Toxic Crops Oil Wastewater Irrigating California Fields
In the nation’s produce basket, some California water dis- tricts are knowingly selling oilfield wastewater to farmers, putting a huge portion of our fruits and vegetables at risk of contamination. Watchdog group Water Defense uncovered one district buying oilfield wastewater to include in the wa- ter it sells to farmers to irrigate crops in California’s Central Valley. This year, Food & Water Watch uncovered another
district buying this potentially toxic wastewater and selling it to farmers. A threat to California’s agriculture is a threat to the entire country’s food
supply. Some staples of which California is the primary U.S. producer include 99 percent of olives, 99 percent of almonds, 98 percent of garlic, 96 percent of broccoli, 95 percent of celery, 91 percent of strawberries, 91 percent of lemons and 83 percent of fresh carrots. The government is allowing oil companies to sell their wastewater for use on crops. Citizens must call on their elected representatives to fix this broken system and protect our food supply.
Source:
FoodAndWaterWatch.org.
Bag Ban California Outlaws Single-Use Plastic Bags
California’s ongoing ban on single-use plastic carryout bags, approved by 52 percent of voters, is setting a nota- ble precedent for other states. A coalition of environmen- tal groups, grocers and others are collaborating, and Mark Murray, of Californians Against Waste, welcomes elimina- tion of the 25 million plastic bags that pollute California every day, threatening wildlife. In 2007, San Francisco first banned plastic shopping bags,
setting off a movement that led nearly half the state, including its biggest cities, to do the same. Although the legislature passed a statewide ban on plastic bags two years ago, paper bags are still for sale at grocery stores and other outlets for a nominal fee.
Junior Achievement Take the Kids to Work
The Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation (TODASTW) is holding its annual national event on April 27, offering new toolkits and activity guides based on this year’s theme of Depend- ability at
DaughtersAndSonsToWork.org. The group assists businesses, families, schools and organizations throughout the year initiate their own special work day for children and mentees. Each year, more than 3.5 million
American workplaces open their doors to about 39 million employees and their children on TODASTW Day. “Human re- sources and marketing professionals are typically responsible for creating this day within their companies,” says Carolyn McKeucen, the foundation’s executive director. “We provide templates and au- tomated planning elements to save them time while ensuring success for planners and participants.”
12 Twin Cities Edition
NaturalTwinCities.com
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