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Bill Walsh | September 30, 2010 | Policies
The assault by the petro-chemical industry on scientific integrity -- and scientists with integrity -- has been well documented.[1] This year, three winners of the 16th Annual Heinz Awards are scientists who are distinguished "by their courageous willingness to communicate the implications of their work, often in the face of determined opposit...
Bill Walsh | September 29, 2010 | Policies
The assault by the petro-chemical industry on scientific integrity – and scientists with integrity – has been well documented.[1] This year, three winners of the 16th Annual Heinz Awards are scientists who are distinguished "by their courageous willingness to communicate the implications of their work, often in the face of determin...
Bill Walsh | July 14, 2010 | Policies
Think "transparency" is an established, maturing theme? You ain't seen nothing yet. Trendwatching.com
The news this summer provides more insight into why the assortment of eco-labels and certifications that define green products today is a transitional stage, soon to be eclipsed by an unprecedented convergence of better information a...
Tom Lent | June 24, 2010 | Policies
Last week we described the major reductions in VOC content we are seeing in paints (Paint Industry Drives Toward Zero VOCs -- Will Certifications Catch Up?). But does a low-VOC content number mean these paints are actually safe from the perspective of environmental health? Not necessarily.
As we described in an earlier blog (Sorting Out The VOCs),...
Tom Lent | June 24, 2010 | Policies
The US Congress has approved legislation[1] to limit allowable emissions of formaldehyde from composite wood products, specifically hardwood plywood, particleboard and medium-density fiberboard sold in the United States. The new limits in are based on the levels established for the State of California in 2007 by the California Air Resources Board (...
Tom Lent | June 14, 2010 | Policies
Low-VOC labels and certifications abound on the paint shelves today. What do they all mean? Not necessarily what you think. First, let's look at the certifications. Green Seal, EcoLogo, CRGI GreenWise and MPI Green Performance all base their certifications on VOC content -- and 50 grams/liter (g/l) is the magic number. Almost...
Paul Bogart | June 02, 2010 | Policies
As I spend my days within a world of data, certifications, lunch and learns, and labels, I often remind myself why I do this for a living. I think of people living on the front lines of industrial production that I hope will one day benefit from my work. People that I have met in communities struggling for the basic right to clean air and uncontami...
Bill Walsh | June 02, 2010 | Policies
A new report released last week concludes, "[LEED] 'platinum,' 'gold,' and 'silver' status conveys the false impression of a healthy and safe building environment, even when well-recognized hazardous chemicals exist in building products," and, "LEED standards are insufficient to protect human health." The...
Sarah Gilberg | May 07, 2010 | Policies
The writing is on the wall for manufacturers of products and processes that use known and suspected carcinogens. Or at least it’s in the President’s inbox. The President’s Cancer Panel, an elite group of experts that has been dubbed “the Mount Everest of the medical mainstream” by New York Times columnist...
Paul Bogart | April 15, 2010 | Policies
While many consumers are increasingly worried about the safety of products from baby bottles to building materials, most are unaware that only a few hundred of the approximately 80,000 chemicals in commerce have been tested for safety.
With the declaration that "America's system for regulating industrial chemicals is broken," Sen. Fr...