Environmental Health

"A mysterious pathogen is wiping out starfish along the Pacific coast, a potential catastrophe that has flummoxed marine biologists who are joining forces to find the culprit."

"Critics say the actions to combat the pathogen don't go far enough, especially with regard to antibiotic resistance. Salmonella is blamed for 1.3 million U.S. illnesses a year."

An alliance of Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest have joined forces to push states there for water quality standards that protect populations who eat more fish from toxic effects.

"The 1970s began with a remarkable pulse of federal legislation aimed at protecting endangered species and restoring the nation’s air and waters. But it took until 1978 for another type of environmental threat, toxic hot spots left behind by industrial activity, to gain the spotlight."

"Many workers climb, rappel or reach into daily dangers but draw federal notice only by dying. Given limited budgets and frequent political attempts at reducing enforcement even more, inspectors might be absent until a calamity occurs."

A new California rule may herald the end of toxic flame-retardant chemicals in furniture.

"Only about half of the prescription drugs and other newly emerging contaminants in sewage are removed by treatment plants."

"In an interview with Yale Environment 360, Robert Martin, co-author of a recent study on industrial farm animal production, explains how a powerful and intransigent agriculture lobby has successfully fought off attempts to reduce the harmful environmental and health impacts of mass livestock production."

"Many organic farmers are hopping mad right now at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and their reason involves perhaps the most under-appreciated part of agriculture: plant food, aka fertilizer. Specifically, the FDA, as part of its of food safety regulations, wants to limit the use of animal manure."