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1/14/12
UC system banning smoking from all campuses. The University of California is banning cigarettes and all other tobacco products from its campuses over the next two years, in a move designed to both protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke and prevent young people from developing the bad habit. San Francisco Chronicle, California.
Are schools making kids sick? Figures are hard to come by, but studies have estimated that a third or more of U.S. schools have mold, dust and other indoor air problems serious enough to provoke respiratory issues like asthma in students and teachers. CNN
Pollution tied to disease risk in Los Angeles black women. In a study of more than 4,000 black women in Los Angeles, those who lived in areas with higher levels of traffic-related air pollution were at increased risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure. Reuters
Nurses’ miscarriages linked to chemicals at work. A new study reports that nurses who worked with chemotherapy drugs or sterilizing chemicals were twice as likely to have a miscarriage as their colleagues who didn’t handle these materials. Reuters
EPA sees risks to water, workers in New York fracking rules. New York’s emerging plan to regulate natural gas drilling in the gas-rich Marcellus Shale needs to go further to safeguard drinking water, environmentally sensitive areas and gas industry workers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has informed state officials. ProPublica
Glacier time-lapse images reveal ‘epochal change.’ When James Balog looked over his time-lapse photography of an Icelandic glacier, everything he thought he knew about climate change .... changed. CBC Canada
1/13/12
Study: Simple measures could reduce global warming, save lives. Simple, inexpensive measures to cut emissions of two common pollutants will slow global warming, save millions of lives and boost crop production around the world, a large international team of scientists reported Thursday. Washington Post [Registration Required]
Judge puts onus on California to prove it considered methyl iodide alternatives. The lawsuit over California’s approval of a controversial pesticide may hinge on a seemingly straightforward question: Did regulators ever ask themselves what would happen if they didn’t approve methyl iodide? San Francisco KQED, California
Investors: Private sector must tackle climate change. Institutional investors with a collective $26 trillion under management opened a new front on Thursday in the fight against climate change, urging the private sector to mobilize, follow the money and find new technologies to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Reuters
California imposes energy-efficiency standards on battery chargers. The California Energy Commission on a 3-0 vote Thursday approved first-in-the-nation efficiency standards targeting about 170 million so-called vampire charging systems that waste as much as 60% of the electricity they suck from outlets. Los Angeles Times [Registration Required]
Oceans: Obama administration lays out action plan for new national policy. The Obama administration today released a new draft \“action plan\” that directs agencies across the federal government to work together on ocean planning and conservation, the next step in the administration’s ambitious effort to create a wide-ranging national ocean policy. Greenwire
Chemical found in deodorants, face cream and food products is discovered in tumors of all breast cancer patients. Parabens, a chemical compound widely used as a preservative in cosmetics, food products and pharmaceuticals, have been found in tissue samples from 40 women with breast cancer. London Daily Mail, United Kingdom.
Tobacco scientist’s election tars academy’s image. Within hours of the election of Xie Jianping to the prestigious Chinese Academy of Engineering on Dec. 8, the Internet here was buzzing with wild accusations. On the popular microblog Tencent Weibo, Liu Zhifeng got an early jump, questioning the anointment of a scientist whose research, he charged, is used “to more effectively kill people.” Science [Subscription Required]
1/12/12
In the first study of its kind, scientists in Denmark report that women exposed near the time of conception to relatively common levels of a particular phthalate are more likely to experience early pregnancy loss compared to women with lower exposures. The phthalate associated with the losses, MEHP, is a breakdown product of a phthalate, DEHP, widely used in plastics. Only exposures around conception - and not in the prior month - were linked to the loss. More…
Pool chlorine tied to lung damage in elite swimmers. Competitive swimmers who train at indoor chlorinated swimming pools may have lung changes similar to those seen in people with mild asthma, a new study has found. Reuters
Cadmium-laced jewelry removed from stores, More than a dozen of the most popular retailers have stopped selling jewelry that contains more than trace levels of a toxic metal called cadmium, accepting a new standard that consumer advocates say is tougher than the one endorsed by Washington. Washington Post [Registration Required]
Online map shows biggest greenhouse gas emitters. The EPA for the first time is making available detailed information on sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The searchable computerized map allows users to identify the nation’s major stationary sources of carbon dioxide and other climate-changing gases, including power plants, refineries, chemical factories and paper mills. New York Times [Registration Required]
Unraveling the obesity-cancer connection. Obese and diabetic individuals have a far higher risk than lean healthy people of getting cancer, and when they do get it, their risk of dying from it is greater. And now that obesity and diabetes rates are skyrocketing, the need to understand this link has become far more urgent. A growing body of research shows that insulin and a related hormone play a key role in fueling tumors. Science [Subscription Required]
1/11/12
Fish exposed to low levels of common flame retardants called PBDEs for most of their lives pass the chemicals – and more surprisingly, the associated toxic effects – along to their progeny. While parent’s health effects were minimal, the exposures reduced hatch rates and altered the thyroid hormone system of the next generation. The study is important because it shows that flame retardants can trigger thyroid hormone disruption in the next generation whether or not the offspring are exposed to the chemicals. More…
Programs to screen, treat lead poisoning in children face budget axe. With a steep budget cut buried deep in the $1 trillion spending measure Congress passed before the holidays, Congress quietly slashed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s lead prevention grant program by 94 percent. Public health advocates and scientists say the cut will have a devastating effect on local health programs. Greenwire
Bay Area’s urban planning must address public health, study says. According to a recent analysis by Oakland’s Pacific Institute and a group of public health and air-quality advocates, California’s efforts to build sustainable communities as mandated by the state law could unintentionally threaten the health of Bay Area residents. California Watch
Leaked document reveals Rio 20 development goals. Countries will be asked this summer to sign up for 10 new sustainable development goals for the planet and promise to build green economies at the first earth summit in 20 years. London Guardian, United Kingdom.
Report backs greater use of recycled wastewater. Opponents malign it as \“toilet to tap.\” But a new National Research Council report says that reclaimed water can contribute a growing portion of the nation’s drinking water supplies and be as safe as conventional sources. Los Angeles Times [Registration Required]
Rules tighten on use of antibiotics on farms. Alarmed at signs that the overuse of antibiotics in farm animals is blunting these key weapons against human disease, governments are taking action. Nature
FDA tests threaten Brazil orange juice imports. Fears that the U.S. might ban imports of orange juice from Brazil drove orange juice futures to an all-time high on Tuesday as health regulators began testing all incoming shipments for traces of an illegal fungicide called carbendazim. Reuters
FDA tests threaten Brazil orange juice imports. Fears that the U.S. might ban imports of orange juice from Brazil drove orange juice futures to an all-time high on Tuesday as health regulators began testing all incoming shipments for traces of an illegal fungicide called carbendazim. Reuters
1/10/12
Snow drought forces Colorado to face frightening new climate-change reality. Just a year after record snowfall throughout much of the Rocky Mountain West, the region is locked in a snow drought not seen since Jimmy Carter surrendered the White House to Ronald Reagan in the early 1980s. Colorado Independent, Colorado.
EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory doesn’t offer full picture of pollution. The EPA has unveiled its analysis of the 2010 Toxics Release Inventory, a database on the disposal or release of 650 potentially dangerous chemicals used by almost 21,000 facilities. But it provides only a snapshot of the pollution produced by American industry, and estimates in some cases dramatically understate the extent of pollution. Center for Public Integrity
Fracking moratorium urged as doctors call for health study. The U.S. should declare a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in populated areas until the health effects are better understood, doctors said at a conference on the drilling process. Bloomberg News
Nicotine replacement doesn’t help smokers quit, study finds. The nicotine gum and patches that millions of smokers use to help kick their habit have no lasting benefit and may backfire in some cases, according to the most rigorous long-term study to date of so-called nicotine replacement therapy. New York Times [Registration Required]
FDA steps up testing for fungicide in orange juice. In a letter to the Juice Products Association, the Food and Drug Administration stated its intent to begin testing shipments of orange juice at the border and detain any that contain traces of the fungicide carbendazim. Because it is not approved for use in the United States, any amount found in food is illegal. Associated Press
Preventing cancer through helping the environment. There are ways to reduce environmentally induced cancer, and to that end, members of Cobourg’s Health Hazards Committee want Mayor Gil Brocanier and his council to take responsible actions like those outlined in the book entitled: \“Cancer - 101 Solutions to a Preventable Epidemic.\” Northumberland Today, Ontario.
1/9/12
Bisphenol A seems impossible to avoid. It contaminates food, thermal receipts and drinks served in certain plastic bottles. A new study finds its reach goes even further. Researchers detected trace amounts of BPA in a wide variety of paper products most of us touch every day. While levels of BPA exposure from these paper products, including toilet paper, paper towels, newspapers and business cards are much lower in comparison to what occurs through food, the results add to the long list of products that lead to human contact with BPA.
Grassroots effort keeps Gladstone green Thanks to a grassroots effort led by researchers and facilities personnel, the San Francisco institution is working to keep energy, paper and chemical waste in check in an environment where changes in temperature and sterility can ruin experiments.
High mercury levels in Antarctic waters. Think Antarctica, think pristine but a new study has again found that’s not exactly so. A team of oceanographers have discovered the sea birds in the Southern Ocean have four times the mercury levels of aquatic birds elsewhere. Australia ABC News, Australia.
Did moms of the 1950s spur obesity epidemic? One fitness expert thinks obesity rates soared because a generation of young women smoked, spurned breast-feeding and restricted their weight during many, closely spaced pregnancies. Los Angeles Times [Registration Required]
Opinion: Much ado about methane. The climate change story has many frightening pieces. Methane venting from oceans and the Arctic has grabbed the public’s imagination lately, but it is not the scariest part of the tale. Daily Climate
Toxic chemical releases increased 16 percent in 2010, largely driven by the metal mining sector. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the total increase Thursday, following years of decline. Toxic emissions to air, soil and water totaled 3.93 billion pounds in 2010, compared to 3.39 billion pounds in 2009. This includes annual increases in a number of toxic chemicals and metals, including lead, dioxins and carcinogens.
‘Prepare for Low-Carbon Economy This Year,’ Ex-UN Climate Chief Says. Results from the Durban climate talks show that businesses should start preparing in 2012 for a low-carbon economy, according to the former executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.
1/8/12
California wine makers consider climate adaptation. Napa Valley wine has improved in recent decades, and with adaptation, Napa could gain land for premium grape growing. But without adaptation, the valley could lose between 50 and 70 percent of its land suitable for growing premium wines, scientists working for wine makers said. Napa Valley Register, California.
Republicans vs. science: Ranking the candidates. The Republican Party has often been the party of science and technology. Now, tragically, science has been made partisan. Asked to define a Democrat, Karl Rove once said \“Somebody with a doctorate.\” New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2012/01/republicans-vs-science-ranking-the-candidates.html
Questions remain about organic foods grown in China. It’s no secret that China has a tainted food problem. The USDA samples less than 1 percent of all regulated products. It regularly refuses shipments of purportedly organic foods because of pesticide residues or unsafe food additives — not because the food does not meet organic standards, but because they do not meet standards for any food. Seattle Times, Washington.
U.S. judge OKs alfalfa strain made by Monsanto Co. A federal judge has upheld the government’s decision to let the nation’s alfalfa growers plant the genetically engineered, herbicide-resistant strain manufactured by Monsanto Co., saying the alleged risk of contaminating other crops does not require regulators to impose buffer zones. San Francisco Chronicle, California.
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