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Week Starting May 14, 2012
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5/20/12
Despite health warnings, some who fish undeterred about eating their catch. To scientists, routinely eating one’s catch is the health equivalent of smoking and sunbathing — an anachronistic practice to be discouraged. Yet on waterways around Philadelphia, the practice persists due to skepticism, generational and cultural differences, and, for poorer families, the lure of virtually free food. Philadelphia Inquirer, Pennsylvania. [Registration Required]
Cargo ship risk to Barrier Reef. Emergency tugs have been sent to rescue a cargo ship that has broken down on the Great Barrier Reef after its engine lost power yesterday. Greens said the breakdown, which could cause “significant environmental damage”, should prompt the government to halt plans to increase shipping for fossil fuel exports throughout the Great Barrier Reef. Sydney Morning Herald, Australia. [Registration Required]
Cruising for a major oil spill in Alaskan waters, academic warns. One of Canada’s top experts on Arctic issues is warning of the “near-inevitability” of an Exxon Valdez-scale oil spill at a fragile choke point in Alaskan waters if Canada ends up shipping oilsands fuel to China via pipeline terminals on the British Columbia coast. Postmedia News
Botanists launch bid to rescue the world’s threatened habitats. They are some of the world’s most threatened natural landscapes, devastated by decades of pollution and deforestation. Now a major new project is aiming to restore some of the most damaged habitats on the planet to their former glory. The Telegraph, United Kingdom.
More people contracting equine disease say Massachusetts officials. The number of people in Massachusetts who have contracted Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a mosquito-borne virus, has grown in recent years. State health officials said nine people have contracted it since 2006. Brockton Enterprise, Massachusetts.
Monsanto plaintiffs at odds in West Virginia. Plaintiffs diagnosed with a disease as a result of medical monitoring will retain their rights to sue chemical giant Monsanto if a court next month approves a proposed multimillion-dollar settlement in the class-action lawsuit against the company. But some class members object to the agreement. Charleston Gazette, West Virginia.
Salmon virus forces cull of half million fish in British Columbia. Atlantic salmon farms around Vancouver Island have begun testing and formed a special outbreak management team after a virus outbreak at one farm led to the cull of more than half a million fish. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the virus does not affect human health or food safety. Canadian Press
Why are doctors not warning about the ‘new Thalidomide?’ After the scandal of the devastating birth defects caused by the morning-sickness drug Thalidomide in the 1950s, it seems inconceivable that the same situation could occur again. But for thousands of families in the UK, the word “Epilim” has the same sinister connotations. London Daily Mail, United Kingdom.
5/19/12
New lead poisoning guidelines: What parents should know. The CDC’s decision to redefine the “action level” for lead exposure in kids has renewed some parents’ concerns about the best ways to protect their children. USA Today
Germany’s Merkel losing green battle to cheap coal. Germany’s energy mix is undergoing sweeping changes, with massive growth in solar and wind, and a law on phasing out nuclear set to erase 12,696 megawatts of atomic power over the next decade. Germany needs to make up for that loss by importing more or building new power plants using gas or coal. Reuters
Pollutants found in remote lakes, rivers. Fish caught from Sullivan Lake’s waters during a two-year study had detectable levels of mercury, PCBs, dioxins and flame retardants. Spokane Spokesman-Review, Washington.
EPA final rule revises test procedures for determining pollutants in wastewater. Municipal wastewater treatment plants and companies required to monitor their wastewater discharges will have more flexibility for testing pollutants under an Environmental Protection Agency final rule scheduled for publication May 18 in the Federal Register. Bloomberg BNA
Hot summer means more pollution. A warm winter followed by what’s expected to be a hotter than normal summer will likely increase both air and water pollution which will in turn pose potential health risks, experts warn. Global News Online, Canada.
New EPA carbon pollution limit draws criticism and record support. With the support of more than 1 million Americans, including approximately 31,000 Massachusetts residents, a coalition of environmental groups will deliver comments to the Environmental Protection Agency Friday to support a proposed carbon pollution limit for new power plants. Springfield Republican, Massachusetts.
With natural gas plentiful and cheap, carbon capture projects stumble. A federal proposal to ban the construction of coal-fired power plants that release all of their carbon dioxide into the atmosphere would seem to smooth the way for carbon capture, a budding technology that traps the greenhouse gas for storage or other uses. New York Times [Registration Required]
Americans guzzling more bottled water than ever. Despite organized anti-bottled-water campaigns across the country and a noisy debate about bottled water’s impact, Americans are buying more than ever. Fast Company
US review so far shows mad cow case was atypical. Investigators are searching for a dozen herdmates of the elderly California dairy cow that had mad cow disease, the Agriculture Department said on Friday, with all signs indicating it was a rare spontaneous case of the fatal brain-wasting illness. Reuters
Fixing a deformed frog face. Researchers found that tadpoles have the ability to regenerate parts of their bodies damaged during development. Now they’re trying to determine how that mechanism can be applied to human development. Living On Earth
Designer flu. Last summer, scientists sealed off in high-tech laboratories in the Netherlands and Wisconsin transformed one of the world’s most deadly viruses, transmissible by direct contact, into versions capable of spreading through the air. Science News
The organic farming debate is about more than just yields Yields from organic farming may not match those produced by farmers who use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, but there are other good reasons to buy and support organic—its health benefits, the good that it does for farm workers, even its animal-welfare rules.
5/18/12
China takes aim at rampant antibiotic resistance. A young man in China has so little confidence in the hygiene of his company’s cafeteria that he supplements each meal with antibiotics. That is his undoing. When the man later falls ill, drugs fail to save him. An autopsy reveals why: His body is riddled with multiple strains of drug-resistant bacteria. Science [Subscription Required]
A house paint reduces bug-borne diseases. To control the mosquitoes that cause malaria and dengue, one chemist has invented a way to embed pesticides in microcapsules stirred into house paints. “The paint acts like a vaccine for houses and buildings,” she said. Business Week
Canada axes green advisory body. The Canadian government is to mark the 25th anniversary of its green business advisers by shutting the agency down, saying funding will be cut in 2013 because of the availability of information from thinktanks, the internet and universities. The Guardian, United Kingdom.
Apple to use only green power for main data center. Apple Inc plans to power its main US data center entirely with renewable energy by the end of this year, taking steps to address longstanding environmental concerns about the rapid expansion of high-consuming computer server farms. Reuters
Sterilizing that blasted ballast. In the dank bowels of the ship, a million microbes squirm and writhe. Their watery cradle — the ballast — plays a central role in balancing the weight of cargo ships. But if flushed into the wrong environment, these aliens could very well take over ecosystems. New York Times [Registration Required]
The secret life of California’s world-class strawberries. Fumigation has done wonders for strawberry production, but it’s under attack and it may have to change. The most powerful fumigant, methyl bromide, is getting phased out gradually because it can eat away at Earth’s ozone layer. All Things Considered, NPR.
Panel debates bioterrorism protection for children. The Obama administration is asking a presidential commission to help decide an ethical quandary: Should the anthrax vaccine and other treatments being stockpiled in case of a bioterror attack be tested in children? Associated Press
Pennsylvania doctors worry over fracking ‘gag rule’. Doctors say they need to know what’s in natural gas drilling companies’ secret chemical formulas in order to treat patients who may have been exposed to them. A new law in Pennsylvania will give physicians access to the information, but says they can’t tell anyone else, not even other doctors, what’s in those formulas. All Things Considered, NPR.
FDA bans shellfish from South Korea. Consumers should not eat shellfish from South Korea and retailers should stop selling it, federal and state regulators said Thursday. An agency analysis of the Korean shellfish program found unacceptable water pollution levels in shellfish-growing areas and periodic detection of norovirus. Washington Post [Registration Required]
Doctors probe old cases for lead exposure. A day after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cut in half the threshold for determining lead exposure in the nation’s children, pediatricians faced the task of identifying new cases from thousands of their old files. Baltimore Sun, Maryland.
Walmart Announces 27 Solar Projects Totalling 10.5 MW Walmart has announced plans to install solar photovoltaic arrays on 27 of its Massachusetts stores as early as August, adding on-site generation to more than half of its outlets in the state.
Thousands of companies have developed greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories in recent years as a crucial first step towards measuring and ultimately reducing their emissions. Agricultural emissions are a large part of many of those inventories: Farming is currently responsible for between 10 and 12 percent of global GHG emissions. Globally, agricultural emissions are expected to increase by more than 50 percent by 2030, according to the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
5/17/12
Just what’s inside those breasts? In her new book, Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History, Florence Williams offers her take on — among other things — why breasts are getting bigger and developing earlier, why tumors seem to gravitate toward the breast, and how toxins from the environment may be affecting hormones and breast development. Fresh Air, NPR.
Lead poisoning threshold lowered. The number of young children deemed at risk of lead poisoning expanded drastically Wednesday as a federal health agency declared it would effectively cut in half its threshold for diagnosing the environmental illness. Baltimore Sun, Maryland.
Taking green chemistry out of the lab and into products. Paul Anastas pioneered the concept of green chemistry and has led the effort to rethink the way we design and make the products we use. In a recent interview, he talked about why companies are increasingly applying the principles of green chemistry to the design of materials and products. Yale Environment 360
Child-study turmoil leaves bitter taste. Thousands of parents are facing an uneasy transition as the National Children’s Study grapples with its budget woes and undertakes a wholesale restructuring. The affair has unleashed acrimony at all levels, starting with the first seven pilot sites, which are slated to shut down this summer. Scores of fieldworkers will lose their jobs. Nature
Texas town’s effort to link fracking and illness falls short. Quite a few of the 225 people who live in Dish, Texas, blame the chemicals used in gas production for health problems ranging from nosebleeds to cancer. But scientists say it’s just not clear whether pollutants from gas wells are hurting people in Dish – or anywhere else. All Things Considered, NPR.
Group tracks airborne fungicide. Don and Norma Smith couldn’t understand why their sheep stopped producing lambs in the mid-1990s. It was only later that they figured the problem might be connected to chemicals used on the potato fields that had grown up around their small farm here on the sandy soil in west-central Minnesota. Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota.
Thinner sea ice may lead to more mercury contamination. The replacement of thicker sea ice that formed over multiple years in the Arctic with a thinner layer of ice that formed during the last winter is changing the air chemistry above the ice and likely increasing the amount of mercury contamination in the region, according to a new study. Boulder Daily Camera, Colorado.
EU is investing in toxic waste projects in developing world, group claims. The EU’s clean development mechanism is supporting waste projects in developing countries that threaten livelihoods and cause toxic emissions, according to a report by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives. The Guardian, United Kingdom.
Does Fair Trade USA’s expansion plan threaten its purpose? Paul Rice is a man on a mission. The 51-year-old president and CEO of Fair Trade USA, who has led the group since 1998, says he wants the practice of Fair Trade to become bigger, engaging more consumers and helping more farmers around the world.
UL Environment aims to make buying green easier Eco labels. Green seals. Environmental impact reports. It can all be a bit much for product purchasers to process when they are comparing goods or seeking environmentally preferable items. Now UL Environment wants to make procurement professionals’ comparison shopping easier with its EPD Transparency Brief, a document that gives a quick overview of a product’s verified environmental impacts, materials, recyclability and more.
Cool buildings, parched cities? EDF and AT&T target water savings We live indoors, we work indoors, we shop indoors, we even often play sports indoors! With so much of the modern American economy taking place indoors, and population centers shifting to warmer regions, the environmental and economic impact of building cooling systems is on the rise. We often hear about the energy needed to power and cool this sprawling infrastructure.
APP to Suspend Natural Forest Clearance Asia Pulp & Paper is suspending natural forest clearance on its own pulpwood plantations in Indonesia, effective June 1, as part of a new commitment to international standards on High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF). APP, which is the world’s third largest paper supplier, will ask its independent suppliers to abide by the new principles – or face a review of their business relationship.
5/16/12
Exposure to bisphenol A at levels commonly found in the general population may cut a woman’s chance of getting pregnant if she is undergoing fertility treatment, a study from Harvard University finds. Those with higher levels were less likely to get pregnant than women with lower levels. While animal studies show similar results, this is the first link reported in people. BPA is widely used in some plastics, most food can linings and certain receipt paper. More…
Medical records could yield answers on fracking. A proposed study of people in northern Pennsylvania could help resolve a national debate about whether the natural gas boom is making people sick. If the study goes forward, it would be the first large-scale, scientifically rigorous assessment of the health effects of gas production. Morning Edition, NPR.
Your heart on air pollution: An Olympic case study. China’s radical blue-sky measures during the 2008 Olympics actually improved Beijingers’ cardiovascular health—if only for a few weeks. After the games came to an end, many of the temporary pollution-reducing measures were relaxed, and pollution levels climbed once more. The Atlantic
How cheap meat practices beef up superbugs like MRSA. MRSA is among a growing number of bacterial strains that are highly resistant to antibiotics and are very difficult to treat when they cause serious infections. According to infectious disease experts, the increase in the number of superbugs over the past three decades comes from the overuse of antibiotics—not only in humans but also in farm animals. ABC News
US asthma rates are at an all-time high, CDC says. The proportion of Americans with asthma increased from 7.3% in 2001 to 8.4% in 2010, marking the highest level ever, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. Los Angeles Times [Registration Required]
WHO warns of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity. Health data released on Wednesday provided the clearest evidence to date of the spread of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease from developed nations to poorer regions such as Africa, as lifestyles and diets there change. Reuters
Which kids’ sunscreens should you avoid? While sunscreen is important for staying safe from harmful UV rays, there are still enough confusing labels, dangerous ingredients, and misleading SPF designations in many common products. Mother Jones
How to defeat the massive plug-load monster Maybe you just got to the office, grabbed some coffee and pulled up to your desk to start your day. Your printer sits innocuously next to your lamp, computer and phone, but they feed an insatiable monster—they all draw electricity around the clock. This drain, called plug load, which accounts for about a third of commercial building energy use, might be why your electricity use has increased over the past few years.
5/15/12
Sick from fracking? Doctors, patients seek answers. People living near gas well drilling around the country are reporting mysterious symptoms, plus headaches, rashes, wheezing, aches and pains. But doctors aren’t sure how to help. Morning Edition, NPR.
American livestock get extra dose of antibiotics from spent ethanol grain, report says. As the battle wages on over the safety of feeding antibiotics to livestock for growth promotion, a new report reveals yet another source of unregulated antibiotics in American animal feed — spent ethanol grain. Chicago Tribune, Illinois.
Malaria surge feared from insecticide-resistant mosquitos. The war to bring malaria to heel has made slow but steady progress during the past decade, with the overall mortality rate dropping by more than 25% since 2000. But health officials fear that the spread of insecticide-resistant mosquitoes could bring about a resurgence of the disease. Nature
Autism’s mysterious rise. The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders has been steadily rising in recent decades and most recently was estimated at one in every 88 children nationwide, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published last year. In Colorado, the rate is even higher: one in every 85 children. Durango Herald, Colorado.
Cheaper gas or money to fight pollution? When is a tax on gasoline a “gas tax”? It’s a complicated question, and one the state Supreme Court may tackle as higher gas prices are hitting drivers’ wallets. Tens of millions of dollars that go each year to removing toxic pollutants from places like Seattle’s Lower Duwamish Waterway are at stake. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington.
Whoops! There is way more plastic in the ocean than we thought. The plastic on the surface, it turns out, is just a fragment of what’s in there. We might not be able to see it, but the 100 feet below the surface is swimming with trash. Fast Company
Hawaii’s beaches are in retreat, and its way of life may follow. Most beaches on the state’s three largest islands are eroding, and the erosion is likely to accelerate as sea levels rise, a federal agency is reporting. Over the last century, about 9 percent of the sandy coast on the islands of Hawaii, Oahu and Maui has vanished. That’s almost 14 miles of beach. New York Times [Registration Required]
The fire next time — Slave Lake disaster a harbinger of things to come. On the one year anniversary of Canada’s Slave Lake fire, here is a troubling thought: Wildfires are increasingly moving with a speed and intensity that catch firefighters off guard and prove impossible to contain. Like climate change itself, this is a global problem. Postmedia News
The world is not enough: Soon we’ll need three planet Earths. Humans are using so many resources that by 2030 even an extra planet will not be enough to sustain our demands, a report has warned. Edinburgh Scotsman, United Kingdom.
California’s genetically engineered food label may confuse more than inform. When Californians go to the polls in November, they could make their state the first to require labeling of genetically engineered food. But a new analysis suggests consumers would actually have a harder time figuring out what’s really in their food if the mandate passes. National Public Radio
The organic farming debate is about more than just yields Yields from organic farming may not match those produced by farmers who use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, but there are other good reasons to buy and support organic—its health benefits, the good that it does for farm workers, even its animal-welfare rules.
The world is running out of water. Now what? Last weekend, Jessica Yu’s new water documentary “Last Call at the Oasis” took us on tour of the impacts water scarcity is creating around the globe, from the parched pastures of Australia’s farmlands to the sewage-polluted banks of the Jordan River. This film shines a much-needed light on the various water challenges we all now face at a critical time. The numbers alone are eye-opening.
Celebrating 10 years of Environmental Excellence at CleanMed - Visit the Winners’ Circle at http://www.GreenhealthMagazine.org where you will find the special CleanMed issue of Greenhealth Magazine online, featuring Practice Greenhealth’s 2012 Environmental Excellence Awards and read special features on: Sustainable Food in Health Care, Safer Alternatives to DEHP, CleanMed,And More! UCSF MC wins the Partner for Change with Distinction Award.
5/14/12
Women exposed to low levels of cadmium in their food have changes in DNA markers that alter gene regulation and increase their cancer risk. This study for the first time suggests that cadmium may be turning genes on or off in a way that triggers disease. More…
Rural California towns devise unique plan to solve water problems. For a good part of its rich history, residents of unincorporated Allensworth, the first African American colony west of the Mississippi, have gone without a reliable supply of safe drinking water. This is still the case today, but now they have advanced a novel proposal to resolve the water issues. California Watch
Places to look for energy savings in commercial buildings. Data from millions of businesses, institutions and manufacturers show that sustainability issues fall into four main categories: rising energy costs, growing disposal costs, limited water supply and health concerns over the quality of indoor air.
Midwest sees a sand rush. Wisconsin and Minnesota have abundant supplies of the type of sand that oil and gas producers need. Fracking sand can fetch around $50 a ton, depending on quality. The surging demand is making sand the Midwest slice of a national energy boom. But some residents are calling for a slowdown in the mining, others a halt. Wall Street Journal [Subscription Required]
Israel to ban insecticides that could cause neurological damage. Israel’s interministerial committee coordinating pesticide use has decided to reduce the number of pesticides permitted for use. The decision followed recent studies that showed that exposure to insecticides harms various systems in the body - especially the nervous system, which the organophosphates affect. Haaretz, Israel.
Global warming threatens pine forests, forcing federal officials to shift strategy. Scientists know that global warming will reshape pine forests. What they don’t yet understand is which trees are best poised to survive under these changed conditions and how they can help them adapt in the decades to come. Washington Post [Registration Required]
Expert warns of global food shortages and higher prices. As much food is wasted in developed countries as is produced in sub-Saharan Africa. This ‘‘eye-popping’’ statistic highlights one of the big changes urgently required to meet the challenge of feeding 9 billion people by 2050, a visiting expert in agriculture and economics has said. Sydney Morning Herald, Australia. [Registration Required]
New Jersey cuts lead poisoning funds. For nearly a decade, New Jersey has been at the forefront in the battle against lead poisoning, pouring millions of dollars every year into screenings for children, databases and maps tracking the poison, and financial aid. Now the state is relaxing its aggressive stance by slashing funds and programs. Bergen County Record, New Jersey.
Young people still risking skin cancer for tans. Two new government studies show young people are still putting themselves at risk for skin cancer by getting sunburned and going to indoor tanning beds. Baltimore Sun, Maryland.
Excessive Water use “threatening business in major economies” Unsustainable water use is threatening agriculture, other business and populations in China, India and the US, according to a study by risk analysis company Maplecroft. The Water Stress Index calculates the water stress of over 168 countries by evaluating renewable supplies of water from precipitation, streams and rivers against domestic, industrial and agricultural use.
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