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News Release | CoPIRG Foundation, Environment Colorado Research and Policy Center, Frontier Group

New report: Repowering Colorado’s buildings could be like taking 1.7 million cars off the road, reduce indoor air pollution

Colorado could see a big and critical reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and gas usage if it phases out fossil fuel use in all of its buildings during the next 30 years, according to a new report released today by Environment Colorado Research & Policy Center, CoPIRG Foundation and Frontier Group. The study, Electric Buildings: Repowering Homes and Businesses for Our Health and Environment, found that completely repowering Colorado’s homes and businesses with electricity by 2050 is expected to result in net emissions reductions of 8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide – equal to taking 1.7 million passenger vehicles off the road – and reductions in pipeline gas usage equal to 170.7 billion cubic feet. It can also reduce indoor air pollution in homes and businesses. 

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Report | CoPIRG Foundation, Environment Colorado Research and Policy Center, Frontier Group

Electric Buildings

To prevent air and water pollution and avoid the worst impacts of global warming, America must move toward meeting our energy needs with 100% renewable energy. Getting there will require that we get the most out of every bit of energy we use – and that we stop burning fossil fuels in our homes and commercial buildings. 

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Blog Post

Plastic waste solutions hiding in plain sight: Recycled content requirements | Haley Clinton

This blog is the second in a series examining policy solutions to the plastic pollution crisis that are proven and replicable. This section covers recycled content requirements.

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Blog Post

Another face of toxic-free beauty advocacy | Gina Werdel

We spoke to Je’May Ward, a clean beauty blogger from North Carolina, about what clean beauty advocacy means for her.

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News Release | CoPIRG | Consumer Protection

Denver financial empowerment office helps thousands of residents reduce debt, save money, avoid debt traps

CoPIRG released new data highlighting the success of the Denver Office of Financial Empowerment and Protection (OFEP), which in 2020 helped thousands of Denver residents reduce debt by $1.4 million, increase savings by $227,000, avoid $826,000 in tax prep fees, and improve credit scores by an average of 43 points. CoPIRG highlighted that the Denver OFEP success underscores the role a statewide Office of Financial Empowerment could play to help leverage Denver’s success across the state.

 

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News Release | US PIRG | Consumer Tips, COVID-19

Money for nothing: Paying the same car insurance while driving less during the pandemic

While COVID-19 is causing financial difficulties for tens of millions of Americans, auto insurers nationwide have made tens of billions of dollars in profit because consumers have driven significantly less during the pandemic.

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News Release | CoPIRG Foundation and Eco-Cycle | Solid Waste

CO recycling rate worsens, leading cities’ recycling and composting efforts demonstrate model for state

As Colorado Recycles Week kicks off, a new report revealed Colorado’s recycling rate in 2019 dropped from 17.2% to 15.9%, less than half the national average of 35%. Coloradans sent 6.1 million tons of municipal waste to landfills, over 90% of which could have been recycled or composted to the benefit of the climate and the local economy. Despite the downward trend, the annual State of Recycling in Colorado Report, co-authored by Eco-Cycle and CoPIRG, also featured updated city-by-city recycling rates and held up the cities of Boulder, Loveland, Aspen, Durango, and Fort Collins as leaders. 

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News Release | CoPIRG | COVID-19

Triple testing, temporarily close bars and indoor dining, and limit travel to combat COVID

As COVID cases surge and freezing weather approaches, CoPIRG is calling on Colorado to take necessary actions to blunt the spread of the virus. CoPIRG applauds Governor Polis for extending a mask mandate but more aggressive action is needed, including temporarily closing indoor dining and bars, tripling the amount of testing and limiting travel. 

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News Release | CoPIRG | COVID-19

“Home Safe for the Holidays” campaign calls for COVID testing to triple in Colorado

At the time of year that many Americans usually start making holiday travel plans, the consumer advocacy group, CoPIRG, is launching the “Home for the Holidays” campaign. The campaign calls on Governor Polis to triple the amount of testing happening to ensure Colorado reaches the testing levels needed to suppress the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) so that people can gather more safely over the upcoming holidays. 

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News Release | US PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

FTC settles first case against VoIP provider for allowing illegal robocalls

This FTC settlement must be a wake-up call to phone service providers so they do more to protect consumers. If not, the FTC must be vigilant in going after companies that enable the immoral practice of preying on consumers. And the FCC should require providers to block spoofed calls that we all know are scams.

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Report | CoPIRG Foundation | Transportation

Plugging In

The adoption of large numbers of electric vehicles (EVs) offers many benefits for cities, including cleaner air and the opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Electric vehicles are far cleaner than gasoline-powered cars, with lower greenhouse gas emissions and lower emissions of the pollutants that contribute to smog and particulate matter.

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Report | CoPIRG Foundation | Public Health

Kiss Off: A Consumer's Guide To Saying No To Toxic Lip Products

Lip products are used by most Americans every day. In fact, 81 percent of women and 39 percent of men use lipstick or lip balm products. Unfortunately, the ingredients in these products are barely regulated, and many major brands use toxic chemicals in these products. This consumer guide includes some potentially dangerous examples and a few “safer” alternative products that do not contain these toxic ingredients. With so many lip products that contain toxic chemicals, it is hard for the average consumer to know what is safe to use and what is not.

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Report | CoPIRG | Consumer Protection

Recommendations After Equifax Breach

Equifax, one of the big three credit reporting agencies, announced on September 7th that it had been hacked, potentially compromising the data of 145 million Americans. The types of information taken from the massive credit bureau, particularly Social Security numbers and dates of birth, are the keys to new account identity theft. This is a big deal. To make matters worse, there’s a lot of confusion over what to do now. Here’s our recommendations for what you should do:

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Report | CoPIRG Foundation | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland 2017

For over 30 years, CoPIRG Foundation has conducted an annual survey of toy safety, which has led to over 150 recalls and other regulatory actions over the years, and has helped educate the public and policymakers on the need for continued action to protect the health and wellbeing of children. Among the toys surveyed this year, we found potential choking hazards, and two products with concentrations of lead exceeding federal standards for children’s products. We also found data-collecting toys that may violate children’s privacy laws.

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Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Lead In Fidget Spinners

While lead in toys has become less prevalent in recent years, U.S. PIRG Education Fund tested several models of one of today’s hottest toys, fidget spinners, for the toxic heavy metal. Laboratory results indicated that two fidget spinners purchased at Target and distributed by Bulls i Toy, L.L.C. contained extremely high levels of lead. U.S. PIRG Education Fund calls on Target and Bulls i Toy to immediately recall these two fidget spinners and investigate how such high levels of lead were found in these toys. Also, we call on the U.S.

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Blog Post | Consumer Tips, COVID-19, Public Health

After 20 people die and dozens become ill, FDA finally flags hand sanitizer from Mexico | Teresa Murray

Consumers still at risk for harmful over-the-counter drug products of all types because of soft federal regulations.

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Blog Post

How to explore consumer problems in the financial marketplace using the CFPB’s Consumer Complaint Database | Gideon Weissman

The CFPB’s Consumer Complaint Database is a powerful tool for understanding the problems consumers face in the financial marketplace. The more people that use it — and the more people that publicize the tool’s utility and write to the CFPB with suggestions — the better off we will all be.

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Blog Post

Cancer prevention means no more toxic cosmetics | Gina Werdel

Cancer devastates millions of American families every year. While not all cancer cases are preventable, February is National Cancer Prevention Month, and it’s time we start a conversation about eliminating the many cancer-linked chemicals in our cosmetic and personal care products.

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Blog Post | COVID-19

Don't reopen too quickly | Allison Conwell

It’s critical that Colorado does not open too quickly. If we reopen too quickly, while the virus is not contained, all of the sacrifices we’ve made during our temporary shutdown could be for naught and people could contract COVID-19 and lose their lives unnecessarily.

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Blog Post | Solid Waste

Coming clean on fast fashion’s wasteful secret | Olivia Sullivan

This year’s brands are overwhelmed with record amounts of accumulated overstock because of COVID-19 lockdowns. All that clothing has to go somewhere if it’s not being sold.

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News Release | CoPIRG

Statement: FTC to crack down on companies' anti-repair restrictions

The Federal Trade Commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a new policy statement that outlines anti-repair practices it will view as illegal. The new guidance comes two weeks after President Joe Biden issued an executive order calling for the FTC to issue new rules to protect the Right to Repair -- and two months after the FTC issued its landmark “Nixing the Fix” report on repair restrictions. That report found many examples of manufacturers’ practices it has now ruled are enforceable violations. 

News Release | CoPIRG

CoPIRG highlights solutions after Denver, North Front Range once again fails to meet EPA’s air quality deadline

The Denver Metro and North Front Range areas missed another key deadline on Tuesday to meet ozone pollution air quality standards set by the federal government.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave the Denver Metro and the North Front Range (DMNFR) a deadline until July 20, 2021 to meet a 2008 standard. These areas were already considered in “Serious” nonattainment for exceeding the pollution standards. Ozone pollution data from the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division indicate that the DMNFR exceeded ozone levels at multiple monitors between 2018 and 2020.   

Blog Post

Another longtail of COVID-19: medical debt

How the pandemic has worsened the medical debt crisis

News Release | US PIRG

Statement: Johnson & Johnson recalls sunscreen products after tests detect carcinogens

Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. said Wednesday it’s voluntarily recalling all lots of five types of Neutrogena and Aveeno aerosol sunscreen after internal testing showed “low levels of benzene” -- which can cause cancer -- in some samples. J&J also said consumers should stop using the sunscreen.

Report | US PIRG Education Fund

Chain Reaction VI

The Chain Reaction VI report and scorecard ranks America’s top restaurant chains on their policies relating to antibiotic use in their beef supply chains. 

  • COVID-19 CONSUMER TIPS
    Avoid online scams, protect your credit and more. We have assembled a set of consumer tips and guides, and will add more in the days to come.
    OUR TIPS
  • THE FIX IS IN
    Our survey shows that independent shops are struggling to access parts, service information and repair software which is necessary to fix phones — which manufacturers won’t let these independent shops have.
    OUR REPORT
  • FOOD RECALL FAILURE
    Will your supermarket warn you about hazardous food? Our survey grades 26 of the largest grocery stores in the country to determine the efficacy of their policies and practices notifying consumers about food recalls.
    OUR REPORT
  • CHAIN REACTION V
    The overuse of antibiotics contributes to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can cause life-threatening infections in people. Our report ranks restaurant chains on their policies relating to antibiotic use in their beef supply chains.
    SEE THE GRADES

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