These bulletins are now archived and searchable on our website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDIbulletins.html If you would like to join the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) and the LDDI Working Group, please complete the application on the CHE website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/application Joining CHE means receiving up to four email messages a month from the CHE National listserv. CHE costs nothing to join and the benefit is shared information and opportunities for further engagement, if you choose. Be sure to mark that you want to join the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative Working Group at the bottom of the application.
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1) LDDI's fall 2007 teleconference series launched today. This seven-part teleconference series, entitled "Priming for Prevention", is based on the agenda of the conference, "Priming for Prevention: An Ecological Approach to Research, Education and Policy," that was to be held at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, in May 2007. Dial-in information will be sent to LDDI members in a separate email message before each teleconference. For more information on the background and context for this series as well as the full list of upcoming calls and available materials for each call, please see the LDDI website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImeetings.html Sponsors: Collaborative on Health and the Environment's Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative; American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Autism Society of America; Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4; Institute for the Study of Disadvantage and Disability; Learning Disabilities Association of America; John Merck Fund; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities; Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit; University of Maryland School of Nursing "Priming for Prevention" Presenters:
Overview of Science Regarding Environmental Contributors to Child Development Presenters:
Research in Relation to Specific Learning and Developmental Disabilities Presenters:
Matrix of Other Emerging Research Presenters:
The rest of the dates and presenters for the teleconference series, along with other updates, are being posted on the LDDI website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImeetings.html |
2) LDDI partners the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed and the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, with others, are sponsoring the NADD 24th Annual Conference & Exhibit Show. Scheduled for October 24 - 26, 2007, at the Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown in Atlanta, Georgia, the conference will include presentations related to promotion of wellness, prevention of illness, common symptomology in physical and psychiatric disorders, environmental health, interdisciplinary collaboration, cross systems collaboration, Autism Spectrum Disorders and family issues, and skill building. The conference theme is "Physical & Mental Wellness: Promising Practices (ID/MH)." For more information, please visit http://www.thenadd.org/pages/conferences/24th/index.shtml or contact Conference Assistant Brenda Reuss: 800-331-5362 or breuss@thenadd.org
Tuesday through Thursday, September 18 - 20, 2007
Baltimore, Maryland
at the Tremont Grand Conference Center, 225 North Charles Street
Sponsor: National Environmental Justice Advisory Council
The discussion at this meeting will focus on addressing air quality impacts of goods movement on communities, especially low-income and minority populations. All meetings are open to the public. A public comment session is scheduled for Wednesday September 19, 2007, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The NEJAC encourages all attendees to preregister for the meeting by September, 10, 2007. By preregistering, you will be guaranteed to receive meeting materials on-site as well as being notified in advance of any changes related to the meeting. Please preregister through the website below.
Price: free
Website: http://www.epa.gov:80/compliance/environmentaljustice/nejac/meetings.html
Contact: Ms. Julianne Pardi, 866-390-5178 or nejac@icfi.com
Friday and Saturday, September 21 - 22, 2007
Little Rock, Arkansas
If you have a child affected by autism, or if you are a professional working with children on the autism spectrum, attending a DAN! Conference will help you to obtain the latest information on the safest and most effective biomedical interventions for improving your child's condition. The entire agenda is devoted to teaching parents and practitioners how nutrition, intestinal disorders, detoxification and other metabolic issues impact behavior, attention, speech and the general health of children on the autism spectrum. This conference shows strong commitment to bring only the most credible and forward thinking researchers and clinicians to speak at the conferences and to attend the DAN! Think Tanks. Respecting parents input and direction, this group theorizes, discusss and collaborates on research projects. Only when a consensus is reached, and a biomedical intervention is deemed both safe and effective, is this information presented at a DAN! conference.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.danconference.com/
Contact: Tanya@DANconference.com
Seven dates from September 22 to October 4, 2007
various cities in England -- see website below for dates and venues
Sponsor: Autism Treatment Center of America
Presented by Raun K. Kaufman, chief executive officer of the Autism Treatment Center of America. Parents and professionals will learn strategies they can use immediately to reach children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Asperger's Syndrome, PDD and other related developmental challenges.
Price: free, but preregistration is required
Website: http://www.autismtreatmentcenter.org/uktour/
Contact: tour@autismtreatmentcenter.org
Monday September 24, 2007, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m. (Portland, Oregon)
or Tuesday September 25, 2007, noon - 2:30 p.m. (Seattle, Washington)
Sponsor: Oregon Center for Environmental Health, Healthy Building Network, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
Learn how hospitals, health systems and architecture firms are working together to reduce the use of toxic materials in hospitals, promoting green building and healthier environments. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, dioxins (by-products of polyvinyl chloride), phthalates and halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) are hazardous substances commonly found in the materials that coat the floors, walls and ceilings of health care facilities. These materials have a multitude of impacts on the healing environment of the patient, the working environment of the doctor, nurse and other staff, the health of the surrounding communities and the environment. They also create a toxic burden through their manufacture, disposal and maintenance. This workshop is targeted to nurses, physicians, facilities managers, architects, designers, specifiers, environmental health & safety officers, purchasing staff and building managers.
Price: free, but space is limited; please register by September 17, 2007
Website: http://www.noharm.org:80/us/healthybuilding/roundtables
Contact: for the Portland session: Emma Sirois, 503-233-1510 or emma@oregon-health.org
or for the Seattle session: Nancy Dickeman, 206-354-2170 or nancyd@wpsr.org
Monday and Tuesday, September 24 - 25, 2007
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
at the US Environmental Protection Agency Main Campus Auditorium, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive
Sponsor: US Environmental Protection Agency and the International Council of Chemical Associations
This meeting will focus on the public health applications of human biomonitoring. Advances in measurement technology have made widespread application of biomonitoring for health tracking, trends monitoring, and other public health management purposes potentially possible. There are efforts at the federal and state levels to collect information on human exposure to environmental toxicants and to be able to assess public health outcomes resulting from policy decisions. Because of the widespread interest in collecting biomonitoring information, coupled with the advances in measurement and analytical technologies, the time is ripe for scientists and policy makers to have a conversation about the use of biomonitoring information for public health purposes. The primary purpose of the meeting is to provide a venue to exchange information on the state of the science for using biomonitoring in a public health context, to evaluate the available approaches, and to discuss the issues associated with the public health applications of biomonitoring. Attendees will include scientists from EPA, other federal agencies, state and international governments, academia, industry, and NGOs. The meeting is open to the public.
Price: unknown
Website: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/events/#sep2407
Contact: Kathleen Deener, 202-343-9852 or deener.kathleen@epa.gov
Tuesday September 25, 2007
8:00 - 9:00 p.m. Central time
Sponsor: Schools With Open Arms
This discussion will focus on how to create school communities of support for children with conditions such as Asperger Syndrome, ADD, and behavioral disorders who struggle to positively interact with peers and teachers in the school setting. Participants will learn how to implement a Circle of Friends peer mentoring program, extracurricular activity involvement and staff learning teams to foster understanding, decrease bullying and promote positive social interactions. The intended audience includes parents, teachers, clinicians and administrators. The featured presenter is Mary Schlieder, special educator and author of With Open Arms: Creating School Communities of Support for Socially Challenged Kids.
Price: $49.95 includes book and teleconference fee
Website: http://www.schoolswithopenarms.com
Contact: Mary Schlieder, 888-648-0751 or mary@schoolswithopenarms.com
Tuesday and Wednesday, September 25 - 26, 2007
Arlington, Virginia
at the Holiday Inn Rosslyn at Key Bridge
Sponsor: US Environmental Protection Agency
This is a forum to exchange ideas and information on using nanotechnology to develop new ways to prevent pollution. Representatives from industry, academia, nongovernmental organizations and government are invited to focus on current practices and potential research areas in nanotechnology that incorporate the concept of pollution prevention in three major areas: 1) products -- less toxic, less polluting and wear-resistant; 2) processes -- more efficient and waste-reducing; and 3) energy and resource efficiency -- processes and products that use less energy and fewer raw materials because of greater efficiency.
Price: free
Website: http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/nano/nano-confinfo.htm
Contact: Laurie Stamatotos, 781-674-7320 or meetings@erg.com
Wednesday through Saturday, September 26 - 29, 2007
Minneapolis, Minnesota
at the Hilton Minneapolis
Sponsor: Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Society for the Advancement of Reproductive Care and Society of Family Planning
An agenda is posted online: http://www.arhp.org/rh2007/2007agenda.cfm Continuing medical education credits are available for physicians and other health professionals.
Price: see http://www.arhp.org/rh2007/2007fees.cfm
Website: http://www.arhp.org/rh2007/
Wednesday through Friday, September 26 - 28, 2007
Columbus, Ohio
at the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC), 400 N. High Street
Sponsor: The Network of Autism Training and Technical Assistance Programs (NATTAP) and the Autism Society of America (ASA)
The First Annual International NATTAP Conference will gather parents and professionals from across all 50 states and over 15 countries. The objectives of the conference are to review current models of systems, best practice in research and intervention use and methods of capacity building -- all of which contribute to the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for individuals ages 3-21. A forum will be provided in which ideas will be exchanged that will set a new foundation in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and graduate credit will be available.
Price: $315 onsite; $185.00 for parents
Website: http://www.ocali.org/nattap2007/
Contact: Jill Hudson, 866-886-2254 (toll-free) or 614-410-0321 or nattap@ocali.org
Thursday September 27, 2007
8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
San Francisco, California
at the Mission Bay Conference Center at UCSF, 1675 Owens Street
Sponsor: Collaborative for High Performance Schools and others listed at http://www.chps.net/GTSponsor.htm
Greentools will bring together school districts, their design teams and experienced CHPS community members to discuss how to design, build, operate and fund efficient, environmentally sustainable and healthy schools.
Price: see http://www.chps.net/GTAttendees.htm
Website: http://www.chps.net/greentools.htm
Contact: ariel@chps.net
Tuesday October 2, 2007
Richmond, Virginia
at the Holiday Inn Central
Sponsor: Learning Disabilities Association of Virginia
Price: unknown
Contact: LDA of Virginia, 804-358-5474 or jlokerso@vcu.edu
Friday and Saturday, October 5 - 6, 2007
Los Angeles, California
at the Skirball Cultural Center
Sponsor: The Help Group
This conference for parents and professionals will present breakthroughs in research and treatment in autism, learning disabilities and ADHD from some of our nation's leading experts.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.thehelpgroup.org/
Contact: The Help Group, 877-943-5747
Saturday October 6, 2007
Reston, Virginia
at the Hyatt Reston
Sponsor: Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit of Region 3; the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Region III, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Children's National Medical Center, Environmental Protection Agency Region III and George Washington University
The conference is targeted to health care providers, public health professionals and the interested public. Topics will explore the intersection between the environment and child health issues and will include a discussion of possible environmental factors influencing autism, environmental terrorism and preparedness in school settings, environmental changes and their contribution to the obesity epidemic, forecasting child health issues due to climate change, the how- to on greening your medical practice and home, air pollution and compromised respiratory function and a presentation and discussion of case studies in pediatric environmental health. Continuing education credits (CME, CHES & CEU) will be available to participants.
Price: unknown
Website: http://www.gwu.edu:80/~macche/restonconference07/
Contact: Aurora Amoah, eohaoa@gwumc.edu
Saturday through Wednesday, October 6 - 10, 2007
Gold Coast, Queensland Australia
at the Holiday Inn Surfers Paradise
Sponsor: Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy
The conference program will include internationally renowned keynote and invited speakers, stimulating symposia, interactive workshops, research papers from Australia and overseas, and innovative student projects. In addition to this forum for learning and development, the social program allows for interaction, collaboration and networking between delegates and presenters. Keynote addresses include "Adolescent emotional development and the emergence of depression: Implications for cognitive models and cognitive treatments", "Risk factors for emotional disorders", "Beyond Rationality: The Role of Emotion and Meaning in Cognitive Therapy" and "Early Intervention for children with autism: What is best practice?"
Price: see http://www.aacbtqld.org.au/Conference%20Registrations.html
Website: http://www.aacbtqld.org.au/Conference%20Home%20Page.html
Contact: Heather Green, h.green@griffith.edu.au
Tuesday October 9, 2007
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Kingston, Ontario Canada
at the Confederation Place Hotel
Sponsor: Best Start: Ontario's Maternal, Newborn and Early Child Development Resource Centre; the Canadian Environmental Law Association, the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment
This workshop will share important information about environmental risks to child health, including environmental exposures at home, work, school and outdoors, in the food we eat, the air we breathe and the products we use. It will also provide simple childproofing tips and service-provider strategies to reduce the risks to preconception, prenatal and child health. The workshop will help you identify the risks of highest concern in your community and initiatives that will support or enhance existing programming. The registration deadline is Wednesday October 3rd at 5:00 p.m.
Price: $60
Website: http://www.beststart.org/events/detail/playingitsafe_k.htm
Contact: Sue Weststrate, 800-397-9567 x 2278 or s.weststrate@beststart.org
Wednesday October 10, 2007
7:00 p.m.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
at the Ritz Theater, 345 13th Avenue
Sponsor: Paul Wotzka Defense Fund
In May of this year Paul Wotzka, a hydrologist who worked 16 years for the State of Minnesota, was fired from his job after being barred from testifying at a legislative committee about the levels of the herbicide atrazine in Minnesota's waters. This event is a fundraiser to help with Paul's legal fees. Dr Tyrone Hayes, PhD, professor of integrative biology at UC Berkeley, has agreed to attend and speak. Dr. Hayes is the leading expert and voice on the dangers of atrazine. After presentations by Dr. Hayes and Paul Wotzka, there will be a question-and-answer panel with Hayes, Wotkza and special guests.
Price: suggested donation is $20
Website: http://mepartnership.org/mep_calendar.asp?cal_id=2656
Wednesday through Saturday, October 10 - 13, 2007
Washington, DC
Sponsor: Children's Environmental Health Centers
This is a workshop on children's environmental health and progress review for the STAR grants. The primary focus of this workshop will be to connect the dots from science to mainstream practice and to identify the opportunities and barriers to incorporating the results of environmental health science research into health care. The program will include plenary and breakout sessions with case studies: From Children's Health Research to Pediatric Practice. Participants include the EPA/NIEHS Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research (Children's Centers), "Building Health Professionals' Capacity to Address Children's Environmental Health" Grantees (HCP Grantees) and the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs), Washington, DC. Workshop will include presentation of the 3rd Annual Children's Environmental Health Excellence Awards.
Price: unknown
Website: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/childrenscenters/events/10_10_2007.html
Contact: Nigel Fields, 202-343-9767 or fields.nigel@epa.gov
Thursday October 11, 2007
9:00 a.m. Pacific / noon Eastern time
Sponsor: Collaborative on Health and the Environment and Health Care Without Harm
This teleconference will be a discussion about the health risks, medical applications and policy issues associated with nanotechnology. Featured presenters will be Dr. John Balbus, director of health programs at Environmental Defense; Jaydee Hanson, policy director at the International Center for Technology Assessment; and Ian Illuminato, health and environment campaigner for Friends of the Earth. The call moderator will be Steve Heilig, MPH, director of public health and education for CHE and the San Francisco Medical Society. A science update will be provided by Jennifer Sass, PhD, senior scientist for Health and Environment, Natural Resources Defense Council.
Price: free
Website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/articles/partnership_calls/1894
Note: The Learning Disabilities Association of Maine Annual Conference that was listed in the last issue of this bulletin has been rescheduled to Friday April 11, 2008. See their website for details: http://www.ldame.org/index.html
Online Calendar. Upcoming events extending more than one month in the future are listed in a searchable calendar: http://www.iceh.org/cgi-bin/searchevents.cgi
Most of the articles below come from Environmental Health News, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/
New Members. The Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative welcomes these new members:
For a full list of LDDI members, please visit the LDDI website: http://www.iceh.org/LDDImembers.html
Nonorganic foods have greater unseen costs. Pesticides and herbicides are powerful poisons. They kill thousands of farmworkers and others every year, along with millions of fish and birds. Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Hawaii, 11 September 2007.
http://starbulletin.com/2007/09/11/editorial/commentary.html
[Editor's note: This editorial is in response to one published at http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070827/OPINION/708270311]
Pregnant smokers may suffer depression. More than one in 10 pregnant women smoke, and new research suggests many of them also may suffer from depression, making kicking the habit even harder. Associated Press, 11 September 2007.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/1500AP_HealthBeat_Pregnant_Smokers.html
Pesticide ban may last all year in Waterloo. Waterloo has reopened the thorny issue of a total cosmetic pesticide ban for lawns and gardens -- to strong support and deep opposition. Waterloo Record, Ontario, 11 September 2007.
http://news.therecord.com/News/CanadaWorld/article/240266
National child health study narrows focus. Researchers plan to follow hundreds of children in Waukesha County from birth to age 21 in an effort to study how the environment affects their health. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin, 11 September 2007.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=659185
Public caught in web of problematic health information. We are literally swamped with health information but, unfortunately, the quality of this information varies and it is often difficult to distinguish what is true from what is false. London Free Press, Ontario, 10 September 2007.
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/2007/09/10/4483509-sun.html
Water quality: Atrazine levels dropping. Watershed levels of the Hardin County area's most widely used pesticide have dropped considerably during the past few years, apparently for two reasons: the weather has cooperated and farmers are adopting greener practices. Hardin County News Enterprise, Kentucky, 10 September 2007.
http://www.newsenterpriseonline.com/articles/2007/09/10/news/news01.txt
Advocates want more air-pollution monitors. Higher-than-expected levels of airborne toxins and other hazardous pollutants are often found by state environmental officials in residential areas near factories, which advocates said points to the need for more state-run monitoring machines. Associated Press, 10 September 2007.
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/11894134244850.xml&coll=2
Housecleaning goes 'green' with simple products. Proponents say that "cleaning green" is better for a family's health and safer for the environment. And it's catching on across the country. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pennsylvania, 10 September 2007.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/health/s_526517.html
The world's a dirty place when you are poor. Well, to steal from Ernest Hemingway, wouldn't it be pretty to think so? But some Americans are clearly more equal than others, especially when it comes to the environment. St. Petersburg Times, Florida, 9 September 2007.
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/09/09/Opinion/The_world_s_a_dirty_p.shtml
A thinning safety net. What causes autism is unclear, and debates continue to flare. Brockton Enterprise, Massachusetts, 9 September 2007.
http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2007/09/09/news/news/news06.txt
Should you be worried about reusing your water bottle? Water bottles everywhere! Single-serving ones from the gas station or the drugstore or bought in bulk at big box stores. Brightly coloured ones, made of hard plastic and designed for reuse. And now lightweight aluminum ones with ceramic liners. Montreal Gazette, Quebec, 8 September 2007.
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/weekendlife/story.html?id=321c2ac0-1af8-474a-b9c2-2d9ea5709ce8
Feud over 'organic' dry-cleaning claim. A feud erupted in the dry-cleaning industry after an article ran in The Arizona Republic in July featuring a young entrepreneur and his "organic" cleaning technique. Phoenix Arizona Republic, Arizona, 8 September 2007.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0908organic0908.html
Dioxane on the defensive. A recent study has found that some of the most popular baby shampoos contain an industrial solvent that is suspected of causing cancer in humans, along with damaging the liver, kidneys, and nervous system. Living On Earth, 8 September 2007.
http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=07-P13-00036&segmentID=2
Plastic may not be so fantastic for kids. More and more consumers -- new mothers are leading the pack -- are expressing concern about potentially toxic chemicals in plastic products. Los Angeles Times, California, 8 September 2007.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-plastics10sep10,0,1321288.column
Trade group: Cleaning products fight illness. Household cleaning products prevent illnesses, despite a Missoula nonprofit report warning that some ingredients are health hazards. Missoula Missoulian, Montana, 7 September 2007.
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2007/09/07/news/mtregional/news07.txt
UTSW researchers create mice models with autism. UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have used genetic engineering to create mice that carry a mutation linked to autism in a handful of people. Dallas Morning News, Texas, 7 September 2007.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-utswautism2_07met.ART.State.Edition2.434e120.html
Toxic-toy scandal not all China's fault. The number of recalls involving toxic and dangerous toys from China is on track to reach record levels this year, a new report by two Canadian professors reveals. CanWest News Service, 7 September 2007.
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/money/story.html?id=d74415b7-a9ba-4e45-b502-467c7b9e7670
Activists say EPA missed deadline to set standards on pollution. Environmentalists sued the federal government Wednesday, complaining that it has failed to regulate emissions from oceangoing vessels that pollute the air and cause respiratory illness around ports nationwide. Associated Press, 6 September 2007.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/5111411.html
Some food additives raise hyperactivity, study finds. Common food additives and colorings can increase hyperactive behavior in a broad range of children, a study being released today found. New York Times., 6 September 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/06/health/research/06hyper.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1189100375-dYya/KbJOJYoaaW1zUZtOQ
Feds focus on lead in kids' jewelry. The federal government is proposing, for the first time, to regulate lead in children's jewelry. USA Today, 6 September 2007.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/manufacturing/2007-09-05-lead-jewelry_N.htm
Youth suicides increased as antidepressant use fell. Warnings from federal regulators four years ago that antidepressants were increasing the risk of suicidal behavior among young people led to a precipitous drop in the use of the drugs. Now a new study has found that the drop coincides with an unprecedented increase in the number of suicides among children. Washington Post, 6 September 2007.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/05/AR2007090502303.html0
Departments team up to combat obesity, secondhand smoke exposure. New Jersey's health, food and education commissioners are teaming up to fight what they called the biggest threats to children, obesity and secondhand smoke. Associated Press, 6 September 2007.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--healthcampaign0905sep05,0,1381024.story
Weltman: It's time to push for healthy schools. Nearly one million children attend the Commonwealth's public schools. Schools are where the need for health care is great, and where the opportunity to prevent health problems is even greater. Cambridge Chronicle, Massachusetts, 4 September 2007.
http://www.townonline.com/cambridge/opinion/x942959582
Chemical sensitivity traps victims in their own bodies. They say they are the 21st century's version of canaries in the coal mine. They contend that with each passing year, more and more people are joining their ranks because "we are poisoning ourselves." Oakland Press, Michigan, 4 September 2007.
http://theoaklandpress.com/stories/090207/loc_20070902153.shtml
Mysteries of autoimmune diseases unravel. Autoimmune diseases, which researchers believe are caused by a genetic predisposition activated by some environmental exposure, are on the rise. USA Today, 4 September 2007.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-09-03-autoimmune-advances_N.htm
Concern rises over effects of parabens. Consumer products labeled "paraben-free" are showing up in stores. For years, parabens have been used to inhibit the growth of bacteria, yeasts and molds in personal-care products. But studies show that some parabens can mimic the activity of the hormone estrogen. Chicago Tribune, Illinois, 4 September 2007.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-0904_health_parabens_r_qsep04,1,3858838.story?ctrack=2&cset=true
Schools refining control of pests. In recent years, schools have faced calls to reduce their use of pesticides, particularly in light of environmental reports that say small children are vulnerable with the poisonous ingredients that kill bugs. Jacksonville Times-Union, Florida, 4 September 2007.
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/090307/met_196514751.shtml
Agent Orange: A view from Vietnam. During the eight years of the Vietnam War that the U.S. Military dusted the Vietnamese landscape with Agent Orange, it was only intended to kill vegetation. Chicago CBS 2 TV, Illinois, 3 September 2007.
http://cbs2chicago.com/vault/local_story_245213906.html
Toxic cocktail. Every day you can expect to be exposed to some 75,000 artificial chemicals. You swallow them in your food and they seep out of carpets, pillows and curtains, and drift into your lungs. Is living in this chemical soup doing us any harm? There are good reasons to think that it might be, especially because of the mixture. New Scientist, England, 3 September 2007.
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mg19526190.700-toxic-cocktail.html
Made-in-China kids' pencils recalled over high lead levels. Another children's product made in China has been added to the growing list of recalls over concerns about lead, making it the fourth such recall in less than one month. Canadian Press, 2 September 2007.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070901.wpencilrecall0901/BNStory/National/home
Don't bite the dust. Both children and adults can accumulate substantial amounts of the hormone-perturbing agents known as PBDEs. House dust appears to be the biggest source. Science News, 1 September 2007.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070901/food.asp
Life's feverish pitch killing us. New evidence from the World Health Organisation reveals that thousands of people around the world may be dying prematurely, or succumbing to disease, through the effects of chronic noise exposure. Sydney Australian, Australia, 1 September 2007.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22335936-23289,00.html
Not in whose backyard? While countless federal laws have been written to preserve wilderness and endangered species, no legislation has been tailored to protect what may be the most vulnerable landscape, the low-income communities that shelter most of America's polluting facilities. New York Times, 1 September 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/magazine/02wwln-essay-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&oref=slogin
Estrogen deficit no good for brain. Women who have had their ovaries removed and not received extra estrogen have an elevated risk of cognitive impairment or dementia later in life. Taken with an earlier study, it suggests that estrogen has a different effect on the brain at different ages. Science, 31 August 2007.
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2007/829/1
Lead bill draws veto as flawed. While agreeing that lead in children's jewelry poses a health hazard, Gov. Eliot Spitzer on Wednesday nonetheless vetoed a bill that would have limited the metal's use. Albany Times Union, New York, 31 August 2007.
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=617963&category=FRONTPG&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=8/30/2007
EPA criticized for not pushing stricter smog standard. Asthma patients, doctors and activists urged U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials on Thursday to go further in tightening smog standards to protect children and others from ailments caused by dirty air. Associated Press, 31 August 2007.
http://www.chicoer.com/news/national/ci_6761323
School buses installing diesel exhaust system. Expectations are high that many students and staff will breathe easier this year with the installation of new diesel exhaust conversion systems in some city school buses. Springfield Republican, Massachusetts, 31 August 2007.
http://www.masslive.com/hampfrank/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1188546865262130.xml&coll=1
Toys R Us recalls Chinese crayons. US branches of the retailer Toys R Us have recalled 27,000 Chinese-made paint and crayon sets after the wooden box packaging was found to contain lead. BBC, United Kingdom, 31 August 2007.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6970986.stm
DDT's resurrection. One year after WHO recommended the use of DDT in developing countries to prevent the spread of malaria, the debate over its safety continues. Environmental Science & Technology, 31 August 2007.
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/aug/science/nl_ddt.html
EPA, industry score low on toxics test. The chemical industry deserves a "D" for not providing the U.S. EPA with data it promised years ago, a new report card from an advocacy group finds. It is adding fuel to calls to overhaul U.S. chemicals management laws. Environmental Science & Technology, 30 August 2007.
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/aug/policy/jp_hpv.html
State working on perchlorate limit. The state is in the final stages of setting a standard dictating how much perchlorate can be in your drinking water. But the proposal of 6 parts per billion is not one that will sit well with the environmental community. San Bernardino County Sun, California, 30 August 2007.
http://www.sbsun.com/search/ci_6754962?IADID=Search-www.sbsun.com-www.sbsun.com
PVC, the poison plastic. Why is PVC called "the poison plastic," and what makes it so different from other plastics? Frisco Summit Daily News, Colorado, 30 August 2007.
http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20070829/NEWS/70829008/0/FRONTPAGE