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Articles in: Health
Health, Politics, Jan 31st, 2012,
In general, conservatives don’t like social welfare programs. They do claim, however, to value freedom of choice, so long as it has nothing to do with social welfare programs – those are gifts from taxpayers to welfare queens and they have strings attached. So it’s no surprise that Florida Republican state senator Ronda Storms thinks federal food stamps should only be used for healthy foods – but maybe she’s right. A bit of good old-fashioned social engineering is what welfare is all about or at least what it should be about. I mean why should the poor be encouraged (by…
Tags: Florida, food, junk, poor, republican, Senator, stamps
Green Cars, Health, Sustainable living, Jan 25th, 2012,
Urban Forestry is a growing trend in cities looking to actively clean their air and water while making streets aesthetically pleasing for pedestrians, bike riders, and drivers as well. While I could list any number of benefits trees in urban areas have been shown to produce, there was one advantage that I didn’t expect to see: safer, more eco friendly carsdriving through cities. Now, you might be wondering how trees help to slow drivers down and create an atmosphere where greener cars and greener driving habits prevail. It’s quite simple; trees help create a natural, visual wall that drivers are…
Tags: Earthgarage.com, green cars, green cities, pedestrians, planting trees, trees in streets
Climate & Change, climate change, Health, Science & Technology, Jan 19th, 2012,
By Andrew Freedman It often seems like weather forecasters blame everything unusual on El Niño or La Niña, be it a drought, a heat wave, or a snowless winter. But this natural climate cycle in the equatorial Pacific Ocean may actually have much greater — and far deadlier — impacts. A new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences explores the possibility that La Niña helps make conditions more favorable for deadly global flu pandemics. The study finds that the past four flu pandemics, including the Spanish Flu of 1918, the Asian Flu of 1957, the Hong Kong…
Tags: climate change, climatecentral.org, Flu pandemics, La Nina
Health, Pollution, Videos & Documentaries, Jan 18th, 2012,
It may sound like a convenient excuse: it’s not my fault I’m fat, it’s all those common, everyday chemicals I unwittingly ingest through no fault of my own. That and all the burgers, fries and milkshakes I eat on a daily basis. But certain environmental, hormone-altering chemicals, which researchers call ‘obesogens’, may contribute to dramatic weight gain – especially when a fetus is exposed to them in the womb. If obesogens do cause obesity, what about fatty foods? Professor Bruce Blumberg of the University of California believes that both junk food and common environmental chemicals cause obesity, sometimes in tandem….
Tags: chemicals, environmental, fat, obesity, obesogens
Health, Pollution, Nov 23rd, 2011,
The use of mercury in gold mining and gilding (covering something in a thin layer of gold) has a long history of poisoning in the Western world and a continuing legacy of death and disease in developing countries as the global demand for gold increases. What was commonly known as ‘gilder’s palsy’ occurs due to inhalation or unintentional ingestion when the toxic metal comes in contact with a worker’s hands and later mixes with their food or water. See the following historical example of mercury poisoning in Russia, from the Montreal Gazette: About 100 kilos of gold were mixed with…
Tags: Africa, gold, gold mining, mercury, poisoning, TOXIC
green living, Health, Sustainable living, sustainable living, Oct 30th, 2011,
Going green has become a regular way of life for a lot of people, and there are some who do it without even realising they are. It can be simple things like turning off the lights when you aren’t using a room anymore, recycling plastic bottles on a regular basis or making something out of the leftovers from meals. These same folk will unplug every appliance in their home and always check for energy efficient models of appliances. They do this in an effort to conserve energy and save money on their utility bills each month; never consciously thinking they…
green living, Health, Sustainable living, sustainable living, Oct 27th, 2011,
Just the mention of Halloween is enough to give a mom a toothache. It might be a day that revolves around collecting massive amounts of candy and consuming lots of empty calories, but there’s a light inside that glowing pumpkin. By choosing more nutritious goodies and making healthier treats for parties and school events, you can make the spookiest of all holidays into a tasty success that won’t leave anyone feeling tricked. We have put together our favorite tips for making it a little greener and cleaner this year. Feel free to post these on your blog or include in…
Tags: eatcleaner.com, eco-friendly halloween, green halloween, halloween, pumpkin halloween
green living, Health, Science & Technology, Sustainable living, sustainable living, Oct 11th, 2011,
For over 5 years, friendsofwater.com has researched and shared information about water. This family-owned and -run web business also selects the best products to filter water and save water, and presents the information needed to sort through the complexity. With their help, you can select the right filter for your situation. Friendsofwater.com is different than many providers in that personal water issues are considered in context of the larger environment. This includes explanations about chemicals and contaminants in the water supply, what we can do about them – and considerations of how we can individually improve our impact on Mother…
Tags: drugs in tab water, friendsofwater.com, garden sprinklers, great tips to save water, how to filter water, laundry balls, pollutants in tap water, toilet adapters, water consumption
Health, Oct 6th, 2011,
Mental Illness Awareness week was created by Congress in 1990 and it supports the efforts of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The aim of the week is to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and dispel some of the fears we have about people with mental illness. The University of Southern California created an infographic, “Facing Mental Illness,” showing some mind dazzling numbers. Brought to you by MSW@USC Masters in Social Work
Tags: mental illness, mental illness awareness week, nami, national alliance on mental illness
green living, Health, Sustainable living, sustainable living, Sep 22nd, 2011,
It can be hard to buy green, there are a lot of products out there with a dubious supply history and ensuring that they are actually green can be a real challenge. To help you out below is a list of materials that you can either be sure are green or have reliable certification so that you can at least know that the harvesting was ecologically friendly. Abaca: This little known crop comes from a specific type of banana tree, though unfortunately you can’t eat it. It is indigenous to the Philippines but it is also grown in Ecuador and…
Tags: abaca, bamboo, eco-friendly home products, green home improvements, hemp, seagrass, wood
Climate & Change, Health, Sep 15th, 2011,
Over the next century, what kind of impact will climate change have on California’s coastlines? Though coastal properties are prized for their views, they are ultimately a temporary luxury. In the long run, the closer to the beachfront a building is, the more susceptible it is to erosion, storms and sea air. Add rising sea levels into the equation and you’ve got prime real estate that risks being damaged sooner and more severely than previously anticipated. Economists at San Francisco State University in California predict rising sea levels due to climate change will have disastrous impacts on tourism, recreation and…
Tags: Asian Tiger, California, climate change, mosquitoes, rising sea levels, tropical disease, UK
Health, Science & Technology, Sep 14th, 2011,
Are their tiny nanotech machines in your sun block? Recent headlines about nanotech being in sunscreen seem a bit misleading upon closer inspection. These are not tiny machines or circuits buzzing around that white cream you slather on to prevent sunburn and skin cancer. The American Heritage Dictionary defines nanotechnology as such: The science and technology of building electronic circuits and devices from single atoms and molecules. Nanoparticles are measured between 1 and 2,500 nanometers, depending on their classification. One nanometer is one billionth of a meter, so even the largest of nanoparticles is pretty small. The fuss is about…
Tags: nanoparticles, nanotech, red, sun block, sunscreen, wine
green living, Health, Science & Technology, Sustainable living, sustainable living, Sep 6th, 2011,
By the time you’re scheduling your next dental visit, you’ve probably given your full attention to making it look like you’ve been flossing daily for the last 6 months. But while you’re trying to clean up your act, have you ever wondered what your dentist is doing to clean up theirs? The Eco-Dentistry Association, an international organization that educates dental practitioners and patients about the benefits of green dentistry, identifies four key sources of waste in the dental practice: Conventional x-rays—patients recognize the dangers of radiation presented by conventional x-rays, but may not realize they generate significant waste as well. …
Tags: eco-dentistry association, eco-friendly dentists, EDA, find a green dentist, green dentists, green your dentist
Health, Pollution, ,
In France, nitrogen fertilizers are being blamed for a proliferation of ‘toxic green algae’ covering beaches in Brittany. Ironically, agricultural pollution in France’s pig farming capital may be resulting in the deaths of wild boars in the region. Most pig farms in Brittany use nitrogen-based fertilizers to grow their pig feed. The green algae, which becomes toxic when it decomposes, has also forced the closure of beaches in Brittany. For more on that story see this video report from France 24. Two animal rights activists in Finland will be put on trial next month for exposing cruelty that occurs legally…
Tags: Brittany, cruelty, Finland, France, hog farm, pig farm, pig farming, USA
Health, Politics, Pollution, Sep 5th, 2011,
Smog kills. This is a well-established scientific fact. Unhealthy ground ozone levels contribute to and exasperate allergies and asthma. Cities like London, England and Los Angeles, California are particularly bad places to live in terms of air quality. London has the worst air quality in the UK, while Los Angeles – according to the American Lung Association – is the smoggiest region in the US. US President Barack Obama’s administration looked as if they would tighten controls on ozone levels in the country, but another compromise – aka bow to big business interests – seems to have put an end…
Tags: EPA, Los Angeles. London, lung, Obama, Pollution, Smog
Climate & Change, Health, Videos & Documentaries, Sep 1st, 2011,
Researchers from Kings College London are studying the symbiotic relationship between coral and algae living in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. They found that in order to survive in strong sunlight, coral produces compounds that act as a natural sunscreen. Scientists hope to use genetic engineering to recreate the compounds in a laboratory back in the UK and eventually develop a sunscreen in pill form. Since the compound is already present in the food chain in the coral reefs – small fish ingest it while feeding off the coral, larger fish eat them and so on – the scientists hope it…
Tags: australia, coral reefs, king's college, london, pill, sunscreen
Climate & Change, green living, Health, Sustainable living, sustainable living, Aug 17th, 2011,
Far too many people think that there is nothing that they can do to help the environment. However with this type of attitude then no change can ever be done. Never underestimate the amount of change that one person can make in the world. After all, every journey begins with a single step. By using these seven simple tips you can help to make a difference and create a better World. 1) Less Water Usage Water is a scarce resource. Especially in dry western states such as California there are a number of laws that are strictly enforced to prevent…
Tags: 7 steps to a better environment, 7 steps to save the environment, easy green living tips, Go Green, green living tips
Health, Pollution, Aug 15th, 2011,
Hydraulic fracturing is the controversial practice of extracting natural gas from shale rock by drilling, planting explosives and then pumping vast amounts of water and chemicals into the rock to open up gas deposits. Commonly referred to as ‘fracking’, domestic hydraulic fracturing is being touted by governments and fossil fuel corporations in several countries as being cheaper, safer and more climate-friendly than oil or coal extraction, as well as less dependent on the instability of international markets and political situations than other fossil fuels. But fracking is not without its environmental or human health concerns. From BBC News: Much of…
Tags: Canada, concerns, fracking, gas, hydraulic fracturing, New Brunswick, water
Climate & Change, Health, Videos & Documentaries, Aug 5th, 2011,
Maps using data on ozone pollution, ragweed and “extreme heat days” in the United States show California to be an especially vulnerable place. The number of unhealthy days in Los Angeles, in particular, is expected to rise in the coming years due to a combination of rising temperatures from climate change, droughts, flooding and pollution. Research shows that rising temperatures can worsen the negative health impacts of pollution and ragweed on respiratory illnesses such as asthma. Los Angeles has smog and ragweed pollen problems and is at risk for at least one unhealthy air quality day per summer, meaning the air…
Tags: California, climate change, Health, heat, Los Angeles, Pollution, Smog
Health, Aug 1st, 2011,
Luxury pet products are a huge growth industry. Many of us have seen “accessory” dogs wearing jeweled collars and being carried in designer Louis Vuitton bags by members of the botox set. Often the idea with high-end food and gear for pets is just to show off. No dog worth its canines cares if the diamonds around its neck are real or cubic zirconia. Likewise – as with human food – nutritional value doesn’t always correspond with price. Nevertheless, a lot of people like to “pamper” their pets and it’s not just vacuous Americans. In Germany the trend is…
Tags: australia, dogs, Germany, Hendra, pets, strays
