Consumer

"EPA May Give 1st Approval of Nanosilver for Fabrics"

"A Swiss chemical producer may soon be the first company to receive approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to use nanosilver to make clothing smell better, stay cleaner and destroy germs. However, health scientists say the nanoparticles will wash out with the rinse water and could cause unknown environmental and health problems downstream."

Source: AOLNews, 08/19/2010

Drywall Deal Offers Small Payouts to Victims, Big Fees for Attorneys

"Lowe’s Companies Inc., the nation’s No. 2 home improvement chain, has set off a legal firestorm by agreeing to a national settlement over tainted drywall in a class-action suit being decided in a Georgia state court. The $6.5 million settlement would pay relatively small amounts to individuals who had the tainted drywall in their homes. But the handful of attorneys who quietly negotiated the deal will receive a separate payment of $2.1 million."

Source: ProPublica, 08/12/2010

NCSL Environment and Natural Resources

On the National Conference of State Legislatures website, you'll find information on new or proposed environment and natural resources legislation, including consumer laws. Topics include climate change and air quality, water, land use, waste, environmental health, healthy communities, federal issues, and much more.

Visibility: 

Manufacturing Plants Are Source of Drugs in Waterways

Wastewater treatment plants can't mitigate the problem, which is compounded by other sources of water contamination, such as drugs that end up in landfills or flushed down toilets, and metabolites or unutilized drugs that pass through people who take the drugs.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Visibility: 
June 21, 2010 to June 22, 2010

Chemical Toxicity Testing: The United States and Beyond

In Washington, DC: Day One at the National Press Club, "The Future of Chemical Toxicity Testing in the U.S.: Creating a Roadmap to Implement the NRC’s Vision and Strategy" and Day Two at  Johns Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies, "International Harmonization In Chemical Toxicity Testing: An EU Perspective on the Way Forward".

Visibility: 

"War On Tap: America's Obsession With Bottled Water"

"[Peter] Gleick, a freshwater expert, is the author of Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water. In the book, he examines how drinking water was commodified and branded over the past 30 years, turning what was once a free natural resource into a multibillion-dollar global industry — while raising questions about the taste and safety of drinking tap water."

Source: NPR, 05/18/2010

Greenwashers, Beware: FTC Updating Its "Green Guides"

The 2010 update to the Federal Trade Commission's Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims is expected to feature new guidance for marketing carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates, green packaging, textiles, building products, and building.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Visibility: 
May 13, 2010

ENERGY STAR Gets the Spotlight

A recent GAO report indicates the ENERGY STAR product certification process is vulnerable to fraud and abuse. The Environmental Law Institute brings together a panel of EPA and DOE reps with commentators who will discuss the impacts to energy efficiency and the roles of consumers, investors, and the manufacturing bottom line.

Visibility: 

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Consumer