globalbriefs
News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.
Story Glory National Festival Celebrates
the Art of Storytelling
Mix public speaking, acting, comedy and music and we get the performance art of storytelling, practiced by the likes of Mark Twain and Gar- rison Keillor. The largest related celebration is the 43rd annual International Storytelling Festival, held from October 2 through 4 this year in Jones- borough, Tennessee.
More than 15 award-winning storytellers scheduled include Kim Weitkamp,
who mixes humorous personal and family stories and original songs; Charlotte Blake Alston, who tells traditional and contemporary stories of African and Afri- can-American oral culture, accompanied by native instruments; and Andy Offutt Irwin, known for his mouth noises and the adventures of his 85-year-old Aunt Marguerite Van Camp.
Attendees can also tell stories at Story Slam! and Swappin’ Ground events and
workshops. Festival producer the International Storytelling Center, together with the Library of Congress and American Folklife Center, also conducts a 26-week Teller-in-Residence training program. Storytelling is not only mentally challenging, it facilitates family and commu- nity bonding in a highly social and entertaining format.
For more information and preregistration, visit
StorytellingCenter.net.
Nano No-No EPA to Regulate Nanotechnology Pesticides
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will begin to regulate new nanomaterial pesticides due to a lawsuit filed by the Center for Food Safety (CFS). In 2008, a coalition of nonprofits filed a legal petition requesting that the agency recognize the growing class of nanosilver consumer products and their risks, and regulate them as new pesti- cides. After the EPA failed to acknowledge the peti- tion last December, the coalition sued the agency last March to force it to respond. Nanotechnology manipulates materials at the atomic and molecular levels;
they are so tiny they cannot be seen with an ordinary microscope and possess extraordinary mobility and unique chemical and biological properties that increase the potential for biological interaction and toxicity. There are no labeling require- ments for nanoscale products. The EPA has since agreed that nanosilver products intended to kill microor- ganisms qualify as pesticides, and that developers of such products must now seek EPA review and approval before the products are marketed. The agency has not committed, however, to undertake enforcement actions against currently commer- cialized products that haven’t undergone the EPA registration process, although it has taken action against some noncompliant manufacturers.
Source:
OrganicConsumers.org 22 Lehigh Valley
www.healthylehighvalley.com
Warnings Heeded New York State Bans Fracking
The Empire State has now officially banned fracking after a seven-year review process. New York Department of Environmental Conservation Com- missioner Joe Martens states, “After exhaustive research and examination of the science and facts, prohibiting high-volume hydraulic fracturing is the only reasonable alternative. High- volume hydraulic fracturing poses sig- nificant adverse impacts to land, air, water, natural resources and potential significant public health impacts that cannot be adequately mitigated.” A findings statement concludes,
“There are no feasible or prudent alternatives that adequately avoid or minimize adverse environmental impacts and address risks to public health from this activity.” Two groups heavily involved in the campaign, New Yorkers Against Fracking and Americans Against Fracking, praised the decision.
Industry groups have threatened to sue, but the attorneys at Earthjus- tice (
Earthjustice.org) are confident that the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s exhaus- tive review will withstand any legal challenges and the nonprofit pledges to stand alongside the state in case of such actions. Vermont outlawed the practice in 2012.
Source:
EcoWatch.com
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