Solve pollution. Save lives. Protect the planet.

Honoring Pollution Fighters: Pure Earth’s 2024 Force of Nature Honorees

Honoring Pollution Fighters: Pure Earth’s 2024 Force of Nature Honorees

Feb 18 , 2024

Honoring Pollution Fighters: Pure Earth’s 2024 Force of Nature Honorees Pure Earth marks International Women’s Day each year to raise awareness about pollution’s under-recognized impact on maternal and child health and emphasize the crucial role women play in combating pollution's.

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Unveiling Lead in Consumer Products in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Pure Earth’s Findings

Unveiling Lead in Consumer Products in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Pure Earth’s Findings

Feb 01 , 2024

Unveiling Lead in Consumer Products in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Pure Earth's Findings At the World Economic Forum in January 2024, USAID Administrator Samantha Power highlighted lead poisoning as a top USAID priority, urging world leaders to invest in solutions..

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USAID launches “Toward a Lead-Free Future” at Davos and challenges other funders to invest

USAID launches “Toward a Lead-Free Future” at Davos and challenges other funders to invest

Jan 18 , 2024

USAID launches “Toward a Lead-Free Future” at Davos and challenges other funders to invest In a policy briefing at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, USAID Administrator Samantha Power, took a leadership position in a panel discussion exploring.

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2023 Highlights: A Year Of Transformative Achievements

2023 Highlights: A Year Of Transformative Achievements

Jan 01 , 2024

2023 Highlights: A Year Of Transformative Achievements 2023 was a transformative year in our decades-long efforts to stem lead poisoning, mercury poisoning, and other toxic chemical threats. Our proven interventions, combined with data from our pioneering research, continued to draw.

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Bangladesh: Photo Exhibition Highlights Lead Pollution Solutions during ILPPW 2023

Bangladesh: Photo Exhibition Highlights Lead Pollution Solutions during ILPPW 2023

Nov 03 , 2023

During this year's ILPPW campaign, Pure Earth Bangladesh focused on enhancing the visibility of Pure Earth Bangladesh’s grassroots initiatives and underscoring evidence-based solutions through an online campaign and a photography exhibition.  On October 25, 2023, in collaboration with the Department.

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International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW) 2023: Pure Earth’s Global Efforts in Lead Poisoning Prevention

International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW) 2023: Pure Earth’s Global Efforts in Lead Poisoning Prevention

Nov 01 , 2023

International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW) 2023: Pure Earth's Global Efforts in Lead Poisoning Prevention Pure Earth teams around the world joined WHO and dozens of other organizations in marking the 11th year of International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW).

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Bangladesh: New Studies Reveal Alarming Findings on Lead Pollution, Need For Urgent Multi-Sectoral Actions

Bangladesh: New Studies Reveal Alarming Findings on Lead Pollution, Need For Urgent Multi-Sectoral Actions

Oct 30 , 2023

New studies reveal devastating new data on lead pollution in Bangladesh, the fourth most lead pollution-impacted country in the world. Learn more in this post by Bushra Humaira Sadaf, Senior Communications Manager, Pure Earth Bangladesh.  --- Lead Pollution is not.

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India: Government Committees to Make Bihar a Lead Pollution-Free State

India: Government Committees to Make Bihar a Lead Pollution-Free State

Sep 27 , 2023

Written By: Sandeep Dahiya, Director Advocacy and Communications, Pure Earth India This July, Pure Earth, the Institute of Environment and Eco-Development (IEED), Vital Strategies and  Mahavir Cancer Institute and Research Center convened a half-day, high-level conference “Understanding Lead Poisoning Prevalence.

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Bangladesh: Pledging to Build a Lead-Free Environment

Bangladesh: Pledging to Build a Lead-Free Environment

Aug 23 , 2023

Learn more about how we are building support for action on lead poisoning in Bangladesh in this report from Bushra Humaira Sadaf, Senior Communications Manager, Pure Earth Bangladesh. [caption id="attachment_23810" align="alignnone" width="599"] Organizers and presenters with special guests, chair, and.

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Pure Earth Bangladesh: Teaching 16 Million Students About Lead Pollution Through The National Curriculum

Pure Earth Bangladesh: Teaching 16 Million Students About Lead Pollution Through The National Curriculum

Aug 02 , 2023

Pure Earth Bangladesh plans to protect their country's future by accelerating nationwide awareness through the inclusion of lead pollution into the national curriculum. Learn more in this post from Bushra Humaira Sadaf, Senior Communications Manager, Pure Earth Bangladesh. Protecting Our.

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Spotlight on Indonesia: 5 Questions with Pure Earth Indonesia’s Country Director

Spotlight on Indonesia: 5 Questions with Pure Earth Indonesia’s Country Director

Jul 17 , 2023

Budi Susilorini, Pure Earth's Country Director for Indonesia, answers 5 questions to give you  insight into her work, and the progress her team has made.  Visit Pure Earth Indonesia for updates, and follow their them on Instagram.      .

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Get The Lead Out: Pure Earth Brings Focus on Lead to Washington, D.C.

Get The Lead Out: Pure Earth Brings Focus on Lead to Washington, D.C.

Jun 29 , 2023

On June 15, the Center for Global Development (CGD) and Pure Earth jointly hosted a half-day event, "Get The Lead Out: A Day Connecting Local and Global Action for a World Free of Lead Poisoning," focused on the global lead.

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Spotlight on Philippines: Pushing For Greater Good In Environmental Health

Spotlight on Philippines: Pushing For Greater Good In Environmental Health

Jun 26 , 2023

This post is by Larah Ortega Ibañez, the country director for Pure Earth Philippines, who shares updates on the work taking place in her country. Learn more about Pure Earth Philippines.   I believe good comes from hard and heart.

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Pure Earth Alums Expand Focus on Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Pure Earth Alums Expand Focus on Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Jun 15 , 2023

Over the years, Pure Earth has cultivated and worked with a dedicated and highly skilled global network of professionals that we continue to call on for regional and specialized expertise. Recently, a group of our colleagues launched a new organization.

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Pure Earth Film Awarded Grand Prix Prize at WHO’s Health For All Film Festival

Pure Earth Film Awarded Grand Prix Prize at WHO’s Health For All Film Festival

Jun 08 , 2023

"One in 36 Million" is the story of one boy, who is just one out of 36 million children living with lead poisoning in Bangladesh. The lesson of the film is that we have solutions. Help us tell this young.

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Spotlight on Ghana: Flagship Country in Africa for Pure Earth’s Lead Reduction Efforts

Spotlight on Ghana: Flagship Country in Africa for Pure Earth’s Lead Reduction Efforts

May 19 , 2023

Esmond Quansah, Pure Earth Ghana's Country Director, highlights the pollution problems facing his country, and how his team is working to fix it. Learn more about our work in Ghana  and follow Pure Earth Ghana on social media: IG, twitter, Facebook,  LinkedIn..

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Spotlight on Peru: Leading the development of responsible models of mining

Spotlight on Peru: Leading the development of responsible models of mining

May 09 , 2023

Rodrigo Velarde, Pure Earth's new Country Manager for Peru, shares an update on his team's work in developing responsible solutions to mitigate pollution, and achieving recognition in the Latin American region for its work to create the first mercury-free gold.

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A World Free of Lead Poisoning – Roundtable Highlights Opportunities For India’s G20 Presidency

A World Free of Lead Poisoning – Roundtable Highlights Opportunities For India’s G20 Presidency

May 02 , 2023

This report is from Sandeep Dahiya, Pure Earth India's Director of Advocacy and Communications. A high-level roundtable, "A World Free of Lead Poisoning," convened on Tuesday, 25th April 2023, in New Delhi, India, by the Center for Global Development, in.

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Spotlight on Mexico: Opening Up A World Of Possibilities For Families In Need

Spotlight on Mexico: Opening Up A World Of Possibilities For Families In Need

Apr 25 , 2023

In this spotlight, Agustín Gama, Pure Earth’s new Country Director for Mexico, shares an update on the work of our team in Mexico.  Visit the Pure Earth Mexico page to learn more. For Spanish-language access, visit the project website barroaprobado.org.

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Two Pure Earth Films Selected For WHO Health for All Film Festival: Watch Now

Two Pure Earth Films Selected For WHO Health for All Film Festival: Watch Now

Apr 10 , 2023

Update: "One in 36 Million," produced by Pure Earth Bangladesh, has emerged as the winner of the Grand Prix prize at the World Health Organization's (WHO) Health For All film festival. The film, directed by Bangladeshi filmmaker Arifur Rahman and.

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Spotlight on Colombia: A Benchmark of Knowledge and Innovation in the Region

Spotlight on Colombia: A Benchmark of Knowledge and Innovation in the Region

Apr 03 , 2023

In this spotlight, Lizeth Olaya Zambrano, Pure Earth’s new Country Director for Colombia, shares an update on the work of our team in Colombia. Their recent accomplishments include winning one of the top prizes in a global competition to conserve.

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Spotlight on Bangladesh: Taking Unified Actions to Solve Lead Pollution

Spotlight on Bangladesh: Taking Unified Actions to Solve Lead Pollution

Mar 17 , 2023

In this spotlight, Pure Earth's Country Director for Bangladesh, Dr. Mahfuzar Rahman, shares updates about the efforts of his team members to mitigate lead pollution in Bangladesh. Follow and stay updated on Pure Earth Bangladesh @PureEarthBD on Facebook, Twitter, and.

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Want to stop worrying about heavy metals in baby food, dark chocolate and spices? Solve it at the source

Want to stop worrying about heavy metals in baby food, dark chocolate and spices? Solve it at the source

Mar 01 , 2023

To learn more about the issue, access resources and watch a recording of our EARTH DAY Dialogue "Heavy Metals In Our Food: Understanding Risks and Moving Towards Solutions," with experts from Pure Earth, Consumer Reports, the NYC Department of Health.

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Looking for Lead in Markets Across 25 Countries

Looking for Lead in Markets Across 25 Countries

Feb 21 , 2023

In 2021, Pure Earth launched an ambitious project to analyze the lead (Pb) content in thousands of consumer products in markets across 25 low- and middle-income countries. This project, the Rapid Market Screening (RMS),  is the first analysis of its.

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2022 Highlights: A Year of Growth

2022 Highlights: A Year of Growth

Feb 13 , 2023

2022 was a year of growth. Pure Earth programs doubled in size, enabling us to expand our focus on lead and mercury in the most impacted countries. As a result of this expansion, long-time Pure Earth officer Drew McCartor, who.

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Pure Earth Wins Grand Challenge For Innovation To Reduce Mercury

Pure Earth Wins Grand Challenge For Innovation To Reduce Mercury

Jan 24 , 2023

Out of 121 applicants from 22 countries, a team from Pure Earth Colombia emerged as one of four winners of The Artisanal Mining Grand Challenge to develop new innovations to conserve the Amazon rainforest. Pure Earth's innovative technique uses copper.

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Bangladesh: Toxic Lead Cleanup Brings Hope to Residents In Mirzapur and Beyond

Bangladesh: Toxic Lead Cleanup Brings Hope to Residents In Mirzapur and Beyond

Jan 10 , 2023

This report from the field by Pure Earth program officer Lavanya Nambiar shares updates about how our work is improving  lives in a village in Bangladesh .  In Mirzapur, a small village on the outskirts of Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka,.

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Peru: In Their Own Words – Miners Talk About Bringing Change To The Amazon

Peru: In Their Own Words – Miners Talk About Bringing Change To The Amazon

Dec 27 , 2022

For over four years, Pure Earth has been working with a mining association in an alliance that was formed thanks to the working relationship between the association's president Vilma C. and Pure Earth local coordinator France Cabanillas.  Today, the mining.

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India: Educating a Community Through Murals, Comic Books

India: Educating a Community Through Murals, Comic Books

Dec 19 , 2022

Join us on a walk through a community in Vellore with Sandeep Dahiya, Pure Earth India's Director of Strategic Communications.  The people of Rangapuram, Vellore, India, are busy, have less educational opportunities, and are not very  aware of lead exposure.

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Thank You, Sen. Patrick Leahy, for Your Support and Actions To Curtail Global Lead Pollution

Thank You, Sen. Patrick Leahy, for Your Support and Actions To Curtail Global Lead Pollution

Dec 15 , 2022

Below is our letter to the editor published in Vermont's Brattleboro Reformer on Dec. 13, and in the Bennington Banner on Dec. 14, 2022. Dear Editor: We would like to publicly thank Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy for his long-standing and.

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India: Understanding Lead Poisoning Prevalence And What To Do To Protect India’s Children

India: Understanding Lead Poisoning Prevalence And What To Do To Protect India’s Children

Nov 15 , 2022

Sandeep Dahiya, Pure Earth India’s Director of Strategic Communications, reports on this important meeting on childhood lead poisoning. Pure Earth India, in collaboration with TERI - The Energy and Resources Institute, organized a seminar on “Understanding Lead Poisoning Prevalence in.

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Listen: What If Childhood Lead Poisoning was a Global Priority?

Listen: What If Childhood Lead Poisoning was a Global Priority?

Nov 09 , 2022

Globally, one in three children –up to 800 million–have blood lead levels that are higher than deemed safe by the World Health Organization. Despite clear evidence of harm, many countries do not have sufficient capacity to monitor or regulate lead.

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Pure Earth Makes Global Waves During International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

Pure Earth Makes Global Waves During International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

Oct 30 , 2022

On October 20, just days before we launched our global outreach for International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW), we received word that Pure Earth President Richard Fuller was being recognized as one of Vox's Future Perfect 50, honoring individuals building a more perfect future. In.

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Mexico: Success Stories from the Circle of Women

Mexico: Success Stories from the Circle of Women

Oct 26 , 2022

Lead poisoning in Mexico is an urgent health problem that can cause brain damage,  IQ loss, and other developmental delays especially in children who eat food prepared and served in lead-glazed pottery. Despite the fact that almost half of all.

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Pure Earth President Is Named to “Future Perfect 50” List of People  Building A Better Future

Pure Earth President Is Named to “Future Perfect 50” List of People Building A Better Future

Oct 20 , 2022

Pure Earth's Founder and President Richard Fuller has been included in the #FuturePerfect50 list from Vox, recognizing "The scientists, thinkers, scholars, writers, and activists building a more perfect future."  Reporter and Vox editor Bryan Walsh has followed Pure Earth's work.

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Peru: Innovative Research on Reforestation Helps Gold Miners Bring Back Life To Damaged Rainforest

Peru: Innovative Research on Reforestation Helps Gold Miners Bring Back Life To Damaged Rainforest

Sep 30 , 2022

Recent high profile news reports, such NBC's "Paradise Lost: The weight of gold," are bringing fresh attention to the problem of mercury pollution and deforestation. Our latest story from the field shows the progress we are making in researching and.

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Ghana: Pure Earth School Clubs in Ghana: Where Children Learn about Pollution to Safeguard Their Future

Ghana: Pure Earth School Clubs in Ghana: Where Children Learn about Pollution to Safeguard Their Future

Aug 01 , 2022

The Pure Earth Club is a school club comprised of students who are being taught and nurtured to love their environment and to protect it through the reduction of pollution, not only by words but by action. They are supervised.

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Pollution is a Continuous Threat to Global Planetary Health

Pollution is a Continuous Threat to Global Planetary Health

Jul 20 , 2022

Five years ago, the landmark report from the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health brought the issue of pollution to the world’s attention. For the first time, the report quantified the true toll of pollution on the human population. Approximately.

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Colombia: Pure Earth Selected as Finalist in $1 Million Challenge to Reduce Mercury in the Amazon

Colombia: Pure Earth Selected as Finalist in $1 Million Challenge to Reduce Mercury in the Amazon

Jun 13 , 2022

Out of 121 applicants from 22 countries, a team from Pure Earth Colombia has emerged as one of the top 13 finalists selected for a $1 million challenge prize to protect the Amazon from impacts of artisanal and small-scale gold.

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Progress Report on Pollution and Health Captures Global Attention

Progress Report on Pollution and Health Captures Global Attention

May 19 , 2022

  The new report, "Pollution and health: a progress update," recently published in the Lancet Planetary Health journal, is capturing the world's attention with its sobering look at the state of the global pollution crisis. New data in the report updates findings from.

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Republic of Georgia: Solving the Mystery of Widespread Lead Poisoning in Georgian Children

Republic of Georgia: Solving the Mystery of Widespread Lead Poisoning in Georgian Children

May 03 , 2022

In 2019, the Republic of Georgia faced a childhood lead poisoning crisis.  A national survey had revealed that 41% of children ages 2-7 in the country had blood lead levels at or above 5 μg/dL (the level at which the.

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Responsible Jewellery Council Helps Pave The Way To Mercury-Free Gold Supply For The Industry

Responsible Jewellery Council Helps Pave The Way To Mercury-Free Gold Supply For The Industry

Apr 10 , 2022

In the Peruvian Amazon, Pure Earth is working to train artisanal miners in mercury-free techniques and in reforestation to restore areas of the rainforest damaged by mining. We're doing all this with the help of a key partner--the jewelry industry,.

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Indonesia: Meet Our All-Female Team of Pollution Investigators

Indonesia: Meet Our All-Female Team of Pollution Investigators

Mar 24 , 2022

In 2021, Pure Earth worked with one of the leading universities in Indonesia to recruit young graduates for the Toxic Sites Identification Program (TSIP), which trains pollution investigators around the world to identify, assess and document contaminated sites in their.

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Peru: A Mining Association in the Amazon Learns the Art of Mercury-free Gold

Peru: A Mining Association in the Amazon Learns the Art of Mercury-free Gold

Feb 10 , 2022

In a remote mining corridor in Peru, a mining association called AMATAF is on a mission to change the face of gold mining in the Amazon. [caption id="attachment_19667" align="alignnone" width="600"] Land degraded by gold mining can be seen in the.

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2021 Highlights: The Milestones We Reached, Work Accomplished

2021 Highlights: The Milestones We Reached, Work Accomplished

Feb 09 , 2022

Pure Earth reached several milestones in 2021, including critical recognition as the most effective organization working today to solve the global childhood lead poisoning crisis! We are especially proud of this as it reflects the hard work put in by the.

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Keeping Pollution Out Of Our Kitchens: <br> Pure Earth Advises US Regulators on Toxic Baby Food, Pushes Action To Protect Food Supply

Keeping Pollution Out Of Our Kitchens:
Pure Earth Advises US Regulators on Toxic Baby Food, Pushes Action To Protect Food Supply

Jan 12 , 2022

Take a look at what’s in your kitchen right now. Research has shown that a wide array of products, from baby food to spices, tuna and frozen pizzas, even those from well-known brands and organic labels, contain toxic heavy metals.

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Pure Earth and Partners Generate Global Momentum During International Lead Poisoning and Prevention Week

Pure Earth and Partners Generate Global Momentum During International Lead Poisoning and Prevention Week

Dec 16 , 2021

Each October, the World Health Organization (WHO) puts the focus on toxic lead during International Lead Poisoning and Prevention Week (ILPPW). This year, Pure Earth offices around the world participated in the global campaign by organizing a series of events.

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Global Alliance Succeeds In Shaping Sustainable Development Goals

Oct 28 , 2021

Amazing things can happen when we work together as a global alliance.  The agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that was just adopted, entitled "Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," reflects input from our multi-year campaign to ensure that.

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Cleanup To Begin At One of World’s Worst Polluted Rivers

Oct 28 , 2021

I am happy to announce that we are one step closer to cleaning up the Marilao, Meycauyan and Obando (MMO) river system in the Philippines, one of the world's worst polluted rivers, with a projected $50 million grant from the.

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Bangladesh: Communities Learn To Fight Rice Husk Pollution

Bangladesh: Communities Learn To Fight Rice Husk Pollution

Oct 18 , 2021

Hot and toxic piles of rice husk ash pollute and threaten rice-producing communities in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is the world's third-largest rice producer, with 36 million metric tons of rice produced in 2020 alone. This bounty has come at a cost.

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Republic of Georgia: Pure Earth Supports National Effort to Eliminate Lead from Homes

Republic of Georgia: Pure Earth Supports National Effort to Eliminate Lead from Homes

Oct 13 , 2021

In 2020, Pure Earth investigators unraveled the mystery of widespread lead poisoning in Georgian children. They traced the problem to contaminated spices. The source of the problem, Pure Earth and partners discovered, was lead chromate, a dye added to spices to.

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Preserving Mexico’s Pottery Tradition, Without Toxic Lead

Preserving Mexico’s Pottery Tradition, Without Toxic Lead

Sep 17 , 2021

The Pure Earth Mexico team and friends at the launch of Barrio Con Barro. Intern Yanet Garcia is second from right. Recently, I had the opportunity to represent my home, New York, in a place that has long held great.

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Bangladesh: Workshop Brings Consensus; Launches Unparalleled Unified Response To Lead Poisoning Crisis

Bangladesh: Workshop Brings Consensus; Launches Unparalleled Unified Response To Lead Poisoning Crisis

Aug 26 , 2021

  “From today, I declare that I am taking cognizance of this issue and we shall frame projects so that we can drive the eradication of lead exposures as soon as possible.” -- Ahmed Shamim Al Razi, Ministry of Environment,.

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Philippines: Identifying Childhood Lead Poisoning in the Philippines

Philippines: Identifying Childhood Lead Poisoning in the Philippines

Aug 16 , 2021

This post was originally published in USAID's Urban Links.   Larah Ibañez was preparing a report on childhood lead poisoning for the government of the Philippines earlier this year when she discovered that the country’s Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS),.

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Pure Earth Economic Calculator Predicts Cost of Inaction to Chemicals Exposure Across Africa

Pure Earth Economic Calculator Predicts Cost of Inaction to Chemicals Exposure Across Africa

Jul 26 , 2021

A woman walks along the coast in Senegal, one of the five pilot countries of the ChemObs project, including Kenya, Tanzania, Gabon, and Ethiopia. Among the top ten countries with the highest rates of death attributed to pollution, six of.

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Azerbaijan: Defusing a 25-Ton Pollution “Time Bomb” Near A School in Ujar

Azerbaijan: Defusing a 25-Ton Pollution “Time Bomb” Near A School in Ujar

Jul 06 , 2021

About 25 tons of exposed toxic material was cleared away from this site located near a school and many homes in Ujar, Azerbaijan. This report is from Rovshan Abbasov from Pure Earth Azerbaijan. ---- Many people call pollution a slow-moving.

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Bangladesh: Mobilizing Tea Workers To Fight Pollution

Bangladesh: Mobilizing Tea Workers To Fight Pollution

Jun 22 , 2021

[caption id="attachment_19706" align="alignnone" width="600"] Workshop participants used a network mapping exercise in order to identify the most influential actors in their community. Post-it notes with stars signify highly influential groups and people, such as government officials or tea estate owners,.

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Think Tank Report Recommends Support For Pure Earth

Think Tank Report Recommends Support For Pure Earth

Jun 10 , 2021

In a new report, think tank Rethink Priorities acknowledges Pure Earth as the "largest organization working on lead exposure," and recommends Pure Earth as a leading organization with effective solutions. The Global Lead Exposure Report from researchers David Bernard and.

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Investigating and Mapping Mercury Contamination in Colombia

Investigating and Mapping Mercury Contamination in Colombia

Jun 01 , 2021

        Pure Earth toxic site investigators at a gold mining site in Colombia. When Pure Earth investigators visited a gold ore processing plant in the Colombian town of Remedios, they found dangerous levels of mercury in the.

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Pure Earth, USC and Macquarie University Publish Landmark Lead Study in The Lancet Planetary Health Journal

Pure Earth, USC and Macquarie University Publish Landmark Lead Study in The Lancet Planetary Health Journal

Mar 12 , 2021

The March 2021 issue of The Lancet Planetary Health journal includes an important paper that supports Pure Earth’s previous publications asserting the extent of the childhood lead poisoning crisis in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The paper, Blood lead levels.

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Circle of Women: Creating Safe Spaces For Innovation And Health With Traditional Potters In Mexico

Circle of Women: Creating Safe Spaces For Innovation And Health With Traditional Potters In Mexico

Feb 22 , 2021

Why are women's circles important? Because as women, we spend our time caring for others. We take care of men, the elderly, children, but sometimes we forget to also take care of ourselves. Women's circles are important because historically, those.

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Stopping Dangerous Levels of Heavy Metals in Baby Food

Stopping Dangerous Levels of Heavy Metals in Baby Food

Feb 11 , 2021

A newly released government investigative report on baby foods has revealed dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals, including lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium. It was issued on February 4, 2021, by the U.S. Congress (Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy,.

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A Year Like No Other – Looking Back and Beyond 2020

A Year Like No Other – Looking Back and Beyond 2020

Jan 21 , 2021

A socially-distanced workshop in lead-free techniques with artisanal potters in Mexico. At Pure Earth, we've defined 2020-2030 as the decade of delivering pollution solutions. Guided by CEO Richard Fuller and our new President and COO Mark Schnellbaecher, we've put together.

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The Ocean Pollution-Berg

The Ocean Pollution-Berg

Dec 07 , 2020

A new study from  Dr. Philip Landrigan and our friends at Boston College links widespread pollution of our oceans to a multitude of diseases, increasing susceptibility to COVID-19 and future pandemics, contamination of seafood we all consume, and more. In.

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An Amazonian Mining Community Fulfilling its Obligation to the Rainforest

An Amazonian Mining Community Fulfilling its Obligation to the Rainforest

Nov 03 , 2020

Along with local partners, Pure Earth started the reforestation of more than 3.5 hectares of rainforest in the Peruvian Amazon in 2017 and 2018. Another 2.5 hectares was restored in 2020. This report is from Pure Earth's Charles Espinosa. Miners.

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Partnering To Solve A Global Childhood Menace: Lead

Partnering To Solve A Global Childhood Menace: Lead

Aug 24 , 2020

  [caption id="attachment_16490" align="alignnone" width="768"] Gordon Binkhorst, Pure Earth's Senior Technical Advisor, uses a hand held XRF (X-ray fluorescence) analyzer to test the level of toxic pollutants in the ground in this neighborhood in Kabwe, Zambia. Almost every single child.

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Pure Earth Collaborates On Jewelry Collection To Fight Pollution

Pure Earth Collaborates On Jewelry Collection To Fight Pollution

Jun 16 , 2020

Futura Deity earrings from the 2020 Pure Earth Pure Gold responsibly-sourced jewelry collection and auction to fight pollution "As sustainable fashion becomes a necessity, designers and organizations dedicated to conservation are joining forces. In the past, Pure Earth has made.

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Helping Communities Hard Hit By COVID-19

Helping Communities Hard Hit By COVID-19

May 26 , 2020

Mexico: A family of artisan potters, who are part of our Barro Aprobado lead-free program The COVID-19 pandemic has hit many of the poor communities we work with especially hard.  In Mexico, for example, the potters we trained to use.

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A Mother’s Story: Hope in Kathgora, Bangladesh

A Mother’s Story: Hope in Kathgora, Bangladesh

May 07 , 2020

  This year, mothers in Kathgora, Bangladesh, have a big reason to celebrate--they know that their children are healthier today than they were a year ago. That's because their children’s blood lead levels (BLL) have been almost cut in half.

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N95 Masks Used For Toxic Pollution Cleanup Donated To Hospitals Amidst Pandemic

N95 Masks Used For Toxic Pollution Cleanup Donated To Hospitals Amidst Pandemic

Apr 06 , 2020

We know how critical PPE (personal protective equipment) is from our toxic pollution cleanup work around the world. Pure Earth team members often wear a combination of N95 masks, hazmat suits, gloves, and other protection out in the field when.

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“Quarantine” Q&A Webinars Tap Pure Earth’s Global Network Of Public Health Experts

“Quarantine” Q&A Webinars Tap Pure Earth’s Global Network Of Public Health Experts

Apr 06 , 2020

In response to the covid-19 pandemic, Pure Earth's "Quarantine" Q&A webinar series has been offering insights and analysis from our extensive network of colleagues and friends in public health around the world. It is one way we are sharing our.

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We Will Get Through This Together – Our Global Team Responds To The Pandemic

We Will Get Through This Together – Our Global Team Responds To The Pandemic

Mar 26 , 2020

The global coronavirus pandemic has made one thing clear -- we are a global family. No matter where you live, we all call this planet home. We will get through this together. Until we can gather again in person, please.

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How Are You Doing? Statement from Pure Earth President Richard Fuller

How Are You Doing? Statement from Pure Earth President Richard Fuller

Mar 26 , 2020

Greetings from New York, where we are entering our second week of social distancing, and now a statewide lockdown. We closely followed news of covid-19 as it spread through Asia, Europe, and now the U.S., and we are experiencing the.

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Activating Communities To Solve Pollution

Activating Communities To Solve Pollution

Mar 12 , 2020

Pure Earth kicked off its important global community outreach project on February 19th in Colombia, covered by the country’s premier news station, generating excitement at all levels, from the Ministry of Health to local NGOs working with indigenous people. "The.

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Pure Earth’s Head of Research Co-Writes Textbook On Global Environmental Health

Pure Earth’s Head of Research Co-Writes Textbook On Global Environmental Health

Mar 05 , 2020

Pure Earth President Richard Fuller (left) with Dr. Jack Caravanos, Pure Earth's head of research and co-author of the new global health textbook. Do not be saddened by stories of polluted places or diseased communities. Rather, let it motivate you.

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20 Years of Pollution Solutions Countdown

20 Years of Pollution Solutions Countdown

Dec 26 , 2019

Over the past 20 years, Pure Earth has addressed toxic pollution in over 120 project locations through assessment, remediation, risk mitigation and more.  See our approach for details.  These projects have impacted approximately 5 million people - 20% of those.

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Lead Poisoning Affects Over 1 Million Children in Mexico; Pottery is Main Cause

Lead Poisoning Affects Over 1 Million Children in Mexico; Pottery is Main Cause

Dec 12 , 2019

Pure Earth's Daniel Estrada testing the yard of a home in Mexico for the presence of toxic lead. What is the true scope of lead poisoning in Mexico? For the first time, we have a clearer picture, thanks to a.

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VIDEO: “Why I Give” – Donors Explain Why They Support Pure Earth

VIDEO: “Why I Give” – Donors Explain Why They Support Pure Earth

Dec 02 , 2019

This year, we asked some of our most ardent supporters---including Bobbie Lloyd, chief baking officer of the world famous Magnolia Bakery, and designer Ammar Belal---to tell us why they give to Pure Earth. Watch their video testimonies below. Thank you.

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Pure Earth’s Global Mercury Program:  Success By The Numbers

Pure Earth’s Global Mercury Program: Success By The Numbers

Nov 19 , 2019

Pure Earth's Global Mercury Program works around the world to eliminate mercury use and clean up contaminated sites to reduce mercury poisoning and protect the health of communities, especially children. Since artisanal and small-scale (ASGM) gold mining is responsible for.

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Brazil: Helping The Potters of Maragogipinho Go Lead Free

Brazil: Helping The Potters of Maragogipinho Go Lead Free

Oct 21 , 2019

In May 2018, Pure Earth held a lead-free workshop for nine potters in Maragogipinho, Brazil. This was an important first step in helping a community, where some residents had blood lead levels as much as 15 times above the EPA’s level.

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Colombia Lead Poisoning: More Children Can Now Sleep Safely With Lead-Free Mattresses

Colombia Lead Poisoning: More Children Can Now Sleep Safely With Lead-Free Mattresses

Oct 03 , 2019

For years, parents in Malambo, Colombia, didn't know that their children were sleeping on poison. Surrounded by five lead smelters, Malambo was heavily contaminated with lead. Over the years, lead had polluted the ground, settled on almost every surface in.

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Pollution and Climate Change – Twin Threats With Shared Sources, Solutions

Pollution and Climate Change – Twin Threats With Shared Sources, Solutions

Sep 24 , 2019

Pollution and climate change are twin threats, or as the UN puts it, two sides of the same coin. If we solve pollution, we will not only impact climate change, but also save lives now. For too long, pollution and.

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Children’s Lead Levels Fall 35% Following Cleanup in Kathgora, Bangladesh

Sep 05 , 2019

The Pure Earth team in Bangladesh. When we returned to the small village of Kathgora, Bangladesh, just months after our remediation work, we found to our delight that the impact was already measurable in the healthier children we saw. Before.

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Ukraine: Chernobyl and Radikal

Ukraine: Chernobyl and Radikal

Aug 13 , 2019

This summer, Pure Earth's head of research, Dr. Jack Caravanos, visited Ukraine with his students from NYU's College of Public Health. In addition to Chernobyl, probably the best-known polluted site in the country, the group also visited Radikal, an abandoned.

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Madagascar: United in Soccer and Pollution Cleanup

Madagascar: United in Soccer and Pollution Cleanup

Aug 13 , 2019

Updated: Feb. 2020: The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has selected Pure Earth’s proposal to solve Madagascar’s pollution crisis as a Top 100 in its 100&Change competition. Project co-leads on the proposal are Indiana University and the University.

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Plogging in the Philippines: HSBC and Pure Earth Raise Awareness About Pollution

Plogging in the Philippines: HSBC and Pure Earth Raise Awareness About Pollution

Aug 12 , 2019

Volunteers in Quezon City (Photos courtesy of Daj Dajotoy, HSBC) This post is by Pure Earth intern Matthew Chakwin, who is studying Global Health at Georgetown University. August 2019--This June, over 130 volunteers from HSBC's water programme in the Philippines.

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Pure Earth Pollution Experts From Around The World Gather To Share Stories: VIDEO

Pure Earth Pollution Experts From Around The World Gather To Share Stories: VIDEO

Jul 09 , 2019

Pure Earth pollution experts from around the world recently gathered in New York to share updates on the progress being made solving pollution problems in their home communities and in countries spread out over five continents. The event, held at.

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Two Pesticide Cleanups and a Wedding in Tajikistan, Near the Afghan Border

Two Pesticide Cleanups and a Wedding in Tajikistan, Near the Afghan Border

Jun 17 , 2019

In Tajikistan, in an area near the Afghan border lined with checkpoints and guards with guns, a Pure Earth team conducting pesticide cleanups was showered with hospitality. They were welcomed in home after home and were even invited to a.

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Lead Poisoning in Newborns: The Story Of Baby X in Mexico

Lead Poisoning in Newborns: The Story Of Baby X in Mexico

May 23 , 2019

Lead Poisoning Study: 300 mothers and their newborns In 2015, Pure Earth worked with the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) in Mexico on the first-ever effort to detect and measure exposure to lead poisoning at a state level in.

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Pure Earth Day: Hundreds Mobilized for Pokemon Go Pollution Cleanups and more

Pure Earth Day: Hundreds Mobilized for Pokemon Go Pollution Cleanups and more

May 06 , 2019

During Earth Week, Pure Earth mobilized hundreds of people around the world for a series of pollution cleanup events and a special news-making photo exhibition and presentation. These events were all part of Pure Earth Day, our inaugural global effort to bring.

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Rainforest Reforestation Brings Degraded Mining Sites Back to Life, Provide Models of Hope

Rainforest Reforestation Brings Degraded Mining Sites Back to Life, Provide Models of Hope

Apr 29 , 2019

Pure Earth/CINCIA rainforest reforestation team in Peru. In South America, alluvial gold mining is degrading the Amazon basin at an unprecedented rate, leaving barren craters in previously lush rainforest. Pure Earth is working on a rainforest reforestation project to restore.

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20 Years of Pollution Solutions:  Celebrating our Impact, Building Momentum

20 Years of Pollution Solutions: Celebrating our Impact, Building Momentum

Apr 15 , 2019

This post is from Pure Earth development associate Erin Andrews. This is an important year for Pure Earth. It marks 20 years of leading the charge in fighting pollution - 20 years of saving lives, particularly the lives of children in.

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Meet the Model Mafia: Working With Pure Earth To Fight Pollution

Meet the Model Mafia: Working With Pure Earth To Fight Pollution

Mar 19 , 2019

In 2017, more than 30 models got on a bus and headed to the People’s Climate March in Washington, D.C. It was one of their first forays as the Model Mafia, a powerful collective of activist models brought together by Cameron Russell and Áine.

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Women and the Fight Against Pollution

Women and the Fight Against Pollution

Mar 12 , 2019

At the 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which took place on March 12, 2019 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Pure Earth joined with participants from around the world to discuss a variety.

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Bihar, India: How we celebrated a community, and helped them take action on lead poisoning

Bihar, India: How we celebrated a community, and helped them take action on lead poisoning

Mar 08 , 2019

It was a day to remember. The celebration in the public town square of Karmalichak, a community in Patna, in the state of Bihar, India, was not only fun, but potentially life-changing. Organized by our local partner, the Institute of.

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Generational Impact of Lead Poisoning in Girls

Generational Impact of Lead Poisoning in Girls

Feb 25 , 2019

This photo (above) is heart breaking for me. The young girl in pink is chronically exposed to extremely high levels of lead because families in her village have been recycling and smelting lead and other metals for decades. Not only.

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Empowering Women Gold Miners in Indonesia

Empowering Women Gold Miners in Indonesia

Jan 21 , 2019

What a terrific team! Seven of the eight founding members of WiME (Women in Mining and Energy) in Indonesia. (left to right : Omar, Dian, Budi, Nukila, Khoirun, Dedy and Maya)   Jan. 2019--This month, a new initiative, Women in Mining.

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New Report Shows How We Are All Connected By Pollution; And Reveals What We Can Do

New Report Shows How We Are All Connected By Pollution; And Reveals What We Can Do

Jan 10 , 2019

If you think you and your family are not impacted by pollution far from your home, think again. Pollution Knows No Borders, Pure Earth’s latest report, documents how the pollution crisis in low- and middle-income countries affects everyone’s health – including.

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Toxic Legacy At 10th Century Armenian Historic Site Comes To An End With Pure Earth Cleanup

Toxic Legacy At 10th Century Armenian Historic Site Comes To An End With Pure Earth Cleanup

Dec 17 , 2018

As the first Christian country worldwide, Armenia is known for it’s beautiful, historic churches. Not only are they tourist attractions, they also serve as community centers for baptisms, weddings, barbecues, class trips and more. When Pure Earth, working together with.

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Global Team Profile: Valeriia Kovach Talks Biofuels and Other Innovative Approaches in Ukraine

Global Team Profile: Valeriia Kovach Talks Biofuels and Other Innovative Approaches in Ukraine

Dec 10 , 2018

Like many countries of the former Soviet Union, Ukraine has been dealing with many unresolved pollution challenges, from the major issue of obsolete pesticides being improperly stored throughout the country, to the lingering public health and pollution issues connected to.

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Colombia Lead Poisoning: A Clean, Lead-Free Mattress For His Birthday

Colombia Lead Poisoning: A Clean, Lead-Free Mattress For His Birthday

Nov 15 , 2018

Alejandro celebrated his 13th birthday recently with a new mattress, but what he received was a potential lifetime of safe and sound sleep. He is one of about 50 children living near a lead smelter in Malambo, Colombia, who we found.

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Block: Image

Nov 03 , 2018

Welcome to image alignment! If you recognize this post, it is because these are blocks that have been converted from the classic Markup: Image Alignment post. The best way to demonstrate the ebb and flow of the various image positioning.

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Block: Button

Nov 03 , 2018

Button blocks are not semantically buttons, but links inside a styled div.  If you do not add a link, a link tag without an anchor will be used. Left aligned Check to make sure that the text wraps correctly when.

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Block: Cover

Nov 03 , 2018

This is a left aligned cover block with a background image. The cover block lets you add text on top of images or videos. This blocktype has several alignment options, and you can also align or center the text inside.

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Block: Gallery

Block: Gallery

Nov 03 , 2018

Gallery blocks have two settings: the number of columns, and whether or not images should be cropped. The default number of columns is three, and the maximum number of columns is eight. Below is a three column gallery at full.

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Block: Columns

Nov 02 , 2018

This page tests how the theme displays the columns block. The first block tests a two column block with paragraphs. This is the second column. It should align next to the first column. Reduce the browser window width to test.

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Block: Quote

Nov 01 , 2018

The quote block has two styles, regular: Gutenberg is more than an editor.The Gutenberg Team and large: Yes, it is a press, certainly, but a press from which shall flow in inexhaustible streams, the most abundant and most marvelous liquor that.

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Block category: Common

Nov 01 , 2018

The Common category includes the following blocks: Paragraph, image, headings, list, gallery, quote, audio, cover, video. The paragraph block is the default block type.  It should not have any alignment of any kind. It should just flow like you would.

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Block category: Embeds

Nov 01 , 2018

This post tests various embed blocks: https://twitter.com/WordPress/status/1057136472321613824 Twitter,  wide width https://youtu.be/ex8fMxXJDJw YouTube https://www.facebook.com/6427302910/posts/10156380423617911/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BpmueLLgEn_/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1hcxphic7p9e2 https://wordpress.tv/2018/10/14/kjell-reigstad-allan-cole-how-we-made-our-first-gutenberg-powered-theme/ WordPress TV, full width

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Block category: Widgets

Nov 01 , 2018

The shortcode widget: [gallery columns=2 ids="770,771"] The Archive Widget: The same Archive widget but as a dropdown: The Category widget block has an additional option for showing category hierarchies: The Latest Comments widget can display or hide the avatars, the.

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Block category: Layout Elements

Nov 01 , 2018

The Layout Elements category includes the following blocks: Group, Button, Columns, Media & Text, separator, spacer, read more, and page break. This group block has a light green background color. A button The read more block should be right below.

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Block category: Formatting

Nov 01 , 2018

The formatting category includes the following blocks: The code block starts with <!-- wp:code --> <?php echo 'Hello World'; ?> The classic block can have almost anything in it. a heading The custom HTML block lets you put HTML that.

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Keyboard navigation

Oct 20 , 2018

There are many different ways to use the web besides a mouse and a pair of eyes. Users navigate for example with a keyboard only or with their voice. All the functionality, including menus, links and forms should work using.

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HSBC Volunteers Take Action Against River Pollution in the Philippines

HSBC Volunteers Take Action Against River Pollution in the Philippines

Oct 11 , 2018

This April, under the searing sun, over 200 volunteers from HSBC Philippines and the local community showed up to help Pure Earth take action against river pollution. Together, the group planted over 100 Camachileand and Talisay trees along the shoreline of Laguna Lake,.

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From Mexico To Brazil – Sharing Solutions To A Shared Pollution Problem

From Mexico To Brazil – Sharing Solutions To A Shared Pollution Problem

Sep 27 , 2018

When Pure Earth visited Maragogipinho, a village in the town of Aratuípe in Brazil, in 2017 as part of the Toxic Sites Identification Program (TSIP), the team found lead concentrations in the soil as high as 44,500 ppm (the EPA level.

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In Tajikistan, Coalition of Local Groups Unite Against Abandoned Pesticide Problem

In Tajikistan, Coalition of Local Groups Unite Against Abandoned Pesticide Problem

Sep 20 , 2018

Note from the field by Angela Bernhardt, Pure Earth Communications Director  The breast milk of Tajik mothers contain a mean concentration of DDT that is 4 times higher than permissible levels, according to the World Health Organization in Tajikistan. This is not.

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Keeping Two-Year-Old Dexter and His Friends Safe From Lead Poisoning in Pampanga, Philippines

Keeping Two-Year-Old Dexter and His Friends Safe From Lead Poisoning in Pampanga, Philippines

Aug 13 , 2018

This blog post is from Indigo Golub, a communications intern at Pure Earth. She is currently undergoing a bachelors degree in History, Law, and Society at the American University of Paris. Meet Dexter. The two-year-old, seen here with his mom,.

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Pure Earth’s Toxic Site Investigators Blanket 350 Villages In The Philippines To Identify and Map Pollution Problems

Pure Earth’s Toxic Site Investigators Blanket 350 Villages In The Philippines To Identify and Map Pollution Problems

Aug 09 , 2018

This post is by Madeline Walker, Pure Earth Communications Intern. Madeline attends undergraduate college at SUNY Geneseo, where she will receive a dual degree in Political Science & Communication. One day, she hopes to pursue a career in the fields.

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Walking The Earth To Find Pollution. Meet Our Toxic Site Investigators, Watch Them In Action In Brazil (VIDEO)

Walking The Earth To Find Pollution. Meet Our Toxic Site Investigators, Watch Them In Action In Brazil (VIDEO)

Aug 09 , 2018

https://youtu.be/V6IxvUExAlQ Pure Earth's toxic site investigators can be found the world over. Their mission? To walk the earth in order to find, map and assess polluted sites in low and middle-income countries, where residents are being poisoned where they live. The.

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Colombia Lead Poisoning: Helping Children Break Free in Malambo

Colombia Lead Poisoning: Helping Children Break Free in Malambo

Jun 07 , 2018

This post is by Charlie Espinosa, Pure Earth intern for Latin America. A 2014 study conducted by Universidad Naciónal de Colombia revealed high lead levels in all students attending La Bonga Elementary School. Located in Malambo, Colombia, the school sits in.

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Pure Earth President Receives Honor from Australian Government for Service to the Environment

Pure Earth President Receives Honor from Australian Government for Service to the Environment

Jun 06 , 2018

Pure Earth President Richard Fuller, an Aussie based in New York, was recently recognized with the prestigious Order of Australia Medal for his service to conservation and the environment. “...my hope is that this recognition brings more attention to the global.

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Former US EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy Rouses <br> Crowd To Its Feet With Passionate Pollution Plea

Former US EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy Rouses
Crowd To Its Feet With Passionate Pollution Plea

Apr 26 , 2018

A standing ovation. That is what Gina McCarthy, former US EPA administrator, received at the Pure Earth benefit on Earth Day in New York City. McCarthy was a special guest at the benefit focused on "Pollution Solutions," showcasing the cleanup.

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A Friendship Based On Giving Back – Colombian Star Taliana Vargas and Designer Pili Restrepo

A Friendship Based On Giving Back – Colombian Star Taliana Vargas and Designer Pili Restrepo

Apr 16 , 2018

U.S. audiences might know actress and model Taliana Vargas from her key role in season three of Netflix's Narcos.  But away from the spotlight, Vargas is a philanthropist at heart. In Colombia, Vargas is using her star power to help.

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Restoring Rainforest Stripped By Gold Mining in the Amazon

Restoring Rainforest Stripped By Gold Mining in the Amazon

Mar 27 , 2018

Watch a video of the project above, or click here. This post is from Charles Espinosa, an intern working with our Latin America program team. Charlie is pursuing a master's degree in Latin American studies at Columbia University, with a.

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Lead Exposure Linked to 412,000 Deaths in US; On Par With Tobacco

Mar 14 , 2018

[caption id="attachment_4283" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Children in Indonesia play on lead smelting dump site in the middle of their village.[/caption] An important new paper from Dr. Bruce Lanphear, a member of the Pure Earth Leadership Council, and a Commissioner on The Lancet Commission on.

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Cleanup Of Infamous Pesticide Site Brings Toxic Legacy To An End

Mar 12 , 2018

[caption id="attachment_6163" align="aligncenter" width="640"] From left to right: Tofik Azizov, Ministry of Agriculture; Petr Sharov, Pure Earth; Technical Advisor Nicholas Albergo; Rovshan Abbasov, Pure Earth; Khatuna Akhalaya, Project Consultant.[/caption] If you asked any authority on pollution about Azerbaijan, the name.

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Barro Aprobado In New York – Helping Mexican Lead-Free Artisans Reach A Wider Market

Feb 26 , 2018

  (Read the story in Spanish on the Barro Aprobado site) Recently, a team representing a group of ten artisans from Michoacán in Mexico traveled to New York to show their lead-free pottery at NY Now, one of the largest trades.

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At Davos, Visualizing the Global Pollution Crisis; Presenting Solutions

Feb 05 , 2018

[caption id="attachment_6052" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Pure Earth President Richard Fuller captures the attention of decision-makers gathered at Davos.[/caption] Pure Earth President Richard Fuller was at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week talking about one of the most effective ways.

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World Bank Talks Next Steps With Pure Earth, Global Alliance

Jan 25 , 2018

  [caption id="attachment_6036" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The World Bank event was filled to capacity.[/caption] Pollution is one global crisis that can be solved, but it will take commitment, cooperation, and funding.  That was the takeaway from a January 11th discussion in Washington, D.C..

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HSBC Mexico’s “Adopt A Potter” Program Takes On Urgency After Earthquake

Jan 15 , 2018

HSBC has launched a unique "Adopt A Potter" program in support of Pure Earth's work to reduce lead poisoning from the widespread use of traditional leaded pottery in Mexico. Under the program, corporate volunteers visit artisans who have gone lead-free.

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Barro Aprobado Lead-Free Potter Wins Prize – Q&A With Doña Rosario

Jan 15 , 2018

Congratulations Doña Rosario! The talented potter, who is part of the Pure Earth Barro Aprobado program, was awarded 1st place in the national ceramic prize competition that aims to promote the preservation of the traditional techniques and designs of Mexican pottery..

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Dev Patel Chooses Pure Earth As Charity Of Choice For Mandarin Oriental’s Global Campaign

Dec 05 , 2017

Thank you Dev! Academy Award nominee Dev Patel has selected Pure Earth as his charity of choice for the Mandarin Oriental’s global “He’s a Fan/She’s a Fan” campaign. The hotel group will donate $10,000 to support our work in some.

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A Open Letter: It Is Time To Put Pollution On The Map

Oct 24 , 2017

The new report from The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, published on Oct. 19, pinpoints pollution as the cause of 1 in 6 deaths worldwide, with children and the poor being the most vulnerable. We cannot afford the health and economic impacts. .

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Meet The Maqques: A Family Of Gold Miners Going Mercury Free So They Can Work Together Safely

Meet The Maqques: A Family Of Gold Miners Going Mercury Free So They Can Work Together Safely

Sep 22 , 2017

Earlier this year, Pure Earth launched an ambitious project in Peru, supported by Brilliant Earth, a global leader in ethically sourced fine jewelry.  The goal: to transform the Chichiqueros artisanal gold mining community into a mercury-free model.  The Chichiqueros work in an area.

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Notes From The Field: Irrigation Canal Delivers Poison To Entire Village of Naiman, Kyrgyzstan

Sep 18 , 2017

  This post is from Indira Zhakipova, Pure Earth's coordinator in Kyrgyzstan The village of Naiman is inhabited by 1,800 people, and is located in the Nookat district of the Osh region of Kyrgyzstan, 70 km from the regional center.

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Natural Disasters and The Pollution Risk — A Pure Earth Q&A

Sep 18 , 2017

Photo by Sumaiya Ahmed, Creative Commons https://www.flickr.com/photos/snippets/1120575294/ The recent Hurricanes (Harvey in Texas, Irma in Florida and the Caribbean) with their extensive floods have raised questions of pollution and other chemical contamination. This is an important public health issue that.

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Notes From The Field: The Toxic Lakes Of Azerbaijan

Aug 28 , 2017

There are over 200 lakes in the Absheron Peninsular in Azerbaijan, located near the capital of Baku. For years, industrial and household wastewater has been dumped into these waters--an estimated 41.5 million cubic meters annually! This includes discharges from many of.

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Mongolia Update: Revisiting Miners We Trained

Aug 17 , 2017

Remember Mrs. Mungun? She was the "gold ninja" who learned to go mercury-free at a Pure Earth training workshop so she could provide a better life for her two children. We met Mrs. Mungun again recently and we're delighted to report that she's.

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Minamata Convention Enters Into Force Aug 16: Pure Earth Helps Lay Groundwork With Guide For Governments

Aug 14 , 2017

Update: A Pure Earth team is currently at COP1, joining representatives from around the globe who have come together to help make mercury history. Our team is attending daily sessions as well as meetings to discuss guidance on the management.

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A Personal Story Of Pollution In Azerbaijan, And A Childhood Caught Between Polluted And Clean

Jul 06 , 2017

This post comes from Rovshan Abbasov, Pure Earth’s country coordinator in Azerbaijan. Rovshan shares his story about pollution in Azerbaijan, and a childhood caught between clean and polluted. (WATCH VIDEO BELOW) Dr. Rovshan Abbasov, Pure Earth's coordinator in Azerbaijan, holding a tomato.

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Looking For Lead? No Problem! Quickest Discovery In Two Decades

Jun 08 , 2017

  This post is from Andrew McCartor, Pure Earth's Regional Director for South Asia. A procession on the streets of Bihar, India. Finding and confirming pollution can be difficult because polluters don't advertise their activities, and many toxic pollutants are invisible and.

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Transforming The Chichiqueros Gold Mining Community In Peru’s Rainforest Into A Mercury-Free Model

Transforming The Chichiqueros Gold Mining Community In Peru’s Rainforest Into A Mercury-Free Model

Jun 05 , 2017

  Earlier this year, Pure Earth launched an ambitious project supported by Brilliant Earth, a global leader in ethically sourced fine jewelry.  The goal: to transform the Chichiqueros artisanal gold mining community into a mercury-free model.  The Chichiqueros work in an area in.

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Notes from the field: Dr. Jack Caravanos in Kabwe with the Guardian

May 31 , 2017

Jack measuring toxic soil with Olympus XRF, Photo by Larry C. Price Q & A with Dr. Jack Caravanos, Pure Earth’s Director of Research Jack traveled to Kabwe, Zambia, last month with The Guardian environment editor Damian Carrington and Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist.

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Notes From The Field: A Week In The Life Of A Pure Earth Staffer In The Philippines

May 18 , 2017

  What is it like to be a pollution fighter for Pure Earth? We followed Lara Crampe (above), Pure Earth's Regional Director for Southeast Asia, during a recent week-long trip to the Philippines, where she met with local partners, visited.

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Global Team Profile: Umed in Tajikistan Saves Families From Homes Built On Toxic Land

May 18 , 2017

Umed and the Pure Earth remediation team in Tajikistan In the past year, Pure Earth's team in Tajikistan has been measuring vast regions, where dozens of decrepit pesticide warehouses from the Soviet era have been leaking into the surrounding soil and water. When.

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Mothers Of Change: These Women are Fighting Pollution, and Winning

May 09 , 2017

Mother and child in Senegal We see them all the time when we work in polluted hotspots where, really, no one should be living. We see them going about their daily, often back-breaking work, many times with children in tow. These.

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Training Toxic Site Investigators In Senegal

May 03 , 2017

Pure Earth regional director for Africa, Judith St. Fort, and senior program officer, Russell Dowling, recently returned to Senegal to help train local toxic site investigators as part of the Toxic Sites Identification Program (TSIP). Judith and Russell brought with them dozens.

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Thank You For Supporting Our Heavy Metal Benefit Bash (Photos)

Apr 27 , 2017

Thank you to all you "headbangers," "lead singers" and "groupies," and everyone who had a "front row seat" or "backstage pass" at our Heavy Metal Benefit Bash. You came, you dined, learned more about toxic heavy metals, and some of you.

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See The Pure Earth Auction Collection, As Featured In Vogue

Apr 11 , 2017

Mercury-free gold is in Vogue! In Why Mercury-Free Gold Is the Future of Sustainable Jewelry, Vogue magazine reported on Pure Earth's collaboration with superstar model Molly Bair, and 21 leading designers to curate a special collection of jewelry crafted using recycled, Fairtrade, or.

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Why Women Hold The Key To Fighting Pollution

Mar 07 , 2017

"Women are usually in charge of the family's health but are often excluded from training and other opportunities," says Budi Susilorini, Pure Earth's country director for Indonesia. Budi was recently invited to take part in a discussion organized by NGO BaliFokus.

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Database of World’s Polluted Sites Is Now Online

Feb 22 , 2017

Testing a playground for toxins in Zambia. For more than a decade now, Pure Earth has been training and sending investigators out across the world's worst polluted places to identify, assess and map contaminated sites that pose a health risk to.

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Here’s How We Fought Pollution With Your Support, And Helped To Save Lives In 2016

Jan 25 , 2017

Pollution is one global problem that can be solved. We have solutions. #WeCanFightPollution. Here are some highlights of our work around the world over the past 12 months. Thanks to our supporters, we are making an impact. AFRICA Toxic-free homes for.

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Report from Colombia: Investigating Toxic Sites

Jan 17 , 2017

  This post comes to you from Alfonso Rodríguez, Pure Earth's new country director in Colombia.  The Pure Earth team at a toxic site visit in Colombia: (l to r) Daniel Estrada, Alfonso Rodríguez, John Keith Pure Earth has expanded its Toxic.

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A Mountain Of Success in Agbogbloshie

Dec 28 , 2016

A mountain of success! Pure Earth partner GreenAd's Bennett Akuffo is shown here standing on a pile of cleanly processed plastic cable casings in Agbogbloshie, Ghana.  This is what would have been burnt, releasing polluting toxic fumes, if local recyclers.

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Introducing Molly Bair: Superstar Model, Pollution Fighter!

Dec 16 , 2016

After a quick lesson at Pure Earth's office, Molly shows off her skills with the XRF--a handheld X-ray fluorescent analyzer that can identify toxic particles in soil in about 30 seconds! #FightPollution with Molly Bair When you see model Molly.

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Getting Lead Out Of Sovetskoe (Kan), Kyrgyzstan

Dec 05 , 2016

This post comes from Alena Temnikova, Pure Earth's regional coordinator in Kyrgyzstan.  The red wall of the building is made from lead-contaminated sand taken from the mine tailings. When lead and zinc ore mining began in the 1950s, the first workers lived.

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Global Team Profile: Budi Susilorini in Indonesia

Nov 15 , 2016

Pure Earth's country director in Indonesia, Budi Susilorini, recently spent a month in the New York office, meeting with colleagues, exchanging ideas and sharing experiences. We caught up with her to learn more about what motivates her.  Budi is a key.

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Protecting Children By Cleaning Up Lead-Contaminated Yards in Kabwe

Nov 07 , 2016

  This post is from Lara Crampe, Pure Earth's regional director for Southeast Asia.  She is currently in Zambia working with the team on the second phase of Pure Earth’s remediation project in the Chowa neighborhood of Kabwe. This month our.

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Notes From The Field: It Takes A Village

Oct 17 , 2016

The two lists you see above show the names of people in the village who contributed towards the construction of paved roads that now criss-cross the rural community of Dong Mai in Vietnam. On our recent visit, we saw lists.

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Peru: Emerging From A State of Emergency In The Labyrinth

Oct 12 , 2016

[caption id="attachment_4960" align="aligncenter" width="879"] A view of the district of Laberinto from the Inambari River. Over years of constant shifting, the river has transformed the area into a complicated landscape.[/caption] Located about an hour from the city of Puerto Maldonado,.

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Notes From The Field: In Indonesia, testing a playground, school, homes for toxic lead

Sep 30 , 2016

A few days ago, we visited a school, playground and homes in one neighborhood in Jakarta to test for toxic lead. Children can get poisoned when they ingest lead flakes or lead dust that comes off of brightly painted playground.

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Walk-Through Of Agbogbloshie E-Waste Site Spreads Message: “Burning Is Bad”

Sep 08 , 2016

Help us make a difference in Agbogbloshie and other polluted places. Donate now to support the cleanup of polluted communities worldwide. “Kona Ne Bad” or “Burning Is Bad” – that was the message splashed across tee-shirts and posters, and shouted out through.

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UN Youth Assembly Meet To Discuss SDGs, World’s Challenges

Aug 23 , 2016

This post is from Pure Earth summer intern Taylor Carroll (pictured above), an environmental studies major in her senior year at Lehigh University. Recently, over 1,000 delegates from all over the world met at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

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The Missing Link Between Environment And Public Health

Aug 10 , 2016

This post is from Pure Earth summer intern Taylor Carroll, an environmental studies major in her senior year at Lehigh University. Some may be surprised to hear that the Environmental Protection Agency is primarily a public health agency, but EPA.

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Pure Earth Experts Contribute To WHO Children’s Environmental Health Training Modules

Aug 04 , 2016

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="203"] Dr. Amalia Laborde[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="109"] Dr. Lilian Corra[/caption] The World Health Organization (WHO) has just released a new series of children's environmental health training modules that were prepared by experts around the world, including.

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In Cameroon: Hunting For Toxic Killers

Jul 27 , 2016

Fighting pollution does not just mean cleaning up toxic sites.  It also involves a lot of behind-the-scenes work that might not make the news, such as the painstaking task of identifying, mapping, and assessing contaminated hotspots around the world. This was what.

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Update on Latin America: A Dirty Talk and A New Research Paper

Jul 13 , 2016

Dirty Talk With A View  For our latest Dirty Talk (Pure Earth's awareness-raising lunchtime series), we brought experts to the New York Times building to talk about pollution in Latin America. The event attracted a full house and boasted some of the best.

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Mongolia Teaching Van Trailblazes A Path To Mercury-Free Mining

Jul 12 , 2016

This post is from Pure Earth summer intern Sarah Baer, a youth philanthropy leader in her junior year at the University of Pennsylvania. In the remote reaches of Mongolia, Pure Earth’s project team has put together a teaching van to educate miners on.

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New Signs Of Life: Greenery Sprouts From Once-Toxic Beach

Jun 28 , 2016

What a difference a year makes. Last year, Pure Earth embarked on our first cleanup project in Azerbaijan---at a toxic beach along the Caspian sea in Sumgayit---in a region we had designated as one of the “World’s Worst Polluted Places.” Today,.

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A Tremendous Loss: Dmitriy Tereshkevich

Jun 08 , 2016

The Pure Earth family is sad to learn of the sudden death of Dmitriy Tereshkevich, our country director in Kazakhstan. He was just 33. His passing is a shock and a tremendous loss to everyone at Pure Earth worldwide, and to the.

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Breaking the Cycle of Extreme Lead Poisoning in Pesarean, Indonesia

May 18 , 2016

This week's post is from Angela Bernhardt, Executive Director of Communications for Pure Earth. After two and a half years in our New York headquarters, I took my first trip to the field with our Southeast Asia coordinator, Lara Crampe..

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Planning Our Strategy

May 05 , 2016

The Pure Earth program and management team recently concluded a three-day retreat at a donated vacation home in coastal Maine. There was much to plan as Pure Earth received a new grant and a renewal from a previous funder. In addition, our.

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A Mother’s Story: Mongolian “Gold Ninja” Goes Mercury-Free For Her Children

May 04 , 2016

This is Mrs. Mungun (not her real name), a single mother with two children living in Central Mongolia.  When times got tough for her, she became a "gold ninja" to feed her children. About 20% of the rural Mongolian workforce are "gold.

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In Photos: Teaching Artisanal Gold Miners To Extract Gold Without Mercury

May 01 , 2016

Meet Filipino gold miners Leoncio Na-Oy (pictured below, right) and Rudy Onos. Over the past few years, Pure Earth has been working with Leoncio and Rudy to test and teach a century-old, traditional method of mercury-free gold mining Leoncio rediscovered in his.

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Pure Earth Pure Gold Benefit Sparks Golden Opportunity To Fight Mercury Poisoning

Apr 26 , 2016

[caption id="attachment_16027" align="alignnone" width="300"] Actor Shiloh Fernandez with Caroline Dweck of Stephen Dweck.[/caption] Do you know where the gold in your jewelry comes from? Following the success of our recent Pure Earth Pure Gold Benefit Bash, we think many more people.

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Jewelry Industry Works With Pure Earth Against Toxic Gold

Mar 22 , 2016

[caption id="attachment_16042" align="alignnone" width="300"] Photo: Larry C. Price[/caption] Do you know where the gold in your jewelry and electronics come from? About 10% to 25% of the world’s total gold supply comes from artisanal gold mining, the leading source of.

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What’s the Connection Between Your Jewelry and Contaminated Fish?

Mar 20 , 2016

[caption id="attachment_16044" align="alignnone" width="300"] Gold fish shaped vessel from the Oxus Treasure by Nickmard Khoey, CC, via Flickr[/caption] How is the jewelry you wear and the iPhone you use connected with contaminated fish you may find on your plate? The.

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Global Brain Trust Quantifying Economic And Health Costs Of Pollution

Mar 16 , 2016

The latest WHO report released this week --  Preventing disease through healthy environments: a global assessment of the burden of disease from environmental risks” -- is key in helping the world understand that the leading global public health threat has shifted.

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Project Highlights 2015: A String Of Firsts

Feb 23 , 2016

Over the past year, we have started to finally see a shift connecting the silos that have kept efforts on the environment, health and development in separate disciplines. The catalyst for much of this progress has come from the creation.

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In Bihar, Toxic Lead 150 Times Over Limit

Feb 03 , 2016

This man is "cooking" lead by the side of a busy road. This is a fairly common scene in Hajipur, home to many of the 40 informal and unregulated recyclers of used lead-acid batteries (ULAB) in Bihar, India. In this densely.

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What Does Flint, Michigan, and Kabwe, Zambia, Have In Common?

Feb 03 , 2016

What does Flint, Michigan, and Kabwe, Zambia, have in common?  The answer is lead poisoning. Recently, NPR's Goats and Soda program spoke with Pure Earth President Richard Fuller to get his take on the lead-contaminated water supply in Flint and how.

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Lake Titicaca Cleanup – Bolivia And Peru Pledges $500 Million

Jan 27 , 2016

[caption id="attachment_16047" align="alignnone" width="300"] Photo by Alex Proimos (Lake Titicaca) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] A milestone has been reached in the long struggle to clean up the famed Lake Titicaca. Bolivia and Peru have agreed to provide more than.

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Year In Review: Lead Free Homes For The First Time In 100 Years

Jan 18 , 2016

Of the many cleanups we conducted in 2015, our work in Kabwe, Zambia, was one of the highlights. Last year, thanks to private donations from supporters, Pure Earth’s team was able to return to Kabwe to start cleaning up one of the “World’s.

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Photo Essay Mexico: Lead Exposure From Traditional Pottery

Dec 23 , 2015

AN URGENT CALL IN THE NIGHT Earlier this year, Sandra Gualtero, Pure Earth's regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, received a late-night email labelled “URGENT.” It was from a nurse in Mexico who had just discovered a newborn baby with.

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Notes From The Field: Walking A Day To Seek Change In Kabwe

Dec 23 , 2015

[caption id="attachment_3829" align="alignnone" width="559"] The man with Joe Hayes in Chowa[/caption] Joe Hayes, a hydrogeologist from the US, is a volunteer member of Pure Earth’s technical advisory board. Joe just returned from Kabwe, Zambia where he is helping to manage the.

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Fact Sheet: Mercury and Health

Nov 30 , 2015

From the WHO Fact Sheet on Mercury and Health Key facts Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is found in air, water and soil. Exposure to mercury – even small amounts – may cause serious health problems, and is.

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So Fresh And So Clean

Nov 25 , 2015

“I am impressed with what has been done... and this comes as a relief not only to the people of Chowa, but the entire Kabwe population. We believe that when this project is completed, more lives will be safeguarded."  --.

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Nearly 100% Of Children In This Neighborhood Have Been Poisoned

Nov 16 , 2015

Almost every single child in Chowa is suffering from lead poisoning. Nearly all of Chowa's children were found to have blood lead levels that are ten to 20 times the CDC recommended level, which can be fatal. The source of the toxin?  A group.

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Dinner Served On 960 Pieces Of Lead-Free Pottery Sends Urgent Message Across Mexico

Nov 16 , 2015

[Read a version of this story in Spanish.] At this year's Festival Internacional Cervantino, one of the most important arts and cultural events in Latin America, a dinner designed to showcase the culinary culture of Morelos state became a milestone in the fight against.

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Global Commission On Pollution May Be The Game-Changer

Nov 16 , 2015

On Oct 1, a panel of world leaders and key experts in the fields of pollution management, environmental health and sustainable development gathered in Geneva to launch the Global Commission on Pollution, Health and Development. Like the Stern Review, which brought.

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World’s Top Six Toxic Threats Affect 95 Million People, Steal 14.7 Million Years Of Life

Oct 22 , 2015

A new report - The New Top Six Toxic Threats: A Priority List For Remediation - has been released by Pure Earth and Green Cross Switzerland. It is the tenth report in the World's Worst Pollution Problems series that over the years has served.

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A Tale Of Three Cleanups – Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Mexico

Oct 07 , 2015

The best way to help communities clean up toxic sites is to advise and encourage, say Andrew McCartor, Bret Ericson and Sandra Gualtero. In the September issue of TCE magazine (The Chemical Engineer), the three Pure Earth program directors wrote about their.

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Bellandur Lake On Fire From Excessive Pollution

Sep 01 , 2015

This post is from one of our resourceful communications summer interns Alex Rivlin, who spotted this story and realized the connection to the work we do. How polluted does water have to be to become flammable? Bellandur Lake is just.

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In Peru – A Path Of Gold And Destruction

Aug 25 , 2015

Gold miners are revered here... This statue, which takes pride of place in the center of a gold mining town in Peru, speaks volumes about the relationship between gold and many locals. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is a traditional.

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What Is “The Brown Agenda” And Why Is It Making Waves?

Aug 17 , 2015

  “… while most everyone has heard about “going green,” few are aware of the more dire and sinister “brown” pollution — places where man-made toxic pollutants have taken root and spread.” - from "The Brown Agenda," by Richard Fuller.

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India’s Lead Problem: More Than Just Instant Noodles

Jun 29 , 2015

[caption id="attachment_16120" align="alignnone" width="300"] Instant Noodles by kattebelletje[/caption] Earlier this month, there was a lead poisoning scare involving a brand of instant noodles manufactured in India. The company promptly pulled the product and samples were sent to the Maharashtra Food.

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The Pope on Pollution

Jun 26 , 2015

While much of the conversation about the Pope's encyclical has been about climate change, a quick look reveals that pollution is a big part of that equation. And he spotlights some of the key issues of the problem, including how pollution.

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(UPDATE) Transforming Agbogbloshie: From Toxic Dump Into Model Recycling Center

Jun 25 , 2015

  UPDATE: June 2015 It has been eight months since Pure Earth opened the e-waste recycling center with automated wire-stripping units. We have been assessing what is working and what is not, as we enter the next phase of the project..

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(VIDEO) In Their Backyards, Indonesian Gold Miners May Have Found Key To Reducing Mercury Emissions

Jun 09 , 2015

Read the story on Medium. In Manado, at the picturesque tip of North Sulewesi in remote Indonesia, local artisanal gold miners may have found, in their backyards, the key to reducing mercury emissions.  Across Indonesia, you can see roofs of houses.

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A Toxic Beach in Azerbaijan Gets Cleaned Up, Solar Baths Become Safer

Jun 09 , 2015

Read the story on Medium. This summer, when families return to stake out their spot in the sun along the coast of the Caspian sea in Sumgayit, Azerbaijan, there will be one crucial difference. The beach will no longer be toxic, and.

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Nigeria: New Outbreak of Lead Poisoning

Jun 08 , 2015

 "At the hospital, he looked fine but behaved like he was losing his mind... In the evening of the same day, his fever became severe. He was restless. He later started jerking seriously with his eyes turning, and that was how.

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Applications Now Open: Fourth AuthorAid/Pure Earth Course in Research Writing

May 27 , 2015

Calling all researchers. Are you looking to improve your skills in writing papers for peer-reviewed scientific journals? Do you have a draft of a scientific paper you are preparing for publication? Are you a citizen of, and is your research related.

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Alerting Local Researchers To Mexico’s National Lead Problem

May 26 , 2015

Mexico's 500-year old tradition of using toxic lead-glazes in pottery is a problem that continues to plague residents to this day. In our paper "Blood Lead Levels in Mexico and Pediatric Burden of Disease Implications,” published in the Annals of Global.

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Usher, will.i.am, Fall Out Boy, and Others Rally 250,000… and Pure Earth

Apr 20 , 2015

Usher, No Doubt, Mary J. Blige, Fall Out Boy, Common, Train, My Morning Jacket and others rallied an estimated 250,000 people on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on April 18 in a day-long Earth Day concert organized by the.

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The Meaning of Pure Earth, and Actor Dev Patel’s Role in Our Name Change

Mar 18 , 2015

  Blacksmith Institute has changed its name to Pure Earth.  Our work and commitment remain the same. "... in the end, it was Dev Patel, the brilliant actor who played the hero of Slumdog Millionaire, who pushed us to choose Pure Earth..

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SNAPSHOTS OF PROGRESS: 2014

Feb 25 , 2015

  What did we do in 2014? We are glad to report that it was a great year of progress in the fight against toxic pollution. Here's why: Out In The Global Field - Asia, Africa, Central Asia/Eastern Europe, Latin.

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Focus on Research in Developing World: “We are missing the full picture”

Dec 17 , 2014

  Over the past few years, Blacksmith Institute for a Pure Earth has embarked on a broad effort to expand research and understanding about the issue of toxic pollution, especially its damaging impact in low and middle-income countries, where pollution is the.

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Three Papers Published in Prestigious Journal

Dec 03 , 2014

[caption id="attachment_16171" align="alignnone" width="225"] Richard Fuller, Blacksmith Institute for a Pure Earth President with a Mexican potter[/caption] Our effort to expand research and understanding about toxic pollution continues this month with three papers published in the prestigious Annals of Global Health, formerly.

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Two Studies Reveal The Risks of India’s Unseen Pollution Menace

Nov 30 , 2014

In India, Pure Earth has been working closely with local officials, industry and other stakeholders on the widely-documented problem of toxic pollution in the country.  In fact the government is planning on prioritizing the top ten worst polluted sites in the country for cleanup,.

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Lead Poisoning Fact Sheet: Solutions to a Global Childhood Health Threat

Nov 19 , 2014

Facts About Lead Poisoning and Pollution: There is no known safe level of lead exposure. The CDC lowered the level of concern from 10 to 5 µg/dL (micrograms /deciliter) as the point at which to trigger public health actions. In the.

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The Mystery of Mining Waste Dumped In An Armenian School

Nov 12 , 2014

Beyond Akhtala, the site of our very first cleanup project in Armenia (read more in Armenia's Toxic 10th-Century Monastery), our team came across various other polluted sites including a school, which apparently had been used as an informal dumping ground by a.

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CDC’s MMWR Features Our Findings on Lead in Kabwe’s Children

Nov 10 , 2014

The latest issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the main resource for key public health information and recommendations from the CDC, features field notes from our July trip to Kabwe, where we found devastating levels of lead poisoning.

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Armenia’s Toxic 10th-Century Monastery (PHOTOS)

Nov 10 , 2014

The modern world has finally caught up with Akhtala, a historic town with a 10th-century monastery and church in Armenia. Years of mining and metals processing have provided jobs to the community, but at a grave cost.  The grounds of the historic.

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Kabwe’s Children’s Silent Struggles

Oct 28 , 2014

This guest post is from Ben Barber, who visited Kabwe with the Blacksmith for a Pure Earth team in July. We arrived last July in one of the world’s most toxic hotspots -- Kabwe, a city of about 200,000 just.

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Businessweek Chronicles Dangerous Cleanup, Blacksmith/Pure Earth’s Global Successes

Sep 17 , 2014

"Fuller and Pure Earth (Blacksmith) have amassed an impressive record of success. But nothing could have prepared them for a situation like the decrepit Soviet dynamite* factory."  [*Note:  We want to clarify an error in the article.  It was not.

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To Environmental Journalists: Address Underreported Issue of Toxic Pollution

Sep 12 , 2014

  When an airliner disappears into the Indian ocean and hundreds of people are assumed dead, it’s huge news and millions are spent to find it and understand what went wrong. But in Zamfara, Nigeria, in 2010, over 200 children.

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Want lead-free food? Visit the first “Barro Aprobado” restaurant in Mexico

Aug 20 , 2014

[caption id="attachment_3044" align="alignnone" width="640"] The media turned out in force to help us launch "Barro Aprobado" and spread awareness about lead-free pottery in Mexico.[/caption] Across Mexico every day, millions of meals served in homes and restaurants come with an extra,.

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A Toxic “Craft” Village in Vietnam Cleans Up (VIDEO)

Jul 29 , 2014

http://youtu.be/PBGDERL3t4o Every day, trucks full of used lead-acid batteries from cars, motorbikes and other vehicles are brought in from across Vietnam to the rural village of Dong Mai in the agricultural heartland of Vietnam. Dong Mai is one of thousands of toxic "craft".

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Soccer Field Transformed From Toxic Lead Dump To Safe Play Space

Jul 29 , 2014

[caption id="attachment_16187" align="alignnone" width="300"] This soccer field used to be highly contaminated with toxic lead. Children were being poisoned everyday.[/caption] In Cinangka, Indonesia, a playground near the primary school was so toxic that parts of the field had lead levels.

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Fact Sheet: Mexico’s 500-year-old problem (Infographic)

Jun 23 , 2014

Up to 20% of Mexicans have elevated blood level levels. This is from the use of traditional Mexican pottery---the colorful plates, pots and other wares that you see in almost every home and restaurant in the country. Traditional Mexican pottery has been.

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A Global Emergency: The Largest Cause of Death In The World Is Being Ignored

Jun 18 , 2014

http://youtu.be/V7ugPCl-oq4 UPDATE:  Our voices are being heard at the U.N.  Our call to #SpotlightPollution in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is making a difference. We've received 26 letters of support from governments, agencies, NGOs & universities. As a result, the zero draft.

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The Story of A Mother and the Five Children She Lost

Jun 03 , 2014

[caption id="attachment_20195" align="alignnone" width="650"] Seynabou and her grandson in November 2021.[/caption] Seynabou had ten children, but lost five of them.  One by one, each of her five youngest children fell ill with the same symptoms — seizures and convulsions. One by one,.

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A Deadly Secret: The Story Behind The Cleanup of a Former Soviet Arms Site

May 19 , 2014

Just how hard is it to clean up a toxic polluted site sitting on top of a "bomb," at a secret site? This month's TCE magazine features the story behind our work dealing with one of the most dangerous examples.

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Q&A with “Slumdog Millionaire”: Dev Patel on his Belated Birthday Present – A Pure Earth

Apr 27 , 2014

[caption id="attachment_15288" align="alignnone" width="300"] Dev Patel with Freida Pinto at the inaugural PURE EARTH benefit gala in NYC on April 26, 2014.[/caption] Happy Birthday Dev Patel! Just three days after Patel's 24th birthday on April 23, the young actor/activist helped.

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What Does A Pure Earth Look Like to Susan Sarandon, Anne Hathaway, Yoko Ono…?

Apr 23 , 2014

What does a Pure Earth look like to you? This is what it looks like to Susan Sarandon, Anne Hathaway, Yoko Ono, Faith Ringgold and our other friends and supporters. PURE EARTH extends our deepest appreciation to the artists and celebrities.

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Tools of the Trade: The XRF Finds Toxic Hotspots in Under a Minute

Apr 18 , 2014

It is a small but powerful tool.  The handheld XRF (X-ray fluorescence) analyzer can identify toxic particles in soil in about 30 seconds, allowing remediation crews to quickly locate and determine the extent of any contamination, and potentially begin life-saving cleanup without.

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Fact Sheet: Pollution – Facts That Might Surprise You

Apr 07 , 2014

Think you know pollution? Here are some facts about toxic pollution that might surprise you. Pollution is one of the biggest global threats. Toxic pollution from contaminated sites affects over 200 million people worldwide, with tens of thousands poisoned each year..

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A Shower of Toxic Lead and the Mystery of Nine Dead Cows

Mar 24 , 2014

This is the second post from Sarita Gupta, Blacksmith’s India director, from her recent trip visiting lead smelters in India. I work for Blacksmith Institute, which cleans up toxic pollution around the world. I never imagined sitting in my New.

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Mercury, Mining and Mongolian Ninjas

Mar 07 , 2014

This week’s post comes from Andrew McCartor, Blacksmith’s program director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, who was recently in Mongolia.   There is no preparing for the Mongolian winter. When I stepped onto the tarmac in the capital city.

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What I Wore in Jaipur… and Why it Matters

Feb 27 , 2014

  Sarita Gupta, Blacksmith's India director, contributes this post from India.       The fabled land of Rajasthan is known, among other things, for its vividly colored clothing. So when the opportunity came to travel for work to Jaipur, I.

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Report from India: Lead Battery Recycling the Right and Wrong Way

Feb 20 , 2014

This report is from Conrad Meyer, chair of Blacksmith's board of directors, who is currently in India with Blacksmith. Last week, we traveled to India to meet with the senior management of Gravita, an environmentally friendly recycler of used lead.

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At the Roof of the World in Tajikistan

Feb 12 , 2014

This week's post comes from Andrew McCartor, Blacksmith’s program director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, who is currently in Tajikistan. The small, mountainous country of Tajikistan is a former Soviet republic that borders Afghanistan to the south and China.

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Eliminating Obsolete Pesticides in the Former Soviet Union

Jan 29 , 2014

Over 40% of the world's stockpiles of obsolete pesticides, around 200,000 tons, are estimated to be still present in the former Soviet Union Republics including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Moldova and Russian Federation. Blacksmith has been invited to join.

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Snapshots of Progress in 2013 – AFRICA

Jan 29 , 2014

Livelihood Training For Women Uncovering Senegal's Invisible Pollution Problem Last year, Blacksmith returned to Senegal to conduct livelihood training for women so that they will not have to go back to the deadly job of backyard battery recycling in order.

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Snapshots of Progress in 2013 – LATIN AMERICA

Jan 29 , 2014

Filipino Miners in Bolivia Roadmap For Cleanup More Pilot Projects on the Way Blacksmith brought Filipino gold miners to Latin America in 2013 to test and teach the Benguet method, (sometimes known as the "borax method") to artisanal miners in Bolivia. If successful,.

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Snapshots of Progress in 2013 – EASTERN EUROPE/CENTRAL ASIA

Jan 29 , 2014

Stopping A Ticking Time Bomb In The Ukraine Keeping Radiation Out of Schools In Kyrgyzstan Groundbreaking Work In Armenia Blacksmith identified and assessed 128 contaminated sites in the region, bringing the total number of polluted communities documented in Eastern Europe and.

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Snapshots of Progress in 2013 – ASIA

Jan 29 , 2014

Prioritizing Sites For Cleanup in India Engaging the Chinese Public Vietnam's Toxic Craft Villages Exciting things are happening in India. Blacksmith's data on over 400 polluted sites has been integrated into a larger list commissioned by the government. This is the.

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Snapshots of Progress in 2013 – A Key Year for Research

Jan 29 , 2014

Increased Focus on Research Training Local Researchers Research Grants Journal of Health and Pollution Expands This year saw the release of a number of key reports, including: A roadmap for pollution cleanup across Latin America The Poisoned Poor, a paper that spells out, for the first.

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(Audio) Convincing the World to Put Toxic Pollution on the Agenda for the Next Decade

Jan 14 , 2014

We began 2014 with a message to the U.N., urging action on toxic pollution at the Seventh Session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). "The SDGs will set the post-2015 global development agenda," says Rachael Vinyard, Director.

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Roadmap For Pollution Cleanup in Latin America

Dec 17 , 2013

A new report provides a roadmap that can be used to accelerate pollution cleanup in Latin America.  With input from experts from seven Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay) and the U.S., the report examines environmental.

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Top Ten List of Worst Polluted Places Generates Worldwide Attention, Triggers Renewed Focus on Global Problem

Dec 12 , 2013

The conversation about pollution just got louder. Since 2006, Blacksmith’s yearly reports have been instrumental in increasing public understanding of the health impacts posed by toxic pollution, and in some cases, have compelled cleanup work at pollution hotspots. This latest.

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New List of Top Ten World’s Worst Polluted Sites Is Released

Nov 19 , 2013

A new report released this November updates the top ten list of world's worst polluted places previously identified in 2006 and 2007, removing sites that have made progress, and adding new sites. "Top Ten Toxic Threats in 2013: Cleanup, Progress and Ongoing Challenges" from.

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Helping Countries Abide By Minamata

Oct 25 , 2013

Earlier this month, Pure Earth was with the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) in Minamata, Japan, to witness the landmark signing of the first international treaty to curb mercury pollution, and to help countries abide by the agreement. To.

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Training Women in Senegal

Oct 25 , 2013

Next month, Blacksmith returns to Senegal to provide livelihood training to women so that they will not have to go back to the dangerous job of backyard battery recycling--the activity that triggered the tragic lead poisoning outbreak in 2008 that killed 32 children in Thiaroye.

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Global Alliance Pushes Help for Poisoned Poor in European Parliament

Oct 25 , 2013

How do we begin to solve life-threatening problems facing the world's poisoned poor? Some of the world's leading voices came together for a seminar in Brussels this October to discuss the issue. The Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) joined.

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The Poisoned Poor – Global Alliance Highlights Invisible Sufferers

Oct 25 , 2013

Who does toxic pollution affect the most? A global alliance has come together to issue the first comprehensive report of pollution's impact on this invisible demographic -- the poisoned poor. "The world’s poorest people routinely face the highest risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals due to their occupations,.

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Why Are Millions of Children in Mexico Still Suffering From Lead Poisoning?

Oct 25 , 2013

In 1991, the daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico was found to have high lead levels in her blood. It launched an outcry on both sides of the border against the use of toxic lead glazes in Mexican pottery,.

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Guide To Lead Cleanup Now Available; First in Series of Global Remediation Guides

Oct 25 , 2013

The Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) has released a technical guide focused on the containment of lead, one of the world's worst pollutants. It is the first in a planned series of guides on best practices in global.

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Fact Sheet: The Toxic Toll of Mercury – Facts, Figures and the Future of “Dancing Cat Fever” Disease

Oct 09 , 2013

Updated 2019 Child gold miners in Indonesia It has been over 50 years since the first sign of mass mercury poisoning emerged in Minamata, Japan. Cats in the village started staggering and tilting, doing a strange "dancing cat fever." Then.

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Battery Recycling Done Correctly

Sep 17 , 2013

Worker in protective gear with a one-ton chunk of lead; an ingot that will now be sold. RSR battery recycling plant in Indianapolis After visiting so many terrible, appalling, toxic backyard battery recyclers in the developing world, we thought we.

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Engaging the Chinese Public in Environmental Issues

Aug 28 , 2013

China is currently facing a wave of dissatisfaction over the state of pollution in the country with calls for greater transparency. A new Blacksmith project might just have a solution. This report is from Abby Schultz in Blacksmith’s China office: --- The.

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Wishing for a soccer field that does not poison

Aug 28 , 2013

                Aug, 2013. Pure Earth is launching the cleanup of a lead-contaminated soccer field in Cinangka, Indonesia, so that children in the village can play without being poisoned. The project, starting this month,.

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Drink Wine? Support Blacksmith

Aug 21 , 2013

We are excited to announce our recent partnership with Cellar Angels, a fast-growing wine fundraising organization that offers you a unique way to support Blacksmith while enjoying high-quality wines from Napa and Sonoma. As a personal wine concierge, Cellar Angels.

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Blacksmith recognized as one of country’s top performing nonprofits again

Aug 05 , 2013

We have great news. Blacksmith Institute has been recognized as one of the country's top performing nonprofits AGAIN, confirming our continued effectiveness at what we do with sound fiscal management, accountability and transparency. We retained our 4 star charity rating,.

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Pollution cleanup gets serious in Indonesia

Jul 12 , 2013

Pollution is finally getting official attention in Indonesia July, 2013 You know that a government is getting serious about something when there are official workshops and conferences. We are glad to report that last month, the Indonesian Ministry of Environment.

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The Toxic Rice Fields of China’s Cancer Villages

Jun 11 , 2013

Farmer Youtian He's wife and daughter near their polluted rice fields.  Mrs. He and other relatives are suffering from cancer. He worries about his young daughter. The bright green rice fields planted close to the brick-and-tile homes in Shangba, a.

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Paying for Pollution Cleanup in India with a Small Benefit

May 28 , 2013

If you read our earlier post on India's Amazing Pollution Story, you will know that great things are happening in that country. Plans are in the works to clean up ten of the country's worst polluted sites, which Blacksmith helped.

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Meet Pure Earth’s Global Team

Apr 29 , 2013

Pure Earth's global team, consisting of experts from around the world, gathered in New York in early April (2013) to discuss remediation work in their home countries, share ideas and plan future projects. Updated Sept 2016 to reflect name change.

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India’s Amazing Pollution Story

Apr 15 , 2013

Our latest post appeared in the Indiaspora blog, reproduced below. Join us on May 7, 2013 for Blacksmith's Benefit for India. An Undesirable Export Recently, the nonprofit I work with received a letter from a man who said he was.

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Mercury Negotiations Recharged With Hot Chocolate and Cookies

Feb 14 , 2013

Fernando Lugris, chair of the INC negotiations (left), with representatives of the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution at INC5. I attended the INC5 mercury negotiations in Geneva last month along with members of the Global Alliance on Health and.

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Pollution Lessons from History

Jan 28 , 2013

News about pollution has lately been dominated by reporting on China's increasingly toxic air, water and land.  All this attention is crucial because it is the catalyst to change. We don't know when or where, but change is bound to.

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Markup: HTML Tags and Formatting

Jan 11 , 2013

Headings Header one Header two Header three Header four Header five Header six Blockquotes Single line blockquote: Stay hungry. Stay foolish. Multi line blockquote with a cite reference: The HTML <blockquote> Element (or HTML Block Quotation Element) indicates that the.

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Markup: Image Alignment

Markup: Image Alignment

Jan 10 , 2013

Welcome to image alignment! The best way to demonstrate the ebb and flow of the various image positioning options is to nestle them snuggly among an ocean of words. Grab a paddle and let's get started. On the topic of.

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Protecting Children in Schools Where Uranium Was Mined For Atomic Bomb, Kyrgyzstan

Protecting Children in Schools Where Uranium Was Mined For Atomic Bomb, Kyrgyzstan

Jan 10 , 2013

As we've been harshly reminded, schools can sometimes be exposed to great danger. The tragedy last month in the U.S. got us thinking about what we are doing in schools in Mailuu-Suu, Kyrgyzstan. Although the threat is different, the response.

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Markup: Text Alignment

Jan 09 , 2013

Default This is a paragraph. It should not have any alignment of any kind. It should just flow like you would normally expect. Nothing fancy. Just straight up text, free flowing, with love. Completely neutral and not picking a side.

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Markup: Title With Special Characters ~`!@#$%^&*()-_=+{}[]/\;:'”?,.>

Jan 05 , 2013

Putting special characters in the title should have no adverse effect on the layout or functionality. Special characters in the post title have been known to cause issues with JavaScript when it is minified, especially in the admin when editing.

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Markup: Title With Markup

Jan 05 , 2013

Verify that: The post title renders the word "with" in italics and the word "markup" in bold (and "up" is superscript). The post title markup should be removed from the browser window / tab.

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Blacksmith Newsletters

Dec 11 , 2012

Welcome to Blacksmith’s Newsletter Archives. Sept/Oct 2013: Top Ten Toxic Threats in 2013 Helping Countries Abide by Minamata Bringing Poisoned Poor to the European Parliament Training Women in Senegal Why are Children in Mexico Still Suffering from Lead Global Remediation.

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Detoxing Polluted Rice Paddies With Lime

Nov 28 , 2012

Rice Paddies are the cradle of life in many countries.  But some have become conduits of death and disease because of industrial pollution. A famous case of rice padi poisoning was documented in Toyama prefecture in Japan in the 1960s..

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From Elections to Pollution – Data is Key

Nov 09 , 2012

One of the most interesting outcomes of this U.S. election is that it has reminded us that data is king. Nate Silver from the New York Time's FiveThirtyEight blog has become a celebrity of sorts for coming up with data that.

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Working with the “enemy”

Oct 03 , 2012

I see the "us" and "them" mentality all too often especially when pollution is involved.  Take legacy pollution for example. Legacy pollution refers to what is left behind after the source of the contamination - say a polluting factory -.

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One-Stop Shop For Pollution Solutions

Sep 14 , 2012

Retailers figured it out a long time ago. They could improve business if they made shopping easier. So they began to offer consumers everything they might need under one roof. Hence the success and popularity of one-stop shops. In a.

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A Love Letter to Neglected and Reviled Places

Aug 08 , 2012

When Andrew Blackwell was researching his new book Visit Sunny Chernobyl, he contacted us to learn a little more about our work and about Blacksmith's list of world's worst polluted places. Turns out he was visiting some of these very same hotspots..

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Gold Mining in Tanzania

Jul 10 , 2012

[caption id="attachment_14699" align="alignnone" width="300"] Child gold miners in Tanzania. Credit: Madeline Cottingham and Evan Simon.[/caption] Recently, a young environmentalist, who had done some work for Blacksmith, returned from Tanzania with some fascinating photographs and stories to share. Madeline and her.

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New Lead Limits for U.S. Children Expose Plight of Others

Jun 12 , 2012

Children at the site of the world's worst outbreak of lead poisoning in Nigeria The CDC recently lowered the recommended limit for lead exposure in young children from 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, to 5. This means.

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A Tour of Asia’s Toxic Hotspots

May 31 , 2012

Kids barefoot on a toxic field in Indonesia Recently, John Keith, Blacksmith's globe-trotting expert, led an armchair tour of Asia's toxic hotspots for a group in NYC.  An environmental engineer, John has worked on numerous projects in 72 countries and counting,.

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Incubating Ideas for Change at the Bellagio Center

Apr 18 , 2012

This July, we are returning to the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center in Italy to convene a third meeting of world leaders and experts on pollution, this time to create a global alliance to deal with legacy pollution at scale. Our.

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Ancient City’s Lead Poisoning Problem – 40,000 Preschoolers At Risk

Mar 26 , 2012

This week's blog post is from Andrew McCartor, Blacksmith's regional program director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Blacksmith was recently approached for help to raise awareness about the massive toxic pollution caused by an active lead smelter in the.

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Template: Featured Image (Vertical)

Template: Featured Image (Vertical)

Mar 15 , 2012

This post should display a featured image, if the theme supports it. Non-square images can provide some unique styling issues. This post tests a vertical featured image.

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Template: Featured Image (Horizontal)

Template: Featured Image (Horizontal)

Mar 15 , 2012

This post should display a featured image, if the theme supports it. Non-square images can provide some unique styling issues. This post tests a horizontal featured image.

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Template: More Tag

Mar 15 , 2012

This content is before the more tag. Right after this sentence should be a "continue reading" button of some sort on list pages of themes that show full content. It won't show on single pages or on themes showing excerpts..

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Template: Excerpt (Defined)

Mar 15 , 2012

This is the post content. It should be displayed in place of the user-defined excerpt in single-page views.

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Template: Excerpt (Generated)

Mar 14 , 2012

This is the post content. It should be displayed in place of the auto-generated excerpt in single-page views. Archive-index pages should display an auto-generated excerpt of this content. Depending on Theme-defined filters, the length of the auto-generated excerpt will vary.

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Blacksmith’s Pollution Tipping Point with Karti Sandilya

Mar 13 , 2012

Karti Sandilya, Advisor, Blacksmith Institute In Malcolm Gladwell's bestselling book The Tipping Point, he describes how little things can make a big difference, and he points to "connectors" - people who provide links to others - as a crucial element.

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Filipino Gold Miner’s Mercury-Free Revolution

Mar 04 , 2012

A movement is taking root in the small province of Benguet in the Philippines that might just revolutionize the artisanal gold mining industry and greatly reduce worldwide toxic mercury emissions. Gold miners there are rediscovering a century-old method of gold.

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Doe Run Peru – A Solution in Sight

Feb 07 , 2012

[caption id="attachment_15339" align="alignnone" width="213"] Kids in La Oroya[/caption] The embattled Doe Run lead smelting facility in Peru may finally be getting a break. We met with Dr. Juan Carlos Huyhua, the president of Doe Run Peru, in New York last.

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A Solution To India’s Pollution Nightmare

Jan 30 , 2012

I recently came across the article India's Pollution Nightmare:  Can it be Tackled?, in which the author, Govindasamy Agoramoorthy, talks about three big perils plaguing India - polluting tanneries, lead contamination from informal battery recycling, and riverside industries that dump toxic waste into.

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“Orphaned” Sites and Legacy Pollution

Jan 10 , 2012

When people talk of tackling pollution, they usually mean stopping pollution. But what if the pollution has already been halted, in some cases decades ago?  For example at numerous former Cold War weapons manufacturing sites? [caption id="attachment_15343" align="alignnone" width="300"] Ghana's.

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Template: Paginated

Jan 08 , 2012

Post Page 1

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Protected: Template: Password Protected (the password is “enter”)

Jan 04 , 2012

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: Password:

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Template: Comments

Jan 03 , 2012

This post tests comments in the following ways. Threaded comments up to 10 levels deep Paginated comments (set Settings > Discussion > Break comments into pages to 5 top level comments per page) Comment markup / formatting Comment images Comment.

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Template: Comments Disabled

Jan 02 , 2012

This post has its comments, pingbacks, and trackbacks disabled. There should be no comment reply form, but should display pingbacks and trackbacks.

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Template: Pingbacks And Trackbacks

Jan 01 , 2012

This post has many pingpacks and trackbacks. There are a few ways to list them. Above the comments Below the comments Included within the normal flow of comments

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“Sensationalist” claim about tanneries and pollution

Dec 20 , 2011

We were recently criticized by an industry group of leather manufacturers for listing tannery operations #5 on the 2011 list of world's worst toxic pollution problems. The group called our report’s assertions “sensationalist and not appropriate." (Read our response in.

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Surprise – Corporations NOT the Worst Pollution Problems

Nov 28 , 2011

Contrary to popular belief, large multinational corporations are NOT the worst pollution problems.  That was one of the more interesting findings revealed in our 2011 World's Worst Toxic Pollution Problems report. [caption id="attachment_15346" align="alignnone" width="150"] La-Oroya-3-Anna[/caption] Of course large corporations.

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Top Ten Things You Might Not Know About Pollution

Oct 20 , 2011

See updated version: 15 Pollution Facts that Might Surprise You Pollution is a topic that often gets buried by talk of conservation, climate change, sustainability and energy issues.  Perhaps because it is a complex subject with lots of sources and.

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Talking About Pollution in NYC on Oct. 24

Oct 12 , 2011

What is Pollution? Once you know the facts, talking about pollution is crucial, as I've mentioned in my last two blog postings. So this month, we are launching The Blacksmith Institute Pollution Talks - finally giving a name to the.

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What is Pollution?

Sep 22 , 2011

It's Pollution Prevention Week. Chances are, you've not really heard about it. In my last post, I wrote about the Brown Agenda vs. the Green Agenda. Pollution is part of the Brown Agenda.  I bet you haven't heard a lot.

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The Brown Agenda

Sep 09 , 2011

  Update:  Aug, 2015.   "The Brown Agenda" is now a best-selling book.  Pure Earth founder Richard Fuller has chronicled his experiences doing cleanup in some of the world's worst polluted places to highlight the issue at the ground level, and.

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An 8 Million Ton Problem

Aug 24 , 2011

Dr. B. Sengupta recently sat down with Sarita Gupta to talk about India's growing toxic waste problem - by his count, India generates over 8 million tons of toxic waste every year but only has the capacity to deal with.

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“Miracle” Mercury Recapturing Machine

Aug 04 , 2011

[caption id="attachment_15423" align="alignnone" width="128"] Low-cost retort for recapturing mercury[/caption] August 2011 This is what I like to call our "miracle" mercury recapturing machine. Using simple, low-cost retorts like the one pictured here, Pure Earth has been able to reduce the.

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China’s Latest Bad Press

Jun 23 , 2011

I was in Beijing last week when news broke of a series of lead poisoning outbreaks in China, followed closely by a Human Right Watch report on China's response to its toxic lead problem. (Here are links to the New.

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Meeting President Medvedev on Russia’s Pollution Crisis

Jun 16 , 2011

[caption id="attachment_15422" align="alignnone" width="300"] Russian President Dmitry Medvedev meets with NGOs in Moscow about the country's pollution crisis, June 8, 2011.[/caption] Petr Sharov, Blacksmith's Russia and Central Asia coordinator, attended a meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev at the Kremlin in.

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Blacksmith Wins Green Star Award for Work in Environmental Emergencies

Jun 01 , 2011

Richard Fuller accepting the UN-Backed Green Star Award on behalf of Blacksmith Institute, May 18, 2011, Bern, Switzerland. The award recognizes work in environmental emergencies. Congratulations to all the other winners, and especially to our partners – TerraGraphics Environmental Engineering.

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Pollution: Top Six Toxic Threats

May 17 , 2011

My last post pointed to new studies that indicate chronic mercury exposure in the U.S. has risen dramatically. In fact, mercury is identified as one of the Top Six Toxic Threats in Blacksmith Institute's most recent report, which draws on.

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Toxic Mercury Exposure: Huge Increase in U.S., 500,000 Children At Risk

May 09 , 2011

Chronic mercury exposure in the U.S. has risen dramatically, not only in numbers of people affected but also in amounts. A study by Professor Dan Laks found that mercury was detected in only 2% of the blood samples collected over.

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Video: Chernobyl Elementary School, Central Square

Apr 26 , 2011

It's been 25 years since the meltown at Chernobyl and the abandoned town of Pripyat still echoes with tragedy.  Those of you who saw our virtual tour via our blog posts of April 4 and April 6 would already have.

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Radiation 101: What is it, how much is dangerous, and how does Fukushima compare to Chernobyl?

Apr 06 , 2011

  Our last blog post about Chernobyl generated a lot of interest among our friends, but seemed to raise more questions than it answered.  Many people asked for more basic information about radiation and more comparisons between Chernobyl and Japan,.

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Virtual Tour of Chernobyl

Apr 04 , 2011

Is nuclear power on your mind? Us too. As part of a site assessment trip to Ukraine, Pure Earth staff and technical advisers visited the world's worst nuclear disaster site. On April 26, 1986, a series of explosions occurred at.

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Vietnam’s Toxic “Craft” Villages

Apr 01 , 2011

When an American plane went down in North Vietnam during the war, the story goes that a villager knew how to smelt down the plane for valuable aluminum. And that was how the aluminum village began. Today, it is one.

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Media: Twitter Embeds

Mar 15 , 2011

https://twitter.com/nacin/status/319508408669708289 This post tests WordPress' Twitter Embeds feature.

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Toxic Pollution in Poor Countries – Introducing “JH&P”

Mar 04 , 2011

Blacksmith Institute has published the first issue of The Journal of Health and Pollution, a semiannual, on-line, open-access publication of peer-reviewed research and news. “JH&P” can be found at www.journalhealthpollution.org. Included in the inaugural edition are invited commentaries: Environmental Pollution.

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Clean Soil, Wheelbarrows, Officials…Latest on Nigerian Lead Removal

Jan 10 , 2011

Reporting in before the holiday break, John Keith, Blacksmith Institute’s on-scene project manager at the Zamfara, Nigeria, lead contamination remediation project, says landfills have been construction at all five villages in the original project scope and clean soil brought to.

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El Salvador Remedy May Happen at Last

Dec 10 , 2010

It has been three years of tense litigation between El Salvador’s Attorney General’s office and the Grupo Record lead-acid battery facility since Blacksmith Institute’s first visit in 2008.  After his meeting with Herman Rosa Chavez, Salvadorian Minister of the Environment,.

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Post Format: Standard

Oct 05 , 2010

All children, except one, grow up. They soon know that they will grow up, and the way Wendy knew was this. One day when she was two years old she was playing in a garden, and she plucked another flower.

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Post Format: Gallery

Sep 10 , 2010

[gallery]

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Post Format: Gallery (Tiled)

Sep 09 , 2010

This is a test for Jetpack's Tiled Gallery. Install Jetpack to test. [gallery type="rectangular" columns="4" ids="755,757,758,760,766,763" orderby="rand"] This is some text after the Tiled Gallery just to make sure that everything spaces nicely.

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Post Format: Image

Aug 08 , 2010

 

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Post Format: Image (Caption)

Post Format: Image (Caption)

Aug 07 , 2010

[caption id="attachment_754" align="alignnone" width="604"] Bell on wharf in San Francisco[/caption]

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Post Format: Image (Linked)

Aug 06 , 2010

[caption id="attachment_612" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Chunk of resinous blackboy husk, Clarkson, Western Australia. This burns like a spinifex log."][/caption]

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Post Format: Audio

Jul 02 , 2010

Link: St. Louis Blues Audio shortcode: [audio https://www.pureearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/originaldixielandjazzbandwithalbernard-stlouisblues.mp3]

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“Unprecedented” Emergency in Nigeria

Jun 23 , 2010

As you might have noticed, there has not been a new post lately on The Pollution Blog.  Part of the reason is that I have been busy with the recent and ongoing lead poisoning emergency in Nigeria. This is a.

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Post Format: Video (WordPress.tv)

Jun 03 , 2010

https://wordpress.tv/2009/03/16/anatomy-of-a-wordpress-theme-exploring-the-files-behind-your-theme/ Posted as per the instructions in the Codex.

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Post Format: Video (YouTube)

Jun 02 , 2010

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQEQr7c0-dw Learn more about WordPress Embeds.

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Post Format: Aside

May 09 , 2010

“I never tried to prove nothing, just wanted to give a good show. My life has always been my music, it's always come first, but the music ain't worth nothing if you can't lay it on the public. The main.

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Get The Lead Out

Apr 26 , 2010

Lead expert Jack Caravanos conducts a simple blood test for lead A few days ago, we held our special Earth Day event-- "Get the Lead Out"--at Rockefeller Plaza in NYC to raise funds and awareness of lead pollution and poisoning.

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Earth Day in the Developing World

Apr 16 , 2010

It has been 40 years since the very first Earth Day. No doubt, things have changed for the better, at least here in the U.S. Our environment is much cleaner, and life-threatening pollution of the kind brought to light by.

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Report from Agbogbloshie, Ghana

Apr 09 , 2010

This week, I will hand this space off to Jack Caravanos, a member of Blacksmith's Technical Advisory Board and a leading expert in lead pollution/contamination. Jack is part of part of a project in Ghana jointly funded by Blacksmith and.

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Post Format: Status

Apr 04 , 2010

WordPress, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways (in 140 characters or less).

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Better Living Through Green Chemistry

Apr 01 , 2010

Finally the drumbeat is getting louder on the issue of environmental toxins and I say it is about time. Last month, NYT's Nicholas Kristof wrote an op-ed on the link between autism (and other diseases) and environmental toxins.  Now, Time.

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Pink Crocodiles and the New Front Against Pollution in India

Mar 25 , 2010

Jairam Ramesh, Richard Fuller, speaking in India I just returned from India last week, where I heard about crocodiles that have reportedly turned pink, and whose tongues have gone white because of dyes polluting the rivers.  I also heard about.

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Read All About it – God’s Paradise Starts to Shed World’s Worst Polluted Label

Mar 18 , 2010

"God's Paradise Will be Removed from World's Worst Polluted Places" “Declared Green Zone at God's Paradise – Happiness Where There Was Once Contamination.” “Park Provides Health at God's Paradise” These local headlines tell the story. Twelve days ago, Paraíso de.

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Off to India to Speak about Pollution and Economic Development

Mar 09 , 2010

I am heading off to India, today, where I will be the keynote speaker at a gathering about toxic pollution, cleanup and economic development.  I believe this session will spark increasing cleanup efforts in India because of the presenting parties.

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Post Format: Link

Mar 07 , 2010

The WordPress Theme Review Team Website

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Environmental Toxins, Autism and Cancer

Feb 26 , 2010

Did you see Nicholas Kristof's op-ed in yesterday's New York Times on the link between autism (and other diseases like cancers) and environmental toxins?  Kristof points to concern about American's using plastic containers to microwave food, and using products with.

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Innovations and Collaborations this September

Feb 18 , 2010

I am glad to report that the Rockefeller Foundation has invited us back to the Bellagio Center in Italy this September to reconvene the next international meeting about the Health and Pollution Fund (HPF) - the planned $500 million public.

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Pollution and Vaccines

Feb 10 , 2010

An interesting new perspective has opened up on the dangers of pollution.  While most people know that pollution poisons, it now seems that the immune system is especially affected by contaminants.  Pollution appears to skew the body away from making.

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Post Format: Quote

Feb 05 , 2010

Only one thing is impossible for God: To find any sense in any copyright law on the planet. Mark Twain

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Pollution, Poverty and the I.Q. Connection

Feb 03 , 2010

Does pollution plague a country because it is poor? Or does pollution make a country poor? While the case for the former can be easily made -- poorer nations have less resources for cleanup and regulations; the case for the.

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Back from Mexico – Removing Lead from a Tradition

Jan 28 , 2010

Just returned from Mexico with Blacksmith's globe-trotting program officer Bret Ericson (who's also the task manager for our global inventory project).  For me, Mexico always brings to mind wonderful, colorful pottery, perhaps because there is a such a strong ceramics.

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How to Build the World’s First Database of Polluted Sites

Jan 21 , 2010

It's been a good start to the year for us on the funding side. We just received confirmation that we will be getting a $900,000 infusion to complete work on our Global Inventory Project, which is about one-third done (see.

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Video of gold miners in Indonesia – Mercury: The Burning Issue

Jan 14 , 2010

Amalgam of mercury and gold I first blogged about the toxic connection between gold and mercury back in December in my post All That Glitters, when the price of gold reached a record high.  Back then, we asked you to.

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Post Format: Chat

Jan 08 , 2010

Abbott: Strange as it may seem, they give ball players nowadays very peculiar names. Costello: Funny names? Abbott: Nicknames, nicknames. Now, on the St. Louis team we have Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third--.

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Global Team Profile: Dr. Phil Landrigan A Champion For Children Dr. Philip Landrigan

Jan 07 , 2010

When Dr. Philip J. Landrigan was asked what he thought was the most important thing people can do to save the planet, his answer was "protect children from toxic environments." Pollutants, especially lead and pesticides, have been the focus of.

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Save a Life this Holiday Season

Dec 23 , 2009

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!  I am taking this shameless opportunity to remind everyone out there that there's still time to take Blacksmith Institute's $5 a Day December Holiday Challenge!  So if you are still wondering what to get that somebody who has.

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Potty Training Pigs and Other Great Solutions

Dec 14 , 2009

I was going to write about Copenhagen and "climategate" today ... but then I came across a curious piece of news about potty training pigs! It seems a farmer in Taiwan has trained his pigs to use a litter box,.

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Lessons from the past for Copenhagen

Dec 08 , 2009

For the next two weeks, the eyes of the world will be on Copenhagen, where leaders of some 200 countries have gathered to try to find some kind of consensus on tackling the problem of climate change. "Unless the world can.

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Global Team Profile: Bret Ericson Making A List and Checking it off

Dec 07 , 2009

Over the past year, Bret Ericson has been  traveling the world helping to compile a unique list -- the first ever global inventory of polluted places "Currently, a worldwide list of sites where pollution is acutely affecting human health does.

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All that glitters…

Dec 02 , 2009

young gold miner in Indonesia. Photo from borneomercury.com The price of gold hit a record high today, reaching $1,216.75 an ounce in Europe. What does this have to do with pollution? Well, in this age of globalization, everything is connected.

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Lead Cleanup in Jakarta, Indonesia

Nov 24 , 2009

Jakarta - we are so fortunate to have Budi Susilorini working for us there.  She's our eyes, ears and hands on the ground for our cleanup work in Indonesia.  We're about to kick off a project targeting lead poisoning on.

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Another Chernobyl?

Nov 19 , 2009 ,by Elissa Marie

Blacksmith is working to avert a catastrophe on the scale of Bhopal or Chernobyl at the old Gorlovka chemical plant in the Ukraine. Recently, I've been working to avert a catastrophe at the Gorlovka chemical plant  in the Ukraine, which.

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12 pinpricks of light

Nov 10 , 2009

David Hanrahan, Blacksmith's director of global operations, described it best when he called them "12 pinpricks of light" - these are the 12 cases of cleanup and success we found around the world. I was surprised and a little shocked.

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Global Team Profile: “Lead Head” Scientist Travels the World for Blacksmith

Nov 07 , 2009

Jack Caravanos has cut his way through jungles in Panama, climbed mountains in Peru, dodged cobras in India, and waded through murky rivers in the Dominican Republic, all to get a sample of contaminated soil, air or water.  He has fallen and.

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Fresh off the Presses – The 2009 World’s Worst Polluted Places report

Oct 28 , 2009 ,by Helma Kusuma

One more thing... today we released our latest Blacksmith report on the World's Worst Polluted Places.  This time, we focused on successes, which are few and far between.  We had a good turnout - half a dozen reporters, from most.

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Back home with swine flu and more

Oct 28 , 2009 ,by Steve Laico

Well, its good to be back home, after two weeks of travel.  Then add on a week of H1N1 flu.  Seems that those signs you see posted in Asian airports are right after all - its out there, and its.

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The Pollution Blog is online–join us as we take pollution offline!

Oct 19 , 2009

Richard Fuller in Rudnaya Pristan, listed in Blacksmith's 2006 report as one of the world's worst polluted places Here we go, joining the digital age. Welcome, all, to Blacksmith Institute's blog about pollution, solutions to same, and everything related... A.

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Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu

Oct 05 , 2009

Title should not overflow the content area A few things to check for: Non-breaking text in the title, content, and comments should have no adverse effects on layout or functionality. Check the browser window / tab title. If you are.

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Sep 05 , 2009

This post has no title, but it still must link to the single post view somehow. This is typically done by placing the permalink on the post date.

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Global Team Profile: Promila Sharma Finding Common Ground to Solve Pollution Problems in India

Jul 15 , 2009

In a country as large and diverse as India, Promila Sharma understands the value in bringing people together, even if they are on opposing sides of an argument. "I love the collaborative approach Pure Earth uses to tackle issues," says Sharma, Pure Earth's India coordinator,.

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Edge Case: Many Categories

Jul 02 , 2009

This post has many categories.

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Edge Case: Many Tags

Jun 01 , 2009

This post has many tags.

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Edge Case: Nested And Mixed Lists

May 15 , 2009

Nested and mixed lists are an interesting beast. It's a corner case to make sure that Lists within lists do not break the ordered list numbering order Your list styles go deep enough. Ordered - Unordered - Ordered ordered item.

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