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by Susan MasonCan It be Recycled? Well, Yes, But...In theory, almost anything can be recycled or reused. Some recycling advocates claim that since about half of the trash going into landfill is paper, we could easily reduce the waste stream by 50% "just" by recycling all paper. A...
Warning from the California State Dept. of Health Services
Letter to residentsMore informationReducing the riskCA Environmental Health Investigations Branch informationSTATE OF CALIFORNIA--HEALTH AND HUMAN...
Poisoning the Well
The act of "Poisoning the Well" (see below) has been applied recently to many citizens in Chico, unfortunately. This "Poisoning" has come in the form of labeling and name-calling in the Enterprise Record editorials, the paper that calls for civility in public debate. Words such as "NIMBY (Not In My Backyard)," and "anti-growth advocate," and...
Toxic Task Force
by Christine NelsonUnfortunately, it took a tragic accident, claiming the life of one man and severely injuring another, to widely broadcast the stark fact that petroleum groundwater contamination is near Comanche Creek and the Otterson Dr. area.This awareness first emerged for the Neighbors For Environmental and Fiscal...
Warning from the California State Dept. of Health Services
ReadResidenteMás informaciónReduciendo el riesgoSTATE OF CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCYDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES1515...
Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary is a leading voice for farm animals in the United States. The organization conducts undercover investigations and exposes cruel farming practices; rescues, rehabilitates, and provides life long care for abused farm animals; and works to stop inhumane factory farms through legislation, litigation, and public awareness...
What Are Genetically Engineered (GE) Foods?
by Jim BrobeckGE foods are increasingly common products that contain ingredients resulting from gene splicing done by scientists. Genes are the blueprints used by organisms to create proteins and control metabolic processes. Changing an organism’s genes can cause it to produce unprecedented proteins or to alter previous...
Volunteer!
by Susan MasonWant to help make our community a better place? Teach your kids about the environment? Spend some time outdoors? Learn new skills? Meet people with similar interests? Consider volunteering for a local environmental or social-service organization.Tips for VolunteeringThere are many volunteer...
Coming Home For the Remedies
Natural CleaningNext time you need to give the kitchen a quick once-over, reach to the pantry for the cleaning supplies. Natural products, such as baking soda, lemons, and vinegar, are safe for the environment and work well for everyday cleanups. Scour sinks, countertops, and appliances with baking soda and a damp...
Butte County Butterflies
By Katie JonesI've collected butterflies for 4 years. My mom and I would find butterflies that had flown into car windshields, bring them home, and identify them using a book from the library. My dad got me a butterfly-collecting kit, and then I started on a real collection. At first, my dad caught the butterflies and identified...
Quote of the Season
I believe that environmentalists are aching to find a way to express the depth of their commitment, and the profound threat that they sense a way to take into account everything that we are. We are a lot more than political beings. We should not be shy to talk about the belief that our work goes beyond the material to a place of great...
Night Treks to the Compost Bin
by Karen Laslo It's evening, just getting dark, mid-September. My husband, Lin, and I sneak out into the backyard. We take one last look over our shoulders and then creep around behind the garage. Lin holds the flashlight while I dump the garbage into the makeshift, chicken-wire compost bin. We are addicted to composting and...
Workers Go Unprotected in Dump Cleanup
Below are photos taken on June 2, 2005 that show unprotected workers at the site of the Humboldt Road Burn Dump. This lack of worker protection is consistent with the partial cleanup activities on the Fogarty property in 2004.Click on any photo to see a larger picture.(Photos courtesy Ty...
ELEMENTal Focus on Mercury
Hightlight on Mercury...Exposure to mercury occurs from breathing contaminated air, ingesting contaminated water and food, and having dental and medical treatments. Mercury, at high levels, may damage the brain, kidneys, and developing fetus. This chemical has been found in at least 714 of 1,467 National Priorities List sites...
Bioneers Conference 2000
by Renee Renaud In his opening remarks to the over two thousand attendees at the three-day Bioneers Conference at San Rafael in October, Kenny Ausubel, co-founder of the event, said that in spite of the fact that all of our basic life support systems are endangered, "there is...
Cancer-Causing Pesticide Use Rising in California
Report Shows Total Use Remains Alarmingly HighMay 4, 2000Use of cancer-causing pesticides in California has more than doubled in the past 8 years, up 127% between 1991 and 1998, according to a report released today. Since 1996, use of carcinogens has remained within 0.5 million pounds of the highest level ever reported, with no...
Diazinon Phase-Out
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a voluntary agreement with diazinon's chief manufacturer, Syngenta, to phase out all home and garden applications of the pesticide over the next four years, according to sources familiar with the deal.Used in everything from household...
What To Do When Opposition To Planning Turns Ugly
by Florence WilliamsWhen the numerous and vocal opponents of the Flathead plan suddenly came out of the woodwork last summer, it was a shock to many people. But it was probably no accident."That’s a typical strategy," says Tarso Ramos of the Western States Center, a Portland-based nonprofit. "Agitators whip people up for a...
The Dirty Little Secret of Premarin® Production, Part 2
The drug, Premarin®, is a hormone-replacement pill used to treat symptoms of menopause. It is produced from the urine of pregnant mares (horses). After spending the majority of their pregnancies hooked to urine-catching pouches and tied in cramped stalls, the mares eventually give birth. The tens of thousands of baby horses (foals) produced in...
Who Influences Opinion in Chico
In 1990, the Chico Chamber of Commerce asked Chico residents whether the views of certain local organizations would influence their opinions on issues. Those polled were asked if they would be more likely or less likely to support an important local issue if the following groups supported...
Coming Home For the Remedies
Homemade Ant Traps1 part boric acid or 20 Mule Team borax9 parts Karo syrupHeat gently to mix and melt. Put a tablespoon of the mixture in a round whipped butter or margarine carton with holes punched at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions. Cover the carton and place it in a shady spot. Ants will come...
The Bidwell Park Goats
The goats live with a directness that calls our complications into doubt.by Lin Jensen The goats are telling us something: I’m possibly the only one in town who has noticed this. Most don’t know they’re being told anything at all. The goats themselves aren’t conscious of doing any telling. But the telling is real, and...
Victory Garden, 2001
During World War II, American citizens grew vegetables to supplement family nutrition and to help generate significant amounts of canned produce for the troops. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration led this successful program that had urban and rural folk alike planting a...
The Dirty Little Secret of Premarin® Production- Part 1
The Greatness of A Nation and Its Moral Progress Can beJudged By The Way Its Animals Are Treated.-Mahatma GandhiPremarin® is a drug composed of conjugated estrogens for the treatment of menopause symptoms. As many as 9 million post menopausal women take the drug Premarin®, making it the most prescribed drug in the United...
Dioxin Found in Eggs from Chickens Raised in Greater Oroville Area
This is the text from the March 28 BEC press release: A letter dated February 28, 2000 was sent to local "veterinarians and ethnic grocery stores" so the residents of Oroville, Palermo, and Thermalito would stop eating eggs or meat from chickens in the area. Dioxins and furans are present in the soil and eggs tested over a...
Students Disenfranchised
by Bob Ray, a CSUC StudentDuring CSU, Chico's Christmas break, at the December 19th meeting of the Chico City Council, council members Keene, Hurbert, Bertagna, and Wahl sent what many see as a bigoted and discriminatory message to Chico students.These 4 conservatives voted to...
Four Million Californians Don't Have Access to Clean Water
Report Exposes Pattern of Discrimination, Calls for Overhaul of Water Policy Coalition of Community Groups Calls For ChangeThis article first appeared in January 2005. It is posted here for archival purposes. Some material on this page may be dated. Oakland, CA -California hides a dirty secret...
Genetically engineered food: on your plate, in your community
"We have scarcely begun to understand all that nature has to teach us about the bounty of the earth, and it would be a shame to reengineer the teacher before we have learned what she knows." - Craig Holdrege and Steve Talbott, "Sowing Technology" Sierra, July/August 2001 We have established genetic engineering in our agriculture...
Potluck at Rotary Park
by Karen LasloThe posters read "Neighborhood Potluck - Saving Creeks, Saving Money". I could read them from my bicycle as I pedaled my way to Rotary Park where the event was to be held. At the park, people were already eating and others stood around talking and laughing. I parked my bike among the others leaning against the...
