Economy & Business

Where Does All That Recycling Go?

Where do all those recyclables actually go? This week’s TipSheet dives into the trash to find a story worth telling — of troubling overseas dumping, problematic local incineration and a fraying patchwork of U.S. regulation. Plus, several dozen questions you might want to ask, a pair of pro tips and a dozen resources to track the story in your area.

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"New York's Canners: The People Who Survive Off A City's Discarded Cans"

"‘It’s honest dollars,’ says one canner, but it’s not easy work – canners plan meticulous routes and often work long hours". "“It’s good for the environment,” says Anthony Pemberton, arranging the recyclable empty bottles and cans in his shopping cart."

Source: Guardian, 03/05/2019

Wheeler, Who Continued Environmental Rollbacks, Confirmed to Lead EPA

"The Senate on Thursday confirmed Andrew R. Wheeler to be the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, giving oversight of the nation’s air and water to a former coal lobbyist and seasoned Washington insider."

Source: NY Times, 03/01/2019

Judge Throws Out Federal Defamation Lawsuit Against New York Times

"A University of Florida horticulture professor known for his scientific defense of genetically modified foods lost his defamation suit against journalist Eric Lipton and the New York Times for describing his close relationships with biotech giants including Monsanto."

Source: Tallahassee Democrat, 03/01/2019

"The Dawn of the Age of Plastics"

"The 1939 World’s Fair was a testament to cork’s primacy in consumer packaging. But a little-known substance called plastic was waiting in the wings."

"In the closing months of World War II, Americans talked nonstop about how and when the war would end, and about how life was about to change. Germany would fall soon, people agreed on that. Opinions varied on how much longer the war in the Pacific would go on.

Source: Undark, 02/26/2019

"Crisis on the Colorado"

"As the Southwest faces rapid growth and unrelenting drought, the Colorado River is in crisis, with too many demands on its diminishing flow. Now those who depend on the river must confront the hard reality that their supply of Colorado water may be cut off."

Jim Robbins reports, with photography by Ted Wood, in a 5-part series for Yale Environment 360 January 14, 2019.

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Source: , 02/25/2019

"Owners Close 100-Year-Old Coal Plant, Blame Obama Rules"

"Operators of a century-old coal plant in Alabama say Obama-era environmental rules are behind their decision to close the facility, which first started churning out electricity in 1917."

Source: EnergyWire, 02/22/2019

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