Environmental Roundup

From coastal wetlands and "green" tissue paper to getting the lead out, here are four environmental news items theGreenGrok thought you might want to read about.

1. March 4th marked the 24th anniversary of EPA’s decision to get the lead out.

The long, bitter battle to get the lead out of gasoline ended on March 4, 1985, when the Environmental Protection Agency announced new standards that would cut the amount of lead added to gasoline by 90 percent. The results have been spectacular – perhaps the greatest success story in the history of environmental protection in the United States. Since removing lead from gasoline, average blood lead levels in Americans have dropped significantly. Between 1976 and 1991, the United Nations Environment Programme estimates that “the virtual elimination of leaded gasoline resulted in a 77% decrease in the average blood lead level of the population.” (UNEP [pdf])

Lead has been linked to reduced cognitive and physiological function in children. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that even children with low levels of lead in their blood can lose as much as 7.4 IQ points.

Ongoing research by the CDC and others shows that blood lead levels continue to drop, but the decrease is not as strong in some lower income and non-white populations.

Programs to eliminate lead-based paint are ongoing, and eliminating blood lead levels in children is one of the national health objectives for 2010.

Getting the lead out of gasoline went a long way toward improving Americans' health.

Further Reading

Blood Lead Levels: United States, 1988-1991, Centers for Disease Control
Blood Lead Levels: United States, 1999-2002, Centers for Disease Control
Concentrations of Lead in Blood, Environmental Protection Agency
Fast Facts on Children's Health, Environmental Protection Agency

2. New guide to “green” toilet paper makes huge splash.

When the environmental advocacy group Greenpeace announced its new shopping guide on the environmental footprint of toilet (et al.) paper products, who knew that Mr. Whipple’s favorite topic would have such wide media pickup? From the NYTimes.com homepage to local newscasts, the guide has been making the rounds. It’s a great tool that sheds light on an important (t)issue. Pick yours up here and remember to take it with you when you go shopping (along with your seafood guide, which is available now as an iPhone app).

Oh, and in case you're wondering why the recycled tp is not as soft as the nonrecycled stuff: as reported in the Times, "it is the fiber taken from standing trees that help give it that plush feel." Still, in my book, that's not a good enough reason to cut down a tree.

3. Are we losing or gaining wetlands? New report shows troubling trends.

According to a new joint report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, while some studies suggest that overall the United States gained wetlands from 1998 to 2004, Eastern coastal watersheds show a net loss. This is bad news given the critical role wetlands play in the health of our fisheries, in improving water quality, and in providing critical habitat for waterfowl and migratory birds. One of the biggest losers was the Gulf of Mexico, which lost an estimated 270,760 acres - and the study period concluded a year before Hurricane Katrina.

Read the report: Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Coastal Watersheds of the Eastern United States (1998 to 2004)

4. New report warns business community about water scarcity in warming world.

The report from Ceres (a national network of investors, environmental organizations and other public interest groups) and the Pacific Institute aims to be a wake-up call for businesses and investors to understand the "water-related risks or how climate change will likely exacerbate them.” Already water shortages around the globe are affecting a wide-range of services from electric power and high-tech to agriculture and beverage manufacturers.  

Read the report: Water Scarcity & Climate Change: Growing Risks for Businesses and Investors