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    Major Win for Youth Climate Activists in Montana Supreme Court

    Major Win for Youth Climate Activists in Montana Supreme Court

    The Montana Supreme Court upheld a landmark victory on Wednesday, affirming a lower court’s decision that the energy policies of the state violated youth activists’ constitutional rights to a clean environment. The ruling in Held v. Montana last August invalidated a law stopping regulators from taking into consideration the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions when […]

    Many Smartwatch Wristbands Hold High Levels of PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals,’ Study Finds

    Many Smartwatch Wristbands Hold High Levels of PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals,’ Study Finds

    Wearable tech devices like fitness trackers and smartwatches have become the constant companions of many who rely on them for alerts, transactions and health and location information day and night. What wearers of these devices may not know is that many of them contain elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) “forever chemicals” that […]

    Higher PFAS Levels in Blood Linked to Neighborhood Factors

    Higher PFAS Levels in Blood Linked to Neighborhood Factors

    In a new study, researchers at University of Southern California (USC) have associated certain neighborhood factors — such as food access or proximity to Superfund sites — with higher levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in human blood. The researchers examined the levels of certain types of PFAS, including PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFPeS and […]

    EPA Bans Two Chemicals Common in Dry Cleaning and Industrial Use

    EPA Bans Two Chemicals Common in Dry Cleaning and Industrial Use

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has banned two chemicals commonly used in dry cleaning because of their toxicity and cancer risks.  The EPA announced on Dec. 9 that it finalized the risk management regulations for trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). PCE is commonly used for dry cleaning […]

    North Carolina Town Launches First U.S. Climate Lawsuit Against a Utility Company

    North Carolina Town Launches First U.S. Climate Lawsuit Against a Utility Company

    The small North Carolina town of Carrboro has initiated the country’s first climate accountability litigation against an electric utility. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, claims Duke Energy waged a “deception campaign” in order to obscure the climate hazards of fossil fuels. This led to delayed action in curbing planet-warming emissions, which caused the costs of […]

    Glyphosate Exposure Linked to Long-Term Brain Inflammation

    Glyphosate Exposure Linked to Long-Term Brain Inflammation

    A new study led by Arizona State University has revealed an association between exposure of glyphosate, one of the most commonly used herbicides in the world, and long-term impacts on brain health in mice. The study tested the impacts that two different doses of glyphosate exposure had on mice, with a high dose (500 mg […]