A Haircut to Help Out: Prisoners in Manilla are shaving their heads and chests to donate hair to help mop up the Petron Corporation's August 11 oil spill. The Coast Guard plans to put the human hair combined with chicken feathers, in sacks tied to bamboo poles as barriers along the coastlines of affected villages. The 200,000+ liter spill, the worst in the history of the Philippines, has exposed residents to hazardous levels of hydrogen sulfide, benzene and toluene.
Colorado Workplace Deaths: The number of Coloradans killed on the job rose to 125 last year, eight more than the previous year. Exposure to harmful substances or environment was responsible for 11 of those deaths. According to the Colorado Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Thursday was the most likely day for a workplace death in 2005, with 24 total. The most likely time of day was between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., with 15 deaths.
Victory for Endangered Species: A federal judge in Seattle has struck down a 2004 EPA regulation allowing the agency to approve pesticides without consulting wildlife officials to determine whether the chemicals might harm endangered plants and animals. According to U.S. District Court Judge John C. Coughenour, EPA has "plainly violated" the Endangered Species Act, and the 2004 regulation suffers from a "total absence of any technical and scientific evidence to support or justify" the agency's decision to forgo reviews by wildlife experts.
Expedia to Begin Selling Carbon Offsets: For $5.99, Expedia says consumers can mitigate the environmental damage of approximately 450 kilograms of carbon dioxide. The travel agency is offering the voucher to customers at cost.
