Thursday, 16 Aug 2007

Dying For a Change

Pollution causes some 40 percent of deaths worldwide, says new research

Here's one small reason to join the save-the-environment cause: new research indicates that some 40 percent of deaths worldwide are a direct effect of air, water, and soil pollution. Dirty air contributes to cancer and birth defects; unclean water accounts for 80 percent of all infectious diseases; and contaminated soil passes toxics to unwitting humans through direct contact or via food. According to researchers' review of data from more than 120 published papers, pollution combined with population growth contributes to malnourishment and disease susceptibility in 3.7 billion people, or about 57 percent of the world population. In 1950, when a mere 2.5 billion humans roamed the earth, only 20 percent of the population was malnourished. Says lead researcher David Pimentel, "We have serious environmental resource problems of water, land, and energy, and these are now coming to bear on food production, malnutrition, and the incidence of diseases."

Dust to Dust

NASA recalculates, 1998 becomes second-hottest year in U.S.

The year 1998 has dropped from the hottest-year-ever-in-the-U.S. throne after NASA revised calculations, allowing Dust-Bowl-affected 1934 to claim the title. Despite triumphant cackling from climate skeptics, the rejiggering does not affect global climate records, and really is, for all intents and purposes, a technicality -- globally, 1998 is still tied with 2005 as the hottest year ever recorded.

Peekaboo, ICU

Hospitals opt for less-toxic medical equipment

As the wee tots who end up in neonatal intensive care tend to be a bit on the vulnerable side, leading medical organizations are urging hospitals to swap medical equipment containing icky chemical DEHP -- which can include IV tubing and blood bags -- for safer alternatives. The good news: some DEHP-free products are cheaper and lighter than their toxic counterparts. The bad news: some manufacturers are reluctant to disclose which of their products contain the chemical, citing trade secrets.


A funny thing happened on the way to the farmers' market: a growing chorus of critics says buying local food might not be better for the climate than buying food from far away. Could it be true? And are "local" and "far away" the only options in the food-distribution game? Tom Philpott deconstructs the latest debate, serving up an example of a third way.

Strange Riverbed Fellows?

IBM partners with New York institute to create river-research center

Tech giant IBM is partnering with a state-financed science organization in New York to create a cutting-edge river research center. The project, launched with the Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries, will tap into the mad skillz of IBM engineers to provide 24-hour data collection along the Hudson River's 315-mile reach. Its organizers hope the resulting information will be used for both educational and business purposes; they also hope to spread their technology around the world, once they perfect it. "We each hope to discover a lot of things along the way," said Harry R. Kolar of IBM's Global Engineering Solutions division. "This is not a typical project." Addressing a breathless reporter's question about the oddity of a corporate-environmental partnership, Beacon Institute Director John Cronin said, "I don't see this as two different groups of people. There isn't room for permanent enemies anymore."

Charlie and the Optimism Factory

Florida's governor names climate panel, talks up green economy

Used to be the greenest thing in Florida was a golf course -- or maybe an old lady's dye job gone slightly awry. But something's happening in that sunshiny state. This week, Gov. Charlie Crist (R) followed up on an early-summer commitment by picking 21 business, community, and environmental leaders to serve on his Action Team on Energy and Climate Change. By November, the team will put forward plans for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and diversifying electricity sources; by next October, they'll shape a strategy for mitigating the impacts of development and emissions on public health, the environment, and the economy. Speaking of which -- and this is where our heart really goes pitter-pat -- Crist believes that environment and economy go hand in hand, saying there's "gold in green" and "tremendous opportunities for job creation," and proclaiming, "It is not mutually incompatible to have people who work in industry care about the environment." All hail common sense.