Environment

Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution Linked to Obese Children

April 23, 2012

Women exposed to relatively high levels of air pollution while pregnant are twice as likely to have children who are obese, according to researchers at Columbia University. The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, is one of the first to document a link between environmental pollution and obesity in humans. “Obesity is a [...]

Environmental Groups Blast FDA Decision on BPA

April 2, 2012

Water bottles and other plastic containers that are marked with recycle codes 3 or 7 may be made with BPA.

The Food and Drug Administration has rejected a request from an environmental group that would have banned bisphenol (BPA) from food and beverage containers. The agency said it lacked scientific evidence to warrant a ban, but would continue to study the plastic hardening chemical, which has been linked to obesity, diabetes, cancer and other health [...]

Industry Reacts to Silent Spring Institute’s Harmful Chemicals Study

March 11, 2012

A new study conducted by the Silent Spring Institute has revealed that common everyday consumer products — like soaps, cleaners, cosmetics, and sunscreens — are comprised of a host of potentially harmful chemicals that are not listed on product labels. Many of the products contain phthalates and polyfluorinated compounds; known hormone disruptors that have been linked [...]

New Study Links Common Chemical to Obesity

February 24, 2012

Another study has found a disturbing link between obesity and a widely used chemical commonly found in the environment. Researchers in Norway and Denmark found daughters of women exposed to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) during pregnancy were up to three times more likely to be overweight. The findings come from a study of Danish women that [...]

Food Allergy: A National and Deadly Problem

February 21, 2012

Max Rosland, a 7-year-old elementary school student from Carter Lake, Iowa, was placed on a heart-lung bypass machine last month because of a severe allergic reaction to a peanut he ate at school. He survived. Ammaria Johnson, a first-grader from Richmond, Virginia went into anaphylactic shock and tragically died January 2 after eating a peanut [...]

Common Household Chemicals and Plastics May be Harming Children

February 9, 2012

Laurie Kerkinni is a busy mother of four boys in Lakeville, Minnesota. Like many parents, she strives to bring healthy food home to her family. But Kerkinni’s concern about health goes beyond just food – she worries about cleansers, detergents, even shower curtains — common household chemicals and plastics that are an everyday part of [...]

Sierra Club Disputes the Reason Carl Pope Left

November 22, 2011

Follow Up The Sierra Club has taken issue with media reports of the reasons why Carl Pope stepped down as the organization’s chairman. In a letter to the Los Angeles Times, the Sierra Club indicated there was nothing surprising about Pope’s departure and that its board had known for three years that he was planning [...]

What’s Going On In the Environmental Movement?

November 20, 2011

Two major national environmental organizations are undergoing big changes. The Sierra Club announced that its chairman has stepped down. Carl Pope’s departure comes as the Sierra Club faces declining membership, internal dissent and opposition to many of its programs in Congress. Meanwhile, the Wilderness Society announced it is going to lay off 17 percent of [...]

Paper, Plastic or E. Coli?

November 10, 2011

Researchers collected reusable polypropylene bags from and found coliform bacteria in over half of them.

Cities and local governments around the country are banning plastic grocery bags with little awareness that they may be trading an environmental problem for a potential public health threat. Reusable shopping bags, which are replacing single use bags, are a breeding ground for E. coli and other bacteria, according to a recent study by the [...]