Another deadline in the nuclear negotiation between Iran and the Permanent 5 +1 (or EU3 + 3) over the restrictions on the Iranian nuclear energy program was not reached on June 30, 2015. To some it may look like the United States and its allies have had a change of heart while others may think that Washington and its allies …
The Lancet: Fossil Fuels Are Killing Us… Quitting Them Can Save Us – Jon Queally
The bad news is very bad, indeed. But first, the good news: “Responding to climate change could be the biggest global health opportunity of this century.” That message is the silver lining contained in a comprehensive newly published report by The Lancet, the UK-based medical journal, which explores the complex intersection between global human health and climate change. “It took on entrenched interests …
Researchers say aborted fetal cells in vaccines causing increase in autism
Autism is a brain disorder that causes symptoms that typically become noticeable no later than age three. It affects a child’s ability to communicate both verbally and non-verbally and also affects social interactions and relationships. In addition, autism can dramatically lower a child’s interest in socializing and may cause a preoccupation with certain activities, toys or routines. It is no …
Why climate change is increasingly seen as an urgent health issue – Julia Belluz
When people think about health, they generally think about things individuals can do to ward off disease — seeing a doctor, taking medicine, or dieting. But increasingly, many health experts think this mindset needs to change. When we think about health, they say, we need to start thinking about how environmental factors can matter as much as — maybe even …
“Care For Our Common Home” Mother Earth By Pope Francis
An extract from Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si The Earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth. In many parts of the planet, the elderly lament that once beautiful landscapes are now covered with rubbish. Industrial waste and chemical products utilised in cities and agricultural areas can lead to bioaccumulation …
GREEN ACTIVISM REALLY DOES PAY OFF
In states with strong environmental movements, greenhouse gas emissions are inching lower. Social scientist Thomas Dietz and Kenneth Frank, professor of sociometrics at Michigan State University, have teamed up to find a way to tell if a state jumping on the environmental bandwagon can mitigate other human factors—such as population growth and economic affluence—that are known to hurt the environment. …
CAN THE US HAVE 100% CLEAN ENERGY BY 2050?
Converting the world’s entire energy infrastructure to run on clean, renewable energy could effectively fight ongoing climate change, eliminate air pollution deaths, create jobs, and stabilize energy prices. The challenge is a daunting one. But scientists say it’s possible. Researchers are the first to outline the 50 individual state plans that call for aggressive changes to both infrastructure and the ways …
Autism linked to higher smog levels, study says by Tara Haelle
Air pollution exposure may be linked to a child’s risk of autism, a recent study suggests. The controversial findings echo similar results from a study last winter that found an increased risk of autism among children of women exposed to more smog late in pregnancy. This new study—which does not establish a direct connection between dirty air and autism—did not find …
ALLERGY SEASON MAY BE ‘WORST IN YEARS’
A long harsh winter is over and spring has arrived. But allergies, as well as flowers, are blooming. May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. Tao Zheng, chief of the allergy and immunology section at Yale University School of Medicine discussed what to expect from this allergy season and new advances in allergy treatments with university writer Ziba Kashef. …
Fossil Fuel Subsidies To Hit $5.3 Trillion In 2015, Says IMF – Ed King
Subsidies for fossil fuels that cause climate change have soared since 2013, a new study from the International Monetary Fund has revealed. Oil, gas and coal costs will be subsidized to the tune of US$5.3 trillion a year in 2015. The last time the IMF ran the data it calculated they were worth $1.9 trillion. Economists say the latest figures …