SeaWorld has long been criticized for its program of breeding killer whales and holding them in captivity. However, a new law signed by California Governor Jerry Brown will now ban the birth of further killer whales in captivity. Whales already in captivity may remain there, but will no longer be allowed to perform “on command.” Instead, so-called educational experiences will replace the live shows. [1]
A recent report sheds light on how more than 55,000 California residents are being served up illegal and unsafe levels of arsenic in their tap water. California was found to be in noncompliance 3 years ago with the law regulating safe amounts of arsenic in water, with residents still being exposed to it.
Newly released historical documents reveal that the sugar industry paid scientists in the 1960’s to downplay the link between sugar consumption and heart disease and promote saturated fat as the cause, instead. [1]
JAMA Internal Medicine published an analysis of the internal sugar industry documents, which were uncovered by a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), on September 12.
What is humanely raised meat? It can be incredibly difficult to tell where exactly your meat or eggs have come from when shopping at the grocery store, as unfortunately, no standard of labels exists. Thus, those who want to inject a bit of humanity in their diet have a difficult task ahead of them when picking out food to purchase.
A new study shows that the number of college students who use pot continues to rise, but they’re more often rejecting other, harder drugs, including amphetamines and opioids. [1]
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently banned the use of the antibacterial agent triclosan in soaps. Yet it remains in one of the most popular toothpastes: Colgate Total.
So if it is banned for our skin, why does it remain in toothpaste? Largely because the Colgate Company has demonstrated that toothpastes with this chemical are more effective against gingivitis and plaque.
A new study published September 12 in the journal Pediatrics shows that many parents accidentally overdose their children on liquid medicines, but standardizing measuring instruments and labels may reduce these errors. [1]
On September 9, California regulators took a step toward becoming the first U.S. state to require energy efficiency standards for computers and monitors, which account for 3% of home electric bills and 7% of commercial power costs in the state. [1]
The California Energy Commission released a report, its final one, claiming the proposed standards could save consumers $373 million annually. The projected energy savings under the plan equal the electricity used each year by all the homes in San Francisco.
Food insecurity in the United States may be declining, but many families are still unsure of where their next meal will come from.
According to the USDA, the number of households that were food insecure at some point during 2015 was down to 12.7% from 14% in 2014. However, food insecurity is more pervasive now than it was in 2007 when it was around 11%, almost a full 2% lower than it is today.
Costa Rica has hit a new milestone: the country has been running on 100% renewable energy for the past 2 months solid, which is an amazing achievement in terms of sustainable energy. This is the second time in 2 years that this occurred.
Right now, the country is leading the way in renewable energy, as this new streak tacks on from 150 days where only geothermal and hydrothermal power generation were used. The country hopes to become totally carbon-neutral by 2021. [1]
