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Week Starting April 23, 2012
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4/29/12
British mothers, whose babies were born on the same street with the same birth defect, claim they’ve found the cause. The mothers of a string of babies born with a birth defect on the same Kent street are convinced they’ve found the cause - the banned weedkiller, atrazine. London Daily Mail, United Kingdom.
Wildlife Services’ brutal methods leave a trail of animal death. Since 2000,USDA’s Wildlife Services has killed nearly a million coyotes and millions of birds—from starlings to shorebirds. It has also killed a colorful menagerie of more than 300 other species, including black bears, beavers, porcupines, river otters, mountain lions and wolves… even bald eagles. Sacramento Bee, California.
Mad cow: Latest episode raises questions about cattle feed. The riskiest parts of rendered cows aren’t supposed to be fed back to other cows. But they are fed to chickens, whose waste can be fed back to cattle in what one critic calls ‘cow cannibalism.’ Christian Science Monitor
Rare mad cow strain found in Tulare County mysterious. Federal officials have been quick to reassure the public that there is no health threat from the mad cow disease discovered in the carcass of a Tulare County dairy cow. Fresno Bee, California.
Why is safety a divisive issue for Nuclear Regulatory Commission? NRC Chairman Greg Jaczko has found himself on the losing side of 4-1 votes that usually end up favoring less stringent regulations for the industry. He’s also been the target of a congressman’s attacks. Los Angeles Times [Registration Required]
Why is safety a divisive issue for Nuclear Regulatory Commission? NRC Chairman Greg Jaczko has found himself on the losing side of 4-1 votes that usually end up favoring less stringent regulations for the industry. He’s also been the target of a congressman’s attacks. Los Angeles Times [Registration Required]
Air quality improving, but still failing, lung association reports. San Diego’s air quality has grown steadily cleaner in recent years, but the county still earned an “F” grade on the American Lung Association’s annual “State of the Air Report.” San Diego North County Times, California.
Bracing for the arrival of the ‘grim, green reaper. Foot-long in photographs, the dazzling green beetle looks unstoppable. It probably is. The depiction of an emerald ash borer was not to scale, we were assured by forestry experts who assembled one recent day in central Vermont. But the threat the invasive insect poses to regional forests is huge. Burlington Free Press, Vermont.
4/28/12
Protesters urge US to scuttle Dow’s new GMO corn. Opponents of a new biotech corn variety developed by Dow AgroSciences are making a final push to get US regulators to reject Dow’s application to roll out herbicide-tolerant crops that critics believe will wreak havoc on the environment and endanger human health. Reuters
Genetically-modified health? Scratch the surface of genetically-modified foods and you find a topic that makes people very itchy indeed. It is a debate that spans health, politics, power, environment and ethics – and on either side are people with passionately opposing points of view. Sydney Morning Herald, Australia. [Registration Required]
America’s most polluted cities. While Los Angeles may be synonymous with air pollution to many, the worst levels of year-round particle pollution are in hot, dusty Bakersfield, California. Forbes
Tropical diseases surfacing more in Texas. Houston scientists have launched an attack against little-known tropical diseases, scourges of the developing world, increasingly showing up in poor areas of Texas. Houston Chronicle, Texas.
Rising tide in Norfolk, Va. There’s an issue that could have major implications for the nation’s economy, and it’s barely mentioned by presidential candidates: the soaring costs America might face in generations to come from climate change. More specifically, the very damaging and very costly effects of sea level rise. Need to Know, PBS.
Drought: Relief from the massive dry spell in the Great Plains could be only temporary, experts say. The historic drought that has gripped Texas for more than a year is slowly easing, but the relief could be temporary if the current La Niña weather pattern persists into a third year, scientists said yesterday. ClimateWire
Women who smoke during pregnancy ‘may be more likely to have a child with Asperger’s syndrome.’ Researchers have found that 13 per cent of mothers whose children were identified as having an autism spectrum disorder at the age of eight had smoked during pregnancy. London Daily Mail, United Kingdom.
Plastic pollution underestimated, say scientists. Tiny, confetti-sized pieces of plastic litter the world’s oceans, and it’s not a pretty picture for marine life. Christian Science Monitor
4/27/12
How a holistic view of buildings can cut energy use and costs Not only are energy-efficient buildings cheaper to run, but they also can be healthier—and can even help companies attract employees and shareholders. That was the message from green building experts at a recent sustainability conference in New York. “A green building is an efficient building,” said Lisa Shpritz, senior vice president and operations executive for Bank of America. “It is a healthy and efficient place to work.”
Environmental movement has one foot in the grave. Even the dead pollute. So environmentalists have been promoting — with some success — “green burials.” Greenwire
Study indicates a greater threat of extreme weather. New research suggests that global warming is causing the cycle of evaporation and rainfall over the oceans to intensify more than scientists had expected, an ominous finding that may indicate a higher potential for extreme weather in coming decades. New York Times [Registration Required]
Saga of California’s Salton Sea: A tragic chapter ahead? Some worry that a water-diversion deal, sending farm irrigation water to sprawling San Diego, will spell doom for the Salton Sea — and exposure to toxins for humans and wildlife. Others say protections are in place to ensure that can’t happen. Christian Science Monitor
A mom and a scientist talk toxins and babies. Like many expectant moms, filmmaker Penelope Jagessar Chaffer was curious about how the chemicals in her environment would affect her growing baby. In this TEDWomen talk, she asks an expert on the effects of pesticides on amphibians to explain how a certain pesticides, could affect her baby. Mother Nature Network
Will climate change tip poor nations’ health systems over the edge? Killer health problems such as diarrhea, malnutrition, malaria and dengue are highly sensitive to climate change and could worsen in the coming decades, health experts agree. But how, where and to what extent remains unclear. Reuters
Study finds early signs of malaria drug resistance in Africa. Africa’s deadliest malaria parasite has shown resistance in lab tests to one of the most powerful drugs on the market – a warning of possible resistance to follow in patients, according to scientists. Agence France-Presse
Farm bill lacks authority for first-line disease testing system. Although mad cow disease is in the headlines this week after the discovery of an affected cow in California, the farm bill passed on Thursday by the Senate Agriculture Committee failed to include an inexpensive and uncontroversial provision authorizing the lab system that tested the animal. National Journal
4/26/12
Population and consumption key to future, report says. Over-consumption in rich countries and rapid population growth in the poorest both need to be tackled to put society on a sustainable path, a report from an expert group convened by the Royal Society says. BBC
Advisers say National Children’s Study should represent US population. An advisory committee that met yesterday to consider the design of the struggling National Children’s Study came down firmly in favor of one option: The study should recruit children from a geographic sample that represents the entire U.S. population. But whether NIH will go with that plan isn’t yet clear. Science
Obama: Climate change will be a campaign issue. President Barack Obama says the amount of money poured into fighting the scientific consensus on climate change will push the issue into the presidential campaign. Politico
Warm spring may mean drought and wildfires in West. Decreased snowpack in the Rocky Mountains and a projected dry, hot summer – along with the possibility of more drought for years to come – may compound problems for Colorado, Arizona, California and other Western states. National Geographic News
Organic farming, carefully done, can be efficient. Organic agriculture generally comes at a cost of smaller harvests compared with conventional agriculture, but that gap can be narrowed with careful selection of crop type, growing conditions and management techniques, according a new study. Los Angeles Times [Registration Required]
US mad cow find: Lucky break or triumph of science? The discovery this week of the fourth U.S. case of mad cow disease was one of two things for food safety experts: a validation of a decade-long focused surveillance regime or a lucky break that highlights the need to revisit previously scrapped efforts for more comprehensive surveillance. Reuters
Mobile phones: ‘Still no evidence of harm to health.’ There is still no evidence mobile phones harm human health, says a major safety review for the UK’s Health Protection Agency. BBC
Got a light—er charger? Big tobacco’s latest buzz. Lorillard Inc. acquired a maker of electronic cigarettes for $135 million, the first foray by Big Tobacco into a small but rapidly growing alternative to traditional cigarettes. Wall Street Journal [Subscription Required]
4/25/12
Discovery of mad cow in California was stroke of luck. The first new case of mad cow disease in the U.S. since 2006 has been discovered in California. The fact that the discovery was made at all was a stroke of luck. The cow had died at one of the region’s hundreds of dairies, but hadn’t exhibited outward symptoms of the disease. Associated Press
EPA is pressed to ban chemicals that studies link to honeybees’ demise. Approximately a third of U.S. bees have been dying in each of the last six winters. The cause of the decline remains unclear, but environmentalists - bolstered by several recent studies - have begun pointing fingers at pesticides. Greenwire
Pollution report: More Americans breathing easier. While dangerous pollutants still threaten the health of millions of Americans, the United States has made great strides in clearing the air, according to the American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2012 report. CNN Money
Scientists find members of measles virus family in bats. Scientists studying bats have found dozens of new members of a virus family linked to human disease, and warned of possible exposure as the winged mammals are driven out of forests into the cities. Agence France-Presse
Climate change is reducing Arctic Ocean biodiversity, $40 million study says. A unique study of the effects of global warming in the Arctic Ocean shows that climate change is reducing biodiversity, threatening unique marine species and increasing distribution through the Arctic food chain of contaminants, such as methylmercury. Postmedia News
Climate right for Asian mosquito to spread in Northern Europe. The climate in northwestern Europe and the Balkans is becoming suitable for the Asian tiger mosquito, a disease-spreading invasive species, scientists said on Wednesday. Agence France-Presse
Study links plant damage to nanoparticles. Science fiction might have us believe that tiny particles seeping into soil and altering plant DNA will lead to the rise of giant killer tomatoes. But a new study suggests that exposure to certain nanoparticles may in fact have a shriveling effect on some plants. New York Times [Registration Required]
‘Global famine after nuclear war.’ More than a billion people worldwide could starve if India and Pakistan unleash nuclear weapons because even a ‘limited’ nuclear war would cause major climate disruptions, a study published Tuesday warned. Agence France-Presse
Plan to modernize poultry plant inspections draws concern. Federal officials see a way to insure a safer chicken cutlet while reducing the number of government workers needed to look out for potential contamination. Critics say the plan is a turkey. Kansas City Star, Missouri.
The air quality egg will let you know exactly what you’re breathing. This adorable little sensor might yield less than adorable results: The air around you can be quite bad for you. Now you can know precisely how bad. Fast Company
Simple steps to a greener cloud The dispute over how dirty Apple’s data centers are continues: In the wake of Greenpeace’s latest report criticizing IT giants [PDF] for relying on dirty energy for their data centers, Apple struck back at Greenpeace, arguing the advocacy group vastly overestimated the energy used by its North Carolina data center.
How Microsoft is using data to slash its energy bills. Many companies already collect data to make sure their sustainability programs stay on track. But data collection also can go a long way toward helping companies set up an effective—and potentially even profitable—program in the first place. That message was underscored in sustainability sessions at the OSIsoft user’s conference in San Francisco this week. The software company’s event ends Thursday.
4/24/12
Fish glow green to track pollutants inside the body. A genetically-engineered fish that glows green from the inside out is helping illuminate what pollutants such as endocrine disrupting chemicals do inside the body. National Geographic News
Can heavy metal in foods, cosmetics spur breast cancer spread? Prolonged exposure to low levels of the heavy metal cadmium may fuel the growth of some breast cancer cells and encourage them to spread, preliminary research indicates. HealthDay News
Private water companies partner with fracking lobby. Two of the country’s largest private water utility companies are participants in a massive lobbying effort to expand controversial shale gas drilling — a heavy industrial activity that promises to enrich the water companies but may also put drinking water resources at risk. Texas Independent, Texas.
Disconnects in public discourse around ‘fracking’ cloud earthquake issue. Here are the facts: “Fracking” does not cause big earthquakes. The underground injection of industrial wastewater can, and sometimes does. Bill Ellsworth is frustrated at how difficult it is getting people to understand this. EnergyWire
Mothers challenge a trace contaminant in Tide. In their quest to rid cleaning products of toxic chemicals, consumer advocates have now set their sights on Tide, the best-selling laundry detergent. New York Times [Registration Required]
Honda debuts rare earth recycling for cars Honda has announced it has teamed up with the Japan Metals & Chemicals Company to develop what is being hailed as the world’s first mass-production rare-earth recycling process. The companies confirmed late last week that they have developed a new technique for extracting 17 rare chemical elements from used nickel-metal hydride batteries collected from Honda hybrid vehicles at dealers in Japan, North America and Europe.
4/23/12
Environmental Health Expert Named Deputy Secretary at State Environmental Protection AgencyKeeping her eyes on the strawberry fields of central California, the bustling diesel truck routes in Oakland, and the stubborn toxic soils of the former Naval ship yards at San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunter’s Point, UCSF Clinical Professor Gina Solomon, MD, MPH will soon have a new vantage point — the state capitol. Solomon, an occupational and environmental medicine specialist, has been appointed deputy secretary for science and health at the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal EPA), a newly created post by Governor Jerry Brown. She will start the full-time position in May.
Something fishy in the green seafood labels. Seafood counters used to be simpler places, where a fish was labeled with its name and price. Nowadays, it carries more information than a used-car listing. Where did it swim? Was it farm-raised? Was it ever frozen? How much harm was done to the ocean by fishing it? Washington Post [Registration Required]
Does rain come from life in the clouds? Scientists are making their first forays into the mysterious world of biology miles up in the air. Their startling conclusion: That ecosystem in the sky might influence tomorrow’s weather and next year’s harvest. Discover
With all this natural gas, who needs oil? It’s home-grown, plentiful, and touted as the best way to wean the United States off Mideast oil. But there are limits to how far the U.S. can tilt toward a natural gas economy. Christian Science Monitor
Mainstreaming biobased plastics. Biobased feedstocks for traditional plastics are increasingly available and major consumer product organizations such as Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, and H.J. Heinz are pushing hard for biobased beverage, shampoo, and condiment bottles as part of their sustainability initiatives. Chemical & Engineering News
How making food safe can harm wildlife and water. We’d probably like to think that clean, safe food goes hand in hand with pristine nature, with lots of wildlife and clean water. But in the part of California that grows a lot of the country’s lettuce and spinach, these two goals have come into conflict. Morning Edition, NPR.
San Francisco marine biologists ponder the return of the harbor porpoise. All of a sudden, the porpoises are back in the San Francisco Bay. The reason remains a mystery, though some scientists have theorized that improved water quality or global warming could have something to do with the resurgence. Sacramento Bee, California.
Climate change may add to corn price volatility. Farmers know all too well that the prices they get for what they grow can fluctuate from one year to the next. Drought or heat can reduce crop yields; so can frost and floods. But climate change causes the most trouble, to the surprise of Stanford and Purdue researchers. Climate Central
Insurance companies face increased risks from warming. If the damages related to climate change mount in the coming decades, insurance companies may face the prospect of paying larger disaster claims and being dragged into global warming lawsuits. But many firms, especially in the U.S., have barely begun to confront the risks. Yale Environment 360
US tariffs on Chinese solar cells fuel debate about green jobs. Some domestic solar manufacturers praised the recent import levy as a victory for job creation, but an analysis of the industry suggests the duty may actually be a job killer. Los Angeles Times [Registration Required]
Low standards for water put fish eaters at heightened risk. Washington residents eat more fish than the national average - probably no surprise bordering the Pacific Ocean and the lower Columbia River. Yet the state’s water quality standards are based on the assumption that Washington residents eat one 7-ounce serving of fish per month. Spokane Spokesman-Review, Washington.
Why Walmart’s better supplier scorecard is a big deal. Walmart is poised to transform the sustainability and retailing world—again—with a significant expansion of its highly influential supplier scorecard program. This week in a webinar and its Global Responsibility Report, Walmart announced that it will broaden its initial 15-question scorecard to 100 major categories, with category-specific questions, by the end of this year.
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