Opinion

Summer is a season that is closely tied to the environment – a truth that isn’t hard to see for yourself, especially if you live in a warmer climate. The first signs of warmth bring hordes to beaches and parks on a quest for a share of sunshine, and the sounds and smells of barbecues rise from backyards from suburbs to cities. Summer has held a special place in the hearts of many as a time to reconnect with the “Great Outdoors”, a place that the cold of Winter manages to keep out of mind for months each year.

Plastic bag bans have been the subject of much debate in America recently as a number of states have taken on the challenge of finding solutions to the growing, unsightly problem of plastic pollution. In a thought provoking article featured on the New York Times, correspondent Elizabeth Rosenthal discusses the controversy surrounding banning plastic bags in New York City. For many other cities, such as Seattle, San Francisco, and Dublin, a bag ban or tax was a simple new measure to adapt to. With barely a bag in sight, Rosenthal writes, life goes on.

The New York Times ran a thought provoking article on Monday about the city of Oslo, Norway, and its seemingly unusual method of generating power which represents a growing trend in energy creation today: the practice of burning garbage for fuel.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it's time to start thinking about the big day. The turkey has been ordered, the guests have been invited, but there is something else just as important that can make this cherished holiday turn from a day of joy and gratitude to a day of environmental devastation: plastic. In the spirit of the season, the Plastic Pollution Coalition has put together a guide of five simple tips for having a wonderful, plastic-free Thanksgiving.

With the United States presidential election just months away, inauguration planning is already in full swing. Decorators have been called. Bands have been short-listed. And the catering? Well, at least one part of the food and beverage selection seems to have already been decided. On the menu? Saratoga Spring Water, bottled water that will be brought in from out of state. Why not instead offer local tap water that thousands of residents in the nation's capital already drink? Excellent question.

By Sheikh Abdul Aziz al Nuaimi

Last Friday over 1.6 billion Muslims around the world celebrated the beginning of the holiest of times: Ramadan.

During Ramadan, all Muslims fast from first light until sundown (dawn to dusk), abstaining from food, drink and sexual relations. The sick, elderly and travelers, as well as pregnant or nursing women, are permitted to break the fast and make it up later in the year. If they are physically unable to do this, they must feed a needy person for every day missed. Children begin to fast from puberty, although many start earlier.

The United States Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday that baby bottles and sippy cups can no longer contain bisphenol A, or BPA, the estrogen-disrupting chemical found in malleable plastics. The New York Times reports that the decision was made at the urging of the American Chemistry Council, a lobbying group that often focuses on a pro-plastics agenda.

EnglishRussia.com has a fascinating photo essay about life inside a plastics production facility—and what sorts of plastic products end up there. The blog post also highlights the difficulties in getting people to recycle their plastic bottles, as well as the reusable bottles made from recycled plastic nurdles produced in the factory. Check it out!

It's been a frustrating couple of weeks, to say the least. Two weeks ago, the United States Food and Drug Administration rejected a proposed ban on bisphenol A (BPA) in food containers and packaging, and since then, much of the plastic pollution-related news hasn't been very encouraging. Here's a quick recap:

This month, in collaboration with the Breast Cancer Fund, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and notable coalition members such as actor Jeff Bridges and author Bill McKibben, the Plastic Pollution Coalition is calling on the United States Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in food and drink containers and packaging. A known endocrine disruptor, BPA has been linked to autism and attention deficit disorders, heart disease in women, diabetes, obesity, depression, and infertility.