The Guardian

• Animal welfare violations swarm Miami zoo owned by ex-drug kingpin in Tiger King

  Endangered snow leopard had leg amputated and capybara died at Mario Tabraue’s controversial roadside facility

  An endangered clouded leopard had a leg amputated and a capybara died following botched breeding attempts at a controversial Miami roadside zoo owned by a convicted drug trafficker featured in the Netflix documentary Tiger King.

  Federal wildlife inspectors found multiple other violations during a March inspection at Zoological Wildlife Foundation (ZWF), including dilapidated, insecure or unsafe housing conditions for wild animals, filthy cages, and water and food contaminated with algae and dead insects.

  Continue reading...

• US garbage incinerators are failing to eliminate ‘forever chemical’ air pollution, experts warn

  The virtually indestructible Pfas waste puts largely low-income neighborhoods at risk, public health advocates say

  The nation’s garbage incinerators are largely failing to eliminate Pfas “forever chemicals” air pollution, and are putting people in largely low-income neighborhoods at risk, public health advocates and independent experts warn.

  The powerful waste management industry is increasingly pushing incinerators as a solution to virtually indestructible Pfas waste, and a new industry trade group report alleges Minnesota’s incinerators are reducing their forever chemical emissions by 99.6%. Other incinerator operators have made similar reduction claims.

  Continue reading...

• ‘Flavor is under siege in this country’: how food in America lost its taste

  In the last century, industrialized farming has killed off delicious food – but a brigade of chefs, breeders and farmers are fighting to bring it back

  Bill Tracy is clearly not one to brag, but after a while, it seems he just can’t help himself. “I did come up with something absolutely amazing actually,” he says softly. “Really quite amazing.”

  Tracy has spent the last 40 years in the fields of Wisconsin as one of the US’s leading sweetcorn breeders, tasting up to 300 ears a day in search of the perfect corn that might one day sizzle on barbecues across the country.

  Continue reading...

• Power to the people: how ‘balcony solar’ could help fight rising US utility costs

  More Americans are using small solar panels in their back yards or balconies as a clean way to cut their electric bills

  If you feel like your electricity bill just keeps climbing, you aren’t imagining it. Since 2020, US residential energy prices have surged by about 30%, making power the largest household energy expense behind gasoline, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

  But for residents like Alex Curtis, the days of feeling powerless against rising costs are coming to an end. Curtis is waging a war on his electric bill, and his new weapon of choice is a lightweight, thin-film solar panel.

  Continue reading...

• Vermont becomes first US state to ban paraquat herbicide over Parkinson’s fears

  Lawmakers cite studies linking weedkiller to Parkinson’s as pressure mounts for a wider US ban

  Vermont is the first US state to ban the weedkilling pesticide paraquat, backed by lawmakers who cited concerns about research showing the chemical substantially increases the risk of the incurable brain ailment known as Parkinson’s disease.

  Phil Scott, the governor, signed the legislation on Tuesday. The new law takes effect on 1 November, though it contains a provision allowing state regulators to issue special permits for paraquat use on fruit-producing tree orchards, berries and other “small fruit” crops up until 31 December 2030.

  Continue reading...