In The News

Japan Says Fukushima Leak Worse Than Thought, Government Joins Clean-Up

Mari Saito, Antoni Slodkowski August 9, 2013
More than two years after the Fukushima nuclear plant was destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami, the utility company in charge still struggles to contain the radiation. Groundwater flowing through the plant’s basement is radioactive, with about 300 tons assumed to be escaping each day and heading for the Pacific Ocean. “The revelation amounted to an acknowledgement that plant operator Tokyo...

Food and the Walmartization of Agriculture

Josh Sager July 17, 2013
Walmart gained market share by providing low-cost products with tight negotiations for suppliers and labor at all levels. Walmart controls about 25 percent of the US grocery market, and its business model favors industrial farms and producers of volume, argues Josh Sager for GlobalResearch. Medical research touting the health benefits of fruits and vegetables is shaping consumer demands. Yet...

How to Allocate CO2 Emissions

Humberto Llavador, John Roemer, Joaquim Silvestre June 25, 2013
Delivering on his election pledge to tackle the climate change issue, President Barack Obama today instructed the US Environmental Protection Agency to establish carbon emission standards for both new and existing power plants. Important as this is, the unilateral move will have a limited impact as the world struggles over how to limit carbon emissions. Any global plan will lead to economic...

Smoking in Latin America

June 24, 2013
Tobacco is a native plant of the Americas, but Latin America is gradually going smoke-free. Chile is the 14th Latin American country – out of 20 – to ban smoking in enclosed public spaces. Over 40 percent of Chileans smoke, reports the World Health Organization. Treatment for tobacco victims represents a quarter of the $10 billion public healthcare budget, reports Chile’s health minister. Tobacco...

H7N9 Bird Flu Is “Serious Threat,” Researchers Warn

James Gallagher May 3, 2013
Researchers continue to study the outbreak of a new type of bird flu, H7N9, in China for any signs that the virus can spread through person-to-person contact. “As long as it can spread only from a bird to a person through direct contact it poses a relatively small risk globally – particularly in richer countries where such contact is rare,” reports James Gallagher of BBC News. “If it can spread...

Can Western Companies Put an End to Bangladesh Factory Disasters?

Pramila Jayapal May 1, 2013
Responsible corporations prioritize workplace safety. Building-structure codes, fire and smoke alarms, multiple exits, limited work hours and other standard safety regulations are documented to prevent accidents. Consumers may appreciate low prices, but will avoid brands that become associated with brutal workplace conditions. A factory fire in November and a building collapse in April have put...

Beijing Is Booming; Talent Is Leaving Due to Bad Air

Peter Ford April 29, 2013
The most talented workers expect top workplace amenities, not to mention basics like clean air. A persistent cloud of foul, acrid air pollution is prompting growing numbers of expatriates and talented Chinese workers to abandon Beijing, reports Peter Ford for the Christian Science Monitor. Some companies offer extra hazard pay to keep employees in the city and can count on higher health costs for...