Eco-News Roundup: Friday, August 14

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Today’s environment, health, and science news from our site and others. And if you haven’t read Anna Lenzer’s great Fiji Water exposé “Spin the Bottle,” well, let’s just say there are a few things you might want to know before you reach for that pretty square bottle.

MoJo responds to fiji: That Fiji Water donates money to local kindergartens is all well and good, but it doesn’t make up for pollution, tax havens, and silence on the Fijian government’s human rights abuses. 

The reformers are coming! Health care reformers pretend they want to make you healthy. Really, they want to sell your organs to China. And slay your grandma. And murder cute puppies. Ruuuuuun!

Newt again: Gingrich flip-flops on advance care directives and hospice care. Somehow, we’re not surprised.

Better buildings: “Commissioning” reduces building’s greenhouse emissions significantly—and it’s not just free, it saves money. Just one of the techniques that’ll become more widespread if Waxman-Markey passes.

Philpott vs. Klein on organics: Grist’s Tom Philpott believes organic foods are more nutritious; Ezra Klein doubts it. But what about the soil?

Second hottest July on record: Climate Progress on the NASA temperature data, and why it looks like we’ll be seeing record global temperatures this year or next.

India’s green plans: India overhauls its version of the EPA. Could this mean tougher pollution and emissions standards?

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