Health
Monsanto’s Roundup Found to Cause Cancer Again

Monsanto’s Roundup Found to Cause Cancer Again

A jury in a second case, this one in federal court, has reached the conclusion that the weed killer Roundup causes cancer, according to numerous news outlets.  The second stage of the trial began yesterday — in this phase, the jury will decide whether Monsanto is liable. However, the decision is significant because there are over 4000 other similar cases pending in courts around the country and this determination of causation will likely have an impact in the other federal cases. 

Continue Reading 502 words
New study reveals white Americans cause air pollution, minorities suffer the consequences

New study reveals white Americans cause air pollution, minorities suffer the consequences

The burden of air pollution is not evenly shared, according to the American Lung Association, poorer people and some racial and ethnic groups are among those who often face higher exposure to pollutants and who may experience greater responses to such pollution. Now a new study published this week in the journal PNAS found that […]

Continue Reading 377 words

Tweet of the week: Dan Rather on science literacy

Many people including the president are cheering news of HIV cure in 2nd patient. You know what happened? SCIENCE. Science isn’t a goal, it’s a process of knowledge. And it applies to vaccines, climate change, and the wonder of understanding our universe and natural world. — Dan Rather (@DanRather) March 5, 2019 This week for […]

Continue Reading 451 words

Want the planet in your inbox?

Stay in the know, empower yourself to be a #FriendOfThePlanet, sign up to receive ODP in your inbox each morning!

EPA Says It Will Regulate Toxic PFAS Chemicals…Eventually

EPA Says It Will Regulate Toxic PFAS Chemicals…Eventually

Yesterday the EPA released its long-awaited plan to address Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) a family of chemicals that are linked to cancer and other illnesses, and that are found widely across the U.S. in drinking water and soil.  But the “action” plan, which promises to begin a process by the end of the year […]

Continue Reading 489 words
Eating Ultra-processed Foods Correlates to Higher Mortality

Eating Ultra-processed Foods Correlates to Higher Mortality

A study published on Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) based on research conducted in France found that an increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods appears to result in overall higher mortality risk in adults.  According to CNN, adults face a 14% higher risk of early death for each 10% increase in the amount of ultra-processed foods consumed. 

Continue Reading 429 words
States Demand EPA Track Asbestos Use

States Demand EPA Track Asbestos Use

Sixteen State Attorneys General have formed a coalition and petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to issue new rules that would require the reporting of asbestos uses, The Hill reported.  The coalition, led by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, believes that inadequate reporting and tracking systems on imported and domestic asbestos make it impossible for EPA to comply with its mandate to prevent risks to the health and environment posed by the widespread use of asbestos. 

Continue Reading 370 words

Regulators won’t step up to protect coal miners

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), incidents of severe black lung disease among America’s coal miners were on the rise last year, especially in central Appalachia. In fact, 10% of coal miners who have worked in mines for at least 25 years were identified as having black lung which is up from previous […]

Continue Reading 490 words
Human error increasing danger of electric scooters

Human error increasing danger of electric scooters

If you live in a city, chances are that you’ve seen electric scooters parked on the sidewalk (sometimes rather haphazardly) and users opting to use them over city bike-share bikes. While scooter companies Lime, Bird, and Spin offer sightseers and commuters a low-carbon transportation alternative, the uptick in scooter use has been sending riders and bystanders to the hospital, according to new research from UCLA.

Continue Reading 329 words
NYT Exposé: Health Risks on the Rise Due to Regulatory Rollbacks

NYT Exposé: Health Risks on the Rise Due to Regulatory Rollbacks

The New York Times investigated and found that the consequences of the President keeping his promise to deregulate in favor of industry and development, particularly for fossil fuels, are beginning to have real detrimental impacts for those who live or work in proximity to them. The stories of those impacted demonstrate that the U.S. environment is not as clean as most think.

Continue Reading 563 words