Welcome to Thursday, July 21st, solar panels and windmills...

California's solar panel waste is creating a growing environmental hazard as the panels end up in landfills.

About 80% of typical solar panels are made of recyclable materials but the process of breaking them down to allow the recovery of glass, silver, and silicon is extremely difficult so only 1-in-10 solar panels are recycled, according to industry estimates. 

With a growing number of solar panels reaching the end of their useful lifecycle, which is typically about 25 years, many are ending up in California landfills where toxic heavy metals from the solar panels like selenium and cadmium can contaminate groundwater.

Are you concerned about recycling end-of-life solar panels to prevent environmental hazards?

Should Same-Sex Marriage Rights Be Codified in Federal Law? (H.R. 8404)

This bill — the Respect for Marriage Act — would repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act and establish through a statute that a marriage is legitimate under federal law if it was valid in the state where it was performed. 

On July 19, the House passed the vill on a 267-157 vote.

Do you support or oppose this bill?

FCC Takes Action Against Auto Warranty Robocall Scams

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorized phone companies to cut off auto warranty robocall scams. The agency believes more than 8 billion such robocalls have been placed in an effort to scam consumers.

Telecom companies received public notice from the regulator’s Enforcement Bureau advising them to block voice calls from these robocallers and be on the lookout for this traffic. 

Are you glad the FCC is taking a stand against scam auto warranty robocalls?

All the Memes Fit to Post

And, In The End...

It's Take A Monkey To Lunch Day, which may seem like a fun, random, holiday to laugh about with your coworkers. However, it commemorates the Scopes Monkey Trial, where John Thomas Scopes, a science teacher from Dayton, Tennessee, was convicted of teaching evolution in a public school, which violated Tennessee law.

The Scopes Trial is one of the most famous trials in US history. The essential conflict at the heart of the case, the conflict between science and religion, is still debated today.

—Jamie Epstein

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