3/20/13

Pesticide is costly for bees, then birds, then?
The Earth Times
... allowed concerns about neonicotinoid insecticides to go unnoticed is parallel to the Silent Spring ignorance that reigned supreme for Rachel Carson.

3/9/13

The hazards of plastic waste. Every year, humans produce nearly 280 million tons of plastic. And much of that plastic ends up in the environment, harming marine life and other ecosystems. Now a group of scientists has a potential solution. Because plastics absorb hazardous pollutants, they should be considered hazardous waste. Living On Earth
http://bit.ly/Wcp2el
Warning bells from nature. Proving a clear link between a chemical and health damage can be tricky in the best of times. At what dose does the chemical become poisonous? One drop, or two? What if the harmful effect of the chemical lies dormant for a while and only shows up 10 or 20 years later? To complicate the picture further, a healthy 70kg adult might not suffer any damage from a chemical dose which is highly toxic in a developing foetus or new-born baby. Durban Mercury, South Africa.
http://bit.ly/WRHaHE

3/8/13

Help NGWA Promote Ground Water Awareness
Ground Water Awareness Week (March 10-16, 2013) will shed light on one of the world’s most important resources - ground water. Ground water is essential to the health and well being of humanity and the environment, according to the National Ground Water Association, an AGI member society.

To learn more about Ground Water Awareness Week, visit the Virtual Museum of Ground Water History (http://info.ngwa.org/museum/museum.cfm) or watch a “water well show” (https://info.ngwa.org/images/flash/RFD_TV/rfdtv.html). For additional educational activities and resources, see http://www.ngwa.org/Events-Education/awareness/Pages/Get-involved.aspx.

3/1/13

Climate Change: What Would Rachel Carson Do?
Tuesday, March 5, 2013 7:00 p.m.
Watertown Public Library 123 Main Street, Watertown MA
Two renown climate journalists, David Arnold and Dan Grossman, will give updates on the state of their work, knowledge, and visions of the future. A community conversation will follow focusing on measures we can take in our own lives to reduce carbon and a glimpse into what the world might look like in 2050 at current rates of change. Hosted by the Watertown Environment and Energy Efficiency Committee, cosponsored by the Sierra Club Greater Boston Group. Free.



EDITORIALS: Support Silent Spring
Barnstable Patriot ...He credited the Silent Spring Institute and its work identifying trace levels of pharmaceuticals and contaminants of emerging concern in Cape Cod ...

 

FSU presents symposium on legacy of 'Silent Spring' 50 years later 02/26/2013 

Rachel Carson
A day of presentations marking the 50th anniversary of environmentalist and author Rachel Carson’s landmark book “Silent Spring” will be held March 1 at Florida State University’s Strozier Library.
Published in September 1962, “Silent Spring” is widely credited with helping launch the contemporary American environmental movement. In particular, the book documented the detrimental effects of pesticides on the environment, especially on birds. Since its publication, “Silent Spring” has been featured in many lists of the best nonfiction books of the twentieth century. The editors of Discover magazine named it one of the 25 greatest science books of all time in 2006.
The day-long symposium is sponsored by Michael Ruse, FSU’s Lucycle T. Werkmeister Professor in the Department of Philosophy and director of the Program in History and Philosophy of Science; Friends of the FSU Libraries; the Center for Humanities and Society; and the Program in History and Philosophy of Science. The events, which are free and open to the public, will take place:
FRIDAY, MARCH 1
9 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.
STROZIER LIBRARY, SCHOLARS COMMONS READING ROOM (GROUND FLOOR)
116 HONORS WAY
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
Click here for a complete listing of speakers and events.