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Tuesday, July 2, 2024

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One million acres of forest protected under The Conservation Fund, including in OR; Trump seeks to set aside his New York hush money guilty verdict after Supreme Court immunity ruling; 'Share the Pennies' weatherization program tackles climate solutions, reduces cost; Utah feels the impact of California's ban on gestation crates.

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SCOTUS gives former President Trump a huge win in terms of immunity, which might apply to charges of election interference. A new poll finds future court appointments are crucial for voters, and President Biden continues to face post-debate calls to leave the race.

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Ugly, imperfect produce destined for the landfill is being upcycled by a California candy company, a Texas volunteer uses his Navy training to map the gaps in broadband, and Pennsylvania has a new commission tasked with reversing its shrinking rural population.

ME Lawmaker Seeks Solution to 'Fast Fashion' Pollution

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Monday, July 17, 2023   

Democratic lawmakers are asking federal investigators to study the true cost of so-called fast fashion and its contribution to climate change.

The majority of manufactured clothes includes synthetic fibers derived from crude oil. Nearly 90% of those garments will end up in a landfill or burned in incinerators.

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree - D-North Haven - said the wasted material ends up as methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

"A lot of the clothes that are manufactured go to the landfill before they're even ever sold," said Pingree. "Then, you really start to think about 'oh wow this is having a huge impact and I may be a part of it.'"

Pingree is asking the Government Accountability Office to investigate what more the Environmental Protection Agency can do to reduce textile waste and emissions, and improve educational outreach to states on ways to increase textile recycling.

Currently, just 15% of all textiles are recycled.

The rise of fast fashion and cheap clothing has also led to a rise in microplastics in the oceans as synthetic fibers stripped apart in washing machines ultimately travel into the environment.

Pingree said her office often hears from constituents concerned about the harm these plastics cause to coastal marine life and the sustainability of Maine's fisheries.

"I guarantee you, there's no one in the fisheries in Maine who wants to have their incredible work with a natural resource be tainted," said Pingree, "because people start to worry about 'oh my gosh are there plastic particles in the fish that I'm eating.'"

Pingree said lawmakers are looking at efforts in the European Union to give consumers more information on their clothing before they buy it - as well as extended producer responsibility laws, which help ensure manufacturing companies bear more of the financial burden of dealing with textile waste.





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