Gun owners came out to the capitol in force Thursday to object to a bill that would make it illegal to open carry a pistol or revolver in a public building without a permit.
Many low income or minority groups have learned to raise their voices and stand up against the discriminatory locating of hazardous waste sites, polluting factories and other sources of bad air quality and compromised waterways and soils. Pictured: an environmental justice rally in the Rogers-Eubanks community of North Carolina.
Dear EarthTalk: I understand that the “environmental justice” movement seeks to protect the poor and non-white communities from being unfairly targeted to host activities like sewage treatment plants, landfills and polluting factories. Have there been notable victories? -- P. Silver, Peekskill, NY
Some studies show organic foods to be no healthier and only marginally safer with regard to individual exposure to pesticides than non-organic foods. Nonetheless, choosing organic is a wise "better safe than sorry" strategy which also reduces pollution and conserves water and soil quality.
Dear EarthTalk: There’s been a lot of coverage on the topic of organic foods and how they aren’t actually any healthier than conventional foods. Is this true? -- Gina Thompson, Salem, OR
When Teflon is exposed to high heat it can release its constituent chemical, PFOA, as a gas. There are no known cases of direct health problems for consumers, but workers producing Teflon are at increased risk for certain cancers, prompting the U.S. government to call for a complete phase-out of Teflon and related products by 2015.
Many of the world’s fisheries are in crisis today due to years of overfishing, pollution and habitat destruction. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, some of the most popular fish -- including cod (pictured here), snapper and tuna, are dangerously depleted yet continue to be overfished.
Dear EarthTalk: I understand that many of the world’s fisheries are on the brink of collapse, “fished out,” to put it bluntly. How did this happen and what is being done about it?-- Mariel LaPlante, New Orleans, LA
