Deadly Litter

When will we wake up to the fact that littering is one of the most destructive things people do to the environment? Plastic wrappers and bottle caps are deadly! Every fishing line cut and left in the water, every cigarette package wrapper thrown into a gutter, every plastic shopping bag blowing around an alley, every pint of dumped oil, ends up somewhere...usually in a surface water system. This recently-shot series of heartbreaking photos by Chris Jordan shows how deadly these seemingly insignificant pieces of litter really are, and how far they travel.

Working, More or Less

Have your work hours, and corresponding paychecks, been cut back since the recession began? Have you or someone in your household added a part-time job to make ends meet? If so, data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta show that you have a lot of company.



If the official unemployment rate (9.8%) included those working part-time for economic reasons as well as workers who have looked for work within the last 12 months, it would be 17%.

This trend is strikingly different from past recessions, and highlights the current problem of underemployment. Can you find a job if you try hard enough? Probably yes, but it's likely to be less than full-time and less than you're qualified for.