University Officials Say Polymers Still Show Big Promise

AKRON, Ohio ? It's an old, familiar promise: polymers can turn Akron into a high-tech city, complete with hot-selling products and lucrative jobs. So far, however, it's been slow to happen. But officials at the University of Akron say polymers still have big promise. >> Read the Full Article

Hospitals move toward paperless age

Hospitals are trading their once-scattered medical charts, file folders, X-rays, and other documents for a unified electronic records system accessible with a few keystrokes. >> Read the Full Article

EarthTalk: Where can I find Earth-friendly building materials?

Where do I find sources of Earth-friendly building supplies and materials? >> Read the Full Article

Dell and HP Expand Recycling Programs

The world's two largest personal-computer manufacturers have gotten a little greener. >> Read the Full Article

Energy Department pledges to remove 99 percent of nuclear waste from tanks

The Energy Department is committed to removing 99 percent of the nuclear waste in underground tanks at weapons sites, and anything less is "off the table," the head of the cleanup program told lawmakers Thursday. >> Read the Full Article

World's land turning to desert at an alarming speed, warns United Nations

The world is turning to dust, with land the size of Rhode Island becoming desert wasteland every year and the problem threatening to send millions of people fleeing to greener countries, the United Nations says. >> Read the Full Article

EarthTalk: What happened to the "paperless office"?

The paperless office does appear to still be a distant dream. A recent University of California, Berkeley study found that, worldwide, the amount of printed matter generated between 1999 and 2002 not only did not decrease — it grew by 36 percent. >> Read the Full Article

World Bank ponders its role in the environment

With the World Bank facing a decision on whether it should continue backing oil and mining projects, its chief environmental official says it should stay involved to ensure high standards of environmental protection. >> Read the Full Article

Lax U.S. power plant rules are killing thousands, says study

More than 90 percent of the 23,600 annual deaths caused by pollution from aging coal-fired power plants could be prevented if the U.S. government adopted stricter rules, according to a study by environmental groups. >> Read the Full Article

New Partnership Brings Sustainable Forest and Farm Products to Market

The Rainforest Alliance has partnered with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish the Certified Sustainable Products Alliance, a three-year effort to significantly promote and increase the sale of sustainably produced certified timber, banana, and coffee from Central America and Mexico. >> Read the Full Article