CDC: Vitamin E acetate the cause of most of vaping deaths
Doctors at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have determined that vitamin E acetate found in cannabis-containing vapes caused most of this year's 54 vaping-related deaths. It's not yet clear why the substance damages the lungs, however. The widespread problem first appeared, it seemed, in Wisconsin in June but researchers found that emergency room visits among those who vaped or used e-cigarettes began increasing in January 2017. Read more at NPR…
States sue Trump for ending EPA protection of smaller waterways
The Environmental Protection Agency ignored current science when it rolled back an Obama-era rule to protect smaller waterways from pollution. The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court, claims that the agency applied an "outdated 30-year-old definition" in deciding which waterways it should cover. Read more at Bloomberg…
Top scientists warn of an Amazon ‘tipping point'
Two experts on the Amazon are warning that deforestation in the rainforest, as well as other rapid changes there, could devastate the area sooner than expected. If parts of the rainforest become savanna, billions of tons of carbon will be released—creating a tipping point for climate change, they said. Read more at The Washington Post…
Lawsuit: EPA hasn't updated water-pollution limits for slaughterhouses in 15 years
A coalition of environmental and legal organizations has filed a lawsuit asking for the federal court to review the EPA's lack of action regarding wastewater pollution limits for slaughterhouses. It's been 15 years since the Environmental Protection Agency has revised those guidelines, and some rules could be 45 years out of date, according to the lawsuit. Read more at The New Food Economy…
5 agtech trends to watch in 2020
New technology will help farmers next year and beyond as they try to maintain healthy soils and strong crop yields. With autonomous tractors, crop-spraying drones, online tools to measure soil health and apps to make leasing farmland easier, technology will help landowners and farmers increase their transparency and build their credibility with their communities and their customers. Read more at AgFunderNews.com …
