More things that make you say "duh"

"Hunting ban leads to whale recovery."

Wait, banning whale hunting is good for the whales? Really?

Still need that witty title

[Seriously though- I'm still waiting for those suggestions to pour in about what to call this section.]
This week, I'm going to feature a company that seems to be actually doing a lot of good. Ecover makes "ecological cleaners." So far I've used only their laundry detergent and dish soap, but according to their website they also have a ton of other products, like surface cleaners, hand soap, floor cleaner, etc etc.

Ecover is petro-chemical free, does not test on animals, and has been referred to as one of the "greenest carbon neutral products sold today." Ecover also does cool things like partner with the international charity Water Aid to provide sustainable access to safe water for communities in rural Ethiopia. Treehugger did an in-depth interview with Ecover not long ago and Peter Malaise, Ecover concept manager and handlebar mustache owner extraordinaire stated, "You never reach sustainability, you are always on the road." Well said, Mr. Mustache, well said.

Good News To Start The Weekend: Monsanto is a little less evil then they were last week

After this morning's bummer of a post, I decided we could all use some good news. Earlier this week, Monsanto, the evil agricultural mega-corporation, announced that it is selling off its dairy hormone business.

Recombinant bovine growth hormone, also known as rBGH, is an artificial growth hormone developed by Monsanto to increase dairy cows’ milk output. rBGH causes health problems in cows and increases antibiotic use on dairy farms. While the effect on humans consuming rBGH milk is not clear, studies suggest that rBGH increases another chemical that is linked to increased cancer risk. Basically, this stuff is pretty yucky, and environmental groups have become more and more outspoken about the problems associated with it, consumers have stopped buying milk produced with it, and businesses like Starbucks are staying away from it.

I can only assume that Monsanto made this decision based on the excellent letter to the editor I wrote last week.

Source: Food and Water Watch

Good news to start the weekend!

The Senate Environment and Public Works committee passed legislation today that addresses toxic substances in drinking water, advances environmental justice issues, limits the release of mercury, tracks hazardous waste, cleans up the Great Lakes, and improves sanitation systems for rural and native villages in Alaska.

Superhero Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the EPW Committee said: "The bills approved by the Environment and Public Works Committee today tackle some of the most dangerous pollution threatening our families and communities."

Great work, EPW! (Congress, don't screw it up)