20 million acres of U.S. cropland may be contaminated by ‘forever chemicals’ and more environmental news.

[View this email in your browser]( Monday, May 9, 2022 "We need to get angry and understand what is at stake. And then we need to transform that anger into action and to stand together united and just never give up." – Greta Thunberg 20 Million Acres of U.S. Cropland May Be Contaminated by PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Toxic per- and [polyfluorinated alkyl substances]( known as PFAS or “[forever chemicals]( are a family of more than 9,000 synthetic, human-made chemicals that barely break down in the natural environment, according to CHEM Trust. [PFAS]( are used to make products water-, heat- or stain-resistant, The Guardian reported. Very low amounts of these forever chemicals in [drinking water]( have been linked to a higher risk of cancer, [immunosuppression]( interference with the reproductive system and other health problems, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG). [Read More]( Related: [Toxic Forever Chemicals Found in Michigan Beef]( Flying Insect Numbers Down Almost 60% in UK Car Windscreen Test Have you observed that the number of [insects]( landing on your car windscreen has decreased over the past decades? If so, you aren’t alone. Two conservation groups in the UK set out to test the oft-observed “windscreen phenomenon,” and the result was shocking: The number of flying insects landing on British cars fell by almost 60 percent in just 17 years. [Read More]( Related: [Climate Crisis and Big Agriculture Threaten Insects Worldwide]( Stanford Receives Its Largest-Ever Donation for Climate-Focused School Stanford University has received the largest gift in its history, and it’s for a school dedicated to studying the [climate crisis](. The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability will open its doors this fall, the [university]( announced on Wednesday. It is Stanford’s first new school in 70 years and was made possible by donations of $1.69 billion, with $1.1 billion alone gifted by John and Ann Doerr. [Read More]( Related: [NASA Climate Scientist Awarded 2022 World Food Prize]( Biden Administration Forms New Office of Environmental Justice The U.S. Department of Justice has announced a new Office of [Environmental Justice]( alongside an [environmental justice enforcement strategy](. The office, which is within the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), will prioritize [protecting communities hit hardest by polluting and contaminating industries](. [Read More]( Related: [Biden Announces $3 Billion in Grants for Domestic Electric Vehicle Battery Production]( Meat Alternatives Made From Fungi Could Cut Deforestation by 50% Researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) have found that substituting just 20% of beef with a fungi-based [meat alternative]( could [decrease deforestation]( by 50% by 2050. According to the researchers, microbial protein, as the fungi-based “meat” is called, can replicate the taste and texture of real beef. But microbial proteins require far less land to produce, and growing the fungi also involves less emissions from agriculture and deforestation. [Read More]( Related: [Eating Lab-Grown Meat and Insects Could Benefit the Planet]( Do you get this newsletter daily? If not, [sign up here]( or forward to a friend. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2022 EcoWatch, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up for EcoWatch Top News of The Day Our mailing address is: EcoWatch 1122 Oberlin RoadRaleigh, NC 27605 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](