Consumer

"Some of New York's most iconic hotels, comprising more than 11,000 guest rooms, promised to cut their carbon footprints on Tuesday and join a city effort to improve the energy efficiency of buildings."

"Say goodbye to the beads. On Monday, Dec. 28, President Barack Obama signed into law a ban on tiny plastic particles used in personal cosmetic products that scientists say are polluting U.S. lakes, rivers and the oceans."

"Plastic microbeads used in soaps, body washes and other personal-care products will be phased out starting in 2017 under legislation approved by Congress and sent to the president."

"These days in Congress, not even strong bipartisan support seems to guarantee a bill’s success. But the Republicans and Democrats who backed a U.S. Senate bill to overhaul the nation’s environmental safety law for industrial chemicals refused to give up. Overcoming a thicket of procedural barriers, they won a signature victory [Thursday night] as the Senate unanimously approved, on a voice vote, an overhaul of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)."

"Food companies are mounting an aggressive year-end push to head off mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods."

"The US is set to ban personal care products that contain microbeads after the House of Representatives approved a bill that would phase out the environmentally-harmful items."

"Colorado's agricultural agencies are in panic mode after several independent studies found dangerous levels of pesticides in marijuana products."

"After decades of review and endless controversy, the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the nation's first genetically altered animal -- a salmon genetically engineered to grow twice as fast as its natural counterpart."

"The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday is generally celebrated with a bounty of food — and a mountain of leftovers, some of which, let's face it, will end up in the trash."