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May 12, 2008
A few days ago, researchers at West Virginia School of Medicine who are involved in the C8 Health Project provided some initial results from the 69,030 participants who live in the vicinity of DuPont's Washington Works plant near Parkersburg, WV. The information was presented at a May 7 …
May 12, 2008
By Olga Naidenko
After lead, asbestos, aromatic amine dyes, Minamata disease, Bhopal, and fluorochemicals, we presumably have learned something about worker safety, especially when it comes to large-scale production in cutting-edge chemical industries. So here comes the test: can we use this…
May 9, 2008
Bloggers are keeping us up to date on some of the many proposals for spending federal dollars on health and environmental issues:
Tom Philpott at Gristmill brings us the latest on the farm bill, which has been delayed due to disputes over subsidy reform.
Hank Green at EnviroWonk explains why and…
May 9, 2008
The Weinberg Group is one of the product defense firms I write about in my new book âDoubt is Their Product: How Industryâs Assault on Science Threatens Your Health.â These firms help polluters and manufacturers of dangerous products avoid regulation â only now the Weinberg Group is not a product…
May 9, 2008
HT erv.
This is truly annoying because it is so patently wrong. It's wrong in lots of different ways, but I'll help point out some of the major flaws. What happens when journalist becomes the story, rather than reports it?
You see, there is this journalist, Celia Farber, who apparently has been…
May 9, 2008
It's a really good edition up at Skepbitch (who is surprisingly nice). Don't miss it!
May 8, 2008
As the death toll in the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Nargis becomes clear, new dangers loom. Complete breakdown in essential services and sanitation will conspire to kill thousands more via disease unless the world moves quickly (and maybe, even if we do).
Arthropod-borne diseases such as…
May 7, 2008
Past roundups have emphasized the many things wrong with veteransâ health and safety, so this week seems like a good time to highlight some of the efforts that the military and the Veterans Administration are making to address the problems.
The WSJâs Theo Francis reports that the Defense…
May 7, 2008
I'll admit right of the bat that I didn't do any research before posting this one. I haven't read any literature on dreams in years, but somehow discussion among some egghead-types turned to common dreams. Among these:
--The one where you sign up for a class and forget about it until finals
--The…
May 6, 2008
Despite worsening problems with climate disruption and air pollution, politicians and individuals have kept making bad transportation choices for decades. As a result, weâve got an unsustainable transportation system full of single-passenger gas-guzzling vehicles, and the only âsolutionâ that…
May 6, 2008
GINA, the Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act, has been passed by the House and the Senate, and will be signed by the president. Others have explained some of the implications of the bill, but the need for the bill is a grave sign.
GINA is a symptom...a symptom of a diseased health care…
May 6, 2008
The end of the world is a common religious idea. The end of this planet and the end of time itself are ideas not unknown to cosmologists, but are not exactly an immediate threat.
To certain religious groups, the threat is now, and is welcome. "Signs" are everywhere. Of course, we've been down…
May 5, 2008
The May 12th issue of Newsweek contains Sharon Begleyâs excellent review of Doubt is Their Product (which should now be available in your local bookstore). Naturally, we like it because it says nice things about Davidâs book, but we also think Begley does a terrific job describing the kinds of…
May 5, 2008
I can't tell you the number of people who complain to me about having their hope taken away. Exactly what this means, though, isn't always clear.
Sometimes an oncologist will tell them (so they say) that they have a month to live. Sometimes their cardiologist tells them (so they say) not to…
May 5, 2008
I recently lost a close family member to cancer. She was old, she had been ill a long time; it still hurts. But in her dying, she made some wise choices. She was a very bright woman, and retained her mental capacities right up until the end. This gave her the opportunity to decide how she would…
May 4, 2008
I'm not going to lie to you. This post contains some actual science. WAIT! Don't click away! I'll make it palatable, I promise!
It's just that this is such an interesting story, and I can't help sharing it. It is a shining example of one of the great successes of modern medical science, and…
May 4, 2008
I've mentioned before that I think that PBS stations are making a deal with the devil when they feature Gary Null's infomercials. This alternative medince guru is a classic crank---an HIV denialist, seller of phonie cures, and host to other cranks.
But at least he's a nice guy, right?
Ask Lee…
May 4, 2008
OK, so it's a repost from the old blog. I'm on vacation so gimme a break. --PalMD
When I get bored, I sift through the "articles" section of Gary Null's site to see what kind of stupidity he is willing to host. Thankfully, it never takes long to find the stupid. This time, it was more on the so-…
May 4, 2008
In this space, we have explored some real conspiracies, using as an example the tobacco companies' war on truth. Smoking, and smoking-related disease, continues to be a significant burden on the health of Americans. For example, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects between 10-25…
May 2, 2008
I'm vacationing, so I'll point you to some important posts from my SciBlings, DM and Orac. Measles is no joke, and the latest report reminds us that the anti-vaccine folks are dangerous.
May 2, 2008
Bloggers had a lot to say about the health, safety, and healthcare of workers:
Christine Rampolla at AFL-CIO Weblog explains how 12 years of work by union members culminated in New Jerseyâs paid family leave act, which the governor just signed into law.
What if ⦠America Had a Healthcare…
May 2, 2008
Companies have evidently realized that marketing anti-bacterial products to U.S. consumers is a good way to make money, and are pushing a wide array of products that claim to have bacteria-fighting properties. (I've seen socks, computer products, toys ... and even a handy hook you can use to avoid…
May 2, 2008
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted 247-165 to approve the Worker Protection Against Combustible Dust Explosion and Fires Act (H.R. 5522), which requires OSHA to issue an interim final combustible dust standard within 90 days and a final standard within 18 months.
This legislation…
May 1, 2008
The Chicago Tribune has just reported that Mary Gade, the Bush administrationâs top environmental regulator in the Midwest, has been forced to quit her job after months of efforts to get Dow Chemicals to clean up dioxin contamination around its Michigan headquarters. The Tribuneâs Michael Hawthorne…
May 1, 2008
Many of my fellow bloggers, and many fellow Michiganders, have noted a breath of fresh air out of (ironically) the Motor City. This quote from Real Detroit Weekly's review of Expelled hits on an important point. By way of background, the following quote refers to the incident where biologist PZ…
May 1, 2008
The Washington Post is running a series on the global food crisis, and if you haven't read it yet, it's worth a look.Â
In The New Economics of Hunger, Anthony Faiola explains how what started as an apparent blip in wheat prices has mushroomed into widespread hunger and unrest:
The convergence of…
April 30, 2008
The room was dark---preturnaturally dark (damn you, Stephen Donaldson!). I was led by the robed and hooded figures to an altar. On the altar was a...something, and it was covered with a cloth. The cloth was a remarkable black, the kind of black that escapes focus. It created an even darker hole…
April 30, 2008
After so many stories about tainted drugs and food, here's some good news for a change: The FDA plans to hire hundreds of new employees to help it fulfill its responsibilities to assure the safety of food, drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices.
They've identified a critical need for "medical…
April 30, 2008
In Congo, an estimated two million artisanal miners account for as much of 90% of the countryâs mineral exports. The Washington Postâs Stephanie McCrummen reports on how this unofficial economy works:
The diggers usually work in groups of three, heaving out bags of ore. The haphazard tunneling…
April 30, 2008
HT to Tara
The United Methodist Church has just allowed its member to deliver unto them a hunk of burning stupid. Some misguided souls have looked upon vaccines and have found them wanting. Let us examine for ourselves this misguided petition (which passed 58 to 0). (I'll skip the theological…