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With so much attention focused on the ecological and economic aspects of the oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico, it is worth reviewing some of the other potential human health impacts of this disaster. In addition to those discussed previously in this space, an excellent article about occupational hazards associated with the response to [...]  Posting about the World Cup a few days ago has left me thinking about the many ways in which sports, particularly professional sporting events, can impact the environment or public health. Leaving aside the many health issues associated with performance-enhancing drugs, and the health impacts of evolving protective equipment (football helmets and concussions, for example), [...] Like much of the world I have been glued to and enthralled by the spectacle unfolding in South Africa that is the 2010 World Cup. Like all of the world however, I will also be feeling the effects that the Cup has imposed on the planet. According to a study conducted by the South African [...] It didn’t take long for the oil spill to become an occupational health issue, it just happened it a way that I am not sure many would have expected. The FEMA trailers that were considered unsafe for emergency housing in the wake of Hurricane Katrina have resurfaced – as housing for oil spill cleanup workers. [...] In a tough defeat for health policy today, a penny-per-ounce tax proposal on sugary beverages has been abandoned by the New York state legislature. The NY Times claims that the biggest puncher in this fight has been the anti-tax lobby, and from an anecdotal standpoint, I can agree. Over the past several months, on an [...] The next time you have a prescription filled, take a close look at the informational brochures provided to you by your pharmacist. Chances are there is a fair amount of discussion in there about other medications to avoid while taking your prescription; perhaps a contraindication with another drug, or instructions to avoid alcohol, and for [...] While the unmitigated disaster that is unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico clearly takes precedence as the environmental health issue of the day, I wanted to also call attention to a couple of other important developments in our field that have been taking place in the shadow of this terrible tragedy. First though, I don’t [...] The FDA announced last week that it would conduct a safety review of the chemical triclosan, another in a long line of environmentally ubiquitous, practically unavoidable chemicals found in products such as toothpaste, clothing and anti-bacterial soap. So what exactly is triclosan? It is a broad spectrum biocide capable of destroying many types of bacteria [...] I would have posted this sooner because I consider it major news and a major step in the right direction, but I have been on vacation for the last week, and am just now back in the swing of real life. But, enough about me, and on to said major news – after years of [...] Clean water-loving residents of NYC as well as nervous upstate property owners and dwellers won a small victory today as the New York City DEP published a study outlining their objections to natural gas extraction in the Marcellus Shale region. Regular readers of this blog know that the reasons for their worries are many: from [...] |
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