web, giving both customers and company executives a reason to celebrate.

But even with the overwhelming increases in sales via web catalogs and an overall rise in profits, companies remain convinced of the power of paper as an advertising vehicle. The reliance on paper catalogs is responsible for the destruction of virgin forests worldwide. According to ForestEthics, an Ecopledge ally currently working to reduce the environmental impact of the catalog business, US catalog companies send out more than 18 billion catalogs per year. Worst of all, 95% are discarded or recycled without ever being read.

With the customer receptivity to online catalogs, catalog companies should recognize that they can do more than increase profits and expand their customer base. They can also drastically reduce their use of paper.

Suspect Substances

Suspect substance polybrominated diphenyl ether, better known as fire retardant PBDEs, has similar chemical attributes as its banned cousins, polychlorinated biphenyls (a.k.a PCBs). Despite the alarming rate of accumulation in people's blood and mothers' breast milk, manufacturers continue to produce products treated with PBDEs in the name of consumer saftey.

According to The Boston Globe exposure to PBDEs most likely comes from a person's diet. PBDE pollutants, found in the air, are absorbed by fish, animals and other wildlife which in turn are consumed by human beings as they move up the food chain.

Joel Tickner from Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, advocates for the banning of PBDEs and use of safer alternatives. He argues, "By the time we actually do know (the effects of PBDEs), we're going to be dealing with 25 or 30 years of legacy and we can't do anything about it." Dell and Ikea, two well known companies, have already stopped using PBDEs, replacing them with safer alternatives.

We know that the levels of PBDEs in our blood are steadily increasing, but we don't know what that will do to us? Without concrete evidence of the effects, the question arises: how much do we need to know before we take action? Does the convenience of continuing to use PBDEs outweigh the unproven but very likely threat?

California Makes Bill Ford's Life More Complicated

The New York Times reports that California is considering climate change policies that would require auto manufacturers to increase their fuel efficiency by about 30%.

Bill Ford thinks is terribly inconvenient:

And if we are going to take that approach, we agree with our coalition partner Elisa Lynch from Bluewater Network that a 30% increase over the next ten years is barely a good start.

Campaign Institute Update

The Campaign Institute has changed their training schedule and extended their application deadline. This looks to be a great, nonpartisan training for people interested in working on political campaigns in the fall elections.

Trainings will now be held in Boston on August 2 through 9 and August 13 through 15. The deadline for applications is August 1. To apply online, visit the Campaign Institute's web site. For more information, contact Kimberly Larson by phone at 1-877-TRAIN69 (1-877-872-4669), or by e-mail at info@campaigninstitute.org.

iCorp Has Arrived

U.S. law gives corporations many of the same rights as people. But what happens when you have a person who lives forever, doesn't have a conscience, and whose only goal is to make money?

I haven't yet seen the film The Corporation, but I'm planning on catching it as soon as it comes to Boston. In the mean time, you can find some good discussion of the film and attitudes towards our corporate overlords at Metafilter.