If you’re into being green and toted your Fruit Loops, Corn Pops, Honey Smacks and Apple Jacks home in one of those fancy reusable grocery bags, you might want to check those, too.

A University of Arizona study indicates that many consumers may have reusable grocery totes that are harboring dangerous bacteria- especially if, say, you used them to carry tasty, juice-leaking meat packages home from your local Save A Bunch:

The researchers tested 84 bags collected from shoppers in Tucson, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area and found that just over half were contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria. Twelve percent of the bags contained E. coli, which indicates possible fecal matter and more dangerous pathogens.

“A lot of people are not aware of the potential for the cross-contamination of food,” said Charles Gerba, a UA professor and co-author of the study.

Gerba says bags should be washed after each use (which sounds like a major hassle) and that the tendency to store the totes in hot car trunks can exacerbate the problem. Not everyone accepts the study’s findings, though, and one scientist interviewed said the results of the study might be suspect:

An environmental-advocacy group objects to its validity because it was funded by the American Chemistry Council, which represents plastics manufacturers.

“This is industry-funded junk science designed to scare consumers,” said Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist with the National Resources Defense Council.

He said it’s irresponsible to claim that reusable bags present a serious threat to public health because bacteria are everywhere. He said he has used reusable grocery bags for years, and he doesn’t wash them after each use.

Any chance you’re going to launder the bags you use after going through all the trouble of getting to the store and actually unpacking the groceries? Is this a public health disaster just waiting to happen?

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More lurking kitchen danger: reusable bags could be contaminated with bacteria is a post from: The Inquisitr

No longer the domain of students and crunchy hippies, shipping container housing has moved from dystopian concept art to sexy living space.

The United States imports more than it exports, and ports are overrun with shipping containers- which happen to hold tremendous potential for long-term housing solutions. But most attempts to turn the blocky metal behemoths into homes have resulted in houses that call to mind passing through Newark.

SG Blocks is changing that though, creating some amazing modern dwellings that aren’t out of place in the hippest design circles. Recycling the existing structures is Earth-friendly, too. SG Blocks co-founder David Cross told CNN:

“These containers weigh about 9,000 pounds, and it takes about 9,000 kilowatt hours of energy to melt down 9,000 pounds of steel,” Cross said. “We modify that existing piece of steel with approximately 400 kilowatt hours of energy input. [That's a] 95 percent energy footprint reduction.”

There are other major benefits. Shipping container housing can reduce construction time by half. Cost estimates vary- some speculate that pricing runs equivalent to traditional “stick frame” homes. Others indicate a savings of at least 15%.

Another benefit is durability- the homes are stronger than their wood-framed counterparts, and termite resistant, too. Around 18 million shipping containers are currently in use worldwide.

[Image: SG Blocks]

SG Blocks brings style to the shipping container housing movement is a post from: The Inquisitr

During this transition period the Obama team has been examining all of the Bush Administration’s policies to see which can easily be reversed to basically give them the biggest bang for their political buck. While much attention is being placed around things like stem cell research and reproductive rights there is another bunch of policies being looked at that could make a big difference to the environmental movement. As Ceci Connolly and R. Jeffrey Smith with the Washington Post wrote today

The president-elect has said, for example, that he intends to quickly reverse the Bush administration’s decision last December to deny California the authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles. “Effectively tackling global warming demands bold and innovative solutions, and given the failure of this administration to act, California should be allowed to pioneer,” Obama said in January.

As well Obama appears to want to show that politics must not interfere with science

Before the election, Obama told others that he favors declaring that carbon dioxide emissions are endangering human welfare, following an EPA task force recommendation last December that Bush and his aides shunned in order to protect the utility and auto industries.

Robert Sussman, who was the EPA’s deputy administrator during the Clinton administration and is now overseeing EPA transition planning for Obama, wrote a paper last spring strongly recommending such a finding. Others in the campaign have depicted it as an issue on which Obama is keen to show that politics must not interfere with scientific advice.

While reports like this are probably the first of many to come it does provide an interesting look at how the Obama Administration will go about making their changes; and where.

Obama: The Greening of the White House is a post from: The Inquisitr