Environment
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Greener Neighborhood, Bigger Babies
Health & Medicine / Environment Glenys Webster of Environmental Health News — Sun, May 19, 2013 at 10:43 AM
Living in areas with more plants and vegetation during pregnancy is linked with improved fetal outcomes, a new study from Spain reports. On average, babies born to mothers living in "greener" areas — places covered with more plant life — had higher birth weights and slightly larger head circumference compared to babies whose mothers lived in areas with lower plant cover. Effects were stronger in women with lower education, suggesting increased benefits of green space in areas with lower socioeconomic status.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Flame Retardants May Affect Toddlers' Mental Development
Health & Medicine / Environment Glenys Webster of Environmental Health News — Sat, May 18, 2013 at 11:31 AM
Flame retardants in breast milk are associated with slightly lower mental development scores in fourteen-month-old children, reports a new study from Spain. The chemicals were measured in the first milk called the colostrum. On average, children with higher exposures scored two points lower on the mental development scale than less-exposed children. The scale measures age-appropriate advances, including performance abilities, memory, and early language skills. The average mental development score is 100, and two-thirds of children score between 85 and 115 points.
Traffic Noise Increases Risk of Diabetes
Health & Medicine / Environment / Transportation Craig Butt of Environmental Health News — Sat, May 18, 2013 at 7:19 AM
Noise from honking cars and police sirens can disrupt sleep, but it also may increase the chance of developing diabetes, according to a large study from Denmark. The researchers compared noise levels from road traffic to the incidence of diabetes in 57,000 people. As the noise levels increased, so did the risk for developing the disease. The risk increased by 8 to 11 percent for every 10-decibel (dB) increase in road noise. A decibel is a measure of loudness and intensity of sound.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Friday Must Reads: FEMA Moves to Chop Down 82,000 Trees in Berkeley and Oakland Hills; Lead Ammunition Ban Clears Assembly
Politics / Health & Medicine / Environment Robert Gammon — Fri, May 17, 2013 at 7:02 AM
Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1. Officials from FEMA are moving forward with a controversial plan to chop down more than 80,000 trees in the Berkeley and Oakland hills — 22,000 in Berkeley and 60,000 in Oakland — as a fire safety measure, according to the California Progress Report. The proposal would clear-cut large swaths of eucalyptus groves in Strawberry and Claremont canyons, and would pour up to 1,400 gallons of herbicides in the hills to prevent the non-native trees from growing back. FEMA has quietly held two public meetings already on the proposal and is planning to hold a final one tomorrow — Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Claremont Middle School, 5750 College Ave. in Oakland.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Thursday Must Reads: Bay Area Housing Market Remains Red Hot; Oakland Council Shelves Plan to Audit the City Auditor
Politics / Business / Environment Robert Gammon — Thu, May 16, 2013 at 7:01 AM
Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1. The Bay Area housing market remained red hot in April, as the median home sales price soared to $510,000 — its highest point in five years and a 30.8 jump over the same month a year ago, the Chron$ reports. A relatively small number of homes on the market are continuing to spark fierce bidding wars. However, the region’s median home price is still short of its peak of $650,000 in the summer of 2007. The low point was $375,000 in March 2009 during the height of the foreclosure crisis.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Wednesday Must Reads: Assembly Speaker Perez Rewarded Big Fundraisers; Brown’s Budget Boosts Spending for Schools, But Nothing Else
People / Education / Environment Robert Gammon — Wed, May 15, 2013 at 7:00 AM
Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1. Speaker John A. Perez rewarded politicians who raised the most funds to help elect more Democrats last year with prime jobs in the Assembly, the Center for Investigative Reporting reports. In all, Perez’s efforts pumped $5.8 million into campaigns to help Democrats win a super-majority in the Assembly. And then Perez handed out choice positions to the biggest fundraisers. San Diego Democrat Toni Atkins donated the most money — $282,000 — and Perez made her Assembly majority leader. Most of the cash raised by Democrats came from special interests with business in front of key committees in the Assembly.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Appellate Court Appears Ready to Rule Against Drakes Bay Oyster Farm
Breaking News / Environment Robert Gammon — Tue, May 14, 2013 at 12:49 PM
A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco appears to be ready to rule against a controversial oyster farm in Point Reyes, according to reporters and environmentalists who attended today's hearing. Scott Graham, a longtime, respected journalist for the The Recorder legal newspaper, tweeted after the hearing: "Sounds like win for the govt and enviros." And Pamela MacLean of Trial Insider wrote, " The days may be numbered for the popular Drakes Bay Oyster farm, if the questions Tuesday from three judges on 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals are any indication." The Obama administration and environmentalists want the courts to uphold then-Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's decision last fall to not renew Drakes Bay Oyster Company's lease in Point Reyes in order to make way for the first marine wilderness on the West Coast.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Monday Must Reads: Badly Designed Bolts in New Bridge Tower, Too; Frazier Was Going to Seek Jordan’s Ouster
Law Enforcement & Crime / Environment / Transportation Robert Gammon — Mon, May 13, 2013 at 6:53 AM
Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1. The signature tower of the new Bay Bridge contains more than four hundred giant steel bolts that may be inferior to the 32 rods that have already snapped, SF Gate reports. The 400-plus bolts in the tower had been dipped in hydrochloric acid even though doing so violated industry standards. The acid can make steel more brittle and susceptible to failure, but instructions from Caltrans to forgo the acid baths apparently never made it to the Alabama manufacturer of the rods. It’s too late to replace the rods, however, because they’re no longer accessible in the tower. If the giant bolts break during an earthquake, it could be catastrophic.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Tuesday Must Reads: State Regulators Recommend No Fines Against PG&E for Deadly San Bruno Blast; CO2 Levels Soar Worldwide
Politics / Business / Environment Robert Gammon — Tue, May 7, 2013 at 7:00 AM
News stories that East Bay progressives and environmentalists shouldn’t miss:
1. State regulators sparked criticism from consumer groups yesterday when they recommended no fines against PG&E for the deadly San Bruno blast of 2010. Regulators with the California Public Utilities Commission said that, instead of fines, the utility should be required to spend $2.25 billion on upgrading its aging natural gas lines, SFGate reports. The CPUC contends that levying fines against PG&E for the explosion that killed eight people “does not make sense,” because it would leave the utility without enough money to complete the safety upgrades. But San Bruno officials and consumer advocates quickly criticized the CPUC’s recommendation, and said PG&E should be fined for its gross negligence. The CPUC recommends that the $2.25 billion for upgrades come from PG&E’s shareholders — and not its customers.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Special Report: 'Chemicals of High Concern' Found in Thousands of Children's Products
Business / Health & Medicine / Environment Jane Kay of Environmental Health News — Mon, May 6, 2013 at 12:55 PM
Cobalt in plastic building blocks and baby bibs. Ethylene glycol in dolls. Methyl ethyl ketone in clothing. Antimony in high chairs and booster seats. Parabens in baby wipes. D4 in baby creams. An Environmental Health News analysis of thousands of reports from America’s largest companies shows that toys and other children’s products contain low levels of dozens of industrial chemicals, including some unexpected ingredients that will surprise a public concerned about exposure.
