Shafer's vineyard doesn't use chemical fertilizers. Organic wines are made using grapes grown without using chemicals. There's no government agency, including the FDA, that's looking over sustainability and saying you can or can't label your wine," Isle explained. There are usually some common practices at sustainable vineyards, such as composting, using renewable energy, and conserving water. But while organic wines are certified by the government, there are no standards for sustainable...

Some environmental groups say agriculture, the second-largest industry in Florida, used its political clout to get a break on costly monitoring and record-keeping requirements that other industries have had to deal with for decades. Officials with DEP and state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services say the program already has been successful in getting hundreds of farmers and container plant growers to use modern farming techniques that keep pollution out of waterways. Florida is...

In the past two years, 1354 samples of these five commodities have been tested for chemicals including herbicides, fumigants, insecticides, acaricides and fungicides. All the indications are that our worries about swallowing chemicals and pesticides are out of proportion. We pick out the best, bag them and take them home, then wash them under the tap, hoping any chemicals we think are on the surface will disappear down the drain. THERE are shiny apples, fresh avocados and glistening crisp...

environmental analysts are questioning the integrity of Turkmen hydrocarbon projects. The two companies will jointly evaluate the coal-gasification potential for the fertilizer industry, Choubey said. He said GAIL would carry out a techno-economic study of a commercial plant to extract gas from coal, while RCF will conduct a similar study on a commercial plant for the use of synthesized gas from coal. Choubey said the proposed project would be located at Talcher district in Orissa, adding...

It takes almost 1/3 of a pound of chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to grow enough cotton for just one T-shirt. Recycled paper also takes 60- to 70 percent less energy to produce than paper from virgin pulp. The average American uses 400 gallons per day, 30 percent of which is for outdoor uses and half for watering lawns. Of the 2.7 tons of plastic used to bottle water, 86 percent become garbage or litter. Things to make you smarter and more interesting. Amount spent on bottled water...