Welcome back for another edition of green news of the week featuring a few interesting stories from around the globe impacting the environment. This weeks’ highlights:  7 sun-powered homes shine in the Solar Decathlon, BPA found in canned kids foods, the first vegan donut shop, BP is found guilty of violating federal safety regulations, 100,000 solar jobs and Greenpeace’s Detox campaign.  Click on the link to read the full article.

photo courtesy of inhabitat.com

7 Amazing Sun-Powered Homes in the 2011 Solar Decathlon!
This list and photo gallery of 7 truly spectacular sun-powered homes that have entered the Solar Decathlon are something to marvel at.  Boasting incredibly efficient solar energy systems with rainwater collection, vegetable gardens and stunning architecture, you will be dazzled by the creative innovation at play in the name of renewable energy and protecting the environment with sustainable solutions.

Controversial BPA found in canned kids’ foods, report says
Most manufacturers of plastic bottles changed their formula’s to eliminate BPA as many consumers switched to reusable bottles for fear of BPA’s potential toxic effect.  Now further examination of canned foods is occurring.  “Breast Cancer Fund researchers tested for bisphenol A (BPA) in six products specifically marketed to children. Included in the list were such popular kid-targeted meals as Campbell’s “Disney Princess” soup with “shaped pasta with chicken in chicken broth” and Annie’s Homegrown certified organic “Cheesy Ravioli.” “The levels we found in these canned foods were a little higher than those previously found in baby bottles and water bottles.” The Food and Drug Administration has requisitioned more research on BPA explaining that they have “some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate glands of fetuses, infants, and children.”

NYC’s First Vegan Doughnut Shop Might Land In Brooklyn
Vegan diets are all the rage, and now there are vegan bakeries popping up all over the place.  The first Vegan Doughnut Shop is likely headed to Brooklyn, New York as Dun-Well Doughnuts got the funds they needed to create the next great vegan novelty shop.  With flavours like Raspberry Pistachio, Ginger Snap and Raspberry Cheesecake, how can they go wrong?

BP, contractors violated safety rules, U.S. inquiry finds
According to a recently released report, “BP and the two other companies drilling the exploratory Macondo oil well in the Gulf of Mexico all violated federal safety regulations leading up to last year’s oil spill.  The joint inquiry by the Coast Guard and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement was critical of BP’s drilling contractors, Transocean and Halliburton.”

Over 100,000 Americans work in solar industry
According to preliminary figures released by the Solar Foundation, there are now 100,237 jobs in the American solar industry, according to preliminary figures released this morning by the Solar Foundation. Believe it or not, the solar industry grew almost 7 percent from August 2010 to August 2011 and the Solar Foundation is putting the finishing touches on their second solar jobs census, which will be revealed next month.

Save the World Detox is SEO Hot Right Now!
Let’s get Detox to the top of the Google search!  Just three short months into Greenpeace’s water pollution campaigns, Nike, Adidas, Puma and now H&M committed to work with all of their suppliers to eliminate the release of toxic chemicals into our water. And here’s an immediate sign of change as Puma Debuts 100 Percent Recycled Kicks.

And that’s some of the highlights from this past week in the green news.

September 22, 2011
______________________________________________________________________________
Planet Forward is an online retailer of ethically-made, earth-friendly products designed for everyday use with a distinctly urban feel. Products include reusable stainless steel bottles, stainless steel thermal travel mugs, waste-free lunch bags, reusable shopping bags, Make-it-Yourself toxin-free Green Cleaning kits, organic fashions and other accessories. SALE 50% OFF ALL PRODUCTS – SHOP NOW!