sciencedaily.com - 2/19/14, BMJ-British Medical Journal

Supermarket. The synthetic chemicals used in the packaging, storage, and processing of foodstuffs might be harmful to human health over the long term, warn environmental scientists. This is because most of these substances are not inert and can leach into the foods we eat, they say

The synthetic chemicals used in the packaging, storage, and processing of foodstuffs might be harmful to human health over the long term, warn environmental scientists. This is because most of these substances are not inert and can leach into the foods we eat, they say. Despite the fact that some of these chemicals are regulated, people who eat packaged or processed foods are likely to be chronically exposed to low levels of these substances throughout their lives. And far too little is known about their long term impact

Read More

By: RT.com, 02/14/2014

(AFP Photo / Luis Robayo)

Italy’s constitutional court has overturned a controversial law equating cannabis with cocaine and heroin. The decision could see around 10,000 people released from the country’s overburdened jails. The court ruled the law was “illegitimate,” without elaborating further.

For more on this story visit www.rt.com

By: The Alternative Daily, 02/08/2014

Elle Cochran, a council member in Maui County, Hawaii, has proposed a bill at the county level to require agricultural operations to disclose their use of genetically modified crops and pesticides to the public. The state of Hawaii currently has some regulations on pesticides in place, however, Cochran asserts, “The current requirements are simply not good enough for this community. Most protection standards put in place protect the workers, but require little to no protection notification to surrounding communities. This legislation is meant to alleviate this oversight.”

For more on this story visit http://www.thealternativedaily.com/

By: LAURIE GOODSTEIN, NICK CUMMING-BRUCE and JIM YARDLEY, 02/05/2014

Photo: Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press

In a hard-hitting report applauded by victims as a landmark in the Roman Catholic Church’s clerical sexual-abuse scandal, a United Nations committee on Wednesday called on the Vatican to remove all child abusers from its ranks, report them to law enforcement and open the church’s archives so that bishops and other officials who concealed crimes could be held accountable.

The Guardian, By: Bridie Jabour, 02/06/2014

The authority chairman, Dr Russell Reichelt, said he recognised the amount of debate and community concern the project had generated and shared with everyone a strong desire to ensure the reef remained a great natural wonder into the future. “This approval is in line with the agency’s view that port development along the Great Barrier Reef coastline should be limited to existing ports,” Reichelt said. “As a deepwater port that has been in operation for nearly 30 years, Abbot Point is better placed than other ports along the Great Barrier Reef coastline to undertake expansion as the capital and maintenance dredging required will be significantly less than what would be required in other areas. “It’s important to note the seafloor of the approved disposal area consists of sand, silt and clay and does not contain coral reefs or seagrass beds.” North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation had applied to dump within the Great Barrier Reef marine park and, although the authority was asked to make a decision within 10 days of the environment minister, Greg Hunt, approving the project in December, it asked for an extension. North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation is also expected to come up with an alternative site that is also expected to be within the marine park.