Issue Briefs

From the Sacramento Valley to Los Angeles County, the oil and gas industry has been fracking in California without clear regulatory oversight for many years. Now, the next generation of drilling and fracking involving much more fluid and chemicals injected at much higher pressure, and creating much more waste, pollution and risk — has arrived on the West Coast.

The British company Oxitec has released millions of genetically engineered (GE) mosquitoes in the Cayman Islands, Brazil and Malaysia. Now Oxitec wants to release its mosquitoes in the Florida Keys in 2012.

The company claims these altered mosquitoes will battle dengue fever. However, basic safety questions remain unanswered.

During the global food crises of 2007–08 and 2010–11, which saw skyrocketing commodity prices, agribusiness companies gained massive profits. Pro-biotech interests — particularly industry giant Monsanto — have since launched a variety of public relations strategies, including advertising campaigns and a series of reports touting the benefits of transgenic agriculture to farmers and the environment. Analysis conducted jointly by Food & Water Europe and Food & Water Watch finds that the Monsanto-funded reports use questionable methods and present misleading assessments of the impacts of genetically engineered crops.

Sludge is the solid remnants of the wastewater treatment process. Wastewater treatment facilities, most of which are publicly owned treatment works (POTWs), are able to remove many of the bacteria, viruses and chemicals that end up in sludge. POTWs serve approximately 75 percent of the U.S. population. Yet these facilities do not have enough money to purchase the technology needed to remove all of the prescription drugs and chemicals that enter the wastewater stream every day from our household and personal care products.

Gas drillers use a water-intensive process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to extract natural gas from shale. The process injects millions of gallons of water, mixed with sand and chemicals, under high pressure to crack the rock formation to release natural gas. Private water players can make money on both ends by selling water to drillers and then treating the wastewater.

The Gulf of Mexico is known for fishing — vacationers flock to the coasts to charter a boat for a day of recreational fishing or just to dine in restaurants serving up the commercial catch of the day. But behind the stories of landing a monster fish and melt-in-your-mouth grilled filets, a battle is being waged to determine if the Gulf’s fishermen and charter captains will remain an independent and integral part of southern coastal culture, or if they will instead lose their way of life in the rush to transform our fisheries into corporate-dominated markets.

The oil and gas industry is aggressively promoting the expansion of shale gas drilling in the United States. Over the past decade, oil and gas companies have developed new fracking technologies to extract gas from shale, a previously unprofitable source, leading to a resource extraction rush referred to as the “natural gas revolution.” The Marcellus Shale is projected to become the largest source of gas produced in the country and has been a focal point of the industry. However, shale gas drilling blowouts and explosions, drinking water contamination, wastewater and drilling fluid spills and leaks, and local air pollution have caused environmental problems and led to growing public resistance to the practice across the country. In response, the oil and gas industry has promoted the supposed economic benefits and job creation potential of shale gas drilling for communities. Economic studies by industry, industry-funded academics and ideological think tanks claim that shale gas development will generate enormous economic benefits. One study claims that developing the Marcellus Shale alone could create more than a quarter of a million jobs in the coming decade.

Over the past few decades, the largest meatpacking and processing companies have consolidated their market power, driven smaller meatpackers out of the industry, pushed farmers out of business by offering lower prices for hogs and cattle and slowly but surely raised real prices for consumers. The dominant pork and beef packers have made it impossible for small businesses to survive, and this has contributed to the decline in the number of meatpacker and processor workers as well as to their falling real wages. Together, these losses have undercut a vital economic force in rural America: independent livestock operations and the small businesses and workers that process meat.

How problematic is it for the public when it loses control of its water to a private corporation? Get the facts on the poor track records of Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois and how they demonstrate that privatization is an unacceptable and irresponsible alternative to traditional public provision of water and sewer service. Many of the companies’ customers, both households and businesses, have reported paying too much for inadequate service. These consumer experiences underscore the importance of keeping w

In the public debate over government spending, the federal budget deficit and the U.S. Farm Bill, there has been increasing focus on proposals to reduce government subsidies to farmers growing corn, soybeans and other so-called commodity crops.