By Melissa Segrest
Green Right Now

Man-made chemicals that have long made life easier for everyone from cooks to clothiers are getting another round of scientific scrutiny. They may be related to unhealthy levels of cholesterol, a study released Monday suggests.

Jessica Nelson, one of the authors of a new study of chemicals' impact on cholesterol

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Green Right Now Reports

Exposure to nanotubes may affect the outer lining of the lungs, according to a study by a collaboration of scientists studying the potential health effects of nanotubes on human health.

Responding the the fast growth in the use of nanotubes in hundreds of consumer products, researchers at North Carolina State University, the Hamner Institute for Health Sciences and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences decided to take a look at what happens when mice inhale nanotubes.

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By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

Halloween is still a few weeks out, but for farm animal advocates, it is time to talk turkey.

Ginnifer Goodwin at the Farm Sanctuary (Photo: Ryan Pfluger)

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By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now
The Mediterranean diet or style of eating is not just for cultivating healthy arteries anymore. Now researchers say it may reduce the risk of depression.
A dietary pattern of eating plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, fish and olive oil appears to help people fend off clinical depression, according [...]

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By Christopher Peake
Green Right Now
Eating locally can be a healthier, wiser way to go — fresher food is more nutrient rich. But shopping for local produce means we must learn to take control of our menu, work with what’s in season and let go of what’s heading out.
Now that it’s fall, we have to [...]

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By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

Squint and you can’t see them. Try a standard microscope. They’re still not there.

And yet, they’re everywhere. Nanoparticles are in hundreds, if not thousands, of consumer products, from sunscreen to child car seats to sports socks.

So the EPA has decided to take a closer look at these eensy particles, to investigate their potential to harm humans and the environment.

Nanos, which are about 1/100,000 of the width of a human hair and have been aggregating in consumer goods faster than E coli at a feed lot, have raised concerns among environmentalists, public health officials and others. These guardians of the environment want to know more about how nanos act in water. air and soil, and also whether they can invade and damage human tissue.

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By Ashley Phillips
Green Right Now

This month, Starbucks locations in the United Kingdom and Ireland began serving “100% Starbucks Shared Planet and Fairtrade Certified Espresso” to the local clientele –an average of two million people per week. So figure that’s a lot of cappuccino contributing to better wages and working conditions for small-scale farmers.

Starbucks, already the largest producer of fair trade coffee in the world, is making an even bigger promise: In partnership with Fairtrade Labeling Organizations International (FLO), the company intends for every espresso-based drink to be Starbucks Fairtrade-certified within the next six month at all Starbucks locations in Europe.

Starbucks Fairtrade Certified Espresso is grown mostly in Latin America, specifically Guatemala, Costa Rica and Peru. Their farming communities will immediately benefit financially from the transition, according to Starbucks, which estimates the switch will contribute over $4 million annually to these smaller farmers.

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By John DeFore
Green Right Now

Tesla Roadster

Environmentally-sensitive lifestyles and luxury goods would not, to many of us, seem to go together very well. People who own billion-dollar yachts, for instance, aren’t exactly worrying about their carbon footprint.

But plenty of purveyors of high-end goods hope to fight that assumption. Gathering a few steps from Central Park at Manhattan’s Rouge Tomate restaurant Tuesday, a few dozen companies argued that you can have your lush life and save the planet, too.

Fashion models and a celebrity or two mingled with backpack-toting journalists at the event, but (no offense to the models) the sexiest guest never came in the front door: A Tesla Roadster was parked out front, inviting slack-jawed lust from passersby, right in front of a more modest would-be world-changer, the single-seat NmG from Myers Motors.

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From Green Right Now Reports

The City of Brotherly Love will be showing its nature-loving side this coming Sunday during GreenFest Philly at 2nd and South streets. The event, sponsored by Toyota and produced by the Urban Green Partnership, will feature a green film festival, an introduction to the Girl Scouts of America’s new Go Green Initiative and displays by some 200 enviromental groups and businesses.

About 25,000 people are expected to attend this year’s GreenFest Philly. This year’s theme is “food” and booths are expected to help educate the public on how to buy locally, eat vegetarian, grow your own food and support farmer’s markets.

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From Green Right Now Reports

California has one of the most widely adopted green winegrowing and winemaking programs in the world, one that has earned the state’s top environmental award. The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, established by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers, maintains a web site to help members of the state’s wine-making industry stay informed on sustainability issues.

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By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

Here’s a little cautionary tale about how bigger is not always better, and knowing who to blame doesn’t necessarily solve the problem. It’s also about the inter-connectedness of our energy and food systems, and specifically how coal-fired power plants affect your diet.

Say you were camping with friends and caught a really BIG fish. This squirming monster would give you bragging rights for a year. Now say you caught a smaller fish, suitable for pan frying but not Kodak-worthy.

What do you do? If you’re Daniel Boone, you toss the little guy back. But if you’re a post-industrial age sportsman or woman, you will want to consider this: Keep the big hunker and you’ve got more to eat, and disproportionately more mercury contamination.

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By Hosea Sanders

CHICAGO (WLS) — You don’t have to change your life to go green. You can always make small adjustments like switching from plastic to paper — or corn. You might be protecting the planet just by having your next meal — and not even know it. >> Read the full story

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