|
 |
|
Coordinated nationally by the Institute for Children's Environmental Health |
These bulletins are archived and searchable on the Partnership's website: http://www.partnersforchildren.org/bulletins.html To join the Partnership for Children's Health and the Environment (PCHE) and receive this bulletin, please complete the form on our website: http://www.partnersforchildren.org/members.html#member
Thursday and Friday, January 31 - February 1, 2008
8:30am - 5:00pm
Lacey, Washington
at the Lacey Community Center, 6729 Pacific Avenue SE
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Training Center
This introductory course provides participants with an understanding of the foundations of aquatic toxicology and how these concepts are applied to managing pollutants in aquatic environments. The course covers terminology, common test designs, and endpoints such as lethality, cancer, and endocrine disruption. Important legacy and emerging pollutants of concern such as heavy metals, organic pesticides, PAHs, PCBs, PBDEs, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products will also be presented. Continuing education units are available.
Price: $495 tuition, $395 reduced tuition is available for those who qualify
Website: http://www.nwetc.org/etox-410_01-08_lacey.htm
Contact: Northwest Environmental Training Center, 206-762-1976
Tuesday February 5, 2008
8:30-5:00pm
Dallas, Texas
at the DFW Business Center, North Tower, 2200 S Service Road, 1st Floor
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Training Center
This course provides participants with an overview of key chemistry concepts associated with environmental contamination and provides a foundation for understanding contaminant transport and fate. This material is intended for environmental professionals who are not chemists, but who require a fundamental understanding of chemistry principles for their work. This course is recommended for all environmental professionals working with contaminated soil and water with minimal formal training in the subject. It is also recommended for project managers seeking a review of the subject. Continuing education units are available.
Price: $195, $150 reduced tuition is available to those who qualify
Website: http://www.nwetc.org/chem-403a_02-08_dallas.htm
Contact: Northwest Environmental Training Center, 206-762-1976
Wednesday and Thursday, February 6 - 7, 2008
8:30-5:00pm
Dallas, Texas
DFW Business Center, North Tower 2200 S Service Road, 1st Floor
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Training Center
This course provides participants with an overview of key concepts essential to understanding environmental contamination and provides a fundamental understanding of the release and transport of chemicals in soil and groundwater. This material is intended for environmental professionals who are not chemists, but who require a fundamental understanding of contaminant behavior and monitoring parameters for their work. This course is recommended for all environmental professionals working with contaminated soil and water with minimal formal training in this subject. The course material will greatly enhance on-the-job training. It is also recommended for project managers seeking a review of the subject. Continuing education units are available.
Price: $350, $295 reduced tuition is available for those who qualify
Website: http://www.nwetc.org/chem-403a_02-08_dallas.htm
Contact: Northwest Environmental Training Center, 206-762-1976
Thursday through Saturday, February 7 - 9, 2008
Washington, DC
at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, 2660 Woodley Road NW
Sponsor: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kaiser Permanente, National Association of Realtors, Smart Growth Network, US Environmental Protection Agency
The program will include a mix of plenaries, interactive breakouts, implementation workshops, specialized trainings and optional tours of local model projects. The strength of this conference comes from the variety of participants and speakers who cross disciplines to share experiences and insights, and valuable tools and strategies to encourage smart growth implementation. The conference will feature the latest on cutting-edge smart growth issues, implementation tools and strategies, best practices, interactive learning experiences, new partners, new projects and new policies.
Price: see http://www.newpartners.org/registration.html
Website: http://www.newpartners.org/index.html
Contact: Michele Kelso Warren, 916-448-1198 x308 or mkwarren@lgc.org
Tuesday February 12, 2008
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
The quality of our indoor environments affects our well-being and productivity. In addition, the risk of disease is increased by factors such as indoor air pollutants, toxins and microbes on surfaces, and human contact. The seminar starts with a brief summary of our current understanding of ambient air pollution health concerns. Contrasting outdoor air to indoor air as a public good, it is seen that the policy debate about regulating indoor environments is still quite confused. A pollutant-specific framework rather than a comprehensive framework has characterized public and private responses to indoor air quality to date. Examples include formaldehyde, asbestos, radon and now molds. Contemporary topics of molds and synthetic organic compounds illustrate the continuing concerns about the health of indoor environments. John D. Spengler, PhD, professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation at Harvard University's School of Public Health, will speak.
Price: free
Website: http://www.ehinitiative.org/Projects/tele_con.htm
Contact: Laura Abulafia, Laura@aaidd.org
Monday through Thursday, February 25 - 28, 2008
Galway, Ireland
at the Radisson SAS Hotel
Sponsor: sponsor
The conference will aim to advance dialogue and collaboration across sectors on issues linking biodiversity with human health and well-being and highlight practical cross-sectoral and holistic approaches to addressing the issues. Workshops will focus on three key areas: 1) disaster prevention, relief and recovery; 2) emerging infectious diseases; and 3) food resources, diet and nutrition.
Price: see http://www.cohabnet.org/cohab2008/documents/Cohab_A4_DL_final3.pdf
Website: http://www.cohabnet.org/cohab2008/index.htm
Contact: COHAB Initiative, +353 (0) 93 52329 or conference@cohabnet.org
Online Calendar. Upcoming events extending more than one month in the future are listed in a searchable calendar: http://www.iceh.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
Job opening: Seattle Washington. Washington Toxics Coalition seeks a dynamic, resourceful, proven leader to guide this Seattle-based nonprofit organization. The executive director must be a highly strategic thinker with a strong capacity to guide staff in managing and implementing programs, while building upon the entrepreneurial, bold and fast-paced nature of the organization's work. Consideration of resumes will begin Monday, February 11th. WTC highly values diversity in the workplace and is an equal opportunity employer.
http://www.watoxics.org/about/employment/executive-director-job-announcement
Campaign for Safe Cosmetic Action Alert. Email Wal-Mart or bring a letter to your local store manager asking that the retailer add triclosan to the list of hazardous chemicals addressed under its new Business Sustainability Plan.
http://action.safecosmetics.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=14374
SHARP Network. Scientists and Engineers for America has just launched the Science Health And Related Policies (SHARP) Network. The SHARP Network is a wiki-based system that will allow the public to track the positions their elected officials have taken on critical science and health issues.
http://sefora.org/2008/01/16/sea-launches-the-sharp-network/
Cold meds send 7,000 kids to hospitals. Cough and cold medicines send about 7,000 children to hospital emergency rooms each year, the U.S. government said Monday in its first national estimate of the problem. Associated Press, 29 January 2008.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-cold-medicines,1,2221800.story?ctrack=2&cset=true
What are we drinking? It causes cancer. In extremely high doses, it can poison a person. No one seems to argue that [about arsenic]. Twin Falls Times-News, Idaho, 29 January 2008.
http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2008/01/29/news/local_state/129627.txt
Fish oil: a cure for young offenders? A major trial is to be launched to see whether giving young offenders nutritional supplements reduces anti-social behaviour in prison. Its authors believe this could prove a seminal piece of research with major implications for the criminal justice system. BBC, UK, 29 January 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7213499.stm
Study: FEMA ignored evidence in determining long-term effects of formaldehyde in trailers. The Federal Emergency Management Agency manipulated scientific research in order to play down the danger posed by formaldehyde in trailers issued to hurricane victims, according to an investigation by congressional Democrats released Monday. Associated Press, 29 January 2008.
http://www.startribune.com/nation/14580387.html
AL sets new precedent in toxics tort cases. A precedent-setting Alabama Supreme Court ruling will make it easier for people to seek compensation for medical problems caused by exposure to toxic chemicals at work, lawyers said Monday. Birmingham News, Alabama, 29 January 2008.
http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1201598112219820.xml&coll=2
Truck exhaust ups risk of heart attack, research shows. New research shows that exposure to air pollution such as particulate matter in diesel truck exhaust elevates your risk of heart attack and stroke. Windsor Star, Ontario, 29 January 2008.
http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=257d5594-7a8e-40c5-87ca-c499d21acc08&k=90612
Folic acid's trade-offs of concern. Some scientists are asking whether mandating folic acid in foods has lead to unforeseen trade-offs for the population as a whole -- including thousands of additional colon cancer cases each year and a bump-up in prostate cancer. Baltimore Sun, Maryland, 28 January 2008.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-te.folic27jan27,0,229970.story
Breast milk 'may be allergy key'. A study may have discovered why breastfeeding might help protect children against allergies such as asthma, scientists have said. BBC, UK, 28 January 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7208941.stm
Manure a breath of fresh air in cancer fight. Farmers can breathe easy after scientists discovered that working with manure can drastically reduce chances of developing lung cancer. Perth West Australian, Australia, 28 January 2008.
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=158&ContentID=56138
Dust, air, water sources of lead. The dangers of lead in some toys are well-known, but there are plenty of other ways people can be exposed to the metal. Associated Press, 27 January 2008.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ga_85zk5c0qGS2Df4qxxiEcFWX0gD8UEBV2O0
The chemicals within. Many common household products contain compounds that could be affecting our health. Newsweek, 27 January 2008.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/105588
Galveston's lead-poisoning rates 10 times the national average. Nearly one in five children in Galveston has enough lead in their blood to cause learning disabilities and behavioral problems -- an alarming statistic that officials have known for years but have done little to improve. Houston Chronicle, Texas, 27 January 2008.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/health/5488915.html
Biggest and best tuna tend to have the most mercury, experts say. Higher priced foods usually mean healthier options -- but that may not be the case with tuna, new studies suggest. International Herald Tribune, 27 January 2008.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/25/healthscience/tuna.php
Can beauty be dangerous? Lipstick tainted with lead. Mascara that contains mercury. A hair-straightening treatment that slicks your tresses with protein . . . and formaldehyde? As three recent controversies show, sometimes the world of beauty can be downright ugly. Washington Post, 27 January 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/24/AR2008012402135.html
Study casts doubt sites caused defects. A long-awaited study exploring a relationship between a high rate of birth defects in Nueces County and several industrial sites showed little evidence the sites caused birth defects. Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Texas, 26 January 2008.
http://www.caller.com/news/2008/jan/26/study-casts-doubt-sites-caused-defects/
Type 2 diabetes may be linked to pesticide exposure. Cambridge University scientists are advocating more research into the possible links between environmental pollution and type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease. Environment News Services, 26 January 2008.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jan2008/2008-01-25-04.asp
Green groups target toxic toys. Sandra Armington is worried about children who play with rubber duckies, and joined others at the Capitol to back five bills requiring manufacturers to disclose the use of certain chemicals in toys and other children's products. Waterville Morning Sentinel, Maine, 25 January 2008.
http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/4692595.html
EU backs return of banned drug. Europe's drug regulators on Thursday recommended approval of thalidomide to treat bone marrow cancer, nearly 50 years after the medicine was withdrawn because it caused thousands of children to be born with birth defects. Financial Times, England, 25 January 2008.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f55dd23a-cad3-11dc-a960-000077b07658.html
Global health at risk from climate change. Climate change is putting global human health at risk and requires an "urgent response," according to a new paper. London Daily Telegraph, England, 25 January 2008.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/01/25/eahealth125.xml
City jury awards $6 million in lead poisoning case. A Baltimore jury ordered an apartment management company to pay $6 million to an 8-year-old boy after determining that he suffered brain damage at his home as a result of exposure to lead-based paint. Baltimore Sun, Maryland, 24 January 2008.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ci.lead24jan24,0,6505583.story
Mercury danger found in fresh tuna. Potentially dangerous mercury levels in fish and sushi were found in a wide range of places -- including randomly selected restaurants and Publix. Miami Herald, Florida, 24 January 2008.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/391294.html
Lead-test mandate isn't met. Blood screening is required for all children who qualify for Medicaid, yet many at-risk kids in Wisconsin are going without. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, 24 January 2008.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=710765
Pipe scales release hazardous metals into drinking water. Mobilization of mineral deposits within the distribution system can contaminate treated water [with contaminants including arsenic, cadmium and mercury] before it reaches the tap. Environmental Science & Technology, 24 January 2008.
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2008/jan/science/rr_pipescales.html
Long-ago lead exposure, and possibly other pollutants, may hasten old-age mental decline. Could it be that the "natural" mental decline that afflicts many older people is related to how much lead they absorbed decades before? Associated Press, 24 January 2008.
http://www.ledger-dispatch.com/news/newsview.asp?c=234614
Hormones in drinking water. It's no longer the fluoride we have to worry about in a twist on the Dr. Strangelove paradigm, there is growing concern over hormones in the food we eat and the water we drink. Reno News and Review, Nevada, 24 January 2008.
http://www.newsreview.com/reno/Content?oid=615915
City parks officials seek safety review of synthetic surfaces. The New York City Parks Department has asked the city health department to investigate potential health and safety problems associated with the synthetic recreational materials, even as it continued to insist the surfaces were safe. New York Times, 23 January 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/nyregion/23turf.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Port vows to cut air pollution from ships, cargo gear. By 2010 the Port of Seattle, Washington, would cut toxic soot by 70 percent for docked ships and 30 percent for equipment on shore that hauls cargo. The ports of Tacoma and Vancouver, B.C., have agreed to similar goals. Seattle Times, Washington, 23 January 2008.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004139753_portair23m.html
Diet soda takes a hit in U study. University of Minnesota researchers have found that red meat, fried foods and diet soda all appear to raise the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a condition that often paves the way for diabetes and heart disease. Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota, 23 January 2008.
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/13980721.html
Some immigrant children fed lead, mercury. An alarming number of Toronto-area children are being given traditional remedies containing lead and other heavy metal toxins, a leading Hospital for Sick Children poison expert said yesterday. Toronto Star, Ontario, 23 January 2008.
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/296591
[Editor's note: see related articles: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hgIDiEQReinssqIEJFoOYB6cYt7QD8UAREKG0 and http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/custom/religion/chi-recall_24jan24,1,7911788.story]
ADEM calls for stricter water standard. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management has proposed a stricter standard for water pollution permits in a move aimed at reducing the level of cancer-causing chemicals in the state's lakes and streams. Associated Press, 23 January 2008.
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080123/NEWS02/801230339/1009
Bill aims to increase lead testing for children. As concerns grow that toys and candy from China and Mexico are exposing children to lead, a bill in the Washington Legislature seeks increased testing for lead in children younger than six. Portland Oregonian, Oregon, 23 January 2008.
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2008/01/bill_aims_to_increase_lead_tes.html
Studies link other ills to mercury. In the past few years, several studies have concluded that elevated mercury levels may be associated not only with neurological problems but with cardiovascular disease among adults as well. New York Times, 23 January 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/dining/23sbox.html
Plastic ingested, study finds. Scientists furious at conclusions reached by a federal panel charged with assessing the safety of a common household chemical, bisphenol A, have retaliated. And they're using science as their weapon. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, 23 January 2008.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=710303
Makeup of makeup. On any given day, the average woman uses as many as 25 products, containing hundreds of chemical compounds. Albany Times Union, New York, 22 January 2008.
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=657177&category=LIFE&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=1/22/2008
[Editor's note: see a related article: http://www.wickedlocal.com/belmont/news/lifestyle/columnists/x1295942033]
Chemical Exposures Cost California $2.6 Billion in 2004. Diseases among Californians who are exposed to chemicals and pollution cost the state's insurers, businesses and families an estimated $2.6 billion in direct and indirect costs during 2004. Environmental News Service, 21 January 2008.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jan2008/2008-01-21-01.asp
Drinking coffee 'can double miscarriage risk.' Drinking as little as two cups of coffee a day while pregnant doubles the risk of miscarriage, a new study has warned. London Daily Telegraph, England, 21 January 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/health/21caffeine.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Tougher lead standards mean more children will be tested, treated. The General Assembly has instituted sweeping changes to the state's lead poisoning prevention program in order to provide better child protection. Waterbury Republican-American, Connecticut, 21 January 2008.
http://www.rep-am.com/articles/2008/01/21/special/312308.txt
Mobiles linked to disturbed sleep. A new study, funded by mobile phone companies, suggests radiation from the handset can cause insomnia, headaches and confusion. BBC, UK, 21 January 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7199659.stm
Warnings for energy drinks? After screening 300 chemicals under CA Prop 65, 11 of those were found to cause cancer, birth defects or harm to animals. Caffeine was one of them. San Bernardino County Sun, California, 20 January 2008.
http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_8029403
Doctors warn bacteria are racing past drugs. With disturbing regularity, the list of available treatment options grows shorter as bacteria once tamed by antibiotics evolve rapidly into forms that practically no drug can treat. San Francisco Chronicle, California, 20 January 2008.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/20/MNSTUGD68.DTL
Michigan may add to indoor tanning salon regulations. The House proposal would require indoor tanning operations to register with the state at the cost of $150 per year and give the Michigan Department of Community Health some limited oversight. Associated Press, 20 January 2008.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080120/METRO/801200318/1040/LIFESTYLE03
State lawmakers call for stricter toy safety regulations. Millions of toys have been recalled in the past year because they contain lead, but that doesn't mean your child's toy box is safe yet. Tacoma News Tribune, Washington, 20 January 2008.
http://www.theolympian.com/legislature/story/333202.html
Study children and cellphones, US experts advise. Researchers should study more children and pregnant women in trying to figure out if cell phones or other wireless devices could damage health, the U.S. National Research Council advised on Thursday. Reuters, 19 January 2008.
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=4151580
Girl, you'll be a woman sooner than expected. The first visible sign of puberty, breast budding, is arriving ever earlier in American girls. Los Angeles Times, California, 19 January 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-puberty21jan21,1,6376765.story?ctrack=3&cset=true
Warning issued on lead-laced candies. The California Department of Public Health on Friday warned people not to eat INDY Mini Dedos Spicy and Sour candies imported from Mexico after tests by the department found levels of lead that could cause health problems. Santa Cruz Sentinel, California, 19 January 2008.
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/story.php?storySection=Local&sid=65031
Kalamazoo County to enforce lead rules. If doing the right thing isn't incentive enough, landlords who don't take steps to protect children from lead poisoning could now find themselves in jail. Kalamazoo Gazette, Michigan, 19 January 2008.
http://blog.mlive.com/kzgazette/2008/01/kalamazoo_county_to_enforce_le.html
How plastic we've become. Today, the planet is awash in products spawned by the plastics industry. Residues of plastics have become ubiquitous in the environment—and in our bodies. Science News, 19 January 2008.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20080119/food.asp
Baby products under scrutiny. A congressional committee is launching an investigation into the use and safety of a chemical -- bisphenol A -- found in many children's and infant products, including the lining of liquid infant formula cans. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, 18 January 2008.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=708628
FBI sued over lead bullet casings in lake. A Northbrook group has filed suit to stop the FBI from using a shooting range in North Chicago and force the FBI to pay $35.2 million for an environmental assessment and cleanup. Elgin Courier News, Illinois, 18 January 2008.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/news/746733,5_1_WA18_LEADWATER_S1.article
China says its seafood is safer. China's Ministry of Agriculture says a recent nationwide crackdown on the use of illegal veterinary drugs has already significantly improved the quality and safety of the country's seafood production. International Herald Tribune, January 18, 2008.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/18/business/17cndfish.php
State revises milk labeling. Consumer advocates claimed victory Thursday as state regulators reversed an earlier decision about how milk may be labeled. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pennsylvania, 18 January 2008.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_548029.html
Mercury in Alaska fish: Something else to worry about. For the most part, most Alaska fish species have relatively low levels of mercury, but recent studies have cast doubt. Cordova Times, Alaska, 17 January 2008.
http://thecordovatimes.com/news/story/1230
Chemical-related illnesses cost state. Toxic chemicals sicken and kill thousands of people in California each year and cost the state an estimated $2.6 billion in medical expenses and lost wages. Associated Press, 17 January 2008.
http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_7993494
Banned toxin found in wood floor finishes. A wood floor finish popular in the 1950s and 1960s may be a significant, continuing source of the banned, disease-causing pollutants known as PCBs, 50 years after the floors were installed. Reuters, 17 January 2008.
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1665067220080117
"Natural" supplements caused cancer in two men. Many supplements marketed as "safe" and "natural" could contain unknown and potentially dangerous ingredients, and noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has little authority to regulate them. Reuters, 17 January 2008.
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=natural-supplements-cause
Wider spread of chemical is feared in New Hampshire. A recent federal finding that drinking water at seven of ten Rockingham County, mobile home parks is contaminated with a gasoline additive called MTBE is surprising scientists and spurring ongoing legal efforts by the state to get oil companies to clean up the mess. Boston Globe, Massachusetts, 17 January 2008.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/17/wider_spread_of_chemical_is_feared/
Is your home making you sick? Studies of human exposure to air pollutants by the Environmental Protection Agency indicate that indoor air levels of many pollutants may be two to five times, and occasionally more than 100 times, higher than outdoor levels. San Mateo Daily Journal, California, 17 January 2008.
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=86076
Study: Less heavy metal in British air. British scientists have determined air quality in the United Kingdom has significantly improved during the past 25 years with the reduction of heavy metals. United Press International, 17 January 2008.
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Science/2008/01/17/study_less_heavy_metal_in_british_air/4457/
Ruling paves way for mercury emissions lawsuit. A legal ruling made Wednesday at an Ontario court has paved the way for Canadian environmentalists to try to prosecute DTE Energy Co. of Detroit over allegations that mercury emissions from two coal fired power plants it operates in the U.S. are causing water pollution in Canada. Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, Ontario, 16 January 2008.
http://www.waterkeeper.ca/content/fish/ruling_paves_way_for_mercury_e.php
Environmentalists push Queen's Park for pesticide ban. A coalition of environmental activists and health professionals called on the Ontario government Tuesday to quickly pass a promised, provincewide ban on the cosmetic use of pesticides. Canadian Press, 16 January 2008.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2008/01/15/enviro-pesticides.html
Mom's depression boosts asthma risk in kids. A new study at the University of Manitoba, Canada, has found that kids whose mothers suffer prolonged depression or anxiety have a higher rate of asthma than their peers, independent of other risk factors. Asian News International, South Asia, 16 January 2008.
http://www.thecheers.org/news/Science/news_7731_Moms-depression-boosts-asthma-risk-in-kids.html
USDA recommends that food from clones stay off the market. The U.S. Department of Agriculture yesterday asked U.S. farmers to keep their cloned animals off the market indefinitely even as Food and Drug Administration officials announced that food from cloned livestock is safe to eat. Washington Post, 16 January 2008.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/15/AR2008011501555.html
Organic foods prove more nutritious. A new study has found that food grown organically - -- particularly fruits, vegetables and milk - -- are more nutritious than those produced by conventional methods. Pottstown Mercury, Pennsylvania, 16 January 2008.
http://ptm.jrcinteractive.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Daily;jsessionid=92bTHNhbY762JnqBtFy3qR7J2N68DxfsGwCBKFTW9lGTJQy3n8Rq!2060854463?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_article&r21.pgpath=%2FPTM%2FLife&r21.content=%2FPTM%2FLife%2FHeadlineList_Story_1419911
Iron nanobeads can control immune system. Rat cells' immune response has been switched on and off with a magnetic field -- a technique that could control treatment of allergies and other illnesses more precisely. New Scientist, England, 16 January 2008.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19726385.900-iron-nanobeads-can-control-immune-system.html
Group wants more polluters in court. The All-China Environmental Federation, the only nongovernmental organization active nationwide, said Tues. it will boost efforts to help people defend their rights to clean air, water and land. China Daily, 16 January 2008.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-01/16/content_6396814.htm
