We’re highlighting several stories this week that inspire local environmental action to make a real difference: recognition for climate activists, Boston’s booming food forests, India’s garbage cafe, un-greenwashing compostables, and a teenager’s efforts to rid Scotland of single-use plastics.

Climate progress is still happening: Meet the 2025 Grist 50 – Grist, September 16, 2025

For the tenth year, Grist has announced the Grist 50: 50 individuals finding innovative solutions to climate problems. The list features people working across a wide range of areas, from artists to entrepreneurs to policy advocates. This year, five of the Grist 50 hail from our DMV region!

Boston’s Food Forests Take Root as a Climate Equity Strategy – Inside Climate News, October 3, 2025

The Boston Food Forest Coalition (BFFC) has been working tirelessly to plant edible fruit and nut trees on commonly owned land in vulnerable communities around the Boston metropolitan region. These food forests contribute positive community impacts on a number of levels: they support wildlife, mitigate climate impacts, provide food to the local community, and add much-needed green spaces in areas that are lacking. The Coalition has already developed 13 food forests and aims to plant 30 by 2030.

Rice, two curries and dal: The Indian cafes where you can pay in rubbish – BBC, August 19, 2025

In 2019, the City of Ambikapur, India established its first garbage cafe, where city residents can turn in collected plastic waste in exchange for free meals. This innovative concept has proved successful, collecting over 23 tonnes of plastic since its inception, and feeding dozens of people per day who otherwise might not have had access to healthy and nutritious meals. It is a win-win for the city, which turned its only landfill into a park in 2016 and now recycles nearly all of its waste.

Here’s what happens when ‘compostable’ products become litter – CBC, September 25, 2025

It’s time to debunk claims of “compostable” products being sold as greener alternatives to single-use plastics. CBC’s Marketplace program tested 30 supposedly compostable items. Only three of the 30 products decomposed, while others broke apart without breaking down, just like their plastic counterparts. The reality is that “compostables” are still single-use products that don’t solve our waste problems.

‘You don’t get to aim big when you are somewhere small’: A teenager’s fight to end single use plastics on her Scottish island – The Guardian, September 24, 2025

Tabby Fletcher is a 17-year-old resident of Scotland’s Isle of Jura, where she is spearheading a movement to ban all single-use plastics in Scotland, after coming to grips with the enormous harms that plastics cause to people and wildlife in her community. She started a petition to the Scottish Parliament that has garnered more than 26,000 signatures and is slated for consideration this fall.

Taste your way through the unique offerings of Lebanese Roastery & Market in Springfield, Virginia. Whether you need to stock up on staples like grains, beans, coffee, or spices, or you want to satisfy snack cravings, this store stocks treats of all kinds. Mohammed (Mo), the owner, opened the store less than a year ago and curated a wide selection of bulk and packaged products from all over the Middle East.

The Roastery has proven very popular as the first of its kind in Northern Virginia. Happy customers return regularly to stock up on favorites such as gelatin-free Halal gummies, fresh Palestinian olive oil, fancy Jordanian chocolates, and all manner of salty snacks. Perhaps the most prized product is the raw organic Sidr honey from Yemen, which promises myriad health benefits. In season, you can also find specialty fresh fruits and vegetables such as grape leaves, cactus fruits, and fava beans. Lebanese Roastery & Market accepts SNAP EBT for eligible food items.

Set up like a traditional market, when you enter the store, Mo or Ahmed will immediately offer you fresh hot coffee to sip while you shop. Open bulk bags and containers welcome visitors to choose whatever products they like (with many free samples offered!) in whatever quantity suits them. This setup allows flexibility and reduces waste because shoppers can tailor their purchases to suit their needs. 

Remember to bring your own small paper bags and reusable containers to fill them with the rich tastes of Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. Whether you are seeking favorites from back home or trying out new-to-you foods, Mo and Ahmed can answer questions and help you find something to enjoy with their personal, friendly service.

We love the personal, customizable, and low-waste setup of this shop. The owner used some repurposed shelving and materials and then hand built additional wooden shelves that showcase products in an easily accessible way. The result is a cozy, welcoming, and efficient layout allowing smooth circulation.

Lebanese Roastery & Market is located in Brookfield Plaza, which boasts many international shops and restaurants. It is accessible by foot from local neighborhoods, by car, or via the 310 Franconia Road/Rolling Valley bus route. Check it out!

On our radar this week: first, let your electeds know you support National Forest protections; also, a temporary pause on data centers; the EPA looks to end one of its valuable emissions reporting programs; and dangers to drinking water protections.

Stand up for the South’s wildest forests – Southern Environmental Law Center, September 1, 2025

One of the ways that the highest quality public forest areas get protection is through the Roadless Rule, which limits where logging can occur within our National Forests. Now, the United States Forest Service is actively working to roll back those protections. Tell the Forest Service to keep the Roadless Rule by signing on to a petition and submitting comments – the deadline is this Friday, September 19th.

‘We have to set standards’: Why Prince George’s County paused data center plans – NBC4 Washington, September 16, 2025

Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy signed an Executive Order backed up by a unanimous County Council resolution this week to pause all data center permits and applications while the county considers and establishes clearer development standards. After a citizen-led petition gathered over 20,000 signatures, the County Council and a Data Center taskforce began meeting to examine data center development, which has increased significantly in recent years. The County will take at least six months to review recommendations and move forward with future data center permitting.

EPA releases formal proposal to end Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program – Waste Dive, September 15, 2025

The EPA is proposing to do away with the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), which has collected emissions data from polluting facilities nationwide since 2007. The data is central for monitoring carbon emissions data for all sorts of efforts, not only for use by regulators. This latest proposal will be heard later this year, with a public comment period, so stay tuned.

House Bill Amending the Clean Water Act Could Mean Dirtier Water Nationwide—And Especially in Iowa – Inside Climate News, September 9, 2025

A recent bill passed out of committee in the US House of Representatives proposes changes to the Clean Water Act that would sweepingly exempt many waterways from protection under the Act. In particular, the proposed amendment would limit regulation of chemical and agricultural discharges from confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which heavily pollute waterways. Iowa is the leading home of CAFOs, but this proposed amendment’s effects would be felt in every state.

This week, very close to home, we have an exciting opportunity to share: make your own worm composting bin! Also, get educated about Virginia environmental issues; and stories on recycling system design, microplastics in face masks, and environmental health risks.

Upcoming Worm Composting Bin Workshop, October 4th 2-4PM – Green Acres Center, Fairfax

Sign up to make your own worm composting bin to take home! At the workshop, you’ll learn all about composting with worms and you will leave with a fully functional bin (with worms!) ready to start composting your kitchen food scraps. Sponsored by the Northern VA Soil and Water Conservation District, City of Fairfax, Pollinative Sustainable Land Management, and Clean Fairfax. Space is limited. Cost is $10 per bin.

Our Common Agenda – Virginia Conservation Network, August 2025

The Virginia Conservation Network recently published the 2026 legislative briefing book, Our Common Agenda, which summarizes the Commonwealth’s environmental policy landscape. Read up on issues and opportunities to inform yourself in advance of the next legislative session.

To raise recycling rates, look to system design: SWANA – Waste Dive, September 5, 2025

Speakers at a recent conference of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) discussed ways to improve recycling rates and limit contamination of the waste stream. They  highlighted the importance of designing effective and easy to understand systems so that residents understand what’s recyclable and how and where to do so. As one put it, “Simply telling residents to recycle more or recycle correctly won’t work unless they have resources to make it happen.”

Disposable face masks used during Covid have left chemical timebomb, research suggests – The Guardian, September 8, 2025

We used billions of plastic-based disposable face masks around the world during the pandemic. A large proportion of them wound up in the environment as litter or escaped trash. A recent study found that – surprise! – they are leaving a significant environmental and health impact, including releasing bisphenol-B, a known hormone disruptor.

The Clue to Unlocking Parkinson’s May Be All Around Us – New York Times, September 8, 2025

Scientific research is confirming links between environmental chemical exposure and the incidence of Parkinson’s Disease. Specifically, the agricultural pesticide, paraquat, looks like a major culprit. Other chemicals like TCE and PCE, commonly used in dry cleaning, may also contribute. Paraquat is banned in many other countries, including the ones that produce it. But in the US, it is still legal.

The health risks from plastics almost nobody knows about – Washington Post, September 4, 2025

Phtalates are chemicals commonly found in a range of plastic products, and they’re being linked to more and more health risks, particularly relating to fertility. Pregnant women and infants appear to be especially vulnerable, but these “everywhere chemicals” affect all of us.

We’re in the home stretch of August, and this week we’re calling all nature-minded artists in Fairfax County to enter a design contest. Also, we’re reading about grocery delivery services and plastic bags; a failed plastic factory in PA; dangers of chemicals in hair styling products; and youth speaking truth to power in Wisconsin.

Design a Landmark: Looking for Local Artists for New Bus Rapid Transit Stations – Fairfax County, August 21, 2025

Calling all artistic folks! Fairfax County and ArtsFairfax have opened a contest for art submissions to be featured on new Route 1 Bus Rapid Transit bus shelters. There is a Natural Resources category that would be a wonderful opportunity for a local artist to showcase our native plants and/or our waterways. Learn more and apply here.

Ocado worst for plastic bags as total single-use sales rise for first time – The Guardian, August 25, 2025

In the United Kingdom (and we strongly suspect in the US as well!) grocery delivery services are increasing the overall number of single-use plastic bags being used. As more people order their food and groceries delivered rather than making shopping trips themselves, disposable bags are again proliferating.

Pennsylvania Lured Shell to the State With a $1.65 Billion Tax Break. Now the Company Wants to Sell Its Plant – Inside Climate News, August 22, 2025

After Pennsylvania taxpayers bore the cost of a huge tax break offered to Shell to site a polyethylene (single-use plastic) factory near Pittsburgh, the plant has proved to be faulty, accident-prone, and unprofitable. “Looking back, ‘this was a terrible investment of taxpayer money,’ one analyst said.” Shell is now looking to sell the facility, which has generated numerous health and nuisance complaints from nearby residents. 

Your hair styling routine may expose you to toxic levels of air pollution – Environmental Health News, August 26, 2025

You know all of those eight-syllable chemical ingredients you can’t pronounce on the back of your hair product container? Well, it turns out that when you blow dry, all of that hot air releases tons of nanoparticles that you then inhale in your poorly ventilated bathroom. And we’re guessing that humans were never intended to inhale them….

In the wake of destructive floods, Wisconsin youth sue state utility regulator over failure to consider climate change – Grist, August 27, 2025

As more and more climate change-induced extreme weather events hit communities, they cause major damage and loss of life. Several young Wisconsin residents are suing the state’s Public Service Commission to force it to consider climate change when it conducts fossil fuel permitting processes, arguing that the current protocol infringes on their constitutional rights to life and liberty.

Before you do anything else, go tell USDOT that safe bicycling infrastructure means safer roads for all users. Plus, BuzzBallz and their polluting packaging; the global plastic treaty falls through (thanks, American Chemistry Council); Lagos targets single-use plastics; and the EPA is hiding risky chemical operations from the public.

Speak Up for Safer Streets: Tell USDOT What Fairfax Needs – Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling, August 16, 2025

Today, August 20, 2025, is the deadline to make your voice heard on the importance of funding safe and suitable bicycle transportation infrastructure. Tell USDOT that when we create roads and travel corridors safe for bicycles, we make them safe for everyone. It only takes a minute to send a message – and US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy just aired his view that the next federal transportation reauthorization bill should not prioritize bike lanes at the expense of cars.

‘They’re not chic!’ How did BuzzBallz become the undisputed drink of the summer? – The Guardian, August 19, 2025

BuzzBallz, the sugary flavored alcopop drink invented in the US in 2009, is having a moment in 2025. The drinks come in globular single-use plastic bottles. In the UK, the drinks are especially popular among Gen Z. One enthusiast remarked, “‘People litter them a lot, so you see them around,’ says James. ‘It’s actually really good advertising. They’re everywhere.’” Although BuzzBallz say they are packaged in “100% recyclable” PET plastics, in reality, the containers are not readily recyclable through most municipal waste management streams. Litter, needless to say, is NOT good advertising – in fact, it has begun garnering lawsuits for several food and beverage giants.

Failure of talks for plastic treaty turn focus back to reduce, reuse, recycle. How’s that going? – AP News, August 15, 2025

The US (with strong nudging from the American Chemistry Council) and other petrochemical states scuttled treaty negotiations in Geneva last week when representatives from the world’s nations met to hammer out a treaty to deal with our plastic pollution problems. Without any coordinated plan for waste management or production caps, the world is back where it started, trying to handle the flood of plastics produced constantly. Spoiler alert: making more plastic makes more plastic; we’re not going to recycle our way out of the problem.

One of the world’s most polluted cities has banned single-use plastics – ABC News, August 13, 2025

Lagos, Nigeria passed a ban on single-use plastics last month, outlawing the use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, plastic cutlery, plates, and straws. The city struggles with managing its plastic waste, which mostly ends up as environmental pollution in roadways, fields, and waterways. The ban is a step in the right direction, but implementation and enforcement remain major challenges.

Before A Steel Plant Exploded, Trump’s EPA Hid Risks From The Public – The Lever, August 12, 2025

Last week, a U.S. Steel plant in Pittsburgh, PA exploded, killing or injuring 10 people. It wasn’t the first time that plant had had a chemical accident. Other facilities continue to fail and experience hazardous accidents around the country. The EPA agency tasked with chemical and safety oversight, the Risk Management Program, has been weakened by the current administration and such accidents have been covered up, this article reports.

It’s a good news/bad news week in the Environmental News Roundup: Chesapeake Bay underwater grasses hold their ground; Connecticut sees higher beverage container return rates; another state bans EPS foam; but boy do those plastics continue to wreak havoc around the globe.

Underwater grasses hit record in lower Chesapeake Bay last year – Maryland Matters, August 11, 2025

The Chesapeake Bay’s underwater grasses, collectively known as submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), held steady overall in 2024, decreasing by just 1%. SAV is a key indicator of Bay health, because the grasses provide essential habitat, sedimentation control, oxygenation, and shoreline protection – and they are sensitive to changes in water quality. The 2024 study results found widely differing trends in various areas of the Chesapeake across zones with low, medium, and high salinity.

Connecticut’s beverage container redemption rate rose 21% in 2024 – Waste Dive, August 8, 2025

Connecticut is one of ten states with a container deposit law in place, and one of nine states that adopted such legislation in the 1970s and 1980s. Over the past decade, return rates have fallen significantly in most areas, in part because the legislation has not kept up with economic and behavioral changes. However, Connecticut modified its law in 2021, and since then has seen return rates rise significantly as the changes have gone into effect. 

Illinois to Ban Polystyrene Containers by 2030 – Environment + Energy Leader, August 8, 2025

The Illinois state legislature recently passed the Disposable Food Service Container Act. This law will ban the sale and distribution of disposable food containers made from expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, which will go into effect in 2030. This is a major step forward and echoes a trend among states passing similar laws to cut back on plastic pollution. EPS is particularly concerning because it breaks up but never breaks down, entering the environment and posing serious health risks to wildlife and humans alike.

New report calls plastics a “grave” danger to health as nations negotiate treaty – The New Lede, August 4, 2025

The Lancet, an independent, peer-reviewed medical journal, recently released a report entitled The Lancet Countdown on health and plastics, characterizing plastics as a “grave, growing, and under-recognised danger to human and planetary health.” Plastic production is immense and continues to grow unchecked, causing USD$1.5 trillion annually in health-related economic losses. The Lancet calls out the fact that plastics’ harms are felt disproportionately by vulnerable populations. The Lancet Countdown will act as an independent global plastics monitoring program to help illuminate trends and spotlight opportunities for corrective political action.

Buoyant, the size of a lentil and almost impossible to recover: how nurdles are polluting the oceans – The Guardian, August 12, 2025

On May 25, a container ship capsized off the southern coast of India’s Kerala province in the Arabian Sea. The sinking ship caused a serious oil slick and also disgorged thousands of sacks of plastic nurdles. The nurdles are easily mistaken for food by fish, shrimp, sea turtles, and other marine animals. Classified as microplastics, the chemicals they contain have been demonstrated to cause health problems throughout the food chain. Currently, nurdles are not considered hazardous materials, and therefore lack global enforceable shipping standards.

We’re into the home stretch of summer, which doesn’t technically end until September 22nd, but enjoy casual Fridays and the school bus free roads for the next two weeks or so! This week our ENR choices for you include a firefly primer; yet another attempt to get a plastic pollution treaty signed in Geneva; chemical company DuPont and two others settle with New Jersey on PFAS suit; and how to recycle your aluminum and steel cans right so that they actually get made back into cans! 

Let’s Get to Know the Glow! Fireflies around the Chesapeake Watershed – Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, July 14, 2025

Did you know that there are over 270 firefly species in North America and one of them, Photuris pennsylvanica, is the Pennsylvania State insect? Virginia’s state insect is the Swallowtail butterfly but maybe we need an evening insect.This article is a little primer on fireflies of the Chesapeake Bay, and how to maintain a healthy ecosystem that will attract them to your yard, including how our Maryland readers can participate in a research project on the fireflies in Maryland.

Nations gather in Geneva to again confront the world’s spiraling plastic pollution crisis – AP News, August 5, 2025

For the 6th (and final?) time, nations are in Geneva this week to try to work out a treaty to deal with the plastic pollution crisis that faces the whole world. While most countries are on board with limited production of plastic, some oil producing nations, including the US, have made their position clear that they will not sign a treaty that curbs the production of more plastic. In order for the treaty to go forward, all countries must sign on.

New Jersey says 3 chemical makers agree to ‘forever chemical’ settlement worth up to $2 billion – AP News, August 4, 2025

DuPont, Chemours and Corteva, will pay New Jersey up to $2 billion over 25 years to settle environmental claims relating to PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances), referred to as “forever chemicals,” chemicals that have commonly made up non-stick cookware, water proof clothing, as well as fire suppression materials. These chemicals do not break down and stay in our environment “forever” making their way into water systems. 

Recycling Aluminum Cans? Stop Crushing Them and Do It the Right Way – CNET, August 3, 2025

Metal and aluminum cans are a great household item to recycle especially in the age of steel and aluminum tariffs, but if you don’t do it right, you’re dooming your hard work to the landfill or incinerator!

We’re in the final days of Plastic Free July, and to celebrate everyone tackling the challenge, this week we’re sharing good news only: the return of American chestnuts and growing reefs, reuse programs, and a legal victory in the fight against pollution. Plus, this weekend’s sales tax holiday on school and emergency supplies!

Stock Up on Essentials During Virginia’s Sales Tax Holiday, Aug. 1-3 – Virginia Department of Taxation, 2025

This weekend marks Virginia’s annual sales tax holiday. You can purchase three categories of items without paying Virginia sales tax: school supplies and clothing; hurricane and emergency preparedness items; and products with EnergyStar or WaterSense labels. Item eligibility and additional details can be found on the VA Sales Tax website. Of course, Clean Fairfax encourages you to think before you shop: can you reduce, reuse, repurpose, or recycle what you already have? If not, go forth and save some tax!

For the First Time in Decades, Hikers Can Walk in Forests of Mature, Wild American Chestnuts – Garden & Gun, July 24, 2025

The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was the queen of the eastern North American forest. Valued as a food source for wildlife, livestock, and humans alike, it provided top-quality lumber and dominated the forest canopy up and down the Appalachians. In the early 20th century, however, a fungal blight originating in Asia was accidentally introduced and quickly spread across the chestnut’s range. The blight, and its imminent threat, decimated the chestnut population as timber harvesters raced to log the healthy trees that remained before they were infected. By the middle of last century, chestnuts essentially disappeared. However, through efforts of scientists and volunteers, the species may be making a comeback. Careful cross-breeding has resulted in hybridized American chestnuts that can resist the blight. The American Chestnut Foundation works with conservation groups up and down the eastern seaboard to test and reintroduce potentially blight-resistant trees. Today, one successful site can be found in Lesesne State Forest in Nelson County, VA (about 2.5 hours southwest of Fairfax). The forest is open to the public and is home to a 30-acre forest stand featuring 60-year old, 70-foot tall American chestnuts that have reached maturity without succumbing to the blight. Add this one to your bucket list!

Scientists left cinderblocks in a barren part of the sea. 3 months later they were ecstatic. – Upworthy, July 25, 2025

Twelve years ago, scientists in Grenada started an experiment to find out whether cement blocks arranged in pyramids on the ocean floor could act as scaffolding for regrowing coral reefs. Within months, sea life began colonizing the pyramids, starting with algae, sponges, and several species of invertebrates. After just a year and a half, fish and certain coral species such as brain coral and stony coral began colonizing them. The pyramids have continued to attract more and more diverse life over the years, and the project, known as the Grand Anse Artificial Reef Project or GAARP, continues to add more concrete structures to encourage coral reef recovery. Similar efforts are underway all around the world, attempting to combat the effects of rising ocean temperatures and increasing acidification that threaten the health of existing reefs. 

Reduce, reuse, repair: A Vermont network works to cut down on waste while fostering community – VTDigger.org, July 23, 2025

Vermont, a state with a population approaching 650,000, generates about 540,000 tons of solid waste each year – that’s the better part of a ton per person. The state is on a mission to divert 50% of its waste from landfills through reducing, repairing, recycling, and composting. Last year, they achieved 41% diversion, but to make additional gains, the state has formed a new initiative called ReVT. ReVT will have a dual mission: first, to develop a strong coalition around reduction, reuse, and repair; and second, to create a network that supports practitioners and encourages greater participation. Projects such as ReVT are gaining ground across the country. Here in Fairfax County, VA, our County Library system and Solid Waste Management Program collaborate to host regular fix-it clinics – watch the Library Calendar for the next one scheduled.

Sri Lankan court orders owners of container ship to pay $1 billion in marine pollution compensation – AP News.com, July 24, 2025

This story is a bit of a “bad news-good news” one. Four years ago, a Singapore-flagged ship with a cargo full of plastic pellets and other chemicals sank off the coast of Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo. The ship spilled plastics and oil that spread across the water and nearby beaches, killing marine life and creating major environmental destruction. In fact, it was cited as “the largest recorded marine plastic spill in the world” by the judge who recently decided a case in favor of the Sri Lankan government. The judgement holds the owners and agents of the ship liable for the disaster and orders them to pay the Sri Lankan government $1 billion in compensation to help clean up the damage.

In this week’s roundup, we’re talking about organic waste, plastic waste, and what policy can do about those things! We’re also discussing the EPA along with the record-breaking heat and humidity we’re experiencing in Northern Virginia.

Massachusetts’ organic waste ban is good for business, state finds – Waste Dive, July 16, 2025

Massachusetts stood out in a study of five (of the nine) states with commercial organic waste disposal bans. The state’s landfill tonnage was reduced by at least 7% on average over the course of five years. Researchers point to available infrastructure, easily understandable regulation, and strong enforcement as the driving factors for success. Since 2014, when the ban was first implemented, the policy has expanded to require even more commercial generators of organic waste to divert the material from disposal. Revenue and employment in organics recycling have steadily increased since 2016, after a sharp increase immediately after the ban was enacted in 2014. The total tonnage of organics processed increased by 65.5% between 2016 and 2024, with a whopping 342,203 tons handled in 2024. The report deduced that Massachusetts’ ban was received positively across the board. 

EPR Packaging goes live in Oregon – Waste 360, June 30, 2025

The nation’s most comprehensive EPR law went into effect in Oregon on July 1 but an industry critic pushes back on roll out of Extended Producer Responsibility laws and programs as they continue to put the responsibility for dealing with packaging on the consumer. 

Malaysia stops accepting plastic Waste from US and other Countries – PBS News, July 20, 2025

The U.S. produces more plastic waste than any other country in the world. Last year, more than 35,000 tons of it was shipped to Malaysia. The cost of sending plastic waste overseas is cheaper than dealing with the waste ourselves here in the United States. However, due to the amount of waste ending up in Malaysia, much of the waste ends up dumped, landfilled, burned, or in the ocean, creating a multitude of more problems. In June, Malaysian leaders effectively banned future shipments. According to Anja Brandon, Director of Plastics Policy at Ocean Conservancy, state and local governments in the U.S. are tackling the challenge of plastic waste management and policy, through extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation and policies requiring less plastics to begin with. While these policies are a start, significant reductions in the amount of plastic produced at all are necessary to face our plastic problem.

And speaking of PFAS, leading fossil fuel companies pushed for eliminating EPA’s Research and Development Office –  Inside Climate News, July 21, 2025
Last week, EPA Administrator Lee Zelden announced that the Office of Research and Development (ORD), the entity responsible for determining health and safety risks of chemicals, would be shuttered. A coalition of industry groups, orchestrated by the American Chemistry Council, has been lobbying the Administration to stop regulating them based on ORD chemical assessments. ORD’s Integrated Risk Information System program, or IRIS, has been under attack by the petrochemical industry for years. It completes independent scientific research on chemicals so that the EPA may make informed policy decisions. With the dismantling of IRIS and ORD, the EPA loses its access to firsthand, rigorous research, and the ability to use the safety assessments that result from it in order to regulate corporations and protect public health.

Most Humid Summer on Record in DC Area – WTOP News, July 22, 2025

We are finally out of drought territory but full on in HOT AND HUMID territory as we mark the most humid summer on record in our region. Just since June 1, the DC area has already experienced 650 hours with the dew point over 70 degrees, more than twice the average of 276 hours in the same timeframe. High dew points mean there is already a lot of moisture in the air, making it harder to cool off by sweating (which requires evaporation from the skin to cool you down). The one bright spot in the weather news is that all of the rain that has fallen has brought the region out of its long-standing drought condition.