Consumer

"The annual New Year's Day tradition is far behind other major public events in the trend to offset environmental impact."
 

"Oil prices hovered above $91 a barrel Monday in Asia as some OPEC ministers signaled the group doesn't plan to boost output to cool the recent jump in crude."

"Two years after thousands of Americans learned that defective Chinese drywall had contaminated their houses, a new group of homeowners say they are experiencing similar problems—but their homes are built with drywall made in the United States."

Canada's "federal government is introducing the most stringent rules in the world to effectively ban lead from toys for young children and other products that kids put in their mouths."

"On Wednesday the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission will finalize the blueprint for an interactive electronic database that aims to help consumers shop for safer toys and other products."

Federal regulators launched an investigation Monday into lead levels in drinking glasses depicting comic book and movie characters, declaring that the items are subject to strict standards for 'children's products.'"

A farm lobby coalition has received federal money to attack the Environmental Working Group's list of the most pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables.

"AS more women began clamoring for the latest sensation in hair care, the so-called Brazilian hair-relaxing treatments, the Neil George Salon in Beverly Hills, Calif., added a cabana with open sides and a fabric roof to isolate the process from the salon itself. 'I couldn’t stand the fumes,' said Neil Weisberg, an owner."

"Some of the world's biggest food companies are removing the chemical Bisphenol A from packaging, amid growing concern it is causing a wide range of human illnesses including heart disease and breast cancer." Among them: Nestlé, Heinz and General Mills.

"A federal investigation into contaminated Chinese-made drywall has been a long, hard tug-of-war for U.S. investigators trying to pry information from Chinese government officials and manufacturers. When a team of investigators traveled to China last year, the tug-of-war became physical, with a Chinese official trying to wrest a piece of drywall from an American’s hands."