Why Your Singing Valentine’s Day Card is Illegal to Throw Away in California

We’ve all seen the rows and rows of “singing” cards at the drug store—cards that play songs, cards that coo something sweet or funny when you open them.  They’re cute to give to your Valentine or a loved one on a special holiday, but that electronic magic embedded in them actually creates a whole bunch

Beware the Frack Flack Attack

The fracking industry recently held a conference on using public relations to “overcome public concern over hydraulic fracturing.” The result: media reports of the conference have greatly increased public concerns about fracking, and especially about the industry’s downright scary public relations tactics. Tapes of the conference that CNBC obtained from Earthworks activist Sharon Wilson show

Greenwash of the Month: Breast Cancer Prevention and Fracking Chemicals Don’t Mix

It’s breast cancer awareness month, and we’ve found a bad case of pinkwashing.  For the past two years, Chesapeake Energy Corp., a Marcellus Shale gas-drilling company, has been participating in the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition’s (PBCC) annual “Take a Swing Against Breast Cancer” home-run baseball derby. Chesapeake Energy reported more than $25 million in charitable

What’s Inside Your Tech Gadgets? The History and Health Impacts of Rare Earth Metals

From missiles and aircraft generators to ipods and tv monitors, rare earth metals are used in a vast amount of the products we use everyday.  With the increase in production of tech gadgets comes an increase in global demand for rare earth metals–but that demand comes a cost.  The mining, refining, and manufacturing processes used