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January jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 4%, wages rise more than forecast; Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel; Ten Commandments in public schools debate reaches South Dakota; Virginia ranks among worst states for wage theft; Mexican long-nosed bat makes appearance in Arizona.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

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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