Environmental Health

"As heat waves become more frequent and intense, researchers and activists say the lack of precise data is leading to needless fatalities."

"The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana ruled on Wednesday that the Environmental Protection Agency is barred from using the federal civil rights law to prevent Louisiana from granting permits for numerous polluting facilities in minority and low-income communities."

"As global temperatures rise due to climate change, mosquito season has lengthened across much of the contiguous United States, a development that scientists warn could heighten the risk of outbreaks of diseases such as dengue and malaria, and the spread of West Nile and Zika viruses."

"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that breathing in formaldehyde, a chemical that’s used in building materials and hair straighteners, can cause cancer."

"A Washington, D.C., judge ruled this week that the Environmental Protection Agency must disclose more information than it currently does about chemicals pending review under the Toxic Substances Control Act."

"Twenty-four brain samples collected in early 2024 measured on average about 0.5% plastic by weight"

"A growing body of scientific evidence shows that microplastics are accumulating in critical human organs, including the brain, leading researchers to call for more urgent actions to rein in plastic pollution.

Studies have detected tiny shards and specks of plastics in human lungs, placentas, reproductive organs, livers, kidneys, knee and elbow joints, blood vessels and bone marrow.

"A U.S. judge at the urging of environmental groups has thrown out an assessment by a federal agency governing how endangered and threatened marine species should be protected from oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico."

"Extreme weather alerts for dangerous heat, wildfires, storms, flooding and other hazards have affected nearly everyone in the United States over the past few months."

"A powerful group that boasts 28 Republican attorneys general, including many who have sided with oil and gas firms to block states seeking compensation for weather disasters caused by climate change, has raked in millions of dollars from fossil fuel giants and a dark money fund tied to Federalist Society co-chair, Leonard Leo."

"State lawmakers, responding to a report that the agency charged with ensuring worker safety in California has sharply cut back on enforcement of outdoor heat protection laws, said new legislation is needed to protect employees amid escalating periods of extreme heat."