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Mercury gas escaping dental fillings
13% of Canadian tuna above mercury limits
In the news: February 19, 2007
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February 28, 2007
Campus transportation alternatives
Providing parking facilities and addressing traffic congestion imposes significant costs to universities across the United States. That’s why many campuses have implemented Transportation Demand Management programs to discourage the use of single-occupant personal vehicles.
San Jose State University opened a Transportation Solutions Department in August of 2000. The department offers advice for cyclists and pedestrians, regional maps, online carpool matching, and discounted bus passes for students and staff. The number of students using alternative transportation has increased by more than 10 percent since the creation of the program.
Also in the Bay Area, UC Berkeley created a campus bikeway network, transit subsidies, shuttles, and other transportation services for students. As a result, 89% of UC Berkeley students and 49% of employees commute to campus using alternative transportation or carpools.
Transportation Demand Management offers a win-win solution; colleges divert fewer resources to building and maintaining parking facilities, and students benefit from lower transportation costs.
February 27, 2007
Ethanol: solution or delusion?
In his State of the Union Address last January, President Bush vowed to decrease gasoline consumption in the US transportation sector. “Let us build upon the work we’ve done and reduce gasoline usage in the United States by 20 percent in the next 10 years . . . To reach this goal, we must increase the supply of alternative fuels, by setting a mandatory fuels standard to require 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels in 2017.”
Bush proposes increasing US ethanol output to help meet this goal.
While agribusinesses jack up production in preparation for an upsurge in corn prices, others worry that ethanol might not be the best solution to our energy problems. A January USA Today article expressed concern over both ethanol’s economic feasibility and its production limits.
With stagnant mileage standards that provide lenient provisions for gas-guzzling personal vehicles , the average MPG rating for US automobiles has been slowly decreasing for over a decade. Currently, the United States consumes more oil per capita than any other nation, with the transportation sector accounting for about two-thirds of US oil consumption. Unless the United States takes major steps towards improving fuel efficiency and encouraging alternative forms of transportation such as walking, biking, and public transit, our domestic agricultural resources will run far short of meeting our nation’s energy demands.
February 22, 2007
Proper disposal of CFLs
NPR reports on the hidden hazards of compact fluorescent light bulbs. CFLs contain trace amounts of mercury that can be released when the bulbs break. The concern is not for consumers but rather those who handle our solid waste. As recycling programs for CFLs are not yet in place in many cities, some people are tempted to toss them into their municipal trash, where invariably they will break and leave residues on trash cans, dumpsters, and trash trucks. Bad idea.
Do not put your CFLs out for regular trash pick-up. Instead, store them in a shoebox in your garage or closet and when the box gets full take them to a recycling facility or hazardous waste drop-off to dispose of them all at once.
I’m going to keep my expired CFLs right next to the box of 25 incandescents I replaced this fall. My guess is disposal options for CFLs will be better by the time that shoebox gets full. With the longer life of the bulbs and their emergence as mainstream products only recently, there shouldn’t be too man burnt out CFLs yet.
[Wendy Reed, who manages EPA's Energy Star program] says that even though fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, using them contributes less mercury to the environment than using regular incandescent bulbs. That's because they use less electricity — and coal-fired power plants are the biggest source of mercury emissions in the air.
February 21, 2007
Mercury gas escaping dental fillings
This is scary. Smoking Teeth = Poison Gas—the bluntly titled video from the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology—uses a fluorescent light and phosphorescent screen to show mercury vapor coming out of a 25-year-old dental amalgam at body temperature. The vapor is 1,000 times the atmospheric mercury limits imposed by the EPA.
February 20, 2007
13% of Canadian tuna above mercury limits
A CBC investigation finds that 13% of tuna on shelves (sampled from Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto) exceeded Health Canada guidelines for allowable mercury in tuna. On the heels of a recent Lancet study reinforcing the importance of seafood in the diet of pregnant women, this should be another alarm bell for the tuna industry and regulatory agencies: Curtailing mercury pollution of our seas should be a priority.
February 19, 2007
In the news: February 19, 2007
How gov't decided lunch box lead levels- In 2005, government scientists found that one in five soft, vinyl lunch boxes contained amounts of lead that medical experts consider unsafe. But that's not what they told the public.
Bangladesh and climate change- Bangladesh is more exposed than any other country to global warming. And a series of unusual events--from dying trees to freak weather--suggest its impact is already being felt.
Canadian cattle slip past USDA safeguards- Hundreds of cattle from Canada, which this month confirmed its ninth case of mad cow disease, have entered the United States without government-required health papers or identification tags.
Roots of autism more complex than thought- A preliminary new study sheds light on the possible genetic roots of autism.
TV-watching by infants linked to risk of illness- Infants who spend long periods in front of the television may be at greater risk of developing medical problems later in life, including premature puberty, sleep disturbances, and metabolic disorders, according to a new report.
February 15, 2007
Journalism triumphs over powerful carcinogen in New Jersey soil
The Pump Handle’s David Michaels calls this triumph of investigative journalism to our attention:
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has just tightened the chromium 6 (a known human carcinogen) cleanup standard from 240 ppm to 20 ppm in soil. The new standard is likely a delayed result of a 2004 series of articles by Newark Star-Ledger’s Alexander Lane, exposing the handiwork of product defense consultants in downplaying the dangers of chromium 6.
February 13, 2007
Buying flowers?
Go organic to protect workers & their kids
So you’re picking out flowers to mail your loved ones for Valentines Day, but guess what else you’ll be sending them—according to the Associated Press, the flowers you send will be “sprayed, rinsed, and dipped in a battery of lethal chemicals.” But an even greater danger is faced by the Colombian workers who produce the majority of U.S. imported flowers, and their unborn children.
If you’re set on showing you care with flowers, don’t panic. There are many organic growers to order from online. Check out California Organic Flowers or Organic Bouquet.
The Harvard School of Public Health examined 72 children ages 7-8 in a flower-growing region of Ecuador whose mothers were exposed to pesticides during pregnancy and found they had developmental delays of up to four years on aptitude tests.
"Every time we look, we're finding out these pesticides are more dangerous than we ever thought before and more toxic at lower levels," said Philippe Grandjean, who led the Harvard study published last year.
February 12, 2007
Don't poison your valentine
The perfume you give your Valentine may contain unwanted—and unlisted— ingredients: toxic chemicals. But this Valentine's Day you can show your loved ones you really care with safer choices from the researchers at Environmental Working Group.
February 8, 2007
The biodynamic farming revolution in India
Last night I watched the agricultural documentary How to Save the World. The film follows New Zealand bio-dynamic farmer Peter Proctor to India where he works with farmers to transition from chemical intensive agriculture to bio-dynamic farming methods which combine spiritual and holistic practices with organic agriculture to operate
a farm as a closed self-nourishing system. This practice, the film suggests, is the way to achieve a sustainable food system capable of feeding everyone in the face of globalization and infinite growth.
Yeah, the title is cheesy, but the film is not.
February 7, 2007
Brazilian President Lula admonishes developed countries on climate change
Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva has stepped up his allegations against developed countries, demanding that they take a larger role against climate change. President Lula’s accusations followed UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s announcement that poor nations will be the most affected by climate change. Countries in Africa and small islands have contributed the least to this problem, but will most likely carry the brunt of the result, leaving the island with flooded shores and Africa with an expanding Sahara desert.
Lula pointed out the United States’ willingness to aid in writing legislation, but rarely enacting it. Kyoto is such an example. While the United States was a firm supporter and contributor to this protocol, President Bush withdrew US participation. His belief that developing countries should be held more accountable is clearly flawed. Lula and others point out that the United States makes the argument that developing countries are destroying their forests; however, the US and other developing countries have already used these resources to gain their developed position they now maintain. In contrast, Brazil, a developing country, has the largest number of alternative fuel cars and produces the largest amount of sugar cane ethanol in the world while the US has only begun its discussion on alternative fuels.
While President Lula has mentioned his discontent frequently, this speech has been much more upfront. Today he has called to action a global campaign holding rich, developed countries to their climate change promises.
CA Senator tells EPA chief no more bowing to industry
"I want to send a clear signal to EPA and to this administration: We are watching. No longer will EPA rollbacks quietly escape scrutiny."
--California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer warning EPA administrator Stephen Johnson over rules changes that could limit the input of scientific advisers into agency decisions and reduce public access to information about toxic substances in communities.
February 5, 2007
Law & Order tackles human testing of pesticides
Tomorrow night, NBC will air “Loophole,” an episode on the crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which focuses on the controversial EPA rule allowing intentional dosing of people with pesticides. In true Law & Order fashion, “Loophole” combines education and entertainment, to mirror EPA’s all-too-real “CHEERS” program, where in 2004 the federal government proposed to offer low-income families in Florida $970, a camcorder, and some clothes if they would record “routine exposure” of their infants to household pesticides.
In the episode, a fictional chemical company tests several children and their families with a dangerous organophosphate pesticide (a class of acutely toxic chemicals). In real life, EPA’s human testing rule contains loopholes that allow chemical corporations to test pesticides on women and children.
According to Physicians for Social Responsibility, the episode highlights many regulatory problems concerning pesticides, and the difficulty of linking exposure with specific health outcomes. The show further reveals the many environmental health threats faced by low-income children in their own homes.
EWG: Human Testing of Pesticides Content
February 2, 2007
American Enterprise Institute
All they have left is a suitcase full of cash
American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the Exxon-funded think tank, is now offering scientists $10,000 to cast doubts on a report by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). According to The Guardian, the report is widely regarded as the most comprehensive review yet of climate change science.
Quoted in the Guardian piece is Ben Stewart of Greenpeace:
The AEI is more than just a thinktank, it functions as the Bush administration's intellectual Cosa Nostra. They are White House surrogates in the last throes of their campaign of climate change denial. They lost on the science; they lost on the moral case for action. All they've got left is a suitcase full of cash.Well said.
Wonkette has written this article per AEI's solicitation:
Dear American Enterprise Institute:Global warming is totally made-up and not real. We are burning a barrel of oil right now and it’s still fucking freezing out! Have you been outside today?
Please contact us at the email address to your left for details on how to make the payment.
Yours,
Wonkette
February 1, 2007
Guest blogger defends Pollan from criticism
Yesterday I posted about Michael Pollan's essay Unhappy Meals for New York Times Magazine, in which he promotes eating whole foods rather than food products and raises doubts about scientists’ who give diet recommendations based on 'nutrients' out of context from the 'foods' in which we should be eating them.
I enjoyed Pollan's article but was not surprised to learn that not everyone did. This morning I got an email from a reader (well-credentialed I might add) pointing me to an article for Slate by Daniel Engber, arguing against Pollan's criticisms of nutritional science and his overconfidence in the 'great-great-grandma-knew-best philosophy.' The tipster, who today will be know as our "guest blogger," and will remain anonymous for professional reasons, had this to say:
Matthew,
Here's an article that I thought you might find interesting on food that got me riled up. I totally disagree with him and with his assumptions, here are my thoughts:
1 ) Mr. Engber's confidence in science (especially in food science), is much too high, if not unfounded. The thing is, advice given by doctors (eat fruits and veggies and exercise) wasn't discovered by science but it was common advice that was studied. As an aside, Mr. Engber's use of Ben Goldacre's column isn't exactly supportive of his position, it's supportive of Pollan's. I'd suggest that readers actually follow the link in the story to read Goldacre's column, which gives insight into nutrition that I won't go into here except to bring out the big one: anti-oxidents have never been shown to prevent or cure disease; eating assorted veggies that contain anti-oxidents does.
2) Comparing food science to other areas isn't appropriate. Climate IS easier to study, there are no people to involve. People are difficult to study, and it's unethical to control and test them like you can with most other sections of science. Especially with food. A study where you regulated exactly what and when thousands of people ate for 5-10 years isn't going to happen yet that's what's needed to really figure things out. Additionally, no one is going to spend the money to figure out the specifics of nutrition when we already know what works to keep fit! We'll spend money to figure out general guidelines, and how to eat if you have certian diseases or special needs, but the majority of research money in the future will likely be spent on childhood diseases, climate change, and alternative energy because we don't know what works yet!
3) We've certainly made great strides in communicable disease and neonatological medicine. Outside of that, our progress on and understanding of disease is pretty poor. Name me non-communicable diseases we've cured. Hmmm....that that many, huh? Mr Engber's total misunderstanding about this is exemplified by his view that we will one day cure heart disease. Not only is this not possible, he could he not have picked a worse example. Hearts get old, the muscle atrophies with age, it becomes less elastic, it will stop eventually even in the most healthy people. Science can't stop aging. In fact, the most healthy people usually die of heart disease late in life. As another aside, why would you want to eradicate heart disease? So everyone can die of cancer and stroke? We've got to die of something. For me, here's hoping for heart disease at a ripe old age by eating good food, but not too much, mostly plants.