Greenlist Bulletin
From the Toxics Use Reduction Institute
at the University of Massachusetts Lowell
August 31, 2012
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This is the weekly bulletin of the TURI Library at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Greenlist Bulletin provide s previews of recent publications and websites relevant to reducing the use of toxic chemicals by industries, businesses, communities, individuals and government. You are welcome to send a message to mary@turi.org if you would like more information on any of the articles listed here, or if this email is not displaying properly.
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| Statement on Labor Day 2012 by John Howard, M.D., Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) | Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, August 30, 2012
. . . This Labor Day, we celebrate the pride and dedication of our working men and women. Two hundred years ago, those qualities in the American work force propelled the growth of our young nation's trans-Atlantic trade economy. In the last century, they were indispensable in the success of our manufacturing economy. In today's global marketplace, American ingenuity and perseverance drive the growth of advanced information and production technologies. . . . We in the occupational safety and health community have a unique opportunity to honor the labor of our fellow Americans. We develop, disseminate, and help others to use the tools and strategies that prevent work-related injuries and illnesses. By helping to prevent pain, impairment, and death on the job, we help working parents to provide for their families and plan for a secure future. With a roster of healthy, capable workers, an innovative small business has a better chance of survival in a fiercely competitive global market. That same small business may be the next leader in a transformational technology that earns admiration and customers around the world, as the recent Pew survey suggests. On Labor Day 2012, I invite you to join us in recognizing the essential contributions of American workers and renewing our national commitment to safe and healthful workplaces for all. Read more...TURI Note: Dr. John Howard will be a featured speaker at the UMass Lowell Work Environment 25th Symposium this October. |
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| SEC Adopts Rule for Disclosing Use of Conflict Minerals | Source: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, August 22, 2012
Washington, D.C., Aug. 22, 2012 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission today adopted a rule mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to require companies to publicly disclose their use of conflict minerals that originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or an adjoining country.
The regulatory reform law directed the Commission to issue rules requiring certain companies to disclose their use of conflict minerals that include tantalum, tin, gold, or tungsten if those minerals are "necessary to the functionality or production of a product" manufactured by those companies. Companies are required to provide this disclosure on a new form to be filed with the SEC called Form SD.
Read more...
Additional information from IPC -- Association Connecting Electronics Industries -- available here.
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Early puberty? Girls exposed to household chemical menstruate earlier, CDC study finds
| Source: Environmental Health News, August 31, 2012
Author: Lindsey Konkel
Girls exposed to high levels of a common household chemical had their first period seven months earlier than girls with lower exposures, according to new research by federal scientists. "This study adds to the growing body of scientific research that exposure to environmental chemicals may be associated with early puberty," said lead author Danielle Buttke of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Age of menarche - when a girl has her first period - has fallen over the past century, from an average of 16-17 years to 12-13 years. Experts suspect that better nutrition and rising obesity rates play a major role but some evidence also points to chemicals in consumer products that can mimic estrogen. The CDC study is the first to link dichlorobenzene and the age of girls' first period. Dichlorobenzene, a solvent, is used in some mothballs and solid blocks of toilet bowl deodorizers and air fresheners. It is found in the bodies of nearly all people tested in the U.S.
Read more...
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| What Researchers Who Want To Be Entrepreneurs Need To Know | Source: Chemical & Engineering News, August 20, 2012
Author: Susan R. Morrissey
Basic research used to be pretty straightforward. A scientist had an idea, performed the research, and disseminated the results broadly through publications.
That paradigm has shifted. Today, scientists can take their work beyond a publication by patenting and commercializing resulting technologies. The government and universities alike are encouraging researchers to take their work out of the lab and into the commercial sector.
But trading an experimental design for a business plan is not for everyone. The choice requires a careful examination of one's self and one's technology. It also requires learning an entirely new language. Resources are available to help scientists make their way; however, it comes down to a personal choice. For those who decide they and their business idea are ready, they have the potential to experience the satisfaction of seeing what they have developed meet a market need by getting it into the hands of the public.
Read more...
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| Let's Go Green Shopping | Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency, June 13, 2012
Everything you buy affects the environment, but some choices are better than others.
"Green purchasing" means buying smart. Shop with the environment in mind-that is, buy products that help conserve natural resources, save energy, and prevent waste. Green purchasing can also mean not buying things you don't need. By educating yourself about the products you buy, you can make a difference in protecting the environment.
Green purchasing involves learning about all the ways that a product can affect the environment during the course of its "life cycle"-from the materials used to manufacture it, to how you use it, to what you do with it when you're finished with it-so that you can make smart choices.
Use the tips and resources in this brochure to make yourself an educated consumer.
Read more...
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| Please send a message to mary@turi.org if you would like more information on any of these resources. Also, please tell us what topics you are particularly interested in monitoring, and who else should see Greenlist. An online search of the TURI Library catalog can be done at http://library.turi.org for greater topic coverage.
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Greenlist Bulletin is compiled by:
Mary Butow
TURA Program Research Assistant
Toxics Use Reduction Institute
University of Massachusetts Lowell
600 Suffolk St., Wannalancit Mills
Lowell MA 01854
978-934-4365
978-934-3050 (fax)
mary@turi.org
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