Food irradiation—used to kill bacteria, parasites and insects in food and to retard spoilage—is actually not new. Research began early in the 20th Century and picked up in the 1950s as part of the U.S. government’s “Atoms for Peace” effort to find non-wartime uses for nuclear technology.
Manufacturers of vinyl mini-blinds used to add lead as a plastic stabilizer to make the blinds more rigid, and for color retention. Sunlight and heat then broke down the plastic, leaving behind trace amounts of lead dust.
Pfiesteria piscicida, a microbe, normally exists in rivers and bays in non-toxic forms, feeding on algae and bacteria. Scientists believe that this tiny creature becomes toxic only in the presence of fish, at which point Pfiesteria cells release a powerful poison that stuns fish
Proponents of raw foods, sometimes called “living foods,” believe that raw foods are much healthier for the body than cooked or processed foods. Followers of diets based wholly or largely on raw foods claim numerous health benefits, including increased energy levels
Beach erosion has both human and natural causes. The process of erosion carries beaches out to sea, but it also created them over millions of years from the rock-strewn shores that originally covered our planet.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), even when there is no human-caused pollution, ground water, including well water, can contain a number of natural impurities that result from conditions in the watershed or in the ground.
Several state and municipal governments are trying to stimulate demand for alternative energy by offering cash incentives to companies and homeowners that install solar electric (photovoltaic) systems, fuel cells, small wind turbines, solar thermal systems for heat and hot water, and other renewable energy technologies.
Dairy products are among the leading causes of food allergies, and there are growing numbers of people who seek to avoid them for that reason, or because their bodies are lactose intolerant, or because they seek to avoid all foods that come from animal sources as part of a strict vegetarian diet.
The paperless office does appear to still be a distant dream. A recent University of California-Berkeley study found that, worldwide, the amount of printed matter generated between 1999 and 2002 not only did not decrease
Large marine vessels such as container ships and oil tankers are among the least-regulated sources of air pollution in the United States. Though they are more fuel-efficient than other forms of commercial transportation
