A round-up of this week’s environmental, green and ecofriendly news and updates.
Do YOU know what’s in your hair care products? Unless you make your own, you may not be aware of the health impacts of all the ingredients.
And here’s why it’s important.
In the last 2 years, the number of complaints about bad reactions to cosmetic products has sky-rocketed. The majority of complaints were negative health reactions to hair products.
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) used to receive less than 300 complaints a year. Then suddenly in 2015 it got 706 complaints. Then it doubled again to 1,591 complaints.
But it gets even worse.
You see, most consumers don’t complain to the FDA. They (rightly) complain to the product manufacturers. But the makers aren’t required to notify anyone about complaints.
Take for example the WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioners. In 2014, the FDA received 127 consumer complaints about them. That’s pretty bad for just one product line – but the manufacturer had already received over 21,000 complaints! People reported everything from rashes to scalp irritation to their hair completely falling out.
And the worst of it all? Those products are still on sale across the USA.
When you buy batteries, which do you choose – disposable or re-chargeable?
Which is best?
Of course, in an ecofriendly blog, obviously I’d recommend rechargeable batteries. Or would I?
There’s something new going to appear in the sky this month. This Friday (July 14), Russia will launch the Mayak (or “lighthouse”) cube satellite. Once it’s in orbit, it will unfurl an array of solar reflectors, which are expected to be one of the brightest objects in the night sky. Some say it may shine nearly as brightly as the moon.
The crowdfunded project, designed by students from Moscow Polytechnic, is not popular with everyone. Many astronomers already lament the lack of “dark sky” and of course this will make it worse.
Have you seen Venus yet? This month, it’s really really bright just before dawn. It looks lovely.
Once batteries have reached the end of their life, it’s time to get them out of your home. But don’t toss them in the trash!
It’s really important to recycle them. We can’t re-use or recycle them ourselves, but companies can.
Here’s how you can recycle old batteries (of any type) – and the good news it, it’s really easy! Read it here.
Global Green News:
France announced it will end sales of petrol / gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2040. France joins India, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway in plans to ban combustion-powered vehicles. (Could this signal the end of the combustion engine?).
Swedish car manufacturer Volvo promised to launch only electric and hybrid models starting in 2019. The move is part of a bigger push to meet Europe’s pledge to cut emissions 40 percent by 2030. France also said it would stop using coal power plants in the next five years and halve its nuclear power by 2025.
US Green News:
Only half-way through the year and America is already nearing a record number of weather disasters – and it’s not even hurricane season yet. A new report last week from NOAA shows that so far, there have been nine extreme weather events — each racking up more than $1 billion in losses.
A pipeline company was granted approval to build a pipeline on land belonging an order of Catholic nuns in Pennsylvania. With the help of the Lancaster Against Pipelines group, the nuns built a chapel – right where the pipeline would cross their land. The pipeline company have filed an emergency order, and a hearing will be held later this month. The nuns’ ethics call for them to “honor the sacredness of all creation.”
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
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And in Mauritius we can put batteries to the collecting point at Large Croisette, in the north. There may be other places too, to drop them off. What to do about car batteries tho’?
Yes, the recycling station in La Croisette is very good. It’s also the only place I know in the North that does glass (I have the occasional wine bottle to recycle!) 🙂
When I’ve bought a new car battery from a garage, they’ve taken the old one. They say they recycle but I have no proof. However, there’s a company in Port Louis that not only collects them from you, but also pays a small amount! See https://www.facebook.com/batterymauritius/ Hope this helps!