Today's Top 5 Trending

The Toxic Chemical in San Francisco's Fog

Fog rolling in off the Pacific brings iconic beauty to San Francisco, but scientists say it also carries with it something much less pleasant: toxic mercury. Scientists who studied the fog along the coast of California found that it deposits a neurotoxin called monomethyl mercury — at a concentration about 20 times that of rain — as it sweeps across the city. -- San Francisco Chronicle

The Italian Mob's Toxic Waste Dumping is Giving People Cancer

According to a new report released last week by the Italian National Institute of Health, a few local Italian mobs have been slowly killing dozens of innocent people for decades by way of a multibillion dollar toxic waste disposal racket. -- Vice Motherboard. 

Has the Organic Movement Left Black Farmers Behind? 

A history of discrimination, mass land loss, lack of start-up capital, lack of collateral for loans, and a multi-generational distrust of federal programs have put Black farmers behind in the organic movement. -- Civil Eats

California's 'Staggering' Leak Could Spew Methane for Months

A leaking natural gas storage field continues to belch thousands of tons of methane into the air every week, causing health and climate concerns. -- InsideClimate News

Where Is the Most Cycle-Friendly City in the World?

The Dutch and Danish cycling utopias of Amsterdam, Groningen, Utrecht and Copenhagen are high up the list – but what about the rest of the world? -- The Guardian

Today's Top 5 Trending

China Ends One-Child Policy

The Chinese government will allow all couples to have two children as a ‘response to an ageing population’ and amid concerns over economy. -- The Guardian

Markey Calls Chemical Reform Senate Standoff 'Nothing Short of Absurd'

Senators took to the floor yet again today to talk about the standoff between a vote on a clean TSCA-reform bill and permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Act. Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) called the situation “nothing short of absurd.” -- Bloomberg BNA

EPA To Mandate Disclosures on Chemical Releases From Gas Processing Plants

The agency committed to writing new regulations requiring gas processing plants to report the information to the government’s Toxics Release Inventory in a letter to environmental groups that have been pursuing the disclosure since 2012. But the EPA denied the environmentalists’ plea to impose the disclosure mandates more broadly on other parts of the oil and gas extraction sector, with the agency specifically rejecting potential chemical reporting about pipelines, compressor stations and wells themselves. -- Fuelfix

Olympic Sailing in Rio Still Planned for Polluted Guanabara Bay

The world governing body for sailing is expected to announce this week that it is tentatively sticking to plans to hold races in next year’s Summer Olympics inside highly polluted Guanabara Bay, yet will keep the option open to moving the courses. -- The New York Times

African Vultures Targeted By Poachers Are Headed for Extinction

Africa's vultures are vanishing, according to a report released on Thursday, a situation that could affect human health and livestock since populations of other scavengers such as rats and jackals could rise as a result. The assessment, carried out by conservation group BirdLife International, found that six of Africa's 11 vulture species were at risk of extinction. -- Reuters

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"In the Future, the Best Chemistry Practices Will Be Green"

Gathering for a summit on green chemicals, industry leaders and academics discussed how to solve the problems that threaten to stall 20 years of good intentions. -- The Guardian

"Warming Oceans Put Marine Life 'In a Blender'"

Global warming is going to reshuffle ocean ecosystems on a scale not seen for millions of years. Marine biologists can’t yet say what these new habitats are going to be like. -- The New York Times

"Green, Civil Rights Groups Team Up on Ozone Rule"

The Obama administration is currently reviewing a final rule to set strict new standards for ozone pollution, and it’s expected to announce the new limits this fall. The NAACP and groups like the Sierra Club and Earthjustice are sponsoring ads this week highlighting the rule as especially important for black Americans, who are much more susceptible to adverse health effects caused by ozone because their communities are frequently in areas where smog pollution is worse than even the current standards. -- The Hill

"EU Diplomats Reveal Dam Project's Devastating Impact on Remote Ethiopian Tribes"

Lives of semi-nomadic tribespeople are being irreversibly changed by relocation into poorly planned settlements to make way for sugar plantation, says released report. -- The Guardian

"More Evidence Suggests Key to Allergy-Free Kids is Plenty of Dirt--And Cows"

New research provides more evidence that farms may have the best germs for preventing respiratory problems and allergic reactions later in life. -- Washington Post