"DAVIS, Calif. -- What causes autism? The question has spurred about a billion dollars' worth of genetics research that has found no clear answer. But University of California, Davis, epidemiologist Irva Hertz-Picciotto has been pursuing another angle: Does the environment around a pregnant woman play a role in determining whether her child develops autism?"
"Eating fast food three times a week may lead to asthma and eczema in children, say researchers who have looked at global disease and dietary patterns."
"A major new federal report warning the United States could warm up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century if global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise has renewed hope among environmental groups that President Obama will make climate change a priority in his second term."
KETTLEMAN CITY -- Maria Saucedo cried as she spoke of the two babies she has lost in Kettleman City -- one to birth defects and the other in a miscarriage. There's no proof, but she blames the toxic landscape surrounding her town. She and others who have suffered in Kettleman City say they live in a nasty soup of pollution. They make a compelling case."
SEJ and the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital invited SEJ members to an online event Feb 1, 2013. Members were able to preview beforehand "A Fierce Green Fire," a sweeping history of the environmental movement by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mark Kitchell, inspired by a book of the same name written by SEJ co-founder Phil Shabecoff, author, former environmental correspondent for the New York Times and founding publisher of Greenwire. Then, on the day of the forum, those signed-up were able to dial in to the conference call. Listen to an audio recording of that conversation with Shabecoff and Kitchell.
"New national drinking water rules are expected to lead to fewer dangerous pathogens coming out of the tap. The new regulation, which was announced last month and takes effect within three years, switches focus to a type of bacteria that more accurately reflects the presence of pathogens that can make people sick."
"WASHINGTON, DC -- Environmental factors contribute to higher rates of disease and injury among Americans compared to people in other high-income countries, finds a new report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine."
A panel of veteran journalists, hosted by SEJ and the Wilson Center's Environmental Change & Security Program, offered their thoughts on what will be the biggest environment and energy stories in the U.S. and around the world on January 25, 2013, in Washington, DC. The event was webcast live. The archived webcast is available here. Bloomberg BNA's Director of Environmental News John Sullivan kicked off the discussion with an overview of the key legislative, regulatory, and legal developments expected in 2013. Margie Kriz Hobson of E&E Publishing's EnergyWire moderated the panel.
"Representative Jack Kingston (R-GA), the incoming chair of the U.S. House of Representatives panel that controls the budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has a long-standing reputation as a conservative budget hawk intent on reducing government spending. He's also known for being skeptical that humans are contributing to climate change and for rejecting Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. But although that record might make many scientists anxious, his reputation as an inside operator who understands the importance of funding research makes many science boosters breathe a little easier. "
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