Friday Blog Roundup

Before this weekâs climate conference began, Climate Progress predicted, âThe Bush Administration will use every opportunity to create the illusion of action without agreeing to meaningful, binding pollution reductions.â Today, that blog reports that Bush followed âthe Frank Luntz playbook on how to seem like you care about the climate when you donât,â while Bill Miller of DeSmogBlog describes it as âanother opportunity lost to histrionics and political posturing.â David Roberts at Gristmill focuses his attention on the media coverage of the event, giving kudos to Washington Post reporters and finding humor in an LA Times piece. Hill Heat has links to even more blogger coverage.

FDA was also in the news this week. Angry Toxicologist is disgusted with the FDAâs record on auditing clinical trials and conducting food inspections. Ed Silverman at Pharmalot reports on drug contamination and the FDAâs plans to issue guidance on the matter. Anna Wilde Matthews at the WSJ Health Blog suggests that the shuffling of top FDA personnel may help the Bush administration avoid new complaints from Democrats.

Elsewhere:

Matt Madia at Reg Watch reports on the Bush administrationâs lobbying against Californiaâs request to EPA to be able to set its own vehicle emission rules (more here).

The Olive Ridley Crawl is unimpressed by an American Chemistry Council op-ed.

Lisa Stiffler at Dateline Earth has the latest on safer flame retardant development and where phthalates are showing up now.

Charles Komanoff at Gristmill assesses Representative Dingellâs carbon tax measure.

Mead Over at Global Health Policy examines some of the costs, benefits, and implications of an international AIDS treatment entitlement.

Tara C. Smith at Aetiology reviews âTwelve Diseases that Changed our World.â

Barton Jones at Hazardâs Recognized shares a story of a workplace disaster averted just in time.

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