Month: September 2010
National Conversation on Chemical Exposure Drafts Available
I previously wrote about the National Conversation on Public Health and Chemical Exposures, the effort by the CDC and ATSDR to develop recommendations for action regarding chemical exposures. The National Conversation formed a series of work groups to focus on a set of specific areas, and develop draft recommendations. Today through September 20th, the draft …
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CONTINUE READINGGood News from the Amazon
Recent satellite studies indicate a major decrease in the rate of deforestation in the Amazon. The journal Science reports: The Brazilian government says that a preliminary survey by a low-resolution satellite shows that deforestation in the Amazon declined by 47.5% over the past 12 months. The figure is the largest decline since measurements began in …
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CONTINUE READINGNew million-dollar donation from out-of-state oil company helps the attack on California’s climate change law
According to a story in today’s Los Angeles Times, a new $1 million cash infusion from Kansas-based oil company Koch Industries –the second-largest private company in the U.S. — is buoying the campaign in favor of Proposition 23, which would block implementation of California’s landmark law to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The company is owned by …
CONTINUE READINGFollow-up on refrigeration: the history of the idea of food “freshness”
My colleague Jonathan Zasloff’s recent post on refrigeration reminded me of a fascinating book published last year: Fresh, by Susanne Freidberg. This book — authored by a college classmate of mine who teaches geography at Dartmouth — chronicles the evolution of the culturally-constructed concept of “freshness” in 19th and 20th-century America, and the development of …
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CONTINUE READINGEPA proposes fuel economy letter grade labels for cars
New labels proposed by the federal government would give new cars letter grades reflecting their fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions. Electric cars and plug-in hybrids are expected to get the highest grades. The rule isn’t final yet; the public can comment and make suggestions on the label design. Most of us are familiar with …
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CONTINUE READINGThe Not-So-Skeptical Environmentalist
Bjorn Lomborg (a/k/a the “Skeptical Environmentalist”) has apparently had a change of heart regarding climate change. According to the Guardian: The world’s most high-profile climate change sceptic is to declare that global warming is “undoubtedly one of the chief concerns facing the world today” and “a challenge humanity must confront”, in an apparent U-turn …
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CONTINUE READINGGumby and the Mad Hatter Meet US Energy Policy
As Dan notes, the Coast Guard is reporting the explosion of a nonoperating oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The last I heard, there were no fatalities, and several workers there were able to escape using flotation clothing, better known as “Gumby Suits.” Obviously, had the oil rig been functional, there is a strong …
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CONTINUE READINGBreaking News: Oil Rig Explosion
The Washington Post reports that a non-producing rig in 2500 feet of water has exploded off the Louisiana Coast. More details at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/02/AR2010090202590.html?wpisrc=nl_natlalert
CONTINUE READINGOn the Lack of a Refrigerator
So my family just moved into a new house the other day, but the refrigerator won’t arrive from the factory for another few days. This condition has vast environmental implications. Really. My headache for the past few days has been: how to store food? Even I have the basic competence to prepare a meal without …
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CONTINUE READINGScaling Up Clean Energy
Science has a special issue on the problem of taking clean energy to scale. News stories highlight some of the challenges associated with making this energy transition, Perspectives take an in-depth look at how researchers hope to scale up biofuels development, and a Review discusses a two-stage approach for expanding nuclear power generation. Compared to …
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