This week the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government has an obligation to regulate car emissions and air pollution from coal-burning power plants and factories.
The Supreme Court heard its first global warming case yesterday and they'll look at the scientific data to behind the crisis. Meanwhile, we see new data about our warming planet every day.
Fortunately, I've found a cleaner that uses green alternatives. Unfortunately, it's 12 miles away.
Here's a phrase that does't exactly roll off the tongue: "sustainable luxury lifestyle." It's the topic of an interesting post on the blog WorldChanging, by the CEO of Vivavi, a company that makes high-end sustainably designed furniture (using materials like water hyacinth fiber, recycled glass, and Forest Stewardship Council certified wood). The Vivavi CEO, Josh Dorfman, who is also the host of LIME Radio's "The Lazy Environmentalist," wrote of some people's concern "that marketplace environmentalism is only possible for celebrities and the super wealthy."
Finally, some good news on air pollution: according to a report issued yesterday, the amount of toxic chemicals released into the air nationwide decreased by four percent from 2003 to 2004. The EPA's Toxics Release Inventory tracks what are called PBTs, or persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals - things like mercury, lead, dioxins, and pesicides.