Toxic technology
May 5, 2006

The computer you're using to read this will one day be nothing more than a pile of garbage, contaminated with heavy metals and toxic plastic... MORE»

murmur categories: home, technology, environment

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism technology computers environment e-waste

posted by Tessa | 8:49 AM (ET) | Permalink

Long-term study says benefits of eating fish outweigh mercury risk
May 1, 2006

According to a new study, the benefits outweigh the risks when it comes to eating fish... MORE»

murmur categories: health/safety environment food/drink

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism environment fish food pollutants chemicals toxins seafood mercury

posted by Tessa | 11:11 AM (ET) | Permalink

Common pesticide linked to cancer
April 25, 2006

What you might be spraying on those pesky dandelions could be doing more harm than good... MORE»

murmur categories: home, health, environment

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism pesticides gardening Canada environment health toxins home

posted by Tessa | 9:40 AM (ET) | Permalink

Sun's rays more harmful this summer: experts
April 21, 2006

Catching some rays this summer could be more dangerous than ever this year, warn health and environment experts. They advise people that it's especially important to avoid too much sun or to cover up when it's bright outside... MORE»

murmur categories: environment, health

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism cancer sunscreen environment health

posted by Tessa | 14:06 PM (ET) | Permalink

This toxic life
April 21, 2006

Each of us likely has pollutants in our blood. A recent study analyzing the blood and urine of a small group of Canadians found varying levels of contamination from heavy metals, pesticides and other toxic chemicals (such as PCBs, mercury, lead). A similar study of 500 Canadians found the same results... MORE»

murmur categories: environment, health

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism environment pollutants chemicals toxins health consumer rights

posted by Tessa | 10:21 AM (ET) | Permalink

Bad air days aren't just outdoors
April 18, 2006

It's so cruel – just as the weather gets warmer, the shorts come out of the bottom drawer and the sidewalk patios begin to fill with sun-seekers, the sludgy haze of smog that hangs over the city shows itself... MORE»

murmur categories: environment, health, home

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism pollution toxins environment green eco environment carcinogens chemicals

posted by Tessa | 14:02 PM (ET) | Permalink

How to make a green baby
April 12, 2006

According to a study from the U.K., 70 per cent of parents became more interested in environmental issues following the birth of their baby. I guess I'm a worrywart; my baby hasn't arrived, but I've already started brooding about the ecological footprint of my future offspring (my husband and I are awaiting the birth of our first baby any day now)... MORE»

murmur categories: environment, kids

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism babies parenting environment green eco environment diapers

posted by Tessa | 12:29 PM (ET) | Permalink

'Hybrid haters' on the rise in carpool lanes
April 10, 2006

Hybrid drivers in California say they're increasingly becoming the victims of road rage among carpoolers... MORE»

murmur categories: environment, cars

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism environment hybrid cars energy green design technology

posted by Tessa | 12:24 PM (ET) | Permalink

Is farmed salmon rotten or rosy in Scotland?
April 10, 2006

There's a divisive and embittered fish flap going on over farmed salmon in the Highlands of Scotland... MORE»

murmur categories: health/safety, environment, food/drink

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism environment pollutants chemicals toxins seafood carcinogens fish

posted by Tessa | 11:40 AM (ET) | Permalink

Boost for biodiesel from Big Oil
April 6, 2006

The biodiesel industry, which has been struggling to make inroads with North American consumers, got a big boost this week... MORE»

murmur categories: environment, cars

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism environment biodiesel energy green biofuels

posted by Tessa | 11:58 AM (ET) | Permalink

Quebec implements toughest pesticide rules in North America
April 5, 2006

A new era in pesticide use has begun in Quebec. Earlier this week, the province's sweeping pesticide bans went into effect ... MORE»

murmur categories: home, health, environment

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism pesticides gardening Canada Quebec environment health toxins home

posted by Tessa | 9:51 AM (ET) | Permalink

Consumer-made advertising backfires for Chevy
March 31, 2006

These days a big trend in advertising is allowing consumers to create their own ads and post them on company websites. You can bet Chevy will be rethinking its use of the trend after someone created an ad that slams the carmaker's fleet of SUVs ... MORE»

murmur categories: advertising, activism, environment, cars

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism advertising SUV activism environment

posted by Tessa | 10:42 AM (ET) | Permalink

Tips for minimizing your exposure to chemicals
March 28, 2006

Marketplace's recent story, Chasing the Cancer Answer, showed how we're exposed to a plethora of carcinogenic toxins through everyday consumer products. We also provided a list of carcinogens commonly found in products, from laundry detergents to fruits and vegetables... MORE»

murmur categories: environment, health

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism environment pollutants chemicals toxins health consumer rights

posted by Tessa | 11:23 AM (ET) | Permalink

Is Wal-Mart going green, or is push into organics just a show-job?
March 27, 2006

Speculation abounds over mega-retailer Wal-Mart's move into organic products... MORE»

murmur categories: environment, food

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism organic Wal-Mart Walmart environment greenwashing business retail green shopping

posted by Tessa | 1:02 PM (ET) | Permalink

Pill-popping society fouling our water, official says
March 23, 2006

Birth control pills, cancer drugs and a host of other pharmaceuticals that people flush down the drain every day are showing up in our drinking water, says Gord Miller, Ontario's environmental commissioner... MORE»

murmur categories: health, environment

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism health water pharmaceutical

posted by Tessa | 2:15 PM (ET) | Permalink

Ontario offers to buy homemade electricity
March 22, 2006

Ontario is offering to subsidize homeowners and businesses that switch to renewable power sources like solar panels or wind turbines... MORE»

murmur categories: home, environment

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism energy power alternative energy environment solar wind

posted by Tessa | 9:31 AM (ET) | Permalink

Drowning in plenty: The cost of going cheap
March 20, 2006

The Guardian has a fascinating article about how Britons are drowning in a glut of cheap consumer goods – similar to their North American Wal-Mart shopping brethren, only on this side of the pond our gluttonous shopping habits have coincided with the ballooning footprint of the average suburban American home... MORE»

murmur categories: environment, miscellaneous

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism products shopping cheap deals

posted by Tessa | 11:01 AM (ET) | Permalink

Push for carcinogen regulations on Parliament Hill
March 13, 2006

It seems Marketplace's recent documentary, Chasing the Cancer Answer, has some politicians in Ottawa talking about the rising rates of the disease and the role regulations and product labelling might have on curbing Canada's cancer epidemic... MORE»

murmur categories: environment, health, food

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism environment pollutants chemicals toxins pesticides health cancer food consumer rights

posted by Tessa | 10:20 AM (ET) | Permalink

U.S. streams contaminated with pesticides: report
March 6, 2006

A large number of U.S. rivers and streams are contaminated with pesticides and herbicides, government scientists have found... MORE»

murmur categories: environment, health

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism environment pollutants chemicals toxins pesticides

posted by Tessa | 9:32 AM (ET) | Permalink

Passengers, crew exposed to air travel toxins: UK investigation
February 27, 2006

Thousands of travellers and airline crewmembers are exposed to potentially toxic gases, says an investigation by the Observer... MORE»

murmur categories: travel, health, environment

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism travel airlines health aviation airplane toxins air environment

posted by Tessa | 1:30 PM (ET) | Permalink

Willie Nelson launches green fuel campaign
February 10, 2006

Country music legend Willie Nelson is getting into the alternative fuel business with the launch of "BioWillie," his brand of clean-burning fuel made from soybeans... MORE»

murmur categories: environment, cars

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism environment biodiesel energy green Willie Nelson biofuels

posted by Tessa | 10:28 AM (ET) | Permalink

Teflon chemical found in newborns' umbilical cords
February 7, 2006

Researchers at a Baltimore hospital have found a potentially harmful Teflon chemical in nearly all of the umbilical cord blood samples of newborns tested there... MORE»

murmur categories: health, environment

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism environment Teflon cancer health news toxins research

posted by Tessa | 10:07 AM (ET) | Permalink

Top 10 myths about hybrid cars
February 2, 2006

From Business Week, the top ten myths about hybrid cars, including... MORE»

murmur categories: environment, cars

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism environment hybrid cars energy green design technology

posted by Tessa | 10:33 AM (ET) | Permalink

EU to cut greenhouse gases from cars ... and shoes
February 1, 2006

The European Union has agreed to wean out environmentally harmful fluorinated gases (also known as F-gases) found in a wide range of consumer products such as cars, appliances and running shoes... MORE»

murmur categories: environment

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism environment pollutants climate climatechange globalwarming science news

posted by Tessa | 11:23 AM (ET) | Permalink

FDA tests find mercury risk in some light tuna
January 27, 2006

Testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has found that some cans of light tuna contain high levels of mercury, a toxic metal that can cause learning disabilities in children and neurological problems in adults... MORE»

murmur categories: health/safety, environment, food/drink

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism environment pollutants chemicals toxins seafood mercury tuna

posted by Tessa | 11:23 AM (ET) | Permalink

Harmful Teflon chemical to be eliminated by 2015
January 26, 2006

Several U.S. manufacturers say they’ll eliminate a Teflon chemical called PFOA from consumer products coated with the popular non-stick material... MORE»

murmur categories: environment health

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism environment Teflon cancer health news toxins

posted by Tessa | 11:52 AM (ET) | Permalink

Keeping tabs on one man's garbage
January 26, 2006

There’s an interesting project going on in New York that aims to turn one man’s garbage into another’s treasure. GarbageScout.com combines Google Maps with input from users to locate used items that have been tossed in the trash, but maybe deserve a second life... MORE»

murmur categories: environment activism

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism recycling green recycle shopping

posted by Tessa | 11:24 AM (ET) | Permalink

Where do computers go to die?
January 24, 2006

The Ottawa Citizen has an exhaustive feature on the issue of “e-waste,” or, the nasty legacy of toxic waste we’re leaving in the wake of our fickle love of computers, high-tech gadgets and gizmos... MORE»

murmur categories: technology environment

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism technology computers environment e-waste

posted by Tessa | 9:33 AM (ET) | Permalink

Household insecticides could double child leukaemia risk
January 18, 2006

New research says children exposed to household insecticides could be at risk of developing childhood leukaemia...MORE»

murmur categories: health environment

tags: consumers consumer news consumerism health insecticides toxins leukaemia environment Technorati Profile

posted by Tessa | 11:46 AM (ET) | Permalink

Top fuel-efficient cars and SUVs of 2006
January 9, 2006

Is your New Year’s resolution to reduce the gas you’ve been guzzling? Edmunds has two lists that might help... MORE »

murmur categories: cars, environment

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, SUVs, cars, fuel, environment

posted by Tessa | 3:51 PM (ET) | Permalink

Couple builds energy-efficient 'dome home'
January 5, 2006

Worth repeating from CBC Health & Science News: A commercially-built "dome home" in Alberta will be twice as energy efficient as the latest houses built to today's standards... MORE»

murmur categories: home, environment

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, housing, energy

posted by Tessa | 9:42 AM (ET) | Permalink

Database details safety of cosmetic products
December 21, 2005

I’ve been meaning to check this site out since it launched last month – finally grabbed a few moments to troll through it this morning and I’m pretty amazed by the depth of information it provides... MORE »

murmur categories: health, environment

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, cosmetics, toxins

posted by Tessa | 10:19 AM (ET) | Permalink

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Innovative system uses drivers to generate energy
December 19, 2005

An inventor in Britain has created a new tool for harnessing energy from travelling cars. Every time a vehicle travels over Perter Hughes’ “Electro-Kinetic Road Ramp,” between five and 50kW of power is collected in the ramp’s metal plates... MORE»

murmur categories: cars, environment

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, environment, energy

posted by Tessa | 10:44 AM (ET) | Permalink

Climate change prompts Inuit to reduce hunt, limit healthy foods
December 19, 2005

Worth repeating from CBC Health & Science News: Researchers fear the North's changing environment will affect the health of Inuit by decreasing access to traditional foods from the land... MORE »

DuPont to pay record fine for Teflon chemical complaint
December 15, 2005

The Environmental Protection Agency reached a $16.5 million settlement with the DuPont Co. yesterday over the company's failure to report possible health risks associated with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a chemical compound used to make Teflon, the Washington Post reports... MORE »

murmur categories: health/safety, environment

tags: consumers, consumer news, consumerism, environment, pollutants, chemicals, toxins, DuPont

posted by Tessa | 10:24 AM (ET) | Permalink

Tests show mercury levels in seafood are ‘high’ and ‘pervasive’
December 12, 2005

Popular seafood sold in Chicago supermarkets –including walleye originating from Canada– is so contaminated with toxins that U.S. regulators could confiscate the fish for violating food safety rules, the Chicago Tribune reports... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 10:39 AM (ET) | Permalink

Health effects of climate change felt worldwide
December 5, 2005

Worth repeating from CBC Health & Science News:

Climate change could be responsible for as many as 150,000 deaths around the world every year, according to health experts at the UN climate change conference being held in Montreal... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 11:37 AM (ET) | Permalink

U.S. ponders tax on hybrids
November 25, 2005

A report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has suggested taxing hybrids and other fuel-efficient cars to raise money for the federal Highway Trust Fund, AP reports... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 1:05 PM (ET) | Permalink

Environmentalists test Canadians for pollutants
November 10, 2005

Many Canadians are being contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides and other toxic chemicals, suggests a study by an environmental watchdog group... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 9:58 AM (ET) | Permalink

Natural gas bills could rise 50% this winter
October 24, 2005

Canadian consumers who use natural gas to heat their homes may be paying between 20 and 50 per cent more by the time winter reaches its coldest days, industry insiders predict... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 9:49 AM (ET) | Permalink

British diaper study causes flap
May 20, 2005

A new British study suggesting that disposable and cloth diapers have the same impact on the environment has some environmental groups seeing red, CBC Health and Science News reports... MORE »

posted 10:22 AM (ET) | Permalink

Dead on your feet? Try this cemetery...
April 28, 2005

A no-frills funeral company in Australia has received the go-ahead to create a cemetery where bodies will be buried standing up to save space and lessen environmental impacts, CBC News Online reports... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 10:00 AM (ET) | Permalink

New website aims to help you make greener choices
April 25, 2005

The Consumers Union, the folks behind Consumer Reports magazine, have launched a new website that promotes environmental consumer choices... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 11:12 AM (ET) | Permalink

Big box recycling: How communities are putting abandoned stores to new use
April 8, 2005

We’ve heard about the tactics some big box retailers are criticized for when they move into small towns: they drive out the mom-and-pop shops, then leave town when headquarters decides to pull out because the superstore isn’t performing as well as expected... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 11:20 AM (ET) | Permalink

Riding the school bus exposes kids to pollution: study
April 6, 2005

Children riding in school buses are breathing in more pollution than people standing out on the streets, U.S. researchers have found... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 10:06 AM (ET) | Permalink

Repair or replace?
March 18, 2005

My dishwasher has been making a horrible noise lately – a rat-a-tat-tat grumble that lasts throughout the washing cycle, unless I stand in front of the machine and press the door firmly in two spots near the top of the thing... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 11:40 AM (ET) | Permalink

Eco-friendly motorcycle too quiet for bikers
March 17, 2005

Motorcycle engineers in Britain have created a zero-emission bike that has environmentalists celebrating it as a green innovation, and bikers protesting that it’s just not loud enough... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 10:01 AM (ET) | Permalink

Wal-Mart bypasses town’s big box ban with new side-by-side store tactic
March 8, 2005

Retailing giant Wal-Mart plans to trump local ordinances in a community in Maryland by building two smaller Wal-Mart stores next to each other, AP reports ... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 10:02 AM (ET) | Permalink

Update: Haven’t you always wanted a monkey?
March 3, 2005

Last month I told you about an auction to sell the naming rights of a species of "Titi" monkey recently discovered in the Madidi National Park in Bolivia. (You may have heard this story discussed on As it Happens earlier this week) ... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 7:08 PM (ET) | Permalink

Sustainable seafood on the menu
March 1, 2005

CBC Health and Science News reports that a new program at the Vancouver Aquarium is helping B.C. restaurants make ethical and environmentally sustainable decisions about what to serve their customers... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 4:27 PM (ET) | Permalink

Federal 'feebate' could pinch SUV buyers
February 25, 2005

CBC News reports that this week's federal budget includes a proposal that Ottawa impose a fee on purchases of new SUVs and other large vehicles while offering rebates to people who buy smaller, more fuel-efficient cars... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 2:02 PM (ET) | Permalink

No ban planned for 2,4-D: Canada's pesticide regulator
February 22, 2005

Canadians can continue to spray the popular garden herbicide 2,4-D, the country's pesticide regulator said yesterday... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 10:03 AM (ET) | Permalink

Haven’t you always wanted a monkey?
February 10, 2005

File under the category of ‘weird things you can buy in an online auction.’ The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has partnered with authorities in Bolivia to sell the naming rights of a species of monkey recently discovered in a South American national park... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 10:37 AM (ET) | Permalink

Environmentalists take Apple to task over iPod
February 9, 2005

The enormous popularity of the iPod isn’t music to the ears of some environmentalists. The Christian Science Monitor reports that environmental advocates are putting pressure on Apple to redesign the slender white device of choice for music fetishists... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 10:18 AM (ET) | Permalink

Dell begins distributing “green” machine
February 4, 2005

Dell has announced that it’s begun shipping a new “environmentally friendly,” almost unleaded desktop. The company says its greener computers consume less energy and less lead is used in their construction... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 10:47 AM (ET) | Permalink

Alberta begins charging electronics recycling fee
February 1, 2005

Albertans who buy televisions and computers will have to pay more when the province begins collecting an electronics recycling fee starting today... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 9:40 AM (ET) | Permalink

Mud flies in pesticides turf war
January 25, 2005

Worried that its market share is wilting with the Canadian-led movement to ban pesticide use, the American lawn-care industry has launched a campaign touting the health and lifestyle benefits of thick, green lawns... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 11:20 AM (ET) | Permalink

Truck drivers protest Ford’s plan to crush vehicles
January 20, 2005

A group of Ford truck drivers are staging a week-long “car sit-in” in Sacramento, protesting the automaker's decision to take back their electric, non-polluting vehicles... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 10:27 AM (ET) | Permalink

European rules force electronics companies to clean up
January 20, 2005

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that technology and consumer electronics companies are going greener, and much of the credit goes to the European Union. A series of laws and regulations put in place by the 25-nation consortium is changing the way tech companies do business... MORE »

posted by Tessa | 9:35 AM (ET) | Permalink

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