MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'environment'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:47:29 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174593&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCF5PCpfSmmU%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsHurricane Irene (which seemed more like Tropical Storm Irene from Virginia Beach to New York City) has prompted the usual rhetoric from the usual suspects about global warming making these storms worse.  Too bad there is no evidence for this whatsoever on a global scale. Ryan Maue, at Florida State University, tracks global tropical cyclone energy back to 1970, which is the time at which adequate data on hurricane winds became available. His “Accumulated Cyclone Energy” (ACE) index peaked in the mid 1990′s and in recent years has been at or near the lowest point ever recorded. His most recent refereed paper, in press at Geophysical Research Letters, is called “Recent Historically Low Global Tropical Cyclone Activity.”  Enough said? Howe... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174593 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:32:44 +0100 5174593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159554&cid=t_92040_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1062-Engineer-humans-to-be-smaller-to-save-the-environment.html Behind the bar at the TurfIn my junior year of college, I took sometime off from my chemistry studies and went to Oxford University to study English literature, philosophy and Latin.  To pay my way, I poured pints at The Turf Tavern.  The Turf's motto is "Find us if you can!" because it is a pub nestled right outside the old city walls with only two small alleyways that lead to it.  It was purposefully hidden due to the illegal activity like drinking and gambling that would take place there over the centuries.  The Turf is an old pub, possibly the oldest in Oxford, dating all the way back to the 13th century.What does my beloved Turf Tavern have to do with the engineering of humans?  Well, if there was one thing I learned working at the Turf was that peop... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159554 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:40:38 +0100 5159554 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159156&cid=t_92040_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fchanging-your-environmental-mind.html There are many educational and ethical issues regarding the environment and environmentalism that are generally not addressed, especially when it comes to teaching non-science students. Independent environmental services professional and college professor Chyrisse P. Tabone, who is based in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida has spent several years attempting to find a way to remedy this situation. Sciencebase covered her work on teaching environmental science some time ago, now in this post we put a few questions to Professor Tabone about her follow-up paper in which she examines a new approach to teaching environmental issues and the responses of a group of students confronted with those problems. What is the basis of your approach? I have honed and perfected my non-traditional teaching inst... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159156 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:14:41 +0100 5159156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159080&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fthe-water-deficit.html In today's TheScientistDaily is an interesting opinion piece about the problem of current farming practices and deficits in fresh water supplies. What isn't mentioned, and should be of increasing concern, is that each specialist group focuses on their own interest without looking at the larger picture. Part of this is the problem of training with use of grant funds, all of which focus on special interests and fail to develop generalists who can look at the big picture. My view of the big picture in relation to this article is that farming is important for the increasing world population resulting from immunization, chronic disease prevention, and in adequate family planning without any reference to the big picture. Without a broader picture of the human ecosystem much of the specialty rese... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159080 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:53:17 +0100 5159080 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159083&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fbacteria-from-dog-feces-present-in-outdoor-air-in-urban-areas.html A CU-Boulder study showed that of the four Midwestern cities in the experiment, two cities had significant quantities of fecal bacteria in the atmosphere -- with dog feces being the most likely source. Comment: some 40 years ago when I was a health director in Portsmouth, Virginia, based on the number of dogs in the city and following discussion with veterinarians we estimated that is in this city of one hundred thousand people dogs deposited 10 tons of feces every day. As a result we warned people against bathing in ponds and rivers for 48 hours after any rainfall of more than half an inch. The problem with this study is that there were no control cities where the volume of deposit could be validated and no evidence that there was more respiratory or skin diseases among residents of the t... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159083 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:24:40 +0100 5159083 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125721&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0bjiCY6NxMA%2F By Jim HarperSomething as simple as the concept of tradeoffs can cause cognitive dissonance to good-hearted people who want too hard to drive the society toward their perception of the good. A nice illustration of that is the cost in lives of making cars that use less gasoline. How can doing good for the environment possibly be harmful? Oh, it can be deadly. Nicely illustrated by CEI’s Sam Kazman on John Stossel’s show. 2,000 Deaths per Year … for the Environment is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125721 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:49:08 +0100 5125721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107603&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F07%2Fnegawatts-the-positive-psychology-behind-negative-energy%2F Almost every way we make electricity today, except for the emerging renewables and nuclear puts out CO2. And so, what we’re going to have to do at a global scale, is create a new system. And so, we need energy miracles. ~Bill Gates A typographical error led Amory Lovins to coin the phrase negawatts. In a brilliant 1989 keynote address to the Green Energy Conference in Montreal he outlined what has become the blueprint for a radical business and energy concept. Pay people to do nothing. Twenty-plus years later the idea is deeply taking hold. Fast-forward to Dr. Ron Denbo who was recently featured on a TED global ideas project. He is the Founder and CEO of Zerofootprint, an international company that provides software to measure and manage carbon footprint.  Individuals, governments ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107603 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 10:24:31 +0100 5107603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096342&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F03%2Fintroducing-the-private-practice-toolbox%2F Running a successful private practice can be increasing difficult in today’s competitive environment, especially as some practitioners begin to embrace technology and social media. Should therapists tweet? How can therapists manage their professional persona on Facebook or other social networks? What should you do if a client contacts you through Facebook or email? In short, how can you stay on top of all of these practice trends? Well, good news — that’s what the Private Practice Toolbox is intended to help with. Led by one of our Ask the Therapists, Julie Hanks, MSW, LCSW, BCD. Julie is a graduate from the University of Utah’s Master of Social Work program in 1995, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (BCD), and is Board Certi... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096342 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 15:10:10 +0100 5096342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086150&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FiVFFkpWpcg0%2F By Randal O'TooleHalf truths, innuendo, and pseudo-science form the basis of a response to my recent Cato paper, Intercity Buses: The Forgotten Mode. The response is produced by America 2050, a project of the Regional Plan Association, a New York City–area regional planning organization. The response’s basic thesis of the response is that intercity buses have a role to play in a “balanced transportation system,” but they are “no replacement for high-speed rail.” Of course, my report never argued that buses were a replacement for true high-speed rail. But it did show that existing bus schedules in many corridors are faster, more frequent, and charge far lower fares than Amtrak in the same corridors. Of course, there is a “replacement” for high-spe... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086150 Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:36:51 +0100 5086150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077720&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fcell-phones-childrens-brain-cancer.html The negative studies keep piling up as seen in the latest publication in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute on July 27. While this again shows no change in risk comparing those who use cell phones to those who don't, the data is not convincing either way as we are not told about the amount of time the cell phones were used by children, either from individual calls or minutes per day for those with brain cancer compared to those without it. The risk from cell phones is much greater from accidents caused by inattention while using the phone than it probably is for any cancer that might occur. This is a genie that will not go back into the bottle. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077720 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:12:36 +0100 5077720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069440&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Ffj6Hyf72wMY%2F By Jim HarperI don’t know what conclusion the correspondent who sent me this pair of articles meant for me to draw, but I think they nicely illustrate how centralizing power with the federal government fails to advance environmental values, while eroding others. First, there’s the AP story showing deep and extensive ties between offshore oil and gas companies and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Enforcement and Regulation. That’s the renamed Minerals Management Service, the agency that was supposed to prevent things like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill last summer. Everyone dreams of a “real regulator” that will clean up industry, protect public values, and smartly manage economic activity. What you routinely end up with is a pro-industry self-dealing ag... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069440 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:54:56 +0100 5069440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069500&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fdont-believe-everything-you-read.html A blog at Forbes Media noted that a study published online in the journal Toxicological Sciences stated that careful analysis of volunteers who ate a diet rich in BPA for 24-hour's failed to to detect BPA in the volunteers blood (it was below the level of detection.) Consider this when you read stories from activists who want BPA removed from canned foods without considering its benefits,  when there is no evidence that it poses any danger. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069500 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:19:29 +0100 5069500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062304&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F25%2Fthe-situation-of-the-energy-efficiency-gap%2F Brandon Hofmeister just posted his fascinating paper, “Bridging the Gap: Using Social Psychology to Design Market Interventions to Overcome the Energy Efficiency Gap in Residential Energy Markets” (forthcoming  19 Southeastern Environmental Law Journal 1 (2010) on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * For decades, economists and energy policy analysts have noticed the existence of an “energy efficiency gap” – a significant underinvestment in energy efficiency measures whose benefits outweigh their costs – among residential consumers. Promoting energy efficiency is generally the most cost-effective manner to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to meet future energy demand, while simultaneously promoting economic growth and reducing poverty. Economists have attempted... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062304 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 21:20:28 +0100 5062304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057949&cid=t_92040_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FClCpUncmHhg%2F The reality of today’s work environment in not only North America but in many places around the world is that diversity is here to stay. As a result of immigration over the years, we are finding many of our communities more and more diverse each year, which of course is directly related to local businesses. Whether it’s inside offices, factories or on the outside with retail or corporate customers, you will likely encounter more people from different cultures than ever before. Arming yourself with some skills in the form of diversity exposure and education will definitely help you function better in today’s working world. In fact, here are two major benefits you can realize as a result. Diversity Education Includes People Skills Development It is generally accepted in man... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057949 Sat, 23 Jul 2011 06:48:20 +0100 5057949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057770&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F23%2Fheat-of-the-moment%2F From Wired Science: The link between violence and hot weather is so intuitive that it’s embedded in our language: Hotheads lose tempers that flare, anger simmers and comes to a boil, and eventually we cool down. So what does science have to say? Do tempers truly soar with temperature? The answer, appropriately enough for these triple-digit days, is hazy and hotly contested. To be sure, extensive literature exists on hot weather and violence, stretching from poorly controlled regional studies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries — oh, those hot-blooded southerners! — to more sophisticated modern analyses. This doesn’t just apply to the United States, but countries like England and Wales and New Zealand. But whether weather is cause or coincidence is difficult to determine. Perh... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057770 Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:01:46 +0100 5057770 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050744&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F18%2Fthe-situation-of-the-climate-change-debate%2F Situationist Contributor Dan Kahan, Maggie Wittlin, Ellen Peters, Situationist Contributor Paul Slovic, Lisa Ouellette, Donald Braman, and Gregory Mandel, recently posted their paper, “The Tragedy of the Risk-Perception Commons: Culture Conflict, Rationality Conflict, and Climate Change” on SSRN. Here’s the abstract. The conventional explanation for controversy over climate change emphasizes impediments to public understanding: Limited popular knowledge of science, the inability of ordinary citizens to assess technical information, and the resulting widespread use of unreliable cognitive heuristics to assess risk. A large survey of U.S. adults (N = 1540) found little support for this account. On the whole, the most scientifically literate and numerate subjects were slight... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050744 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:31:20 +0100 5050744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028126&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2Fexploring-pinkwashing-questioning-the-wisdom-of-buying-for-a-cure This article is bound to be somewhat controversial, provoking questions of whether small amounts of certain chemicals are likely to cause any harm, whether additional safety studies or regulations are needed, and how much influence environmental exposures have compared to other risk factors. Whether campaigns to buy pink products or focus primarily on treatment are the appropriate way to focus our energies on breast cancer, though, is certainly something worth thinking about and discussing. The article is available online for free. (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog) Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028126 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:17:17 +0100 5028126 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008276&cid=t_92040_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fcan-you-blame-the-environment-for-your-bad-habits.html Live fast, die young. You’re a long time gone. Sleep when you’re dead. The hedonists mantras. Lifestyle choices whether in terms of food consumption, alcohol and drugs or sexual activity are down to the individual. Nannying by governments, who have their own mantras: Smoking Kills, Know your limits, Get your five-a-day, Use protection, etc, all costs money, is apparently ignored by most people, and probably has little effect on those lifestyle choices. But, some researchers believe that the concept of freewill when it comes to smoking, drinking, poor eating habits and other health risks is not entirely independent of external forces. Claudio Ricciardi of the Department of Environment and Primary Prevention, at the Italian National Institute of Health, in Rome, goes so far as to... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008276 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:18:30 +0100 5008276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984497&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F30%2Fdesign-psychology-beyond-pretty-properties-and-nice-knickknacks%2F Design psychology goes beyond aesthetics, and beyond art and decor books to find something more — it seeks to uncover your very emotions and thoughts about settings. Design psychology seeks to connect you to the types of places, spaces and items that evoke the most pleasant memories. Design psychology is about discovering your personal style and finding a place that truly fulfills you and feels like home. Here’s an excerpt from a Los Angeles Times article on how design psychology works… When Ran and Ronit Ever-Hadani expanded their Mar Vista home, they ended up with a long, narrow space that had a fireplace smack in the middle. Because the room was almost like a bowling alley with no natural flow, the couple didn’t have a clue what to do with it. So the area remained u... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984497 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:18:26 +0100 4984497 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975844&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Ft0srfeWOuoo%2F By Randal O'TooleIn Gridlock, I argued that the next great improvement in human mobility will come not from rail transit or high-speed rail but driverless cars. Companies such as GM and Volkswagen have invested heavily in research and development of cars that can drive themselves, and I expected that they would soon begin lobbying state legislatures to change laws to allow such driverless cars on the road. As it turned out, the lobbying was done not by an auto company but by Google, which has tested driverless cars (developed by the same Stanford University engineers who designed Volkswagen’s driverless cars) throughout the state of California. Google decided Nevada would be a good state to start legalizing driverless cars, and last week the Nevada legislature agreed. By coincidence,... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975844 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:06:45 +0100 4975844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968533&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F06%2Fgroup-expands-on-possible-cell-phone-cancer-link.html The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) affirmed its classification of RF-EMF as "possibly carcinogenic to humans," following the recommendations of a panel convened in May to assess available information on RF-EMF and cancer (The Lancet Oncology, Early Online Publication, 22 June 2011 doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(11)70147-4}. Comment: The studies are case control studies which show a weak association.  The overall exposure to RE-EMF has been increasing world-wide but neither the IARC nor other cancer groups have performed any cohort studies.  This seems to be more a case of political interest than good science. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968533 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:30:57 +0100 4968533 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960002&cid=t_92040_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F22%2Fjournal-of-public-health-2011-vol-33-no-2%2F This article considers the impact of the use of private cars on people’s health and what measures could be initiated to reduce car dependence. (Print subscription held at Fade Library) Filed under: Current Awareness, Journals Tagged: Climate Change, Ecology, Environment, Obesity, Physical Activity, Pollution, Public Health, Transport (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960002 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:32:43 +0100 4960002 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952803&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbC4DuEg6ftg%2F By Ilya ShapiroIn the important global warming case decided today, American Electric Power Co. v. Connecticut, the Supreme Court unanimously reached the correct result but one that still leaves room for plenty of mischievous litigation.  While it’s clearly true that, as the Court said, the Clean Air Act and the EPA exist to deal with the claims the plaintiffs made here—that the defendants’ carbon dioxide emissions are pollutants that cause global warming—the Court left open the possibility of claims on state common-law grounds such as nuisance.  And it unfortunately said nothing about whether any such disputes, whether challenging EPA action or suing under state law, are properly “cases and controversies” ripe for judicial resolution. The judiciary was not meant to be the sol... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952803 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:58:18 +0100 4952803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953272&cid=t_92040_136_f&fid=35283&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cancer.org%2FAboutUs%2FDrLensBlog%2Fpost%2F2011%2F06%2F17%2FCancer-Facts-and-Figures-2011-Poverty-is-a-Carcinogen-Does-Anyone-Care.aspx "Poverty is a carcinogen."   Those were the words of Dr. Samuel Broder when he was director of the National Cancer Institute in 1989.     As amply documented in the annual "Cancer Facts and Figures 2011" released today by the American Cancer Society, cancer shows that poverty remains one of the most potent a carcinogen-rivaling tobacco and obesity-as we have ever seen.   We have heard lots and lots about how cell phones and Styrofoam cause cancer.  But do you hear anyone talking about the huge impact of poverty and limited education on cancer?   If you don't hear anything about a true carcinogen that statistics show causes 37% of the deaths from cancer in people between the ages of 27 and 64, then maybe you have the answer to a very important question: If we a... Dr. Len's Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953272 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:40:00 +0100 4953272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934304&cid=t_92040_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fearth-alerts-for-natural-disasters.html – Earth Alerts is a Windows-based application that allows you to keep a weather eye on natural disasters as they occur across the globe. Alert notifications, reports, and imagery gleaned from National Weather Service, U.S. Geological Survey and Smithsonian Institution and elsewhere as they happen and before the media even know about them, give you a convenient way to view natural phenomenon as they occur. The app has been around for some time, but more recently they have developed a Google Maps version, which is currently in beta – http://earthalerts.manyjourneys.com/web/ Related Posts:Natural Disasters and HazardsScience News AlertsVideo Lecture Search and Natural LanguageThree-parent embryoWelcome to Earth 2.0 (beta)Earth Alerts for natural disasters is a post from: Scienceb... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934304 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:17:45 +0100 4934304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934330&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F16%2Ffresh-air-fund-needs-host-families-2011%2F Imagine growing up in a city environment where you rarely see a tree, a patch of grass, or a bird. Imagine having nowhere to play a game of baseball or play catch with your dog. Imagine a place where the only thing summer brings is sweltering indoor temperatures, with no vacation or fun outside of playing in the fire-hydrant spray. For many children, this is inner-city life and the only life they know. But the Fresh Air Fund is a non-profit that has been giving free summer experiences to poor children in New York City since 1877. During that time, they’ve helped millions of children have a very different kind of summer vacation — a chance to breath some fresh air in a different, less urban environment. They need more host families living in a northeastern state this summer. Continue re... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934330 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:11:23 +0100 4934330 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934722&cid=t_92040_136_f&fid=35283&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cancer.org%2FAboutUs%2FDrLensBlog%2Fpost%2F2011%2F06%2F15%2FHow-Many-Lives-and-24-Could-Be-Saved-If-Your-State-Had-Smoke-free-Air.aspx $10.28   That is a number I want you to think about.  And as you think about it, consider the implications for your health, your wallet and your state budget.   $10.28 is the amount of money it costs for the health and economic consequences of smoking a pack of cigarettes.  Yes, that's right: our economy and our health care gets dinged $10.28 for each pack that someone smokes, every day, 365 days a year, for however many years.  That's a lot of money.   Who pays that cost?   We all pay those costs in salaries and wages (the money that is lost in productivity, health insurance premiums, etc) that we would otherwise have for investment in business or improved wages for workers.  We all pay those costs in higher taxes it costs our state and federal gove... Dr. Len's Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934722 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:38:00 +0100 4934722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934108&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLVNfBuzfyRE%2F By Randal O'TooleAccording to Transportation for America — which is largely a shill for the transit industry — the nation is about to face a new crisis: a shortage of mobility “options” for retiring baby boomers. According to a report published by the group on June 14, “By 2015, more than 15.5 million Americans 65 and older will live in communities where public transportation service is poor or non-existent.” The appropriate answer to that, of course, is “So what?” Most seniors don’t ride transit. Census data show that more than 12.5 percent of all Americans are over 65, yet data from the American Public Transportation Association show that only 6.7 percent of transit trips are taken by senior citizens. The average American rides transit less... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934108 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 17:36:42 +0100 4934108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968426&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=34605&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.acsh.org%2Fhealthissues%2Fnewsid.1949%2Fhealthissue_detail.asp By Gilbert Ross. A respected newspaper notes the latest toll among Europeans of a virulent strain of the bacterium E. coli, the source of which has recently been determined to be sprouts from an organic farm in Germany. In the same newspaper, a few pages distant, a credulous journalist has in essence copied and pasted another press release from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a U.S. activist organization, warning us yet again about the traces of pesticide residues on their so-called "Dirty Dozen" list of fruits and vegetables. (Source: Health Issues) Health Issues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968426 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4968426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934723&cid=t_92040_136_f&fid=35283&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cancer.org%2FAboutUs%2FDrLensBlog%2Fpost%2F2011%2F06%2F14%2FAt-Long-Last-Some-Useful-Rules-About-Sunscreens-But-Questions-Remain.aspx Good things-hopefully-come to those who wait.   That time-worn phrase may well apply to today's announcement by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that they have (finally) updated the regulations as to how sunscreens must be tested and labeled to provide consumers with accurate information as to what is actually inside the sunscreen package.   Why the patience piece?  Because we have been operating for decades in the United States without effective, modern oversight of claims made by some sunscreen manufacturers.  Hopefully today's announcement by the FDA is the beginning of the process to correct that problem.   Too many people believe that what the claims they read on the sunscreen label-with words such as "sun block", water resistant, SPFs approaching 100-ar... Dr. Len's Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934723 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:01:00 +0100 4934723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902449&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F06%2Fis-our-obsession-with-cleanliness-wiping-out-our-immune-system.html Prof Fazekas de St Groth from the Centenary Institute claims that the discovery of a small but absolutely essential subset of T cells within the immune system has been vital. Regulatory T cells or Tregs control unwanted immune responses, such as allergies and autoimmune diseases. Tregs are distributed throughout the body, particularly at points where we are likely to encounter disease-causing microbes. The most important site is the gastrointestinal tract (the GIT) where up to 90% of our immune cells are located. This ties in neatly with the hygiene hypothesis because it explains how an infectious event early in life colonization of the gut with bowel flora) can produce a life-long effect on the immune system. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902449 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:08:15 +0100 4902449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893393&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOZ9e91N17Gw%2F By Neal McCluskeyToday the Washington Post has a big story on efforts by the coal industry to get public schools to teach positive things about — you guessed it — coal. The impetus for the article is no doubt a recent kerfuffle over education mega-publisher Scholastic sending schools free copies of the industry-funded lesson plan “The United States of Energy.” Many parents and environmentalists were upset over businesses putting stealthy moves on kids, and Scholastic eventually promised to cease publication of the plan. Loaded curricula designed to coerce specific sympathies from children, however, hardly come just from industry, as the Post story notes. Indeed, as I write in the new Cato book Climate Coup: Global Warming’s Invasion of Our Government and Our Live... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893393 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:21:54 +0100 4893393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893500&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F06%2Fcalif-senate-bans-under-18-use-of-tanning-beds.html California lawmakers voted Wednesday to limit the use of tanning booths by teens, warning that the bronzed glow they create comes from radiation and raises the risk of skin cancer. The state Senate voted 24-9 to ban indoor tanning by anyone under age 18, even if they have permission from an adult. The bill next goes to the Assembly. California already bans the use of tanning booths by those under 14, but older teens could use them with permission from a parent or guardian. Comment: This law needs to be extended nationwide as teens have little self-control when it comes to their skin. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893500 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:32:07 +0100 4893500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883840&cid=t_92040_136_f&fid=35283&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cancer.org%2FAboutUs%2FDrLensBlog%2Fpost%2F2011%2F05%2F31%2FNew-Announcement-Refuels-The-Debate-On-Cell-Phones-And-Cancer-But-Doesnt-Provide-An-Answer.aspx With today's press release from the International Agency for Research on Cancer-commonly known as IARC-the cell phone controversy is certain to heat up once again.   Unfortunately, drawing broad and sweeping conclusions based on a press release and a news conference leaves many of us wondering just what the evidence shows that led to the conclusion announced today that "radiofrequency electromagnetic fields" may be possibly cause cancer in people.    The quick translation of "radiofrequency electromagnetic fields"-or RMF-is huge, since this announcement is focused on the use of cell phones, which have been in widespread use by millions around the world for years.   So it is important to dissect the IARC statement for what it says-and what it doesn't say-and then try to ... Dr. Len's Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883840 Tue, 31 May 2011 18:38:00 +0100 4883840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872152&cid=t_92040_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fweighing-up-green-credentials.html – Distillation in the USA consumes the same amount of energy as all electricity used in Switzerland. Also, to produce enough wool to replace the output of a 500 ktpa polymer plant for insulation you’d need enough land for the sheep to cover the whole of The Netherlands… Related Posts:Renewable Myths and Nuclear HeresiesInform Nauka – Fleecing the PressTop 5 scientist blogsResurrecting the flatlining pharma industryAlchemist Goes GreenWeighing up green credentials is a post from: Sciencebase Science Blog (Source: Sciencebase Science Blog) Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872152 Fri, 27 May 2011 09:00:05 +0100 4872152 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862799&cid=t_92040_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F1023-Lessons-Learned-from-Hitlers-Army-of-Talking-Dogs.html One of the movements that scares me the most is the radical environmentalism that views humanity as a blight on the planet and that openly and not so openly desires the elinimation of mankind to better the rest of the earth.  I believe the idea that we should prize animals and nature over human life is more prevalent than the average person realizes.  It is a dangerous precedent to value human lives less than that of others in the animal kingdom.  There was another culture that did just that.  It was Nazi Germany.  I was reminded of the animal loving Nazi's when I read this article about Hitler's attempt to create an army of talking dogs:  Dr Bondeson, an author of a number of history books, claims the Nazis viewed dogs as being almost as intelligent as humans and believed that only ... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862799 Wed, 25 May 2011 19:55:02 +0100 4862799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852838&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3hFOhsm_ZCE%2F By Randal O'TooleAmerica’s transportation system needs more centralized, top-down planning. At least, that’s what the Brookings Institution’s Robert Puentes advocates in a 2,350-word article in the May 23 Wall Street Journal. If that seems like an unlikely message from America’s leading business daily, perhaps it is because Puentes couched it in terms such as “spending money wisely,” solving congestion, and “adhering to market forces.” But not-so-hidden behind these soothing phrases is Puentes real argument: “America needs to start directing traffic” by developing “a clear-cut vision for transportation.” Such a vision “must coordinate the efforts of the public and private sectors.” “The big question,&... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852838 Mon, 23 May 2011 19:08:47 +0100 4852838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820931&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F13%2Fself-fulfilling-doomsday-prophecies%2F In a world experiencing global climate change and massive environmental degradation, could it be that doomsday prophecies are a cause and consequence of the seeming indifference and recalcitrance of so many Americans? From NPR’s Here and Now: * * * Margaret Pease stands on a corner in downtown Pittsburgh, handing out doomsday pamphlets. “JUDGMENT DAY FOLKS!” she yells with a volume that would make a drill sergeant proud. “May 21, 2011!” For the past seven months, Pease has been crisscrossing the country in a caravan with eight others, warning anyone who will listen that God’s wrath is near. “I might be a little loud, but I want people to get the message,” she says. “I don’t want anybody’s blood on my hands. … JUDGMENT ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820931 Fri, 13 May 2011 04:01:57 +0100 4820931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813242&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FN1KhQQSxd_Q%2F By Tad DeHavenFlorida Governor Rick Scott deserves a big round of applause for dealing a major setback to the Obama administration’s costly plan for a national system of high-speed rail. As Randal O’Toole explains, the administration needed Florida to keep the $2.4 billion it was awarded to build a high-speed Orlando-to-Tampa line in order to build “momentum” for its plan. Instead, Scott put the interests of his taxpayers first and told the administration “no thanks.” That’s the good news. The bad news is that the administration is going to dole the money back out to 22 passenger-rail projects in other states. Florida taxpayers were spared their state’s share of maintaining the line, but they’re still going to be forced to help foot the bill for passenger-rail projects in... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813242 Wed, 11 May 2011 20:21:43 +0100 4813242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813263&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fv8cVoY_dGYM%2F By Randal O'TooleTo sell his high-speed rail program, President Obama desperately needed a success story—a high-speed train operating during his administration that would awe the public and lead to a national demand for more such lines. That success story was going to be Florida’s Orlando-to-Tampa line, the only true high-speed route (as opposed to speeding up existing trains by 3 to 5 mph) that could have been completed during Obama’s term in office (assuming he is re-elected). Anticipating that success, the administration drafted a proposal to use federal gasoline taxes and a “new energy tax” to fund $53 billion for more high-speed rail lines over the next six years. (The proposal also included $250 billion for highways, $120 billion for urban transit, $27 billi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813263 Tue, 10 May 2011 17:10:46 +0100 4813263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803171&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fevidence-contravenes-nuke-plant-leukemia-link.html Children living within 5 kilometers of a nuclear power plant are not at an increased risk for developing leukemia, according to an analysis released last week by an independent government advisory committee in the United Kingdom. The report covered a period of 35 years and studied the incidence of the cancer in children under the age of 5 living in close proximity to the UK’s 13 nuclear power stations. Comment: With all the current anxiety about radiation exposure, this  very long study is well worth waiting for. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803171 Mon, 09 May 2011 22:15:38 +0100 4803171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780501&cid=t_92040_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FXPVZyC9yd54%2F Do you enjoy your work? Maybe you do – you have a job which you love, and which you find interesting and fulfilling. Or maybe you don’t – you hate your job but you have to stick with it because you need the money. Chances are you fall somewhere in the middle: you have good days and bad days, and you could definitely be happier than you currently are. So, here are seven little ways to be happier at work, right now. #1: Be Friendly to Your Colleagues In some big offices, people might not even say “good morning” to one another. It costs nothing to be polite and friendly to your colleagues. You might think that you have nothing in common with them (especially if you’re just working a temporary job for money) – but if you strike up a conversation, you may well find that they share... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780501 Wed, 04 May 2011 04:05:08 +0100 4780501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775364&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2Fskin-deep-database-provides-details-on-safety-of-skin-care-and-cosmetic-products The Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, a free online database maintained by the Environmental Working Group, provides information on the safety and potential harms of ingredients in make-up, sunscreen, facial cleansers and moisturizers, contact lens solutions, shampoo, nail polish and remover, baby wipes, soaps, and creams, toothpaste, fragrances, and other cosmetic and skin care products. You can browse by cosmetic category or search for the name of your favorite product to find out about possible hazards in terms of cancer risk, reproductive toxicities, and allergies. Information is also provided on companies’ animal testing policies. The directions and ingredients listed on each product label is listed, and links are provided to other similar product types and products from the same m... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775364 Mon, 02 May 2011 17:50:37 +0100 4775364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762754&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCw8l22yj3j8%2F By Randal O'ToolePresident Obama’s dream of connecting 80 percent of Americans to a high-speed rail line appears to be dead. Congress appropriated $8 billion for high-speed rail in the 2009 stimulus bill and $2 billion more in the 2010 appropriations bill. But, after newly elected governors of Florida, Ohio, and Wisconsin rejected high-speed rail projects in those states, Congress declined to include any more funds in 2011 and it is unlikely to spend any more on this boondoggle as long as Republicans have a hold on the House. What will Americans get for the $10 billion or so already committed? California appears ready to spend $5.5 billion building a 220-mph rail line from Corcoran–a town south of Fresno mainly known for the prison housing Charles Manson–to Borden–... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762754 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:30:02 +0100 4762754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742610&cid=t_92040_136_f&fid=35283&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cancer.org%2FAboutUs%2FDrLensBlog%2Fpost%2F2011%2F04%2F22%2FSmoke-Free-Laws-Are-One-Of-The-Greatest-Public-Health-Successes-In-This-Country.aspx There's a lot we know about what could be done to improve the health of the public.  At the same time, there is a lot we can't seem to get done when it comes to improving the health of the public.   Against that somewhat pessimistic background, the report that came out today about the success of indoor smoking laws in the United States over the past decade serves as an outstanding example of what can be done when people make up their minds that they are going to do something positive to improve their personal health and the health of their country.   In fact, I will go so far as to say that the long-term impact over decades of what has been accomplished to reduce smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke in this country over the past 10 years rivals some of the gre... Dr. Len's Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742610 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:58:00 +0100 4742610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734053&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FaZoSG5ocmyE%2F By Walter OlsonYesterday the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in American Electric Power v. Connecticut, the massive greenhouse-gas suit. Like the other “big” global warming/climate change suits, this one suffers from a basic and incurable defect: it seeks to undermine the separation of powers established under the U.S. Constitution by inviting the courts to address “political questions” of a sort properly resolved by other branches of government. As Cato’s amicus brief by Ilya Shapiro and Evan Turgeon explained in the case of Comer v. Murphy Oil: “[W]hile it executes firmly all the judicial powers intrusted to it, the court will carefully abstain from exercising any power that is not strictly judicial in its character, and which is not clearly confi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734053 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:35:14 +0100 4734053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723786&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FNFg2b0upjHA%2F By Walter OlsonAs Iain Murray points out at National Review‘s “Corner,” there’s no date on the calendar each year that reminds us, the way income tax filing day does, of the huge share of our economic labors that the government commands in the name of regulation. In part this is because the costs of regulation are even better disguised than those of taxation: while paycheck withholding may lull us into complacency about our income tax burden, it is downright transparent compared with the costs of regulation, which the ordinary citizen may never recognize when passed along in the form of higher utility bills or sluggish performance by some sector of the economy. Iain notes the good work done by his colleagues at the Competitive Enterprise Institute: Regulations cost... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723786 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:19:45 +0100 4723786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723874&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F04%2Fnearly-20-of-lung-cancer-patients-continue-smoking-1.html HealthDay reported, "Many patients diagnosed with lung cancer -- as well as their family caregivers -- continue to smoke," according to a study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The researchers reviewed data on "742 cancer patients and caregivers at multiple sites and found that 18 percent of smokers with lung cancer failed to quit after their diagnosis." (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723874 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:54:22 +0100 4723874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723958&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F17%2Fthe-psychological-situation-of-climate-change%2F Situationist friend, Daniel Gilbert, Professor of Psychology, describes the psychological impulses that make it difficult for humans to confront the threat of global warming. Related Situationist posts: Dan Gilbert on Why the Brain Scares Itself “Dan Gilbert To Speak at Harvard Law School,” “Dan Gilbert on the Situation of Our Decisions,” “Dan Gilbert on the Situation of Psychology,” “The Situation of Climate Change,” “The Heat is On,” “The Situation of Happiness,” and “Conversation with Dan Gilbert.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723958 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:54:35 +0100 4723958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714722&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQ6GH8zSP-7k%2F By Thomas FireyWith gasoline in the United States moving toward (and in some places, above) $4 a gallon and motorists understandably unhappy, there is a growing desire to blame someone for the high prices. Previous gas price spikes in 2006 and 2008 brought blame upon ”Big Oil” (meaning firms like Exxon-Mobil, BP, Royal Dutch/Shell, et al., which really are just mid-sized oil — but whatever), the Bush administration and Republicans, environmentalists, and the federal government. But 2011 offers a new leader in the blame game: speculators. From Capitol Hill lawmakers, to business columnists, to finance websites, to activist websites, to newspaper articles, to letters to the editor and hyper-forwarded emails, people are calling out trading in the oil and gasoline futures ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714722 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:03:37 +0100 4714722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704627&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F37Y-u-NanmY%2F By Gene HealyThat’s the topic of my Washington Examiner column this week. In it, I discuss last week’s budget battle and the failure of “policy riders” designed to rein in the Obama EPA’s attempts to regulate greenhouse gases without a congressional vote specifically authorizing it. The Obama team believes it has the authority to implement comprehensive climate change regulation, Congress be damned. Worse still, under current constitutional law–which has little to do with the actual Constitution–they’re probably right. Thanks to overbroad congressional delegation, “the Imperial Presidency Comes in Green, Too.” At home and abroad, the legislative branch sits on the sidelines as the executive state makes the law and wages war, despi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704627 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:59:32 +0100 4704627 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696698&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F10%2Fthe-disorderly-situation-of-stereotyping%2F From Los Angeles Times: Picture yourself in a well-kept room — pictures neatly hung on walls, books organized on a shelf, floors clear of junk. Now sit yourself in a room with crooked pictures, scattered books and dirty laundry on the floor. Feeling any different? In the second room, you might be more apt to keep your distance from a person of another race, believe that Muslims are aggressive or think that gay people are creative, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science. The idea, said researchers from Tilburg University in the Netherlands, is that people in messy environments tend to compensate for that disorder by categorizing people in their minds according to well-known stereotypes. Testing the relationship between disorder and discrimination in real-life situa... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696698 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 04:01:36 +0100 4696698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693267&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FpH6INmUyxng%2F By Daniel IkensonThe angry Left has been calling for President Obama to fire Jeffrey Immelt from his position as head of the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. I think that would be a good idea, but for different reasons. Sen. Russ Feingold, Moveon.Org, and the regular scribes at the Huffington Post see Immelt, the chairman and CEO of General Electric, as unfit to advise the president because GE invests some of its resources abroad and, despite worldwide profits of $14.2 billion, paid no taxes in 2010. No illegalities are alleged, mind you; GE — like every other U.S. multinational — responds to incentives, including those resulting from tax policy and regulations concocted in Washington.  But there are more substantive reasons for why Immelt is unfit to advise ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693267 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:30:21 +0100 4693267 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676761&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FnQEjtLnxHgw%2F By Jason KuznickiThis month at Cato Unbound we're discussing a practical, everyday issue -- parking! Yes, Cato Unbound is supposed to cover big ideas, deep thoughts, and the like, but parking policy is both important in its own right and also points to what I consider a very interesting problem: Given a theoretical or abstract commitment to free markets, well, how do we get there in the real world? What would a free-market policy look like in this or that issue area? The answer isn't always obvious, and the map isn't the territory. Parking is interesting in this respect and possibly helpful. Parking is all around us, most of us deal with it every day, and the unintended consequences of parking policy are I think maybe easier to see than the unintended consequences in other fields. Parking... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676761 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:00:10 +0100 4676761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670091&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FTpfGnYThmvk%2F By Richard L. GordonWhen Barack Obama emerged as a serious contender for the presidency, he offered a core menu of curing everything by increased federal intervention in health care, education, and energy. Whenever new problems arose that lessened the urgency of earlier concerns, Obama has crafted assertions that his original prescriptions will also resolve the new difficulties. In energy, this has involved extending his program to new, even more dubious projects. He also has a habit of incessantly repeating the same tired arguments in the vain hope that his skill at persuasion will win the day. His March 30, 2011 energy speech and accompanying Blueprint are typical. About the only differences between these and his June 15, 2010 speech on energy were more bad ideas. He added to the panic... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670091 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:24:37 +0100 4670091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664143&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FUpI76PeyRyA%2F By Steve H. HankeEvery president since Richard Nixon has asserted that we are sitting ducks for those who brandish the oil weapon. To keep the evildoers at bay, the government must adopt policies that ensure our energy independence. Like his predecessors, President Obama is worshiping at this altar. And why not? How many elections have been lost by blaming foreigners for an impending crisis? Despite their cynicism about politicians, most people actually believe that mineral resources, including oil, are doomed to disappear. It’s obvious: Start with a given stock of provisions in the cupboard, subtract consumption and eventually the cupboard will be bare. But what is obvious is often wrong. We never run out of minerals. At some point it just costs too much to produce them profitably. In t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664143 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:06:22 +0100 4664143 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658361&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FxKTbpjkN3VQ%2F By Daniel GriswoldIn a speech today at Georgetown University, President Obama called for a goal of cutting America’s oil imports by one-third within a decade. Like all efforts to wean Americans from big, bad imports, such a policy will mean we will all pay more than we need to for the energy that helps to power our economy. I’ll leave it to my able Cato colleagues to dissect the president’s proposal in terms of energy policy, but it terms of trade policy, this is about as bad as it gets. We Americans benefit tremendously from our relatively free trade in petroleum products. Like all forms of trade, the importation of oil produced abroad allows us to acquire it at a price far lower than we would pay if we had to rely more heavily on domestic oil supplies. The money we save buying oil ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658361 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 20:36:08 +0100 4658361 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642787&cid=t_92040_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2Fq3M8kFlNhTA%2F According to the latest Gallup Poll. With Earth Day about a month away, Americans tell Gallup they worry the most about several water-related risks and issues among nine major environmental issues. They worry least about global warming and loss of open spaces. But, this poll was conducted prior to the Japanese earthquake and tsunami-generated nuclear crisis. The current levels of concerns about environmental issues are essentially unchanged from 2010. But, there is a sign that Americans are less concerned today than they were 10 years ago. So, what does this mean? Americans ARE concerned about fresh water to drink and fresh air to breathe. As far as global warming is concerned  = NOT SO MUCH as barely half of Americans really care about this. Although the United States has experien... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642787 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:06:20 +0100 4642787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615146&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F03%2Fdoctors-urge-indoor-tanning-ban-for-minors-1.html U.S. tanning salons should close their doors to minors to protect them from skin cancer, a group of 60,000 pediatricians said Monday in a new policy statement. With the move, the American Academy of Pediatrics joins the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Dermatology and other groups that are already pushing for a ban. Since 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a part of the WHO, has classified tanning beds as cancer-causing. Research shows people who start going to tanning salons before age 35 have a 75-percent increase in their chances of developing melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615146 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 15:54:42 +0100 4615146 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600581&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F16%2F3-ways-to-boost-your-mood-naturally%2F Imagine yourself outside. The sky is bright blue, the sun is sparkling and the air feels crisp and cool. Maybe you’re walking along the beach, feeling the warm sand on your bare feet. Perhaps you’re riding your bike in a park, surrounded by hundred-year-old trees and singing birds. Or maybe you’re pinching the dirt as you dig through the backyard to plant a few flowers. Being outdoors at a park, the beach or even just a few feet from our doorsteps can feel both relaxing and invigorating. In fact, research has shown that participating in physical activity in the great outdoors can do a world of good for your psyche. When analyzing ten studies with 1,252 participants, UK researchers found that outdoor activities like walking, gardening and bike riding helped boost the mood and self-es... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600581 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:18:11 +0100 4600581 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575042&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FfI09sNqlXxE%2F By Thomas FireyI generally admire the work of Roger Pielke Jr., a political scientist in the University of Colorado-Boulder's Center for Science and Technology Policy Research. His new book on climate change is refreshingly honest and non-ideological, if a bit overly technophilic. His broader work offers the important insight that science alone cannot direct public policy, but rather it can only lay out possible results of different policy choices. Given the quality of his work, I was disappointed by Pielke's op-ed in today's NYT defending Congress's legislated obsolescence of the incandescent light bulb. He argues that government standard-setting is an important contribution to human welfare, and the light bulb standard is just part of that standard-setting (though he does suggest som... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575042 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:16:01 +0100 4575042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570522&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPc_OKJPdstk%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsThe Current Wisdom is a series of monthly posts in which Senior Fellow Patrick J. Michaels reviews interesting items on global warming in the scientific literature that may not have received the media attention that they deserved, or have been misinterpreted in the popular press. The Current Wisdom only comments on science appearing in the refereed, peer-reviewed literature, or that has been peer-screened prior to presentation at a scientific congress. **********  The recent publication of two articles in Nature magazine proclaiming a link to rainfall extremes (and flooding) to global warming, added to the heat in Russia and the floods in Pakistan in the summer of 2010, and the back-to-back cold and snowy winters in the eastern U.S. and western Europe, have gotten a ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570522 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:26:05 +0100 4570522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4527765&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=34699&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FvjmG%2F%7E3%2F4TXFDlLtBBw%2Fthe_inhofe_nothingburger.php After the 2010 elections in the USA, headlines proclaimed, "With new Republican majority, let the investigations begin," and "New Republican majority Congress promises a tough ride for Obama."  One of the big targets for investigations: climate science.  "There's a huge appetite among the rank-and-file to raise fundamental questions about the underlying science," said Michael McKenna, a Republican strategist and energy lobbyist. Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the environment committee, pressed for investigations into "Climategate."  Never mind that the whole thing already has been investigated ad nauseum. So one of the investigations has ended.  The conclusion: "GOP inquiry finds no evidence that 'climategate' scientists misused data." "None ... The Corpus Callosum blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4527765 Sun, 27 Feb 2011 16:33:31 +0100 4527765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4501760&cid=t_92040_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F20%2Ftwo-beatles-albums-from-itunes-stir-assorted-memories%2F David Letterman, noting Yoko Ono’s 78th birthday last week, joked that she celebrated by breaking up The Jonas Brothers. Back in the twilight of sixties, perhaps early seventies, a much-appreciated Christmas gift (namely for my older brother Craig but which the rest of us took full advantage of) was a record player. Not just any [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501760 Sun, 20 Feb 2011 10:00:16 +0100 4501760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433080&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLxPM9_27Jk4%2F By Jerry TaylorThe other day, The Wall Street Journal provided a public service by lambasting Newt Gingrich for his absurd speech to the ethanol lobby in Des Moines last month (money line:  "Obviously big urban newspapers want to kill it because it's working, and you wonder, 'What are their values?'").  Today, Gingrich and fellow ethanol-maven James Woolsey struck back in those very same pages.  In doing so, Gingrich provided yet more evidence that he's intellectually unfit for office. "It is in this country's long-term best interest," he said, "to stop the flow of $1 billion a day overseas."  Really?  So money sent overseas is gone forever.  News to me.  The only thing you can buy with dollars earned from oil sales to the U.S. is to buy things denominated in dollars or to exc... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433080 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:32:14 +0100 4433080 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433090&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMguCJY080Ds%2F By Roger PilonToday POLITICO Arena asks: Ex-VP Al Gore says the snowstorms that paralyzed much of the U.S. this week are more evidence of manmade global warming. “The scientific community has been addressing this particular question for some time now and they say that increased heavy snowfalls are completely consistent with what they have been predicting as a consequence of man-made global warming.” Do you agree? My response: A scientific hypothesis that's essentially unfalsifiable -- cold corroborates "global warming," heat corroborates it, nothing really falsifies it -- is worse than useless. It's a scientific poseur, properly classified as a belief system, like religion. And the implication that there's an optimal earth temperature, or range of temperatures, or that global warmi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433090 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:43:23 +0100 4433090 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419120&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMi9gpHdkF9U%2F By Roger PilonToday Politico Arena asks: Given that crude oil prices surged to nearly $90 per barrel on Friday, and could spike even higher if the crisis causes a shutdown of the Suez Canal, how should policymakers in Wasihngton respond regarding oil and the crisis in Egypt? Does the situation underscore a need for more domestic production? And does this crisis bolster or hamper Obama’s clean energy initiative that he called for in his State of the Union address last week? My response: The unrest in Egypt should have no bearing whatever on American energy policy. Like nearly every other commodity — food, clothing, shelter, education, health care — energy, from whatever source, is far more efficiently and equitably produced and distributed by the market than by government... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419120 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 14:23:04 +0100 4419120 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4414653&cid=t_92040_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fkeeping-clean.html How do we get rid of the chemicals in our lives? Well, start with the stuff we use to keep clean - soap and shampoo, or look good - cosmetics and moisturizes, or protect ourselves from the sun. Why prevent skin cancer with a sunscreen which is full of toxic chemicals that cause cancer?Environmental Working Group has this great database of products that touch our skin and rates them on a scale of one to ten as to their toxicity. I buy Dove soap because I have such dry skin and if I use it daily, I don't have itchy skin year round. Its a 4 meaning it is in the middle. I'll poke around and see what I can find to replace it - after I use up what I have.I also use Trader Joe's shampoo and it is rated a 4... But contains Tea Tree Oil which is a no-no for ER+ breast cancer people. Drat. I'll find... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4414653 Sun, 30 Jan 2011 13:21:00 +0100 4414653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377555&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FhknB7kgGm8M%2F By David BoazIt’s enviro vs. enviro in Washington’s most “progressive” suburb, Takoma Park. Indeed, the Washington Post reports, “a potentially bough-breaking debate between sun-worshipers and tree-huggers.” That is, which is more environmentally desirable, solar power or tree cover? The modest gray house in Takoma Park was nearly perfect, from Patrick Earle’s staunchly environmentalist point of view. It was small enough for wood-stove heating, faced the right way for good solar exposure and, most important, was in a liberal suburb that embraces all things ecological. Or almost all. When Earle and his wife, Shannon, recently sought to add solar panels to the house, which they have been turning into a sustainability showplace, the couple discovered ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377555 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:01:57 +0100 4377555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377559&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FWDHcDx3302k%2F By David BoazA new report says that traffic congestion is worse, and the American Public Transportation Association urges Congress to . . . spend more money on public transportation. Cato senior fellow Randal O’Toole has been challenging the received wisdom on traffic and mass transit for years. See his book Gridlock: Why We’re Stuck in Traffic and What to Do About It, and lots of other studies. In November he debated the head of the American Public Transportation Association at a Cato Policy Forum: The Traffic Congestion Problem is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377559 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:25:41 +0100 4377559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349499&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKxScuSntUwc%2F By Doug Bandow I’ve decided the time has come to become an entrepreneur — as a black market operator. Come next January, 100-watt incandescent light bulbs will be illegal, courtesy of Congress and President George W. Bush.  Lower wattages will be banned the following year.  As usual, politicians in Washington believe they know best and are determined to inconvenience the public in the name of saving energy. No matter that incandescent lights offer a softer light and are a better value than fluorescent bulbs if turned on only briefly.  And no matter that breaking a fluorescent light will spill mercury, creating what in any other circumstance would be considered to be a biohazard. There are other consequences of the coming prohibition.  Notes Tim Carney of the Washington Examine... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349499 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:04:13 +0100 4349499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4330994&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FqoMKSShMLmA%2F By Randal O'TooleAnother city has discovered that light rail is not the road to utopia. In 2007, Norfolk, Virginia decided to revitalize its downtown by building a rail transit line. That line is now 45 percent over budget and its opening has been delayed by more than 16 months. When Flickr user DearEdward took this construction photo in July, 2008, Norfolk officials were promising to open the light-rail line in December, 2009 at a cost of $232 million. Now the cost has grown to $338 million and the opening delayed to late in 2011. A 45-percent cost overrun is about average for rail transit construction, but it has hit Norfolk particularly hard. In 2007, the Federal Transit Administration agreed to fund 72 percent of the then-projected $232 million cost, with the Commonwealth of Virginia ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4330994 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:43:47 +0100 4330994 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4326935&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvideos.videopress.com%2FJ7baZBzO%2F2011_01_07_upstream_trailer_v3_hd.mp4 Upstream website recently published the above sample of interviews that makes clear how situational or environmental factors are contributing to disease and inequality (Upstream blog here). Some related Situationist videos: “The Toxic Situation of Cosmetics,” “Our Carcinogenic Situation,” “Juliet Schor, ‘Colossal Failure: The Output Bias of Market Economies’,” “The Need for a Situationist Morality.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4326935 Sun, 09 Jan 2011 04:01:50 +0100 4326935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4322530&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F01%2Fusing-cassava-to-address-vitamin-a-deficiency.html In ScienceDaily today:  The roots of cassava (Manihot esculenta) serve as the primary source of carbohydrates in the diets of people in many arid regions of the world, including more than 250 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. A collaborative effort led by Professor Peter Beyer from Freiberg University in Germany, studied a naturally arising variant of cassava with yellow roots in order to understand the synthesis of provitamin A carotenoids. This work beautifully combines genetics with biochemistry and molecular biology to deepen our understanding of carotenoid biosynthesis. "It paves the way for using transgenic or conventional breeding methods to generate commercial cassava cultivars containing high levels of provitamin A carotenoids, by the exchange of a single amino acid alrea... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322530 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 19:15:32 +0100 4322530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318310&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FmpXSjggRUJo%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsThe Current Wisdom is a series of monthly posts in which Senior Fellow Patrick J. Michaels reviews interesting items on global warming in the scientific literature that may not have received the media attention that they deserved, or have been misinterpreted in the popular press. The Current Wisdom only comments on science appearing in the refereed, peer-reviewed literature, or that has been peer-screened prior to presentation at a scientific congress. Better Model, Less Warming Bet you haven’t seen this one on TV:  A newer, more sophisticated climate model has lost more than 25% of its predicted warming!  You can bet that if it had predicted that much more warming it would have made the local paper. The change resulted from a more realistic simulation of the wa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318310 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:36:06 +0100 4318310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318314&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6wmy9RSy5n8%2F By Christopher PrebleI hadn’t planned to comment on the matter of Captain Owen Honors, the commanding officer of the USS Enterprise relieved of command following the release of some off-color videos that he recorded as the Enterprise’s executive officer (XO) in 2006 and 2007. But then Chris Kennedy in our media department twisted my arm, and the next thing I knew I had written 900 words for CNN. Before I delivered the essay for publication, I solicited feedback from a number of former officers, and one still serving, including several of my classmates at the George Washington University NROTC unit. Not all agreed with my take — I faulted Honors for his poor judgment, and concluded that the punishment fit the offense — but all appreciated the even-handed approach th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318314 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:35:29 +0100 4318314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4285181&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36069&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrankiespeakingfrankly.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fmotivated-to-do-good.html We I said in my last post that my next post would be about biomass gasification as opposed to mass burn incineration - well that one will just have to wait a few more days because I watched Julian Assange's interview with John Humphrey's last night and it prompted me to write this post instead.The part of his interview that I really like is about 20 minutes in when Assange was questioned by Humphrey's regarding his relationship with the world, his response as to the suggestion of him as some sort of a messianic figure (like it was some sort of a crime - which I find ironic since the members of Christian church are forever trying to become more Christlike and even part of the body of Christ). When asked somewhat accusingly 'So you want to change the world?', Assange replied, without any hes... Frankie Speaking Frankly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4285181 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:41:00 +0100 4285181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265660&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36069&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrankiespeakingfrankly.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fwhats-been-happening.html We presented the concept to the public and our local councillors in December, and from there managed to secure funding to get the plan off the ground and formed a new commercial enterprise, of which I have taken on the position as Head of Communications. I have therefore now resigned from the incinerator campaign, and have passed the EcoIvy site over to the local community to run, since I cannot afford to put the new company in any compromising commercial position as a result of my own personal campaigning elsewhere in the industry. For me this now this is about moving from campaigning against a flawed plan to instead promoting what I believe is the ultimate solution. My new position allows me to work flexibly, so I can still keep MedWorm running at the same time, and of course it gives me... Frankie Speaking Frankly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265660 Sat, 18 Dec 2010 08:15:00 +0100 4265660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4266009&cid=t_92040_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FXmynFlO5_uU%2F David DiSalvo, a science and technology writer whose posts we share with you regularly, has just published his selection of the 2010 psychology studies really worth knowing about. A great tour of the brain and psychology that leads us from how many of our waking hours are dedicated to day dreaming, how the impression we are trying to give when meeting someone influences how we evaluate the other person, to how a confident posture gives a biochemical advantage that increases feelings of power and tolerance of risk. Enjoy! (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4266009 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:45:35 +0100 4266009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265792&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F12%2F1-in-6-get-sick-from-foodborne-illnesses-each-year.html About 48 million people (1 in 6 Americans) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die each year from foodborne diseases, according new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The figures are the most accurate to date due to better data and methods used. The data are published Wednesday in two articles in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. CDC's FoodNet surveillance system data, which tracks trends among common foodborne pathogens, has documented a decrease of 20 percent in illnesses from key pathogens during the past 10 years. However, these FoodNet pathogens make up only a small proportion of the illnesses included in the new estimates. Comment: few people realize this, to illnesses caused teach your by foodborne disease. The new estimates are based on... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265792 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:45:24 +0100 4265792 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258842&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fju0qZPSZcWg%2F This study provides an elegant solution to one of the two key ice sheet instability problems” noted by the United Nations in their last (2007) climate compendium.  “It turns out that, contrary to popular belief, Greenland ice sheet flow might not be accelerated by increased melting after all,” he added. I’m not so sure that those who hold the “popular belief” can explain why Greenland’s ice didn’t melt away thousands of years ago.  For millennia, after the end of the last ice age (approximately 11,000 years ago) strong evidence indicates that the Eurasian arctic averaged nearly 13°F warmer in July than it is now. That’s because there are trees buried and preserved in the acidic Siberian tundra, and they can be carbon dated.  Where there is no forest today—because it... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258842 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:04:58 +0100 4258842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4249041&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fd-UKugQ-wc4%2F By Tad DeHavenIn 2006, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm told citizens, “In five years, you’re going to be blown away by the strength and diversity of Michigan’s transformed economy.” When those words were uttered, Michigan’s unemployment rate was 6.7 percent. It’s now almost 13 percent. Although Michigan’s economic doldrums can’t entirely be pinned on Granholm, her fiscal policies have not helped, such as her higher taxes on businesses. The Mackinac Center’s Michael LaFaive explains why Granholm’s grandiose proclamation in 2006 hasn’t panned out: In this case, Gov. Granholm was promoting her administration and the Legislature’s massive expansion of discriminatory tax breaks and subsidies for a handful of corporations. The purpose and main effect of this policy is... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4249041 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:33:12 +0100 4249041 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4249071&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F12%2Fhospital-admissions-for-dog-bites-increase-86-percent.html A new report from the AHRQ shows that dog bites increased by 86 percent—from 5,100 to 9,500 hospital stays—between 1993 and 2008. Seniors and young children were most likely to be hospitalized for a dog bite, while Rural residents also had 3 times as many hospital admissions. Comment:  This is the tip of the iceberg, dog bites are an increasing public health problem, compounded by many police departments and judges treating the issue lightly. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4249071 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:10:31 +0100 4249071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4237942&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F07%2Fjohn-lennon-psychodrama-of-a-gifted-child%2F When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. ~ John Lennon On Dec. 8th, 1980, I was in bed listening to the radio when suddenly, in a voice labored by heavy breathing and halting words, the disc jockey broke the news that John Lennon had been shot and killed in front of his New York City apartment building. The news ransacked my brain. The Beatles weren’t just a rock band; they gave us an identity. Their songs weren’t simply catchy tunes or stray memorable lyrics. The music told us who we were. It pointed us in a whole new direction. The simplicity and ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4237942 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:43:08 +0100 4237942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4238063&cid=t_92040_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F995-Environmentalists-urging-global-one-child-policy.html Phelim McAleer, who made the documentary Not Evil Just Wrong about the "true cost of global warming hysteria," has pointed out that while conservatives are concerned with what goes on in people's bedrooms, left-wingers are focused on what goes on in every other room in your house.  He says:The left-wing groups are obsessed with what goes on with my fridge, what goes on with my car, what goes on in my garage, what goes on in my living room, what kind of television I have, and with what is in my light bulbs.  I'm saying if you value freedom, get out of my light bulbs, get out of my kitchen, get out of my life!But now we can say that left-wing environmentalists DO want to control what goes on in your bedroom in a much more intrusive way than any conservative could ever dream.  So... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4238063 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:39:13 +0100 4238063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233155&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDdXc4yKp1gc%2F By Ilya ShapiroThe Supreme Court is finally starting to put some interesting non-First Amendment cases on this term’s docket. Today, the Court agreed to review American Electric Power Co., Inc. v. Connecticut, in which eight states, some non-profits, and New York City are suing a number of energy companies and utilities for harms they allegedly caused by contributing to global warming.  This is the third major lawsuit to push global warming into the courts (another being Comer v. Murphy Oil USA, in which Cato also filed a brief).  It’s America, after all, where we sue to solve our problems — even apparently, taking to court the proverbial butterfly that caused a tsunami. Mind you, you can sue your neighbor for leaking toxic water onto your land. Courts are well posi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233155 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 22:38:27 +0100 4233155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233162&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYqpydtfq8zc%2F By Randal O'TooleTea party victories in November likely signal the beginning of the end for President Obama’s ambitious and expensive high-speed rail plans. Republican governors-elect of both Ohio and Wisconsin have vowed to return federal high-speed rail funds that had been granted to those states. The governor-elect of Florida is also a rail skeptic, and more and more obstacles are being thrown in front of California’s rail plans. Obama Replaces Costly High-Speed Rail Plan With High-Speed Bus Plan The prospects for high-speed rail are so dire that the Onion recently suggested that President Obama would shift his support to high-speed buses instead. Even the Washington Post has sounded caution about spending much more money on this obsolete form of travel. The California High ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233162 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:03:19 +0100 4233162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4205980&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F27%2Fwarming-world-or-just-world%2F From UCBerkeley News: Dire or emotionally charged warnings about the consequences of global warming can backfire if presented too negatively, making people less amenable to reducing their carbon footprint, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley. “Our study indicates that the potentially devastating consequences of global warming threaten people’s fundamental tendency to see the world as safe, stable and fair. As a result, people may respond by discounting evidence for global warming,” said Robb Willer, UC Berkeley social psychologist and coauthor of a study to be published in the January issue of the journal Psychological Science. “The scarier the message, the more people who are committed to vi... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4205980 Sat, 27 Nov 2010 04:48:29 +0100 4205980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179364&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F18%2Fthe-wasteful-situation-of-electronics%2F * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Toxic Situation of Cosmetics,” “Our Carcinogenic Situation,” “The Situation of Bottled Water,” “‘Flow’ and the Situation of Water,” “The Situation of our Food Series ( Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V), “Market Manipulation – Assuaging Cognitive Dissonance,” “Juliet Schor, ‘Colossal Failure: The Output Bias of Market Economies’,” “Juliet Schor on the Situation of Consumption,” “Denial,” and  “The Need for a Situationist Morality.” A new blog and website, Upstream, provides daily posts and regular interviews with scientists about environmental causes of disease. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179364 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 04:02:22 +0100 4179364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4162938&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F11%2Fyoung-unsupervised-children-most-at-risk-for-dog-bites-study-shows-dogs-often-target-a-childs-face-a.html ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2010) — As dog bites become an increasingly major public health concern, a new study shows that unsupervised children are most at risk for bites, that the culprits are usually family pets and if they bite once, they will bite again with the second attack often more brutal than the first. The study, the largest of its kind, was done by Vikram Durairaj, MD, of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, who found that dogs usually target a child's face and eyes and most often it's a breed considered 'good' with children, like a Labrador retriever. Durairaj said. "The onus is on parents to recognize aggressive breeds as well as behaviors and never allow their young children to be left unsupervised around any dog." Comment: it is also worth reading today's editor... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4162938 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 20:24:28 +0100 4162938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151747&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgKhRO7iRgbM%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsNovember’s Scientific American features a profile of Georgia Tech atmospheric scientist Judith Curry,  who has committed the mortal sin of  reaching out to other scientists who hypothesize that global warming isn’t the disaster it’s been cracked up to be.  I have personal experience with this, as she invited me to give a research seminar in Tech’s prestigious School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in 2008.  My lecture summarizing the reasons for doubting the apocalyptic synthesis of climate change was well-received by an overflow crowd. Written by Michael Lemonick, who hails from the shrill blog Climate Central, the article isn’t devoid of the usual swipes, calling her a “heretic,, which is hardly at all true.  She’s simply another hardworking sci... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151747 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:48:35 +0100 4151747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151821&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F11%2Fmyth-of-a-germ-free-world.html ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2010) — Killing microorganisms has become a national obsession. A pair of antimicrobial compounds known as triclosan and triclocarban are lately the weapons of choice in our war of attrition against the microbial world. Both chemicals are found in an array of personal care products like antimicrobial soaps, and triclosan also is formulated into everyday items ranging from plastics and toys to articles of clothing. Antimicrobials have become a billion dollar a year industry and these chemicals now pervade the environment and our bodies. Levels of triclosan in humans have increased by an average of 50 percent since 2004, according to newly updated data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Triclosan and triclocarban are present in 60 percent of... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151821 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:29:38 +0100 4151821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151758&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_CauIySDjZU%2F By Caleb O. BrownVice President Joe Biden believes that human progress depends almost entirely on government vision and government incentive. Donald J. Boudreaux, Cato Institute adjunct scholar and George Mason University economics professor, details why Biden is wrong both generally and in the specific case he touts: Produced by Caleb O. Brown. Shot and edited by Evan Banks. VIDEO: Joe Biden’s Weak Case for Government Meddling is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151758 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 16:58:39 +0100 4151758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133671&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDeOi65dU6nM%2F By Sallie JamesMy colleagues have done a thorough job of analyzing the policy implications of Tuesday’s federal election outcome as it affects trade policy, health care, immigration, education, and the scope and size of government generally (more here on federal spending). Most of them are cautiously optimistic that a Republican-controlled House is good news for liberty-minded folk. Let’s hope so. Unfortunately, there are fewer obvious reasons for optimism that Tuesday’s result will mean big changes in agricultural policy, a depressingly bipartisan area of federal intervention. Even Rand Paul, the poster child for the Tea Party, expressed “moderate” views on farm subsidies during his campaign. On the positive side of the ledger, our friends at the Envir... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133671 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:19:46 +0100 4133671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133677&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F46XbEB_1zfg%2F By Daniel J. MitchellLast week, I highlighted nine ballot initiatives that were worth watching because of their policy implications and/or their role is showing whether voters wanted more or less freedom. The results, by and large, are very encouraging. Let’s take a look at the results of those nine votes, as well as a few additional key initiatives. 1. The big spenders wanted to impose an income tax in the state of Washington, and they even had support from too-rich-to-care Bill Gates. The good news is that this initiative got slaughtered by a nearly two-to-one margin.  I was worried about this initiative since crazy  Oregon voters approved higher tax rates earlier this year. In a further bit of good news, Washington voters also approved a supermajority requirement for tax incre... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133677 Wed, 03 Nov 2010 18:58:40 +0100 4133677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4124986&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fy0B5vjHhx_A%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsThe Current Wisdom  is a series of monthly posts in which Senior Fellow Patrick J. Michaels reviews interesting items on global warming in the scientific literature that may not have received the media attention that they deserved, or have been misinterpreted in the popular press. The Current Wisdom only comments on science appearing in the refereed, peer-reviewed literature, or that has been peer-screened prior to presentation at a scientific congress.  More Good News About Sea Level Rise  In the last (and first) installment of  The Current Wisdom, I looked at how projections of catastrophic sea level rise—some as high as 20 feet this century—are falling by the wayside as more real-world data comes in. In the last month, there’s been even more hot-off-the-p... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4124986 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 03:47:16 +0100 4124986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118873&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FvW32KRuXn4c%2F By Michael F. CannonIn my recent “Bootleggers & Baptists, Sugary Soda Edition” post, I wrote that environmentalists and agribusiness team up to support ethanol subsidies. An alert Cato@Liberty reader writes to my colleague Jerry Taylor: [Cannon] is no doubt right that environmentalists and agribusiness worked together to promote government subsidies to ethanol through about 2006. But by 2007 (when the ethanol mandate was doubled) the environmentalists had dropped out of the pro-ethanol coalition, to be replaced by national-security hawks! If you run into him, please tell him to stop blaming environmentalists for current biofuels policies! If environmentalists have recently dropped their support for ethanol subsidies, they deserve credit for that. Mea culpa. I would rather h... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118873 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 20:11:31 +0100 4118873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4097988&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F10%2Fepidemiology-of-chronic-disease.html In the Journal Science today is an interesting article from the school of public health at UC, Berkeley about environment and disease risks. The article suggests that the current epidemiologic approach to analyzing the course and possible intervention for chronic diseases focuses on nature rather than nurture and recommends that genetic studies should also be accompanied by better environmental assessments. At the same time this week's Journal Lancet, has several articles dealing with the validity and usefulness of the current state of personal genome assessments. The articles in both journals are worth reading as they complement each other, however the one from Berkeley seems to be founded more on political bias than biological credibility. With all the knowledge developed for interventio... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4097988 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 19:36:29 +0100 4097988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4055702&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2vJlOrh--ps%2F By Tad DeHavenThe New York Times offers an unintentionally hopeful story on Republican candidates running for governor who could become significant obstacles for the Obama administration’s high-speed rail agenda. As I recently discussed, Wisconsin GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker has taken the position that Washington can keep the $810 million it allocated for a “high-speed” rail line between Madison and Milwaukee that would operate at speeds achieved in the 1930s. The Times article shows that Walker isn’t alone: Similar concerns are threatening to stall many of the nation’s biggest train projects. In Ohio, the Republican candidate for governor, John Kasich, is vowing to kill a $400 million federal stimulus project to link Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati by rail. In Fl... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4055702 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:41:08 +0100 4055702 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036623&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FWFxUx2Kc9Nw%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsNOTE:  This is the first in a series of monthly posts in which Senior Fellow Patrick J. Michaels reviews interesting items on global warming in the scientific literature that may not have received the media attention that they deserved, or have been misinterpreted in the popular press. The Current Wisdom only comments on science appearing in the refereed, peer-reviewed literature, or that has been peer-screened prior to presentation at a scientific congress. The Iceman Goeth:  Good News from Greenland and Antarctica How many of us have heard that global sea level will be about a meter—more than three feet—higher in 2100 than it was in the year 2000?  There are even scarier stories, circulated by NASA’s James E. Hansen, that the rise may approach 6 meters, alt... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036623 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 20:33:17 +0100 4036623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031417&cid=t_92040_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F984-Not-so-radical-environmentalism-hides-hatred-for-humanity.html I posted a few weeks ago about how radical environmentalism hides a hatred for humanity.  Here is a disgusting example of how not-so radical environmentalism can also be a cover for misanthropy.  This "no pressure" push of the 10:10 Project to have everyone reduce their carbon emission by 10% is the worst case of environmental scare tactics I have ever seen.  I guess it was supposed to be funny.  Instead it is a scary look into the subconscious of some main stream environmentalists who no doubt would like to "blow up" people apathetic to their cause.  I bet they are still scratching their heads wondering what everyone finds so offensive.James Delingpole of the Guardian UK said it perfectly:With No Pressure, the environmental movement has revealed the snarling, wick... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031417 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 23:53:20 +0100 4031417 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4027217&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F04%2Fthe-situation-of-illness%2F Situationist readers may want to check out a new website and blog devoted to the problem of environmental sources of illness.  The website is devoted primarily to video interviews of experts studying, and activists fighting, the effects of environmental toxins.  So far, the Upstream website has fascinating interviews of Columbia University’s Dr. Frederica Perera and of Drs. Carlos Sonnenschein and Ana M. Soto from Tufts University. The Upstram Blog contains regular updates of environmental-health news stories. In a culture and policy regime that focuses on individual causes and cures of disease, the Upstream project seems like a promising and worthwhile resource for those interested in a more situationist perspective. * * * To review a sample of related Situationist posts, see &#82... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4027217 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 04:02:43 +0100 4027217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4018195&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F09%2Fdiabetes-pollution.html A report, published in the October issue of Diabetes Care, is among the first large-scale population-based studies to link diabetes prevalence with air pollution. It is consistent with prior laboratory studies finding an increase in insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes, in obese mice exposed to particulates, and an increase in markers of inflammation (which may contribute to insulin resistance) in both the mice and obese diabetic patients after particulate exposure. Like the laboratory studies, the current study focused on fine particulates of 0.1-2.5 nanometers in size (known as PM2.5), a main component of haze, smoke and motor vehicle exhaust. The investigators, led by John Pearson and John Brownstein, PhD, of the Children's Hospital Informatics Program, obtained county-by-county ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4018195 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:01:15 +0100 4018195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3994117&cid=t_92040_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FfbJRjXT7_c0%2F We will be hosting the September 27th edition of Scientia Pro Publica, the biweekly blog carnival that “showcases the finest science, medical and environment writing published in the blogosphere”. If you write a blog about science, medicine or the environment and would like to share your writing or photography with a large and appreciative audience, please submit a good recent blog post no later than end of September 25th, using this automated submission form. Remember to visit us on September 27th! (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3994117 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:30:41 +0100 3994117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993875&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FxPbRzK41R9o%2F By David BoazIt’s Car Free Day in Washington, and the traffic on I-66 was the worst in memory. Update: Link fixed. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993875 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:19:28 +0100 3993875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3976489&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FVjjlsGiLkwQ%2F By Tad DeHavenWisconsin has become a battleground over the Obama administration’s plan to create a national system of high-speed rail. Of the $8 billion in HSR grants awarded to the states in the stimulus bill, $810 million of it went toward a high-speed route between Milwaukee and Madison. Ironically, this Wisconsin “high-speed” route would only achieve speeds of 79 mph initially and 110 mph by 2016. As a Cato essay on high-speed rail points out, HSR aficionados don’t even consider 110 mph to be true high-speed. In fact, passenger trains were being run at speeds of 110 mph or more back in the 1930s. And those “high-speed” trains didn’t prevent the decline of passenger trains after World War II. The Cato essay also notes that the 85-mile line between Milwaukee and Madison “... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3976489 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:58:12 +0100 3976489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3976464&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=34605&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.acsh.org%2Fhealthissues%2Fnewsid.1909%2Fhealthissue_detail.asp By Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan. A remarkable new documentary tells the story of how political and ideological forces combined to ban a widely and safely used chemical, DDT, leading to a surge of malaria deaths in developing countries like Kenya, Indonesia, and India. (Source: Health Issues) Health Issues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3976464 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3976464 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3954188&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fdecorate-your-desk-to-improve-productivity%2F Photo: Ikea.com Decorating your cubicle might seem like the best way to avoid doing real work, but according to a recent study, having control over at least one thing about your workspace increases productivity. Researchers at the University of Exeter in the UK found that workers who have some control over the design, layout and decor in their office report being happier, healthier, and show a 32% boost in productivity at work. We never thought our desk position could do so much. Do you have control over how your office looks? Have you taken time to decorate your cubicle or re-arrange your workspace to make yourself happier or more productive at work? Share your office makeovers with us in the comments section, below: via Vitamin G Post from: BlissTree Decorate Your Desk to Improve Product... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3954188 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:42:11 +0100 3954188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3934480&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdoctor-patient-relationship-how-patients-can-help-enhance-communication%2F2010.09.04 From Kevin Pho’s medical blog, KevinMD, a post archived from 2004, Pho talks about the struggles of communication between doctor and patient during the 15-minute office visit. Pho sites a New York Times article that explains that more than two decades ago, research shows that patients were interrupted 18 seconds into explaining their problem (on average) and less than 2 percent got to finish their explanations. Pho sites that he sometimes falls into the “interruption trap,” saying: “I think this is a natural progression to our managed care environment. Physicians are compensated by quantity of patients seen, and are kept to a strict schedule -– in most cases every 15-minutes.” (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Health in 30* (Source: Better Healt... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3934480 Sat, 04 Sep 2010 12:00:37 +0100 3934480 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3933067&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F198555%2F My Name Is Earl: Hurricane? What hurricane? More like LAME-i-cane. (via The New York Times) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3933067 Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:30:44 +0100 3933067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3925031&cid=t_92040_131_f&fid=34999&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marymeetsdolly.com%2Fblog%2Findex.php%3F%2Farchives%2F981-Radical-environmentalism-hides-hatred-for-humanity.html The movement of late that concerns me the most is radical environmentalism.  It is not the zealous concern for the environment that disturbs me; it is the humans vs. the planet mentality that is sometimes hidden behind that concern for the environment.  Many environmental types truly believe that the planet would be a better place without humans and they want us gone.  Some range from just asking that we voluntarily do not have children, some want to implement a one-child policy like China, and some hope for an outbreak of a virus like Ebola to get rid of what they see as a plague on the Earth. James Lee, killed holding the Discovery Channel hostage, was a true believer in the misanthropic radical environmentalist agenda.   He demands of the Discovery channel reveal a hatred for his fe... Mary Meets Dolly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3925031 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:19:45 +0100 3925031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3924885&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fim0aSWr_kOA%2F By Randal O'TooleDonald Shoup, the author of The High Cost of Free Parking, has posted a response to my first post about Tyler Cowen’s op ed against free parking. Shoup points out that I erroneously attributed proposals to him that are in fact only urged by his followers, such as maximum-parking requirements and requirements that all businesses charge for parking. I apologize for that. In fact, Shoup’s book argues that cities should eliminate minimum-parking requirements and charge market rates for on-street parking. I favor these things as well. Where we may disagree is about the effects of these policies. My post pointed out that many municipalities do not have minimum-parking requirements, but businesses still offer plenty of free parking to their employees and customers. Sh... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3924885 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:30:50 +0100 3924885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3920915&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F01%2Fsome-situational-effects-of-the-bp-gulf-disaster%2F Excerpts from EurekaAlert: Anger, depression, and helplessness are the main psychological responses being seen in response to the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and they are likely to have long-lasting effects, according to an interview in Ecopsychology, . . . . The anger being expressed in response to the recent BP oil rig explosion and resulting spill of millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico is “a way of masking the really unfathomable and profound despair that is just under the surface as we watch this catastrophe unfold,” says Deborah Du Nann Winter, PhD, Professor of Psychology at Whitman College (Walla Walla, WA). In an interview published in Ecopsychology and conducted by Editorial Board member Susan Koger, PhD, Professor of ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3920915 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:01:12 +0100 3920915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3914983&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FXig-eP7UrvM%2F By Randal O'TooleTwo weeks ago, I responded with dismay to George Mason University economist Tyler Cowen’s op-ed against free parking. This led to a variety of responses in the blogosphere, none of which address my point. Instead, they all argue against the minimum-parking requirements found in many zoning regulations. In particular, Cowen himself points to a study that found that Los Angeles’ minimum-parking requirements forced some developers to build more parking than they would have without such requirements. But Cowen’s op-ed was titled, “Free Parking Comes at a Price,” not “Minimum-Parking Requirements Come at a Price.” The op-ed was based on a book by Donald Shoup titled The High Cost of Free Parking, not The High Cost of Minimum-Parking Req... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3914983 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:23:48 +0100 3914983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3889065&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F196204%2F Global Warming: The rising temperatures that have occurred in the last ten years have diminished plants’ ability to soak up carbon from the atmosphere. (via Guardian) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3889065 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:06:21 +0100 3889065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3880843&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fr_pS4_Vhcpc%2F In my recent comments on Tyler Cowen’s op ed on the supposedly high costs of free parking, I boldly wrote, “I defy Cowen to find any free parking anywhere in Manhattan.” That just shows how little time this Oregon resident spends in Manhattan. It turns out that the western invention, the parking meter (first installed in Oklahoma City in 1935), hasn’t thoroughly penetrated east of the Hudson River. Many streets in Manhattan offer free parking, albeit often with the caveat that you have to move your car from one side of the street to the other every night. But this doesn’t change my main point, which is that it is one thing for Cowen to argue that cities should not price parking below market rates where there is a market for parking. I have no problem with this... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3880843 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:17:46 +0100 3880843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3872545&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FnxBkxv9fBH8%2F By Randal O'TooleI am disappointed that the distinguished George Mason University economist, Tyler Cowen, has fallen for the “high-cost-of-free-parking” arguments of UCLA urban planner Donald Shoup. Shoup is an excellent scholar, but like many scholars, he has the parochial view that the city that he lives in is a representative example of what is happening everywhere else. Should free parking be a thing of the past? Shoup’s work is biased by his residency in Los Angeles, the nation’s densest urban area. One way L.A. copes with that density is by requiring builders of offices, shopping malls, and multi-family residences to provide parking. Shoup assumes that every municipality in the country has such parking requirements, even though many do not, and that without s... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3872545 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:49:13 +0100 3872545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3861990&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2Fchemistry-for-change-call-on-congress-to-support-the-endocrine-disruption-prevention-act The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has long studied the various potential health effects of low-level exposure to chemicals called endocrine disruptors that interfere with development and function. These substances, both natural and man-made, include pharmaceuticals, dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls, DDT and other pesticides, and plastics such as bisphenol A (BPA). Very little action has been taken on the basis of these studies, but new legislation working its way through Congress aims to change that. The Endocrine Disruption Prevention Act of 2009 was introduced last December in the Senate (S-2828 [pdf]) by  Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and in the House of Representives (HR-4190 [pdf]) by Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.). TEDX , the Endrocine... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3861990 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:33:04 +0100 3861990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3858122&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Feco-friendly-home-design-upside-down-planter-table%2F photo via Inhabitat The great thing about ferns is that they don’t require light to flourish. The best thing about this side table is that it’s also an inverted planter that gives a fern shady space to grow. And this particular table, designed by Ori Mishkal, introduces plant life into your home without taking up valuable tabletop real estate. We’d like to see these in our houses, pronto. We’d try the DIY approach, but we have a feeling it’d be (a lot) messier than this one. via Inhabitat Post from: BlissTree Eco-Friendly Home Design: Upside Down Planter Table (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3858122 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:50:08 +0100 3858122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3854495&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fzero-carbon-lobster-harvesting-simpler-times-mean-fewer-emissions%2F photo via The Huffington Post A Maine lobsterman is trying to take the lobstering tradition back to the old days — for the environment. Nat Hussey is using recycled gear that he found on the shore; propels his boat through pure manpower; and pulls up his lobster traps by hand. He’ll be making half the income he earned when worked on a large commercial boat, but he’ll produce zero carbon emissions. Hussey compares himself to small-scale organic farmers. Has America had it with corporations and factories? Do you think we’ll all return to the older, simpler ways of doing things? Somehow, we doubt it. via The Huffington Post Post from: BlissTree Zero-Carbon Lobster Harvesting: Simpler Times Mean Fewer Emissions (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3854495 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:47:45 +0100 3854495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3816364&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fa-bpa-free-water-bottle-you-can-actually-clean-the-alex%2F photo via Inhabitat I love my reusable water bottle, which I realize makes me a dork. But it’s durable, bright blue, and BPA-free. Of course, I also like that I’m not sentencing tons of plastic water bottles to life in a landfill prison. But the one thing about my bottle I’m not crazy about is how difficult it is to clean. I can only hope I’m keeping my bottle hygienic as I blindly shove a scrub brush down its narrow mouth. My problem is now solved, with the Alex. It’s a sleek, BPA-free stainless steel bottle that separates in the middle for easy cleaning. It even has a strap made of recycled water bottles, which is kind of crazy, when you think about it. It’s also pretty. Sorry, old SIGG, but you have no idea how much bacteria I suspect is lurking at t... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3816364 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:44:36 +0100 3816364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3816370&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F192479%2F Obama Administration Wants You to Reconnect With Nature: And they want your ideas on how to encourage your fellow Americans to enjoy the great outdoors. Tomorrow, there will be a listening session with the President in Minneapolis as part of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. (via the Environmental Protection Agency) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3816370 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:45:31 +0100 3816370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3816428&cid=t_92040_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F08%2Fthe-boston-herald-reports-that-since-massachusetts-passed-its-sweeping-healthcare-overhaul-in-2006-t.html From today’s WSJ: The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases are investigating an alarming rise in several different types of tick-borne infections including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and erlichiosis. Not only are more diseases being spread by ticks, but more species of ticks are transmitting disease, including some, like brown dog ticks, not previously considered a danger to humans. The blood-sucking parasites are the leading carriers of disease in the U.S. and second only to mosquitoes worldwide. Comment: this presentation includes an excellent set of instructions for keeping ticks at bay. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3816428 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:26:52 +0100 3816428 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3816371&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fget-married-plant-5-trees-indonesian-law-helps-the-environment%2F Wedding traditions can include the sentimental, silly, pricey, cheap, or tacky (or any combination of those adjectives), but very rarely are Western weddings good for the environment. That’s why we’d like to adopt a new marriage custom from Indonesia. Well, not a custom exactly – more like a law. The “Couples Caring for the Environment” program requires newlyweds in the West Java province to plant and care for five trees. The groom typically gives the trees to the bride as a dowry. Indonesia’s green spaces have been destroyed to make room for agriculture, and this program is an effort to restore that greenery. We’d like to add this to U.S. wedding customs — should the government (or wedding planners) create eco-conscious programs like this one from I... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3816371 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:11:11 +0100 3816371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3805818&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpre-med-vs-liberal-arts-dont-know-much-biology%2F2010.07.30 Study painting, drama or the “soft” social sciences and you’ll probably be a pretty good doctor anyway. Mt. Sinai School of Medicine has been doing it for years and compared students in a special liberal arts admissions program to its traditional pre-med students. For years, Mt. Sinai has admitted students from Amherst, Brandeis, Princeton, Wesleyan, and Williams colleges based on a written application with personal essays, verbal and math SAT scores, high school and college transcripts, letters of recommendation, and personal interviews. No MCAT is required. Students need to take one year of biology and one year of chemistry and maintain (swallow hard) a “B” average. They later get an abbreviated course in organic chemistry and medical physics. (more…) ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3805818 Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:17:36 +0100 3805818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3805798&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fcelebrities-duped-by-greenwashing-dont-be-the-one%2F photo via Ecorazzi Remember localwashing? When a company pretends that it’s using local goods to create a product, but it’s really just trying to get you to buy crap? Greenwashing is similar, but instead of pretending to be local, companies fake eco-friendliness. And some of our favorite, most well-meaning celebrities just got played. Big time. In the “Be The One” public service announcement promoting restoration in the Gulf of Mexico following the BP oil spill, celebrities including Sandra Bullock, Blake Lively, and Dave Matthews urged the public to sign a petition demanding government funding for clean-up efforts. But it turns out that the PSA was made by America’s Wetland Foundation, which is funded by Shell Oil – photo via Ecorazzi and designed to shift... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3805798 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:45:50 +0100 3805798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3802354&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F10-ways-to-an-eco-friendly-bedroom-green-your-house-series%2F Stop dreaming of an eco-safe-haven, and make it a reality with these enviro-chic items for your bedroom. (Y’know, the place where all the magic happens.) For the final post in our Green Your House Series, here are 10 ways to get an eco-friendly bedroom – naturally. ‘Night-night. Non-Toxic Bed Rest Snoozing on a bed stuffed with off-gassing materials finished with chemical-laden flame-retardants? Sounds like the stuff nightmares are made of. Stop tossing and turning with a more earth-friendly option: Organic cotton, wool, or natural latex. Savvy Rest’s Serenity mattress gets high marks, thanks to three layers of customizable latex. Serenity mattress, from $1,589 at Savvy Rest. Earth, Wind, and (Soy) Fire Light up and get in the mood with a soy candle. What’s more romanti... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3802354 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:23:40 +0100 3802354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3798750&cid=t_92040_136_f&fid=35302&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWhitePebble%2F%7E3%2FJi7an9fKs9A%2F Wonderful thing to say after your rig explosion killed 11 people. Filed under: Natural world Tagged: BP, environment, gaffe, oil spill, Tony Hayward (Source: white pebble) white pebble blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3798750 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:19:52 +0100 3798750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3794748&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fbpa-found-in-receipts-now-we-really-hate-tracking-our-spending%2F photo: Thinkstock If you know us, you know we like to freak out about BPA. But our freakouts aren’t unwarranted: BPA is an endocrine disrupter that is linked to health issues in men, women, and babies. Plus, the stuff is hard to avoid: it’s in pretty much all canned foods and many plastic bottles and containers. And according to a new study, BPA was even present on 40% of receipts collected from supermarkets, ATMs, gas stations, and retail chains. In some cases, the levels of BPA found were 1,000 times greater than the BPA found in the lining of canned foods. Ugh. We throw our receipts all over the place. They rub all over our groceries on the way home from the market and we keep them in our purse for months, right up against our lip gloss. While it’s not clear if the BPA... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3794748 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:15:25 +0100 3794748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3784237&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FrqDjXh8fGuU%2F By Randal O'TooleThe Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has asked for public comment on Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s proposal to eliminate a rule that limits federal funding of particularly wasteful rail transit projects. The Cato Institute has submitted comments arguing that, instead of eliminating the rule, the FTA should strengthen it, but also give transit agencies more flexibility in defining the goals of new projects. Since 1970, American cities have spent nearly $100 billion building new rail transit projects, and tens if not hundreds of billions more running them. While new rail lines appeal to the egos (and campaign coffers) of elected officials, they do little that could not be accomplished for a lot less money by simple improvements in bus service. Even Peter Ro... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3784237 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 23:17:55 +0100 3784237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3784223&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fsponge-tampons-and-other-more-normal-ways-to-green-your-period%2F We know that having your period is an environment-killer. Every year, 20 billion pads and tampons pollute our water and end up in landfills via toilets and garbage cans. And if you think a pad is gross right after you’re done with it, imagine what it will be like in 100 years. But our periods rage on, so The Huffington Post offered a few suggestions for making your cycle easier on the planet, including using a natural sponge tampon. (Check out their full slideshow.) Their alternative suggestions leave us with some burning questions: Are you brave enough to try a natural sea sponge tampon? How about The Diva Cup? We can handle organic cotton applicator-free tampons, and maybe even reusable pads, but the sponge and the cup are just a little hard to wrap our minds around. Though, as The... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3784223 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:12:58 +0100 3784223 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3784225&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F190432%2F Alarms Disabled on Doomed Oil Rig: A rig chief engineer told federal investigators that a critical fire and gas leak alarm system had been disabled for at least a year because the rig’s leaders didn’t want to be awakened for false alarms. (via The Los Angeles Times) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3784225 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:24:05 +0100 3784225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3784322&cid=t_92040_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F23%2Fthe-toxic-situation-of-cosmetics%2F From the storyofstuffproject: The Story of Cosmetics, released on July 21st, 2010, examines the pervasive use of toxic chemicals in our everyday personal care products, from lipstick to baby shampoo. Produced with Free Range Studios and hosted by Annie Leonard, the seven-minute film by The Story of Stuff Project reveals the implications for consumer and worker health and the environment, and outlines ways we can move the industry away from hazardous chemicals and towards safer alternatives. The film concludes with a call for viewers to support legislation aimed at ensuring the safety of cosmetics and personal care products. * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “Our Carcinogenic Situation,” “The Situation of Bottled Water,” “‘Flow&#8... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3784322 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 04:01:57 +0100 3784322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3780347&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKtkyQ4iglGA%2F By Randal O'TooleMatthew Yglesias is somehow offended by my recent post about the huge decline in the productivity of our socialized transit industry since 1970. He never addresses or even acknowledges any of the arguments made in my article. Instead, his problem is that the article “fails to acknowledge any government role in promoting the usage of private automobiles.” Since my article was about transit, not automobiles, I don’t see why I need to acknowledge government’s role in driving any more than I should acknowledge government’s role in our failed education system or any other government failing. It could be that Yglesias is arguing that I am somehow inconsistent because I object to socialized transit without objecting to socialized highways. If so, he ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3780347 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:39:00 +0100 3780347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767045&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Ffree-webinar-for-women-solar-power-your-home%2F photo: Thinkstock General public opinion is that the current energy crisis is a man’s problem (like drinking milk from the carton or B.O.), but a survey by the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment shows that 90% of women are enthusiastic about solar energy playing a serious role in our country’s environmental future. And why shouldn’t we care? Women have always looked for innovative solutions to tough problems. That’s why One Block Off the Grid (1BOG), a free service that helps homeowners transition to solar power, is hosting a free webinar to help women decide if solar energy is right for them. You’ll find out a lot of info about how to go solar in your home, and the environmental and economic benefits of converting to a solar-powered energy sy... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767045 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:36:12 +0100 3767045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767059&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FHUO44LGprTM%2F By Randal O'TooleSince 1970, the number of workers needed to operate America’s public transit systems has increased by 180 percent while the inflation-adjusted cost of operating buses, light rail, and heavy rail (the only modes whose costs are known back to 1970) increased by 195 percent. Yet ridership on those modes increased by only 32 percent. Flickr photo by Bradlee9119. Each transit worker produced 53,115 transit trips in 1970, but only 26,314 trips by all modes in 2008. The real cost per rider grew by 124 percent, while subsidies (fares minus operating costs) grew by more than 8 times. Though capital cost data prior to 1992 are sketchy, capital costs also grew tremendously, almost certainly by more than operating costs. By any measure, then, transit productivity has declined m... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767059 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:09:35 +0100 3767059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3764269&cid=t_92040_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F18%2Fchallenges-of-enriched-environment-significantly-curb-cancer-growth-in-mice%2F Living in an environment rich with physical, mental and social stimulation – a setting that causes mild stress – appears by itself to curb cancer growth in mice, according to a new study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3764269 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 03:32:50 +0100 3764269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3762895&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Ftop-10-blisstree-posts-of-the-week-3%2F It’s been a long week and you deserve a break from work, family, and all those other websites floating around out there. All you really need is Blisstree, and our top 10 posts of last week. Dive right in: 1. BOOTYCamp! Day 3 With Lacey Stone: And The Self-Inflicted Torture Continues 2. Roman’s Polanski’s Release: Are You On Team Switzerland? 3. Nutritionist Lauren Slayton of Foodtrainers Weighs In on Our Coke/Diet Coke Debate 4. Eating Less Salt Doesn’t Have to Suck 5. 11 Things We Hate About Hippies 6. Skin & Bones: An All-Natural Beauty Product That Has Some Grit 7. Do Sketchers Shape-Ups Really Work? What Doctors, Trainers, and Shoe Companies Say 8. 10 Things Oprah Has Ever Been Wrong About 9. 10 Ways to an Eco-Chic Living Room: Green Your House Series 10. Th... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3762895 Sat, 17 Jul 2010 17:00:52 +0100 3762895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3757829&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fvacation-in-nature-%25e2%2580%2594-literally-treehotel%2F If you happen to be traveling to Sweden this summer, and enjoy — I don’t know — having your mind blown, then you’ll need to check out Treehotel. Opening on Saturday, Treehotel consists of four rooms, each in a separate, unique building suspended in the canopy of the Boreal forest. Though only one of the rooms is mirrored (much to our and Double Rainbow Guy’s dismay), all of the rooms will offer breathtaking views of the forest surrounding them. The hotel also offers year-round activities, but none that hurt the environment. We are definitely putting Treehotel on our fantasy to-do list. Check out the other three rooms on Inhabitat. photo from Inhabitat via Inhabitat Post from: BlissTree Vacation in Nature — Literally: Treehotel (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3757829 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:53:15 +0100 3757829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3757830&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Ftrash-free-for-a-year-could-you-do-it%2F Think about everything you’ve thrown out today so far. A lot of crap, right? The average person tosses four pounds of trash a day. But get this: An eco-friendly couple in Oregon created just four pounds of trash over 365 days. They decided to go debris-free for an entire year, and through recycling, buying locally grown food, and composting, they accumulated around 75 pieces of small trash during that time. Crazy. Could you do it? via The Huffington Post Post from: BlissTree Trash-Free for a Year: Are You Eco-Friendly Enough? (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3757830 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:30:25 +0100 3757830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3757832&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Feco-friendly-fashion-a-cork-bag-for-all-seasons%2F photo from Eco Salon We’ve heard of cork board, cork shoes, even cork furniture. But there’s another eco-friendly product made of recycled cork that we hadn’t heard of until now — cork purses. But, man — were we missing out. We love the understated elegance of Peasants and Travelers‘ cork Doctor’s Bag, which we found while browsing Eco Salon. It’s fashioned from remnants of wine bottle corks from Portugal that have been smashed and laminated, but the material is flexible and waterproof. The rest of the bag is made from reclaimed materials, like its cotton dress shirt lining. And at $150, it’s a forever piece that isn’t too much of an investment. via Eco Salon Post from: BlissTree Eco-Friendly Fashion: A Cork Bag for All Seasons (Source: B... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3757832 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:10:46 +0100 3757832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3757837&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F10-ways-to-an-eco-chic-living-room-green-your-house-series%2F Kick back and relax at home in your living room — just not in a pleather recliner in front of a plasma TV with the A/C blasting. Here are 10 natural selections that will liven up your living room in the eco-friendliest (and eco-chicest) ways. Energy-Efficient Boob-Tube With all their bells and whistles, some flat-screens now rival the fridge as your home’s energy Public Enemy Number One. Your best bet: an Energy Star-certified LCD or LED model (plasma TVs tend to be the biggest electricity hogs). We like the sleek look of Philips’ new Eco TVs from the 5000 and 7000 series. From $1,000; visit Philips for more. Clean Carpets Sure, sisal and sea grass are earth-friendly and affordable rug options, but unless your house is free of kids wielding markers, pets that pee, or guests who s... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3757837 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:42:05 +0100 3757837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3757838&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fbp-biofuels-start-buying-ethanol-plant-could-they-actually-be-learning-something%2F photo: Thinkstock In an uncharacteristic smart move, BP committed to buying a technology and ethanol plant in Jennings, Lousiana. The plant uses bagasse, the residue from sugar cane processing, to make ethanol, which then mixes with gasoline. The new CEO of BP Biofuels says that the purchase will help speed the delivery of a low carbon, low cost, sustainable biofuel. Well, at least this is one step in the right direction after BP’s marathon debacle in the Gulf of Mexico. Could the (oily) tide be turning? via CNET Post from: BlissTree BP Biofuels Buys Ethanol Plant (Could They Actually Be Learning Something?) (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3757838 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:21:07 +0100 3757838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753778&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Feco-friendly-living-the-perfect-beach-tent%2F When it’s a beach day, we definitely can use a little shelter from the sun, wind, and unexpected torrents of rain (Sometimes we forget to check the weather, okay?) If only we could have this beautiful Folding Beach Hut, created by design student Josif Neema. It neatly closes up into a portable, box structure. We found this sweet little shelter while browsing The Alternative Consumer’s gallery of green architectural concepts. Check it out for some other innovative and eco-friendly design ideas. image via Alternative Consumer via The Alternative Consumer Post from: BlissTree Eco-Friendly Living: The Perfect Beach Tent (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753778 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:02:20 +0100 3753778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753782&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fj-r-ewing-is-back-selling-green-energy-not-oil%2F If you were a fan of Dallas back in the day (and who wasn’t?), you know that J.R. Ewing as a big-wig oil tycoon who only associated the color green with money – and got shot. But now, J.R.’s back, singing the praises of green living through solar energy in a commercial for SolarWorld. Check out the commercial here, and an interview with Larry Hagman (the man behind J.R.), at his real-life solar powered mansion, below. Perhaps next, Homer Simpson will convince Mr. Burns to convert the nuclear power plant into a wind farm. via The New York Times Post from: BlissTree J.R. Ewing Is Back: Selling Green Energy, Not Oil (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753782 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:34:47 +0100 3753782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753785&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fsecret-environment-enemies-lurking-in-your-grocery-store-refrigerators%2F photo: Thinkstock You know those giant grocery store refrigerators that keep all your organic, locally-raised and grown meat and produce cool? Those monsters are actually killing the environment. And it’s not the amount of electricity they use, either. Most large grocery store fridges use hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to keep the food cool. While HFCs are ozone-neutral (which is why they replaced the ozone-depleting CFCs and HCFCs back in the 1990s), they have about 3,900 times the global warming effect of carbon dioxide. In fact, one ton of HFCs produces a global warming effect that’s the same as one billion car trips to the grocery store. The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is trying to raise awareness about the environmental problem, but not many supermarkets are respon... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753785 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:49:04 +0100 3753785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3750022&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fun-eco-friendly-transportation-colorado-town-bans-bicycles%2F photo: Thinkstock Most of the U.S. seems to be moving in the right direction (slowly but surely) as far as eco-friendly transportation goes. Cities are creating Bike-to-Work events and using hybrid buses and taxis. But Black Hawk, Colorado, just took a big step in the opposite direction by banning bike riding. WTF? The town relies heavily on casinos for revenue, and vans containing gamblers drive through the town’s narrow, shoulder-less streets. A Colorado law requires cars to leave three feet of room while passing cyclists, which would mean they’d have to swerve into oncoming traffic. While it doesn’t seem safe for bicyclists to ride on a road with no shoulders alongside buses and trucks, no related accidents have been reported. But lawmakers appear to be acting out of i... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3750022 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:47:09 +0100 3750022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3750025&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F188385%2F BP Whistleblower: Check out an interview with the former BP employee who lost his job after taking photos of the dangerous chemicals being used to break up the oil. (via Planet Green) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3750025 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:33:38 +0100 3750025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3750026&cid=t_92040_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fthe-scamwow-videos-that-crack-us-up%2F We should probably add “And Make Us Cry” to that headline, since anything that mocks how poorly BP is dealing with the oil spill (despite last night’s temporary cap placement) just reminds us of the actual environmental trouble we’re all in. That said, the ScamWow! might be just what BP is looking for: via The Huffington Post Post from: BlissTree The ScamWow!: Videos That Crack Us Up (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3750026 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:25:11 +0100 3750026