News of the Environmental Kind. Ewes of the Rabid ilk.
Three hours on a plane made Robin ill for life. Robin Montmayeur was flying from Washington to San Diego with United Airlines. She did not know that the three-hour flight was to ruin her health and render her unable to work. Oslo Dagbladet, Norway
Plant essences linked to enlarged breasts in boys. Two ingredients common in many hair- and skin-care products-- lavender oil and tea tree oil-- have been linked to abnormal development of breasts in boys. Science News. sub.req.
Corps report ignores call for specifics. The Army Corps of Engineers is poised to issue a vaguely-worded document that will not list the specific projects that would be needed to secure the Louisiana's fragile coastline. New Orleans Times-Picayune
Rising waters over time could affect Bayside view. Scientists are predicting the Bay's waters could rise by 3 to 4 feet in 100 years, flooding up to 4 miles of low-lying Baylands in a climate-change scenario not unlike the images of sinking cities in Al Gore's bracing documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth."
Oakland Tribune
Global warming is extending pollen season. They're miserable in Chicago, hurting in Atlanta and suffering in New York. That's because it's the allergy season, but what we used to call the "allergy season" is becoming the "allergy year." CBS News
Warming may devastate fishing. In addition to making the world a hotter, wetter place, global warming might have devastating effects on an activity dear to many Floridians' hearts: recreational fishing. Fort Myers News Press
One's place in food chain molds post-storm prospects. About 172 billion gallons of rainwater fell on the District and Montgomery and Fairfax counties this week. WAPO
In D.C, even weather's political. When huge summer rainstorms strike other parts of the nation, people get wet, basements flood, roads are closed, end of story. But when that same kind of storm strikes the national capital, it has to have Deeper Significance. Los Angeles Daily Breeze
Tightly built homes jeopardize air quality. While building "green" has been gaining momentum over the past few years, indoor air quality has actually taken a back seat. Toronto Star, Ontario
EU ruling on poison metals to raise cost of electrical goods. A European directive banning poisonous heavy metals from all kinds of electrical and electronic goods including fridges, computers and vacuum cleaners comes into force today. London Daily Telegraph
Laws to give new life to used cellphones. It's the latest effort to keep the rapidly growing pile of obsolete electronics out of landfills, where certain metals, plastics, acids and other hazardous materials can quickly turn an area into a toxic dump. Los Angeles Times, California. (reg.req)
Thirst for oil fuels China's grand safari in Africa. For the world's fastest growing economy, Africa is first and foremost a supplier of oil. London Times
Power source. With fuel costs rocketing to the top of the worry list for CFOs , finance executives in the clean-fuel sector now find themselves at the center of the action. CFO
Bad-air days now may come back to haunt us in '08. Blame it on the weather. Blame it on the crowded freeways. Blame it on Houston. But no matter who's at fault, the San Antonio area is a big step closer to an unwanted spot on the nation's bad air list. San Antonio Express-News
Landfill is not toxic, say city and state. Louisiana officials touted the results of tests that they said showed a controversial landfill to be nontoxic, but opponents of the fill quickly fired back that the tests were practically useless and proved no such thing. New Orleans Times-Picayune
Cadbury's bug may be in 30 more products. The salmonella strain that led to the recalling of one million bars of Cadbury's chocolate may have contaminated many more of the company's brands. London Guardian
Drought a boon for mosquitoes. While the lingering North Texas drought parches yards and lakes, it also has yielded another unpleasant side effect: more mosquitoes. Dallas Morning News
Developing Parkinson's linked to use of pesticides. New evidence that exposure to pesticides may be linked to the development of Parkinson's disease has come from a study in the US. Sydney Australian
Weight of passengers, boat are cited in deadly sinking. Survivors of a deadly tour-boat trip in the Adirondacks last October say heavy people flipped the boat over, according to documents in a case that exposed how America's safety rules have been eclipsed by its expanding waistlines. WAPO
Repackaging organics. As more consumers have come around to the idea that organic food might be healthier for their families and their planet, more businesses are seeing a new way to increase their profits, and the high ideals of organics may be getting watered down. Planet Jackson Hole