A major sunscreen company’s ‘reef-friendly’ claims may be bogus
Be extra wary of what sunscreen you choose this summer. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the country’s top regulator, is suing Edgewell Personal Care—owner of Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat—after finding that more than 90 of its products labeled “reef friendly” still contained ingredients that can indeed harm coral and other marine life. While the formulas are free of oxybenzone and octinoxate, two chemicals known to cause damage to reefs, the ACCC alleges that they contain other harmful ingredients such as homosalate and avobenzone, which research shows may cause bleaching in coral reefs. The lawsuit follows a consumer watchdog report that found overstated protection claims on several products; one particularly distressing example found that a sublock marked SPF 50+ only provided a level of protection equivalent to SPF 4. Want a sunscreen that protects you and the planet? We recently tested several and landed on a standout sustainable pick.
A big SCOTUS win for environmentalists
In a Supreme Court session dotted with setbacks, environmental groups scored a major victory last week. On June 30, the justices refused to hear ExxonMobil’s appeal of a $14.25 million penalty for air pollution violations at its Baytown, Texas, refinery. The ruling upholds the largest-ever civil penalty resulting from a citizen-initiated environmental lawsuit. Jointly filed by the Sierra Club and Environment Texas in 2010, the case cited more than 16,000 air pollution violations and 10 million pounds of unreported emissions between 2005 and 2013. The fossil-fuel giant had challenged not only the ruling but also whether citizens had the legal right to enforce regulations. Ultimately, the court’s decision affirms the public’s right to hold polluters accountable.
Local governments are saving the world faster than their countries
A little fed up with shouting at the federal government about climate policy, and watching sweeping legislation like the “One Big Beautiful Bill” take the legs out of nationwide clean-energy and climate initiatives? There’s plenty of change (and progress!) happening closer to home. Nearly three in four cities in the C40 group—a worldwide group of about 100 mayors—are cutting emissions locally more quickly than their countries overall, according to a new report by the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. Cities are hustling to change because they’re not only getting hotter faster than farms or burbs, but metropolises are also vulnerable to flooding, as heavy rainwaters overwhelm aging sewer systems, Grist reports. Efforts to bolster public transportation, urban greenery, building efficiency, and more add up quickly. It’s an excellent reminder to keep attuned to what’s on local ballots and council dockets, so you can address the impacts of the climate crisis at your own doorstep.
EVs pass plug-in hybrids in reliability
Plug-in hybrid cars are proving to be the TV/VCRs of the auto industry, according to a new analysis from J.D. Power. EVs have officially passed the half-gas-half-electric rides by a metric called PP100, which is how many issues a car will have in its first 90 days off the lot. The reason? The cars have all the same issues of a gas-powered car and an all-electric one wrapped up in a single package. “They are getting impacted with issues from both the combustion engine (shifting, hesitation, etc.) as well as the electric engines (range, charging issues, etc.),” Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power, told InsideEVs. If that’s enough to nudge you a little more towards flipping the electric switch, check out our cheat sheet for tips on buying your very first EV.