At a press conference in Ottawa on Friday, Canada Health Minister Tony Clement said the government would take “prudent” action in banning the sale and importing of baby products containing the chemical. Canada will be the first country to regulate and limit the use of bisphenol A. Laboratory studies have shown that when infants are exposed to the substance, it can lead to future behavioural and neurological problems. However, he said that the levels of bisphenol A (BPA) that most Canadian adults are exposed to is not harmful. This announcement has led many retailers to pull products containing bisphenol A from their shelves such as Wallmart, which announced that it will immediately stop selling products with BPA in its Canadian stores, and will stop selling baby bottles with the chemical in U.S. stores next year. More info on CTV Canada.

The long wait is over. Companies that would start their projects to use renewable energy through the end of 2009 will receive a tax credit of 2 cents per kilowatt hour generated. The cost is estimated to $6 billion over the next decade. “Extensions would also be given to other tax credits for making energy-efficient appliances, building energy-efficient facilities and residential purchases of renewable energy systems. Through the credits, homeowners and businesses could avoid paying 30 percent of the cost of installing solar of fuel cell systems.” Reports ClimateBiz.com

Penta, deca, octa are not pets’ names but chemistry names (actually the number of bromine atoms per molecule of diphenyl ether) for a family of polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDE) used to retard combustion of electrical and electronic equipment that would be caused by an internal ignition or a small external flame like a … candle. In an unprecedented move, the European Court of Justice restored the ban against decaBDE.
It might sound like a middle age battle, as the Kingdoms of Sweden, Denmark and Norway were fighting the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Besides this – amusing – detail of history, this episode translates the growing concerns of the hazardous impact of brominated and chlorinated halogens and hydrocarbons on human health and the environment. It is also a display of the PR and lobbying efforts of bromine manufacturers to make fire resistant testing always more stringent. The tactic is simple: fear and fact manipulation. On the other side, 120 distinguished scientists, biologists, researchers and physicians have come together to rebut these facts and warn the electrical and electronic community of the potentially harmful consequences of enabling this new standards. Click here to access the court order.

My friends calls it “bowing to pressure”. Or call it addressing and satisfying  shareholders’ concerns if you want. Of course, when these shareholders are as influential as Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, a large religious representing 300 religious institutional investors or about $100 billion in investment funds and a very large activist network of investors – CERES-directed Investor Network on Climate Risk representing $3 trillion and they put forward a resolution that ask specifics about gas emissions reduction … But the good news is … Ford is the first car manufacturer to announce its strategy to reduce its fleet’s greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2020. GM should follow soon (and announce the (re) launch of the electric car?).

Speaking of car, how about BMW’s new “7 hydrogen”?
The car is being delivered to 100 celebrities. It uses hydrogen, a gas that is present naturally but is highly volatile, meaning a) it requires an industrial process to produce it or capture it and b) it needs to be refrigerated to extremely low temperatures (minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit) to be kept in its liquid form (unless it is used right away after it has been captured).

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Finally! I thought this would never happen. But what took them so long? Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection has launched its grassroots initiative. The We campaign’s goal is to empower people to take action to fight global change. You can create group and share your own initiatives with others. Continue Reading »

California-Stanford CleanTech Series II. UC Berkeley and Stanford U are hosting a conference on solar technologies.
Wednesday, May 7 at 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Berkeley-Stanford Clean Tech Conference Series (Stanford, CA)
Tressidor Union
Stanford, CA 94305

On May 2nd, 2008, Green Science Policy will hold its fifth session on flame retardants, which will focus on chemical policy reform in California and the EU, environmental remediation, and a proposed international standard for electronics that could triple use of FRs. I have been to the previous session and was so taken by the evidence that I decided to get involved. I feel it is critical to understand the domino effect of integrating toxic chemicals into products we use or are exposed to every day. See the agenda.

Mark your calendar: Earth Day is on Tuesday April 22. So, what are you going to do? Earthday.net gives you plenty of tips, events you can join to make this day enjoyable and memorable. Professional organizations are also on the deck. Tips from green cleaning guru Steve Ashkin: how about informing your clients? I agree: how about sharing three green/ environmental tips with each one of your friends and learning three from them?

I’m changing the format of my news. I’ll be posting them separately. Thank you Mark C., Brian B. and others for the suggestion.