A decrease in pesticide availability led to an associated decrease in suicide rates in Sri Lanka, researchers publishing in the International Journal of Epidemiology have concluded. In 1995 and 1998, restrictions were put into place on importation and sales of highly toxic pesticides in Sri Lanka; in 2005, the country's suicide rate was half what it had been in 1995. "Changes in the availability of a commonly used method of suicide may influence not only method-specific but also overall suicide rates," says researcher David Gunnell. "Pesticides are readily available in most rural households in low-income countries and are commonly used by young people who impulsively poison themselves in moments of crisis." Pesticide self-poisoning may account for over one-third of global suicides. In other news, U.S. researchers report that pesticide exposure appears to increase the risk of asthma in farmers. So eat organic already.

Related Links:

Obama headed to Copenhagen, sets the bar for success

Obama going to Copenhagen

‘Copenhagen Diagnosis’ offers a grim update to the IPCC’s climate science

A dense blanket of pollution that is hovering over South Asia could cause millions of deaths in the region and pose a threat to the world at large, a group of 200 scientists announced today. Known as the "Asian Brown Cloud," the smog is an estimated two miles thick and covers the entire Indian subcontinent, from Sri Lanka to Afghanistan. The cloud is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths from respiratory disease every year, and is also altering the regional climate by trapping heat and blocking sunlight. The cloud is composed of aerosols, ash, soot, and other particles, and stems from forest fires, vegetation clearing, fossil fuels, and industrial pollution. A U.N. report found that the smog blanket could cut rainfall in the region by up to 40 percent and travel halfway around the world in just one week. If there's a silver lining to this particular cloud, it's that it could disappear relatively quickly with the use of more efficient technologies and cleaner energy sources, scientists said.

Related Links:

The U.S.-India climate ‘partnership’

What Do Coal and Dirty Dorm Rooms Have in Common?

Ask Umbra on trash, toxics, and tots

A shocking 80 percent of wild elephants in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam fell victim to the ivory trade between 1988 and 2000, according to a report issued yesterday by Save the Elephants. The report blamed French, Spanish, Italian, German, Japanese, and Chinese tourists for driving the trade in ivory trinkets, and said Thailand was the main marketplace for the illegal items. None of the surveyed countries, which also included Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Singapore, enforced laws banning the sale of ivory. Rather, many officials, ranging from customs officers to armed forces members, participated in or permitted the trade. The report did find one bright spot: It praised India for making substantial strides in eliminating its ivory trade. "It shows what a government can do if they want to close the trade down. It's not a rich place, but they've done it very successfully," said report co-author Esmond Martin.

Related Links:

City preps and countries posture ahead of Copenhagen talks

Water, conflict, and security on the banks of the Hudson

Top 25 reasons to give a damn about climate change