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| Headline |
Author |
Published |
Section |
Now This Is Corn-fusing
Study says ethanol fuel could cause more health problems than gasoline |
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18 Apr 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Now This Is Corn-fusing Study says ethanol fuel could cause more health problems than gasoline Time to trot out Alanis, cuz this is what the kids call "ironic": a study from Stanford University says widespread use of ethanol in vehicles could have serious health effects. Atmospheric scientist Mark Jacobson ran computer models comparing air quality in 2020 based on use of both gasoline and E85, a blend of 85 percent ... |
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| Topics: energy, ethanol, health, news (all these topics) |
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Message on a Bottle
On aluminum bottles |
Umbra Fisk |
04 Apr 2007 |
Ask Umbra |
| Umbra, Are aluminum bottles safer than Nalgene bottles? I'm looking at getting Sigg bottles for my self, wife, and son. Vendor agnostic, are the materials used by aluminum-only vendors safer than those that incorporate Lexan? Chris Webber Seattle, Wash. Dearest Chris, I swear, I pick questions and only then do I notice that yet again I have chosen one from Seattle. It is not a conspiracy. I just wanted a question to go with our r ... |
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| Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, green living, green products, health, toxics (all these topics) |
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Deca Dent
Washington state first in the nation to ban PBDEs |
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04 Apr 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Deca Dent Washington state first in the nation to ban PBDEs Washington state will be the first in the nation to phase out nasty fireproofing chemicals called PBDEs, which show up in the bodies of people and wildlife and may cause neurological damage. Yesterday, the state Senate passed a measure that will eventually ban home items containing deca, the most commonly used PBDE; the House had already approved the bill, and no ... |
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| Topics: health, news, toxics, Washington (all these topics) |
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Then There's the Short Term
Long-term radiation risks lower than some daily hazards, study finds |
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03 Apr 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Then There's the Short Term Long-term radiation risks lower than some daily hazards, study finds Living in fear of a nuclear meltdown? Now you can relax! A new study says the long-term risks faced by survivors of two of the world's most notorious nuclear episodes -- the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the 1945 bombings of Japan -- are lower than the risks caused by urban air pollution, obesity, and smoking. ... |
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| Topics: energy, green living, health, news, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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Green consumerism: Getting the rat poison out of the baby food
So to speak |
Gar Lipow |
02 Apr 2007 |
Gristmill |
| No, as far as I know, no baby-food maker ever used rat poison as an ingredient. The point is that we don't have to worry about it; if you have an infant switching off milk, you can shop the baby food counter confident that none of the choices will contain rat poison. However, as a consumer, buying 'green' is not quite so easy. Hastening the end of our civilization is a routine ingredient in most of the things we buy. By spending a little extra time and money, we can some ... |
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| Topics: food, green living, green products, health (all these topics) |
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More beef = fewer babies?
Growth promoters in beef may damage sperm |
Julia Olmstead |
29 Mar 2007 |
Gristmill |
| As reported by the BBC, a University of Rochester study found recently that men whose mothers ate lots of beef during their pregnancies had lower sperm counts than the sons of women who ate little or no beef while pregnant: Among sons of mothers who ate a lot of beef, 17.7 percent had a sperm concentration below the World Health Organization sub-fertility threshold of 20 million sperm per millilitre of seminal fluid. The figure for the sons of lower beef consumers ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, food, green living, health (all these topics) |
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Punishment for gluttons?
Rising costs affect consumers |
Clark Williams-Derry |
28 Mar 2007 |
Gristmill |
| One of the side effects of the rapid increase in ethanol consumption in the U.S. is that corn -- the main feedstock for ethanol -- has gotten much more expensive. Just take a look at the futures markets: the July 2007 corn contract started climbing last fall, which was about the time people started to realize just how quickly demand for corn-based ethanol was growing. Obviously, rising costs trickle down to consumers in all sorts of ways. If corn prices st ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, Big Ag, energy, ethanol, food, green living, health (all these topics) |
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Pangea's labyrinth
Great finds in the search for green cosmetics |
Yolanda Crous |
26 Mar 2007 |
Gristmill |
| I smell yummy. Very very yummy. So yummy, in fact, that my roommate's dog just tried to lick all the yumminess off my face. Still, even that salivary interlude couldn't kill my French Rosemary With Sweet Orange buzz. I'm on a mission to replace all my pharmacy-bought personal care products with non-toxic, petrochemical-free alternatives. Alas, it's been slow going, especially in the skin care department. It took me years, after all, to find cleansers and moisturize ... |
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| Topics: fashion, green living, green products, health (all these topics) |
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Playing with food
Er, food data that is |
Clark Williams-Derry |
23 Mar 2007 |
Gristmill |
| I'm not much of a gourmand, but I do love to play with food. Well, food data, anyway. So when I happened upon the Food System Factoids blog, I totally pigged out. The menu may not be for everyone, but if you have a craving for analyses of food pricing trends, or evaluations of carbon emissions from U.S. agriculture, you'll find plenty to satisfy. Take, for instance, this post on the relative change in prices of soft drinks and processed fats vs. fruits an ... |
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| Topics: food, green living, health (all these topics) |
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IV League
Karen Bowman, environmental-health nurse, answers readers' questions |
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23 Mar 2007 |
InterActivist |
| Karen Bowman, president of Karen Bowman & Associates Inc. I'm intrigued by environmental-health nursing as a career path -- I'd never heard of it until now! How did you become an environmental-health nurse, and how does the average person do so? -- Marta Lindsey, San Francisco, Calif. I am so glad you asked -- and if I can do it, you can do it too! As you learned from my initial bio, I've been in oc ... |
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| Topics: health, InterActivist, interview (all these topics) |
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Rethinking the bottom line
Bill McKibben questions thinking as usual when it comes to climate. |
Anna Fahey |
21 Mar 2007 |
Gristmill |
| The old thinking, as author and thinker Bill McKibben explains in today's LA Times, goes like this: bigger is always better, growth is good no matter what, and a booming stock market is the ultimate measure of our success. McKibben illustrates the kind of lopsided priorities that naturally flow when we're ruled by the bottom line, pointing to a scarcely-reported White House report that said the U.S. would be pumping out almost 20 percent more greenhous ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, Bill McKibben, farmers markets, food, green living, health, local food (all these topics) |
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On the Ball: Freeze right there!
Skating arenas can be bad for your health |
Sarah K. Burkhalter |
21 Mar 2007 |
Gristmill |
| I avoid ice skating at all costs, because I value my tailbone. And now I have all the more reason to stay home, as a CBC News investigation finds that ice-resurfacing machines in hockey and skating arenas can spew particulate matter to a health-endangering extent. At 14 percent of arenas studied across Canada, skaters were breathing in pollution just as dirty as the air next to Canada's busiest highway. Says researcher Kenneth Rundell: We found the ice-rink at ... |
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| Topics: green living, health, sports (all these topics) |
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Coal kills
Report from India |
Gar Lipow |
20 Mar 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Daphne Wysham, co-director of the Sustainable Energy & Economy Network sends the following from Angul, Orissa, the heart of India's Coal Belt, on March 15, 2007: The smell of burning coal in household fires hangs in the air. Bicyclists carry heavy bags of coal from the mines to sell for a few rupees. They are overtaken by huge lorries carrying more than the tonnage they are supposed to carry -- all part of the black market in coal -- down busy streets, with cattle l ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, coal, energy, health, India (all these topics) |
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'Drop-dead gorgeous guts'
Metamucil's bold new marketing, uh, move |
Tom Philpott |
20 Mar 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Most people know intuitively that when they eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, they feel better and probably even look better. It's a virtuous circle, and you can try it at home. Eat fresh produce. Feel better. Look better. Crave fresh produce. But the food-pharmaceutical industry (yes, they're related) doesn't make much money when you eat a lot of fresh produce. It makes much more sense to them if you eat a lot of 'value-added' (i.e., highly processed) ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, food, green living, health (all these topics) |
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Healthy cars
Also known as bikes |
Sarah van Schagen |
20 Mar 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Is your car safe?I'm not talking seat belts and air bags. Nope, I'm asking about that new-car smell. Take a big whiff, and ask yourself again: Is your car safe? What you smell may be part of a toxic soup of chemicals off-gassing from parts like the steering wheel, dashboard, armrests, and seat. These chemicals can include bromine, chlorine, lead, and other toxins that contribute to a litany of health problems ranging from decreased fertility to liver, kidney, th ... |
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| Topics: cars, green living, health, toxics (all these topics) |
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Hello, Nurse!
Karen Bowman, environmental-health nurse, answers questions |
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19 Mar 2007 |
InterActivist |
| Karen Bowman. What work do you do? I have the best job in the world! I'm president of Karen Bowman & Associates Inc., a nurse-owned firm that provides occupational- and environmental-health services to the global community. How does it relate to the environment? The company designs and implements cost-effective, sustainable solutions that enhance health and safety in the workplace. Companies love nurses! We ... |
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| Topics: health, InterActivist, interview (all these topics) |
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Femme Natal
Anika Rahman, women's- and reproductive-rights advocate, answers readers' questions |
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16 Mar 2007 |
InterActivist |
| What are the implications of the Bush administration's denial of funds to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)? -- Name not provided Anika Rahman, Americans for UNFPA. In 1969, the U.S. was integral in the formation of UNFPA, recognizing the importance of providing women's health care. Since 2002, the U.S. has withheld $161 million from UNFPA. The denial of funds strips the moral, ... |
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| Topics: green living, health, InterActivist, interview, United Nations, United States (all these topics) |
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The Weight of the World
Exposure to chemicals could contribute to obesity, studies find |
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13 Mar 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| The Weight of the World Exposure to chemicals could contribute to obesity, studies find Obesity is largely blamed on calories (too many) and exercise (too little), but recent studies suggest that chemical exposure may also pack on pounds. And it's tough to diet from so-called "obesogens," which show up in everything from pesticides to food containers. Chemicals found to produce more and larger fat cells in mice include ... |
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| Topics: green living, health, news (all these topics) |
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Intent of a Woman
Anika Rahman, women's- and reproductive-rights advocate, answers Grist's questions |
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12 Mar 2007 |
InterActivist |
| Anika Rahman. What work do you do? What's your job title? I'm the president of Americans for UNFPA. UNFPA, or the United Nations Population Fund, is essentially the United Nations' women's health agency. It provides women's health care and promotes the rights of women all over the world. Working in 140 countries, it is the largest international source of such assistance. Americans for ... |
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| Topics: green living, health, InterActivist, interview, United Nations, United States (all these topics) |
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Diet Coke + vitamins = healthy beverage!
Uh, no it doesn't |
Tom Philpott |
07 Mar 2007 |
Gristmill |
| News flash: Coca-Cola has responded to consumer demand and is now producing 'healthy' beverages. 'Diet and light brands are actually health and wellness brands,' Coke's CEO E. Neville Isdell told The New York Times. He was referring to a new product called Diet Coke Plus, which is Diet Coke plus a few vitamins. Where do I start?Diet Coke consists of artificially blackened water tinged with synthetic chemicals. Here are its ingredients, from most prevalent to l ... |
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| Topics: food, health (all these topics) |
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The Knights Who Say NIH
Health agency reviews bisphenol A safety as controversy swirls |
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06 Mar 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| The Knights Who Say NIH Health agency reviews bisphenol A safety as controversy swirls Ignoring the news about bisphenol A? Time to pay attention, cuz the plastic resin is used in everyday products from baby bottles to canned goods and linked to a host of health problems. And with the National Institutes of Health reviewing the safety of BPA this week, a maelstrom is brewing: a major player in the NIH study, Sciences International, is ... |
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| Topics: health, news, toxics (all these topics) |
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And You Thought It Was the TPS Reports
Your commute may be killing you, says clean-air advocacy group |
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02 Mar 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| And You Thought It Was the TPS Reports Your commute may be killing you, says clean-air advocacy group Here's one more reason to hate your commute: it could be making you sick. Commuters -- on car, train, bus, bike, or foot -- breathe in up to eight times more diesel soot particles than they would just being in a downtown area, according to a new study by the nonprofit Clean Air Task Force. Based on air-quality mon ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, health, news, placemaking (all these topics) |
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Meany in a Bottle
Baby bottles found to leak chemicals, California may ban them |
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01 Mar 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Meany in a Bottle Baby bottles found to leak chemicals, California may ban them Most parents discourage their kiddos from ingesting known toxics, so a new study from green group Environment California is a bit of a bummer: when run through a simulated dishwasher 50 to 75 times, name-brand baby bottles leach the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, in levels that have caused reproductive abno ... |
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| Topics: California, green living, health, news, parenting, politics, toxics (all these topics) |
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Priorities
How do you choose yours? |
Jason D Scorse |
25 Feb 2007 |
Gristmill |
| I had nightmares after reading Nicolas Kristof's gruesome description of the Guinea worm -- a two-foot worm that eats through people and pops out of their bodies in the most unpleasant places -- in his editorial on Jimmy Carter's work to eradicate the disease. Beside the sleepless night, the article helped to solidify two things for me.First, in this world we are but one among millions of creatures competing for resources. There are many out to kill us, but also many ... |
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| Topics: environmental movement, health, water pollution (all these topics) |
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Death by Prius
Hybrid cars dangerously quiet for pedestrians |
Erik Hoffner |
16 Feb 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Turns out that it isn't just U.S. automakers that have been put in mortal danger by hybrids (it is their fault, of course): the National Federation of the Blind said this week that those at risk include (gasp) cyclists, the blind, the elderly, and distracted pedestrians. Lay on those horns, people! |
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| Topics: cars, electric vehicles, health, hybrids (all these topics) |
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