Mar 24, 2013

Instead of cutting excessive GOV spending, Chicago announces mass closing of elementary schools

By not investing in our kids, we giving up on our future. 

Reuters - Chicago will close 54 schools and 61 school buildings by the beginning of the next academic year in the country's third-largest public school district, a move that education experts called the largest mass closing in the nation. 

The district will shutter 53 elementary schools and one high school, primarily in Hispanic and African-American neighborhoods. The district, which has a $1 billion annual deficit, has said it needs to close underutilized schools to save money. 

Enrollment in Chicago Public Schools has fallen 20 percent in the last decade, mainly because of population declines in poor neighborhoods. The district said it can accommodate 511,000 students, but only about 403,000 are enrolled. It said that nearly 140 of its schools are more than half empty. 

Please continue reading at:

83(R) SB 1300 - Texas Environmental, Health & Safety Audit Privilege Act.

SB 1300 - Relating to environmental or health and safety audits under the Texas Environmental, Health, and Safety Audit Privilege Act.

See Original Text here:
ftp://ftp.legis.state.tx.us/bills/83R/billtext/html/senate_bills/SB01300_SB01399/SB01300I.htm

Harvard study says 25,000 Americans may die because of sodas & sugary drinks #Health #News

Alternet - Harvard researchers have found that over-consumption of sodas and sugary drinks may be linked to 180,000 worldwide deaths a year. The report, released Tuesday, also notes the studied beverages contribute to about 25,000 American deaths a year, placing the country third overall. 

The report, unveiled during an American Heart Association meeting,links sugar-sweetened beverages to "133,000 diabetes deaths, 44,000 deaths from cardiovascular diseases and 6,000 cancer deaths" a year. The study's co-author, Gitanjali Singh, also recommended regulations to curb the intake of sugary drinks, specifying that "taxing sugary drinks in the same way as cigarettes, or limiting advertising or access, may help reduce usage."
Please continue reading at: Alternet

Mar 23, 2013

Mar. 22 EU: EFSA supports European Commission in defining scientific criteria for endocrine disruptor

This press release is brought to you by the EFSA.

Endocrine active substances are chemicals that can interact or interfere with normal hormonal activity; when this leads to adverse effects they are called endocrine disruptors. Following a request in 2012 from the European Commission, EFSA's Scientific Committee has developed an opinion that clarifies the scientific criteria for identifying an endocrine disruptor. EFSA endorses the World Health Organization's definition of an endocrine disruptor and highlights that not all endocrine active substances are endocrine disruptors. This depends on whether there is reasonable evidence that the substance can cause an adverse effect as a result of its interaction or interference with the endocrine system.

EFSA's experts concluded that available or soon to be available internationally agreed testing methods can identify interference of chemical substances with four important endocrine pathways in mammals and fish known to be sensitive to endocrine disruption. EFSA's opinion makes recommendations for future activities, including testing methods and testing strategies. EFSA concludes that a risk assessment approach which considers both potential adverse effects of endocrine active substances together with the likelihood of exposure makes best use of available information to regulate their use. EFSA's scientific advice will help inform the decisions of EU risk managers to protect consumers and the environment from possible risks associated with endocrine disruptors in the food chain.

For more information regarding the EFSA opinion and the full press release please refer to the link above.






Mar. 22 US: NOTICE OF INTENT TO LIST: HYDROGEN CYANIDE & CYANIDE SALTS with reproductive toxicity

This notice is brought to you by the OEHHA.

The California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) intends to list the chemical hydrogen cyanide and cyanide salts as known to the State to cause reproductive toxicity (male reproductive toxicity endpoint) under the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986.1 This action is being proposed under the authoritative bodies listing mechanism.

OEHHA requested information relevant to the possible listing of HCN and CN Salts in a notice published in the California Regulatory Notice Register on May 13, 2011 (Register 2011, Vol. No. 19Z). OEHHA received comments for this chemical.

OEHHA's determination: Hydrogen Cyanide and Cyanide Salts meet the criteria for listing as known to the State to cause reproductive toxicity (male reproductive toxicity endpoint) under Proposition 65, based on findings of the U.S. EPA (U.S. EPA, 2010a; 2010b).

In 2010, U.S. EPA updated its online Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) entry for hydrogen cyanide and cyanide salts (U.S. EPA, 2010a). The new oral chronic Reference Dose (RfD) of 0.0006 milligrams per kilogram bodyweight per day (mg/kg-day) was based on the male reproductive endpoint of decreased cauda epididymis weight in male F344/N rats. This effect on the male reproductive system was observed in a 13-week drinking water study (National Toxicology Program [NTP], 1993), with a BMDL1SD (lower 95% confidence limit on a benchmark dose associated with a 1 standard deviation (SD) change from the control mean) of 1.9 mg/kg-day.

In support of the IRIS entry, a comprehensive review and summary of the available toxicological data and the Agency's evaluation were published as a Toxicological Review (U.S. EPA, 2010b). The U.S. EPA documents (2010a and 2010b) satisfy the formal identification and sufficiency of evidence criteria in the Proposition 65 regulations.

For more information and the full notice please refer to the link above.






Experts sound global alert over deadly bat virus - #Health #News

AFP - Experts on infectious diseases Thursday warned people to stay away from bats worldwide after the recent death of an eight-year-old boy bitten in Australia.

The boy last month became the third person in the country to die of Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV), for which there is no effective treatment.

Doctors Joshua Francis and Clare Nourse of Brisbane's Mater Children's Hospital warned an infectious diseases conference that human-to-human transmission of the virus may be possible.


Please continue reading at:

Mar 22, 2013

Melanoma Is On the Rise | But a simple step can reduce deaths by 60% (and it’s not sunscreen)#Health

Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. It's particularly frightening because it's more likely than other cancers to spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. More than 76,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma each year, and between 8,000 and 9,000 will die from it.

Please continue reading at:

http://www.bottomlinepublications.com/content/article/health-a-healing/melanoma-is-on-the-risebut-a-simple-step-can-reduce-deaths-by-60

Family moves into first net zero Active House in the U.S. #Sustainable #LEED #Energy

A family recently moved into a prototype Active House, which uses natural lighting and ven...

gizmag: We've seen plenty of impressive net zero houses in the past, from the motion-controlled CHIP House in California to the budget-priced Sosoljip in South Korea. But one issue that seems predominant in most energy-neutral homes is that they typically take on a design that doesn't suit many suburban areas. That may soon change though with the first Active House, which uses natural lighting and ventilation to reduce its energy consumption while still blending in with the architecture of the surrounding neighborhood... Continue Reading Family moves into first net zero Active House in the U.S.

EPA Proposes SNURs for 37 Chemical Substances, including Nanomaterials

SOCMA: EPA has published for public comment proposed significant new use rules (SNURs) under section 5(a)(2) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 37 chemical substances, which were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMNs). This action would require persons who intend to manufacture, import, or process these chemical substances for an activity that is designated as a significant new use by this proposed rule to notify the EPA at least 90 days before commencing that activity. Seventeen of the substances are TSCA section 5(e) SNURs as follow-up to consent orders and 20 of the substances are non-section 5(e) SNURs. EPA notes that the proposed SNURs include 14 PMN substances whose reported chemical names include the term "carbon nanotube" (CNT) or "carbon nanofibers."

Comments are due April 26, 2013.

For more information, go to the Federal Register notice here

ECHA May Relax REACH Registration Deadline in Exceptional Cases

Via 3E The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on 1 March 2013 that it might provide industry  stakeholders – in a number of exceptional cases – some leniency in meeting the upcoming 31 May  deadline to register substances under the REACH Regulation (1907/2006/EC). Specifically, ECHA named four possible sets of circumstances where it may "offer help" to registrants struggling to meet the  deadline "by relying on its discretionary rights under REACH or by providing companies with a transparent means to demonstrate good faith." The four scenarios, identified by the Directors' Contact Group (DCG) ahead of the first registration deadline in 2010, are: 1) Difficulties in providing data required in Annex VII and Annex VIII in due time or difficulties for importers of mixtures to obtain compositional and analytical data of the substances in the mixture from their suppliers; 2) Impossibility of submitting a late pre-registration due to legal entity changes; 3) Failure by the lead registrant to submit a fully REACH compliant dossier; and 4) Downstream users being obliged to become importers, as a substance is not registered by any EU-based supplier. If such circumstances apply, ECHA states, the affected companies will need to contact ECHA as far ahead of the 31 May deadline as possible, providing detailed justification of the situation and an explanation of the measures taken to comply with obligations under REACH. Upon receiving this information, ECHA says it will provide instructions on how to submit a registration by the deadline.

Click http://echa.europa.eu/view-article/-/journal_content/title/echa-offers-support-to-registrants-in-exceptional-cas-1 to view the related ECHA
press release.

ECHA investigates uses of five cobalt salts controlled via restriction under REACH

ECHA has announced a preliminary study to investigate the risks relating to the use of five cobalt salts. The salts – cobalt sulphate, dichloride, dinitrate, carbonate and diacetate – were included in the agency's third recommendation for authorisation, but the Commission postponed its decision on the substances in order to clarify if the risks would be better controlled via restriction under REACH (CW 13 December 2012).

The agency's initial investigation will focus on the following uses, identified in registration dossiers:

  • surface treatment;
  • pigment in PET plastic;
  • catalyst for the production of PTA, IPA and DMT;
  • catalysts in oxygen-scavenging processes;
  • animal feed and fertilisers;
  • biogas production;
  • culture media in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and in vitro diagnostics; and
  • humidity indicator cards.
Read on at:
http://chemicalwatch.com/14084/echa-investigates-uses-of-five-cobalt-salts

Periodic heating Can Double the Efficiency of Materials to Convert Heat to Electricity from 15% to 3

1. Researchers have shows that the use of a periodic heat source, instead of a constant heat source, can improve the conversion efficiency of a thermoelectric power generator (TPG). A periodic heat source drives a periodic temperature difference across the thermoelectric with an amplitude ΔT. While the time average of ΔT is identical to the temperature difference under a constant heat source with equivalent energy input, the time average of (ΔT)2 is larger, resulting in improved conversion efficiency. Here we present experimental measurements on a commercial thermoelectric device (bismuth telluride based) to validate analytical and numerical models. These models show that maximum efficiency is achieved when the period of the heat source is much larger than the thermal time constant of the TPG. Under this quasi-steady condition, the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT is still the relevant parameter for material optimization. A conventional thermoelectric material with ZT = 1, operated with sinusoidal and square-wave heat sources (ΔT = 100 K, TCold = 300 K), can achieve 140% and 180% of the constant heat source efficiency; or otherwise stated, can perform like advanced materials with ZT of 1.6 and 2.8. Even greater improvement, inaccessible through materials-based ZT enhancements, can be achieved with low duty cycle heat sources.

Mar 21, 2013

S. 484 — Lead Exposure Reduction Amendments Act of 2013 #Nontoxic #Health #News

Original Text: Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to exclude from the definition of "abatement" any renovation, remodeling, or other activity: (1) the primary purpose of which is to repair, restore, or remodel target housing, public buildings constructed before 1978, or commercial buildings; and (2) that incidentally results in a reduction or elimination of lead-based paint hazards. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), no later than one year prior to proposing any renovation and remodeling regulation, to study the extent to which persons engaged in such activities: (1) are exposed to lead, and (2) disturb lead and create a lead-based paint hazard. Exempts from any such regulation an emergency renovation that is carried out in response to an event that is an act of God as defined by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), that presents a risk to the public health or safety, or that threatens to cause significant damage to equipment or property if not attended to immediately. Prohibits such a regulation from requiring post-abatement clearance testing. Requires the Administrator to promulgate regulations to permit an owner of a residential dwelling that is target housing, who resides in such dwelling, to authorize a contractor to forego compliance with such a regulation if the owner submits a certification stating that: (1) the renovation or remodeling project is to be carried out at such dwelling, (2) no pregnant woman or child under the age of six resides or will reside in such housing, and (3) the owner acknowledges that such contractor will be exempt from the requirements of such regulation. Prohibits the Administrator from holding a contractor responsible for a misrepresentation made by the owner of such dwelling unless the contractor has actual knowledge of such a misrepresentation. Requires the Administrator to: (1) recognize a qualifying test kit for use under such Act, and (2) suspend enforcement of any regulation relating to renovation and remodeling of target housing and commercial buildings constructed after January 1, 1960, and public buildings constructed between January 1, 1960, and January 1, 1978, until a specified period after the Administrator recognizes such a test kit.

Please See Resources

S. 496 Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship Act - Spill Prevention, Control & Countermeasure rule any farm

Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship Act or the FUELS Act - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in implementing the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure rule with respect to any farm, to require certification of compliance with such rule by: (1) a professional engineer for a farm with an individual tank with an aboveground storage capacity greater than 10,000 gallons, an aggregate aboveground storage capacity of at least 42,000 gallons, or a reportable oil discharge history; or (2) the owner or operator of the farm (via self-certification) for a farm with an aggregate aboveground storage capacity greater than 10,000 gallons but less than 42,000 gallons and no reportable oil discharge history of oil. Directs the Administrator to exempt from all requirements of such rule any farm with an aggregate aboveground storage capacity of 10,000 gallons or less and no reportable oil discharge history. Excludes from the aggregate storage capacity of a farm all containers on separate parcels that have a capacity of less than 1,320 gallons.

Please See Resources

Chemical industry #politics trumps #science: styrene & formaldehyde by @JBSass #Non-toxic #Health

Submitted via email from Jennifer Sass's Blog

Chemical industry politics trumps science: National Academies review of styrene and formaldehyde


Jennifer Sass: I presented public comments at a recent National Academies meeting, where committees will review government assessments of the cancer risks of two common industrial chemicals - styrene and formaldehyde. Both were assessed by the prestigious National Toxicology Program (NTP) through an extensive years-long process that included multiple public comment opportunities and several rounds of scientific peer review. The NTP published its public report in June 2011 - called the 12th Report on Carcinogens (ROC) - listing formaldehyde as 'known' and styrene as 'reasonably anticipated' to cause cancer in humans. The process to finalize the 12th ROC was long and arduous, and this should have been the end. But, it's not.

 

The styrene industry is suing the NTP to have its chemical de-listed (removed) from the ROC, and both the styrene and formaldehyde industries have used political wrangling and allies in Congress to force another review, this time by the National Academies of Science, costing the tax payers several million dollars. (all painstakingly documented in  comments and reported in the press here)

 

These corporations, often represented by their trade organization, the American Chemistry Council (ACC), argue that science saying their chemical products are harmful is bad science. And, they argue that the Report on Carcinogens and other government reports determining that chemicals are bad for your health are bad for business. (also documented in comments)


However, the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) has a different view. "ASBC and its members believe that ... transparency in the reporting of potentially harmful chemicals allows businesses to create products that are safer for consumers. A safer marketplace helps to dispel consumer fears, spurs innovation, decreases legal liability, and increases shareholder value." (see comments by ASBC here) The ASBC says that consumer's demand for safer non-toxic products has lead to a growth in new markets - along with new jobs - for companies that avoid toxic ingredients. And, public government reports like the Report on Carcinogens provides critical information to companies wanting to compete in the marketplace with safer sustainable products.

 

ASBC and its members represent over 165,000 businesses and more than 300,000 individual entrepreneurs, executives, and investors across the United States, including local and state chambers of commerce, social enterprises, sustainable businesses, and investor and business incubators. I figure they know what they are talking about!

 

A recent poll of ASBC members across the political spectrum found that over 90% of small business owners believe that:

• Chemical companies should be responsible for ensuring that chemicals are safe prior to entering the marketplace;

• Companies using chemicals of concern should disclose their presence to the public; and

• There should be an easily accessible database, available to the public, identifying chemicals of high concern to human and environmental health.

 

Disparaging and delaying health assessments of chemicals does not make them any safer. People still get cancers, birth defects, learning disabilities, and other diseases from harmful exposures to some toxic chemicals.

 

Industry efforts to challenge negative assessments of styrene, formaldehyde and other government chemical assessments may be profitable for old-school dinosaur companies, but it comes at the expense of market growth and job-creation for sustainable businesses, and safer products for consumers.

 

(see comments for details, references/citations, and a review of the scientific arguments surrounding formaldehyde and styrene)

 

Please see full post and blog by Jennifer Sass, Ph.D. Posted March 20, 2013 here: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jsass/i_presented_public_comments_at.html

S. 622, the Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Reauthorization Act of 2013

As reported by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on March 20, 2013

S. 622 would authorize the collection and spending of fees by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for certain activities to expedite the development and marketing approval of drugs for use in animals. Fees would supplement appropriated funds to cover FDA's costs associated with reviewing certain applications and investigational submissions for brand and generic animal drugs. Such fees could be collected and made available for obligation only to the extent and in the amounts provided in advance in appropriation acts. The legislation would extend through fiscal year 2018, and make several technical changes to, FDA's existing fee programs for brand and generic animal drugs, which expire at the end of fiscal year 2013.

Please read complete document


OSHA to review its Workplace Chemicals Standards - Permissible Exposure Limits. Adopted in 1971 #OHS

As part of its regulatory review effort, OSHA is developing a Request for Information seeking input to help identify ways to address occupational exposure to chemicals.

OSHA says it intends to review its Permissible Exposure Limits. Adopted in 1971, only a few of the PELs have been successfully updated since that time.

Please Read Full Article From: Products Finishing
http://www.pfonline.com/articles/osha-review-of-workplace-chemicals-standards

Mississippi, the most obese state in the nation, goes after Bloombergs portions law #Health #NYC #News

Mississippi's ( the most obese state in the nation) new law restricts any government officials from banning food portions.

The so-called 'anti-Bloomberg' law also says government officials can't require restaurants to list calorie counts or ban plastic toys in kids' meals.

Governor Phil Bryant saying it's up to individuals, not the government, to make responsible choices.

Bloomberg has called the Mississippi law ridiculous.

Please read on at:
http://radio.foxnews.com/2013/03/19/mississippis-anti-bloomberg-law/



Costs of U.S. wars linger for over 100 years #Peace

If history is any judge, the U.S. government will be paying for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for the next century as service members and their families grapple with the sacrifices of combat.

Please continue reading By MIKE BAKER at:
http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2020591005_apuscominghomecosts.html

Mar 20, 2013

Webinar: Hazardous Waste Identification, Management & Reporting! #HazMat #CHMM

Join  3E Company's Free webinar entitled "Hazardous Waste Identification, Management and Reporting!" on April 18th.
                               
One of the critical components of a successful hazardous waste management program is accurately and consistently identifying and managing items regulated as hazardous waste throughout its lifecycle. Once the hazardous waste items have been identified, processes can be put in place to help ensure the proper handling, storage and disposal, and reporting of these materials.
                              
In this session, Mr. Charles Savage, Waste Lead will cover into how to recognize and identify Hazardous Waste, and, once its identified, how to manage and report for regulatory compliance.
                               
The following topics will be covered:
*What is Hazardous Waste?
*Hazardous Waste regulations
*Handling and disposal of Hazardous Waste
*Generator status types
*Manifesting
*Universal Waste
*Hazardous Waste Reporting
                                                             
Thursday, April 18, 2013 - North American Time Zones
*10:00 am U.S. Pacific
*01:00 pm U.S. Eastern
                               
Register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/187760913

Regular dust monitoring can help prevent silicosis - not more regulation #OHS

The Hill: ...The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposal under White House review would reportedly set a new significantly lower permissible limit for workers' exposure to silica, one of the most abundant naturally occurring minerals on earth.  As sand on the beach, silica is harmless, but in the form of tiny crystalline silica particles in the air breathed in by workers, it can cause silicosis, a potentially disabling and sometimes fatal lung disease.

There is no question that silicosis is a completely preventable occupational disease, and there is also no question that responsible companies should do everything necessary to protect their workers. The real question -- what is the best way to do that?

Most of industry has taken a position that no new regulation is necessary, but the country's leading industrial sand producers, which have the longest history of working with silica, believe doing nothing is not an option.

The companies of the National Industrial Sand Association (NISA), which I represent, agree with our friends in labor that we must do more to protect workers. However, we also strongly believe there is a better or "smarter" way to do that than lowering an exposure limit that has a history of noncompliance and little government enforcement.

A smarter approach to preventing silicosis is for OSHA to require employers to conduct regular dust monitoring of their workplaces, implement dust controls needed to comply with the current exposure limit, and adopt medical surveillance programs to identify silica-related disease and halt its progression. In our experience, doing so will prevent new disease.

We know this approach works because this is what the companies in our association did voluntarily more than 30 years ago and our Occupational Health Program has resulted in the virtual eradication of silicosis from the generation of workers hired by our companies since the program began.

Read more by Mark Ellis, president, National Industrial Sand Association
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/healthcare/289099-regular-dust-monitoring-can-help-prevent-silicosis-not-more-regulation

Study finds adolescents working in dangerous environments despite child labor laws

A recently published study by a researcher in the West Virginia University School of Public Health found that more than half of young worker deaths in North Carolina resulted from employers violating the child labor laws. "This is in line with prior work we have done on child labor violations on a national level," said Kimberly Rauscher, M.A., Sc.D., lead author of the study and assistant professor in the WVU Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences and faculty affiliate with the WVU Injury Control Research Center. "From our prior results, we estimate that annually as many as 888,000 youth may be employed in violation of the Hazardous Occupations Orders, the laws that limit the types of jobs and tasks that youth under age 18 can perform." In the North Carolina study, medical examiner records were used to identify work-related deaths among children and adolescents ages 11-17 between 1990 and 2008 and associated child labor violations. Investigations from state and federal Departments of Labor were used to determine inspection activity, identify Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violations and confirm child labor violations. The study also found that few of the fatalities were investigated by the agencies that enforce the child labor laws and OSHA standards. "This is very problematic because if these agencies do not investigate the employers involved cannot be held accountable," Dr. Rauscher said. "Legally, it is the employers' responsibility to ensure that their young employees are working within the bounds of the child labor laws. It is not the child's responsibility."

Read more at: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-adolescents-dangerous-environments-child-labor.html

Propane tank fire under investigation in Milford

MilfordDailyNews:
The propane tank fire at the Saint Gobain Containers plant that sent one man to the hospital with facial burns Sunday is now under investigation by the Milford Fire Department and the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

Milford firefighters responded to the plant on National Street just before 7:30 a.m. after a propane tank caught fire while an employee was filling it.

The 55-year-old employee was treated at Milford Regional Medical Center for first-degree burns on his face and neck, but was released just a few hours later, according to Deputy Fire Chief William Touhey, who classified his injuries as minor.

Touhey said the department is still investigating the cause of the fire, but said it was accidental.

"We're just trying to verify how it started," Touhey said. "More than likely it was a static spark."

OSHA's Springfield office did open an investigation into the fire Monday to determine if there were any workplace safety violations. If the inspection identifies violations, OSHA could issue citations and propose fines for the employer.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x898150831/Propane-tank-fire-under-investigation-in-Milford

Adverse health consequences of the Iraq War

The adverse health consequences of the Iraq War (2003—11) were profound. We conclude that at least 116 903 Iraqi non-combatants and more than 4800 coalition military personnel died over the 8-year course. Many Iraqi civilians were injured or became ill because of damage to the health-supporting infrastructure of the country, and about 5 million were displaced. More than 31 000 US military personnel were injured and a substantial percentage of those deployed suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other neuropsychological disorders and their concomitant psychosocial problems. Many family members of military personnel had psychological problems. Further review of the adverse health consequences of this war could help to minimise the adverse health consequences of, and help to prevent, future wars.

Please continue reading at:
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)60254-8/abstract

NOTE: Publication is free with registration

2013 Report Card: America’s Infrastructure... Solid "D"

Every family, every community and every business needs infrastructure to thrive. Infrastructure encompasses your local water main and the Hoover Dam; the power lines connected to your house and the electrical grid spanning the U.S.; and the street in front of your home and the national highway system.

Once every four years, America's civil engineers provide a comprehensive assessment of the nation's major infrastructure categories in ASCE's Report Card for America's Infrastructure (Report Card). Using a simple A to F school report card format, the Report Card provides a comprehensive assessment of current infrastructure conditions and needs, both assigning grades and making recommendations for how to raise the grades. An Advisory Council of ASCE members assigns the grades according to the following eight criteria: capacity, condition, funding, future need, operation and maintenance, public safety, resilience, and innovation. Since 1998, the grades have been near failing, averaging only Ds, due to delayed maintenance and underinvestment across most categories.

Now the 2013 Report Card grades are in, and America's cumulative GPA for infrastructure rose slightly to a D+. The grades in 2013 ranged from a high of B- for solid waste to a low of D- for inland waterways and levees. Solid waste, drinking water, wastewater, roads, and bridges all saw incremental improvements, and rail jumped from a C- to a C+. No categories saw a decline in grade this year.

Please continue reading at:
http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/a/#p/overview/executive-summary

Disease threatens aquaculture in developing world

Disease may challenge the ability of fish farming to feed the growing human population even as wild fish stocks decline and climate change hampers food production from other sources, a study shows. Aquaculture is the fastest growing food sector in the world, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, with 90 per cent of production coming from the developing world, where it makes a significant contribution to many nations' economies.



Please read full at:Environmental News Network http://www.enn.com/sustainability/article/45726?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EnvironmentalNewsNetwork+%28Environmental+News+Network%29

Celebrate World Water Day by Reducing Your Water Use

The United States is one of the world's biggest users of water—many Americans use as much water as approximately 900 Kenyans. As a result, water resources in the U.S. are shrinking. In the last five years, there have been water shortages in almost every part of the country, including the worst drought in at least 25 years, which hit 80 percent of the country's farmland in 2012. Even worse, the damaged land won't fully recover this year, and at least 36 states are expecting local, regional, or statewide water shortages, even without drought. The Natural Resources Defense Council expects water scarcity to affect the American South, West, and Midwest the most. Fourteen states in these regions already have "extreme" or "high" risk of water scarcity. Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Nevada, and Texas face the most danger because they are expected to see some of the largest increases in population by 2030. Water scarcity is about more than lack of water, it's about lack of drinkable water.

Please continue reading at:
http://www.enn.com/enn_original_news/article/45734

The Looming Threat of Water Scarcity

Some 1.2 billion people—almost a fifth of the world—live in areas of physical water scarcity, while another 1.6 billion face what can be called economic water shortage. The situation is only expected to worsen as population growth, climate change, investment and management shortfalls, and inefficient use of existing resources restrict the amount of water available to people, according to Worldwatch Institute’s Vital Signs Online service (www.worldwatch.org). It is estimated that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will live in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, with almost half of the world living in conditions of water stress. Water scarcity has several definitions. Physical scarcity occurs when there is not enough water to meet demand; its symptoms include severe environmental degradation, declining groundwater, and unequal water distribution. Economic water scarcity occurs when there is a lack of investment and proper management to meet the demand of people who do not have the financial means to use existing water sources; the symptoms in this case normally include poor infrastructure.Large parts of Africa suffer from economic water scarcity.



Please read full at:Environmental News Network http://www.enn.com/enn_original_news/article/45738?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EnvironmentalNewsNetwork+%28Environmental+News+Network%29

Mar 19, 2013

"THE RIGHT STUFF" FOR MARS IS PLUTONIUM-238 #Energy

Bob Park: The Mars Science Laboratory, including a new Mars rover, Curiosity, was launched 26 Nov 2011 from Cape Canaveral by an Atlas V rocket. It's scheduled to land on Mars at Gale Crater near Mount Sharp on 6 Aug 2012. The primary objective is to determine whether Mars has ever supported life. Curiosity is about five times larger than the Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, and uses far more sophisticated instrumentation. Its designed to explore for at least one Martian year (687 Earth days) over a range of 5-20 km. Instead of solar panels, Curiosity relies on an RTG (Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator) for power, allowing it to operate at full power night and day, unaffected by dust collecting on its surfaces. The isotope of choice is Pu-238, an alpha emitter with an 87.7 year half- life that generates about 0.5 watts/gram. According to the March 23 issue of Aviation Week, U.S. production of Pu-238 was halted in 1988 and supplies are dwindling. NASA and the Department of Energy expect to restart production of Pu-238 in six or seven years and for the first time use the isotope more efficiently in the Advanced Sterling Radioisotope Generator.
Please follow Bob Park at:
http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN12/wn041012.html

FDA Says, 'Latex-Free' Claims Not Valid. Offers Draft Guidance of Recommendations for Industry

WASHINGTON -- The claim "latex-free" is impossible to guarantee and should not be used on labeling of medical products, according to an FDA guidance.
"FDA is aware of no test method or combination of test methods available at this time that can demonstrate the absence of proteins or components from natural rubber latex that may cause allergic reactions in susceptible individuals," stated the guidance, issued Monday.

FDA pointed to three tests that detect compounds related to natural rubber latex allergies, two of which meet FDA standards: ASTM D5712, which analyzes aqueous extractable protein in natural rubber, and ASTM D6499, which measures antigenic protein. ASTM D7427, which detects four principal allergenic proteins, has not been recognized by FDA as a standard yet, the agency said.

At least 13 natural rubber latex allergens have been identified, far more than can be detected in the FDA-recognized tests, the agency said.

FDA recognizes "that the complete absence of all natural rubber latex allergens is unlikely to be necessary for the safe use of medical products by individuals with natural rubber latex allergies," it said. But existing measurements lack the specificity and sensitivity to declare a product completely free of natural rubber latex proteins or antigens, the guidance said.

No regulations mandate the labeling of medical or other products regarding natural rubber latex, the guidance explained. Manufacturers have used the terms "latex-free" or "does not contain latex" to indicate a lack of natural rubber latex, dry natural rubber, or synthetic rubber latex, it said.

"FDA believes that these labeling statements are not sufficiently specific, not necessarily scientifically accurate, and may be misunderstood or applied too widely, and therefore, it is inappropriate to include such statements in medical product labeling," it said.

Read more by Kathleen Struck, Senior Editor, MedPage Today
http://www.medpagetoday.com/HospitalBasedMedicine/WorkForce/37895



Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff - Recommendations for Labeling Medical Products to Inform Users that the Product or Product Container is not Made with Natural Rubber Latex
http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/DeviceRegulationandGuidance/GuidanceDocuments/ucm340972.htm

The purpose of this guidance is to make recommendations on the appropriate language to include in the labeling of a medical product to convey that natural rubber latex was not used as a material in the manufacture of the product or product container.  FDA is concerned that statements submitted for inclusion in medical product labeling, such as "latex-free," "does not contain natural rubber latex," or "does not contain latex" are not accurate because it is not possible to reliably assure that there is an absence of the allergens associated with hypersensitivity reactions to natural rubber latex in the medical product.  Use of these terms may give users allergic to natural rubber latex a false sense of security when using a medical product.  FDA is recommending that a consistent, scientifically accurate statement be used by all manufacturers who wish to convey that natural rubber latex was not used as a material in the manufacture of a medical product or medical product container.

FDA's guidance documents, including this guidance, do not establish legally enforceable responsibilities.  Instead, guidances describe the Agency's current thinking on a topic and should be viewed only as recommendations, unless specific regulatory or statutory requirements are cited.  The use of the word should in Agency guidances means that something is suggested or recommended, but not required.

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month #Veterans #Health #TBI

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. Through scientific research, programs, and education, CDC works to prevent traumatic brain injury (TBI) from all causes and ensure that TBI survivors receive optimal care.

A TBI, whether caused by a fall in the home or on a playground, a car crash, or by being struck by an object or another person, can disrupt the normal functions of the brain. TBIs, which range from mild concussions to severe, life-threatening injuries, can be prevented.

Research indicates that in the United States, 1) males have the highest rates of TBI; 2) the youngest children and older adults are at highest risk for sustaining fall-related TBIs; 3) adolescents and young adults (i.e., persons aged 15–24 years) have the highest rates of motor vehicle–related TBIs; and 4) adults aged ≥75 years have the highest rates of TBI-related hospitalization and are more likely to die from TBI (either TBI alone or along with other injuries or illnesses) than any other age group (1).

The burden of TBI can be reduced through primary prevention strategies and improvements in the health and quality of life for TBI survivors. CDC recommends integrating public health prevention and health-care delivery systems, including efficient, effective care and rehabilitation services to address the issue of TBI among at-risk populations. Additional information about TBI management is available at http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury, information about preventing motor vehicle–related TBIs is available at http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety, and information about preventing fall-related TBIs is available at http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls.
Reference

   1. CDC. Traumatic brain injury in the United States: emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths, 2002–2006. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services; CDC; 2010. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/pdf/blue_book.pdf Adobe PDF file.

Read more at source:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6210a5.htm

New method for cheap, clean #water | Lockheed Martin Desalination Method Uses Much Less #Energy Than Reverse Osmosis

Reuters...The development could spare underdeveloped countries from having to build exotic, expensive pumping stations needed in plants that use a desalination process called reverse osmosis.

"It's 500 times thinner than the best filter on the market today and a thousand times stronger," said John Stetson, the engineer who has been working on the idea. "The energy that's required and the pressure that's required to filter salt is approximately 100 times less."

Access to clean drinking water is increasingly seen as a major global security issue. Competition for water is likely to lead to instability and potential state failure in countries important to the United States, according to a U.S. intelligence community report last year.

"Between now and 2040, fresh water availability will not keep up with demand absent more effective management of water resources," the report said. "Water problems will hinder the ability of key countries to produce food and generate electricity."

About 780 million people around the world do not have access to clean drinking water, the United Nations reported last year.

"One of the areas that we're very concerned about in terms of global security is the access to clean and affordable drinking water," said Tom Notaro, Lockheed business manager for advanced materials. "As more and more countries become more developed ... access to that water for their daily lives is becoming more and more critical."


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Mar 18, 2013

As US Cleans Its Energy Mix, It Ships Coal Problems Overseas - #energy

Slashdot:"Thomas K. Grose reports that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that greenhouse gas emissions in the US have fallen 8 percent from their 2007 peak to 6,703 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent, due largely to the drop in coal-fired electricity which in 2012 generated 37.4 percent of US electricity, down from 50 percent in 2005. But don't celebrate just yet. A major side effect of that cleaner air in the US has been the further darkening of skies over Europe and Asia as US coal producers have been shipping the most carbon-intensive fuel to energy-hungry markets overseas. US coal exports to China were on track to double last year and demand for US metallurgical coal, the high-heat content coking coal that is used for steelmaking, is so great in Asia that shipments make a round-the-world journey from Appalachia as they are sent by train to the port of Baltimore, where they steam to sea through the Chesapeake Bay, then south across the Atlantic Ocean and around Africa's Cape of Good Hope to reach Asian ports. The Tyndall Center study estimates that the burning of all that exported coal could erase fully half the gains the United States has made in reducing carbon emissions and if the trend continues, the dramatic changes in energy use in the United States — in particular, the switch from coal to newly abundant natural gas for generating electricity — will have only a modest impact on global warming, observers warn. 'Without a meaningful cap on global carbon emissions, the exploitation of shale gas reserves is likely to increase total emissions,' write Dr John Broderick and Prof Kevin Anderson. 'For this not to be the case, consumption of displaced fuels must be reduced globally and remain suppressed indefinitely; in effectdisplaced coal must stay in the ground (PDF).'"
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U.S. Game Changing Renewable - Geothermal Power

Always has been and will be best alternative option....

Cree Introduces an LED Bulb Edison Would Love

Technology Review has an article on a new LED light design that mimics the old incandescent bulb - Cree Introduces an LED Bulb Edison Would Love.
If you’ve had any experience with LED light bulbs, you know they can look pretty odd. Cree today introduced a bulb that mimics the traditional incandescent bulb design in every way–except its inefficiency.

The bulb is the first consumer bulb from Cree, which primarily supplies LED semiconductors to other lamp makers. There are three products: a 40-watt equivalent and two 60-watt equivalents with different color light. They’re available from Home Depot online now and will be made available in stores this month priced between $9.97 and $13.97.


What’s most notable is that bulbs have the same glass dome as incandescent lights and there isn’t a large metal heat sink. The first wave of general-purpose LED products have heavy metal fins to wick away heat from the LED light sources, which helps ensure life. The Cree bulb uses the same glass as an incandescent but has a rubber coating to prevent shattering.


In an incandescent bulb, a tungsten filament in the center of the glass glows to give off an even, warm light. Cree designed a “filament tower” that places a series of pin-hole-shaped LEDs in the same location as the traditional filament. I installed one yesterday and the effect is a similar light output as a traditional bulb and even light distribution.


Having a familiar shape is very important to spur more consumers to consider LEDs as a replacement for incandescent bulbs, says Mike Watson, the vice president of corporate marketing. “Consumers actually love that particular (incandescent bulb) product. It’s the shape they’re used to and it gives off a warm glow they expect, but it’s grossly inefficient and has a short lifetime,” he says. Cree’s bulb uses high-power LEDs which means it can work with a smaller heat sink, which appears like a collar around the base of the bulb.


An incandescent bulb lasts about 1,000 hours, while most LED bulbs are rated to last 25,000 hours, which can be 15 or 20 years depending on usage. The Cree bulb has a 10-year warranty.








Please read full at:Peak Energy http://peakenergy.blogspot.com/2013/03/cree-introduces-led-bulb-edison-would.html
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