Thursday, 08 Jun 2000

Crimson and Clover

About 150 members of Harvard's graduating class this year plan to wear green ribbons along with their caps and gowns at today's commencement ceremony, reminders of their pledge to keep environmental and social responsibility in mind as they choose their jobs. Hundreds of graduating seniors at about 50 other colleges and universities have also made the promise, which reads, "I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organization for which I work." Harvard student organizers want the pledge to be more than a one-time gesture, so they held a seminar for participating students and gave out guidebooks on how to live responsibly.

Fruit of the Doom

Apples, grapes, and other common foods often have pesticide residues that exceed safe levels for children, according to a food-safety report released this week by Consumers Union. The U.S. EPA is expected today to ban most home uses of the pesticide chlorpyrifos, commonly known as Dursban, but Consumers Union is urging the agency to go further by more tightly controlling about 20 other chemicals that are responsible for most toxic residues found on foods. Still, Consumers Union is not urging parents to stop feeding their children fruits and vegetables. The group says people can limit pesticide exposure by washing produce well and peeling it, or by purchasing organic foods.

You and Your Largemouth

Native fish in the U.S. are in sharp decline due to the introduction of nonnative species, according to a survey published in the journal Science. In the past, many different fish species existed in every state, but now, fish populations are blending into one group of common fish. Three fish -- largemouth bass, black crappie, and the common carp -- are found in all lower 48 states. Some of the nonnatives escape from aquariums, while others are poured from bait buckets. And experts say the intruders often benefit from habitat changes that harm natives, such as wetlands draining and dam building. "It's a one-two punch," says Peter Moyle, a fisheries biologist at the University of California at Davis. "You change the habitat, then you send in the exotics, and the poor native fish don't stand a chance." Removal of nonnative species is both difficult and costly.

Oh, Cannon Bombed

Spurred by enviros, Democrats successfully fought back a bill in the U.S. House yesterday that they said would do far too little to protect wildlands in Utah. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah), would create a 1.3 million-acre national conservation area in the redrock country of southeastern Utah, but critics said it would not do enough to restrict off-road vehicle use and could undermine wilderness protection for the area. After Democrats managed to attach a number of amendments that would have strengthened the legislation, Cannon pulled the bill from consideration. Still, it could resurface if Cannon gathers enough support.

Sealing Their Fate

More than 10,000 seals in the Caspian Sea have died in recent weeks, and Kazakhstan's environment minister, Serikbek Daukeyev, placed the blame yesterday on pollution. He said that expert analyses have found large amounts of toxic oil wastes and pesticides in the seals' bodies, and suggested that the deaths may have been triggered by waste dumped in the sea by a giant oil project in the region, Tengizchevroil, which is being operated by Chevron, ExxonMobil, and LukARCO. A number of other oil drilling and exploration projects are also underway in the region.

Tag, You're It

About 600 companies operating in 32 different countries have enrolled in the Forest Stewardship Council's certification system, which gives a label of approval to eco-friendly forest products. Called the FSC tag, the label indicates that wood comes from trees grown and harvested in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, under international guidelines. Many companies believe the certification system will help their bottom lines as well as the planet. "We intend to utilize our forests for a long time and so we have our own interests in maintaining the forest," said Gunner Palme of AssiDoman, an international packaging company.