Welcome back to the sustainable scribe for another edition of green news of the week featuring a few interesting green highlights from this past week. This week includes:  Al Gore smackdown on Obama over smog standards and pollution, Dell refocusing their green initiatives, 10 easy ways to make your campus green, the top 5 chemicals to avoid in food, Greenpeace fights for toxin-free products from major manufacturers, and 19 of the best organic and fair trade chocolates at the market.  Click on the link to read the full article.

Al Gore Criticizes Obama For Abandoning Smog Standards:  It’s Al Gore vs. President Obama.  Gore lambasted Obama when the President asked the EPA to withdraw proposed clean air regulations.  Here’s an excerpt from Al Gore’s blog site from yesterday: “Instead of relying on science, President Obama appears to have bowed to pressure from polluters who did not want to bear the cost of implementing new restrictions on their harmful pollution—even though economists have shown that the US economy would benefit from the job creating investments associated with implementing the new technology. The result of the White House’s action will be increased medical bills for seniors with lung disease, more children developing asthma, and the continued degradation of our air quality.”

Dell Backs Away from Carbon Neutrality, Focuses on Efficiency & E-Waste:  Dell has several sustainability initiatives and they just released their 2011 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report.  Their plans seem to be moving away from being carbon neutral and concentrating more on energy efficiency and improving e-waste collection, up 16% over last year according to the report.

10 Ways to Make Your Campus Green:  From carpooling to recycling to using reusable water bottles, there are several ways today’s campuses can go green.  This is a list of realistic green lifestyle changes students and faculties can incorporate into their daily routine to help preserve the environment.  “The green schools movement is the biggest thing to happen to education since the introduction of technology to the classroom.” – Glenn Cook, Editor in Chief, American School Board Journal

Top 5 Chemicals to Avoid in Food:  It’s important to examine the ingredients on the products you buy because food manufacturers don’t exactly prominently advertise the chemical content.  Whenever possible, buy organic food and avoid processed foods.  If there’s a label on it, inspect it thoroughly so you know exactly what you’re about to consume.   This is a list of 5 chemicals to avoid because of the associated risks ranging from weight gain to cancer.

Puma, Nike and Adidas Run Towards Toxin-Free Products With Greenpeace:  “Greenpeace recently released a report entitled Dirty Laundry which alleged that clothing from top brands like Adidas, Nike, Calvin Klein, H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch, Lacoste, Converse and Ralph Lauren are linked to facilities in China releasing toxic chemicals in our water.  Greenpeace’s Detox Campaign is asking manufacturers to offer toxin-free solutions to their customers and exercise transparency when it comes to discharging any chemicals into our environment.  Puma has already announced their intention to eliminate toxins from its entire supply chain and product lifecycle by 2020. 

19 of the Best Organic and Fair Trade Chocolates:  Do you have a sweet tooth for chocolate?  Well you don’t have to eat the processed version laced with chemicals.  The folks at the Daily Green have come up with a delectable list of 19 of the best organic and fair trade chocolates guaranteed to satisfy the taste buds of even the most discerning chocolate connoisseur.

Stay tuned next week for more green news stories from across the globe.