Man in a hazmat suit sanitizing an apartment room with chemicals. (Photo: Ljupco Smokovski, via Shutterstock)The cost of killing bugs in California will start to rise if lawmakers adopt Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to reduce toxic pesticide use by gradually increasing fees, a measure that could affect everyone from crop dusters to home gardeners. The fee hike, phased in over four years, is included in the governor’s budget proposal.
The silhouette of a pmpjack at sunset. The jacks can remove five to 40 liters of crude oil wuith each stroke. (Photo: Ronnie Chua, via Shutterstock)Once again, the stage is being set for a multi-pronged battle in California between environmentalists and the Trump administration. On May 9, the federal government announced plans to open 725,500 acres of public lands on California’s Central Coast and the Bay Area to new oil and gas drilling.
An illustration of the California grizzly bear and manufacturing machinery. (Image: GrAl, via Shutterstock) OPINION: California takes great pride in being at the forefront of innovation. The state’s bold regulatory initiatives set standards for the rest of the country and our manufacturers research and develop world-leading solutions to particular problems almost daily. There is no doubt that California is the world’s leading edge of innovation, product safety and modernization.
Illustration by Quentin Lueninghoener, FairWarning.orgWhen her black cat rapidly dropped from a healthy 14 pounds to a skeletal five pounds, it was natural for Arlene Blum to investigate whether a toxic chemical in her home might be to blame. The veterinarian’s diagnosis raised that possibility, and Blum had expertise in the harm that chemicals can cause. Her research as a chemist in the 1970s helped reveal the possible health hazards posed by flame retardants used in children’s sleepwear.
Spraying crops with an herbicide to prevent crop losses to pests. (Photo: pfalztv, via Shutterstock)California is deciding whether to add a popular herbicide’s ingredient to the list of officially recognized cancer-causing compounds — a move that has run into a legal road block. At issue is glyphosate, a prime ingredient in the Monsanto Company’s herbicide Roundup.
Oil rigs in a Kern County oil field. (Photo: Christopher Halloran)OPINION: As a father, there is nothing that I wouldn’t do to protect my children. That’s why last year, I filed a suit against the state of California and Governor Brown for discriminating against Latino youth by permitting fracking wells disproportionately close to their schools.
A woman carries a load of cleaning supplies, a key source of common fragrances. (Photo: Bikeriderlondon, via Shutterstock)For Joyce Miller, one sniff of scented laundry detergent can trigger an asthma attack. “What happens is I feel like someone is standing on my chest,” says the 57-year-old professor of library science in upstate New York. “It’s almost like a choking feeling – pressure and choking. And then the coughing starts,” she said.
OPINION: For more than 40 years, California pursued a fire safety policy for furniture that recognized the risk presented by smoldering sources (cigarettes) and open flame sources (candles, matches and lighters). Now there has been a radical change in state policy that could result in increased fire deaths, injuries and property damage.
OPINION: New reports come out every day indicating a strong correlation between fracking and increased toxins in air and water as well as seismic activity. It is becoming clear that extreme well stimulation techniques pose threats to public health that go far beyond those associated with traditional oil and gas drilling.
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