I’ve covered the horrendous topic of child labor on farms in the U.S. in the past, as well as Stephen Colbert’s testimony to Congress on immigrant farmworkers in which he almost broke into tears. Now, I’m bringing to you the…
Happiest City in U.S.? (No Cars on Main Street, No Fast Food, No Smoking, Bike Valet)
Oprah recently featured San Luis Obispo, “America’s Happiest Town” (if the video above doesn’t work for you, that’s the link to it). Jenny McCarthy actually does the leg work for this video story. Highlighted features of the city are that…
City to Broadcast Bird Songs to Make Residents Happier
How can the city government make you happier? Perhaps by planting more trees. Perhaps by creating more parks and bike paths. Perhaps by broadcasting bird songs.. this is what one city might start doing with that specific goal in mind.…
Rocket Fuel in Your Water?
A “potent thyroid toxin” that is a component of rocket fuel, perchlorate, contaminates the drinking water of up to 17 million Americans in 26 states. The EPA is finally going to start regulating it.
California’s Biggest Risk is a Storm, Not Earthquakes
Hmm, how’s this for some uplifting news? Could insurance companies be hit by a Californian super-storm on a Biblical scale? The US Geological Survey believes so, and has created a hypothetical scenario for emergency planners. What kind of storm are…
Most Promising High-Speed Rail Routes in U.S.
What are the most promising high-speed rail routes in the nation? A new report released by America 2050 evaluated 7,870 potential high-speed rail corridors across the country Here’s more on the report from the INFRASTRUCTURIST: To evaluate each corridor, the…
Caltrain Threatened with Service Cuts, Citizens to the Rescue?
The mobility of Caltrain’s 40,000 daily riders on the Peninsula and the South Bay could drastically suffer under deep service cuts being considered to close a $30 million budget gap, but a movement to get the commuter rail service agency…
EcoLocalizer Link Drop
New Transit Projects for 2011 A comprehensive list of transit projects scheduled to start construction or open in 2011. “Streetcar lines dominate the nation’s new transit construction landscape, but this year only light and commuter rail lines will open for…
Unprecedented Growth in Factory Farming in U.S.
From California to Iowa to Michigan, factory farming has blown up in the past 5-10 years. A new interactive map on this topic created by Food & Water Watch “illustrates the geographic shift in where and how food is raised…
Does California Need Oil or Water More?
Getting oil out of the ground requires water. And as oil supplies are depleted, this process requires more and more water. It turns out that nowadays oil companies are using a TON of water,.. (to access precious oil for our…