Consumer

"Plastic pollution isn’t just fouling the world’s oceans. It is also in the air we breathe, traveling on the wind and drifting down from the skies, according to a new study."

"Touting the potential for disposable plastic bags to help prevent coronavirus spread in grocery stores, the heavily Republican Ohio Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would prohibit local plastic bag bans for 12 months."

"U.S. President Donald Trump ordered meat processing plants to stay open to protect the nation’s food supply even as workers got sick and died. Yet the plants have increasingly been exporting to China while U.S. consumers face shortages, a Reuters analysis of government data showed."

"When the coronavirus pandemic finally ebbs, John Wetmore plans to commute by bus and train. ... But Wetmore, who hosts a public television show called "Perils for Pedestrians," recognizes that not everyone feels the same way."

"Covid-related slaughterhouse shutdowns in the US are leading to fears of meat shortages and price rises, while farmers are being forced to consider “depopulating” their animals."

"The coronavirus pandemic is forcing livestock farms and grocery stores to consider whether the meat industry is primed for a new way of doing business."

"Many are criticizing the industry’s response for waiting too long to implement safety precautions and close processing plants as thousands have tested positive for coronavirus."

"A common solvent used to dry clean, make refrigerants, and clean muck from industrial equipment appears to have the potential to harm people’s nervous systems, the EPA said on Monday."