Worried by shifting climate change, some are calling attention to the resulting dangers to certain species

Scientists are trying to determine the extent of the effect of climate change on various parts of the world by looking at the changes in their seasons. Is spring arriving earlier? Is winter arriving later? The study of this timing is known as phenology. Biologist Arnold van Vliet from Wageningen University warns that many species are in danger if our climate continues to shift because they will no longer be adapted to their environments.



An example of such a species is pictured here, the Willow Warbler, whose migratory patterns may be severely affected by shifting seasons.

Companies receive flak for Greenpeace-published report on their pesticide use

As an update to this blog entry from a couple weeks ago, Bayer, along with several other companies, is now being labeled as the 'bad guy' company, largely responsibly for the bee population decline. The company is fighting against the banning of pesticides blamed for reducing the bee population. The emergency petition is in response to studies that suggest that the bee population may be irreparably damaged by the estimated conclusions time of the EPA's investigation into the matter. The world's economy is dependent on pollinators, and honey prices are now up in California due to the decrease in bees.

Bayer has been targeted by Greenpeace as the company whose pesticide practices result in the most damage to humans and the environment. This report is the "first-ever ranking of the world's leading agrochemical companies based on the hazards and risks of their pesticides on human health and the environment". Bayer is sure to have problems from various environmental groups, like BeeCharmers.org, or an anonymous group identifying themselves as "Published by a group of concerned individuals who will not stand by and let Bayer, Monsanto, Syngenta or other corporate criminals destroy our planet" rallying against them in response to this report.

FDA and Antibiotics

As the FDA regulates drugs and medical devices, in addition to food, in this particular case their line of work has intersected environmental and public health concerns.  Previously, prescriptions and veterinary consultations were not required in the livestock industry, but through recent lawsuits and studies these may become necessary.  The main concern, paralleling with issues with insecticides and pesticides, is that the overloading of antibiotics for livestock has led (and will further lead) to the dominance of antibiotic resistant bacteria, such as MRSA.  This article discusses the reasoning and implications that this new regulation will have and how it may be implemented.

The FDA has, for some time now, insisted that mercury dental fillings pose no health threat whatsoever to children. This is still after numerous studies showing a link between mercury amalgam fillings ("silver fillings") and neurological effects in the human body, the FDA has yet to recognize the full extent of the harmful side effeccts of mercury of dental fillings but has recently put out a warning of the toxicity of mercury in some cosmetic products.
 In the attached atricle it talks of federal health officials warning to consumers not to use skin creams, beauty and antiseptic soaps, or lotions that might contain mercury.

http://www.naturalnews.com/035229_cosmetic_products_mercury_toxicity.html

Halloween Face Paint May be Hazardous to Your Health !!

Halloween Face Paint May be Hazardous to Your Health !!

Evidence from the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan have linked novelty face paint to cancer-causing agents.  Every single one of the 31 types of face paint that were tested at the center were found to contain some type of heavy metal.  More than half of the products contained cadmium, which has been found to cause cancer, birth defects, and brain damage.  Other toxic heavy metals like mercury and lead were also detected.  Even more disturbing is the fact that the popularity of these products is mostly centered among the younger population.  Children are especially at risk because their developing brains and bodies are particularly susceptible to heavy metal poisoning.  The paint manufacturers have assured the public that the heavy metal contents are within legal limits, but health advocates claim that these limits are far too high anyway.  More testing on how permeable the skin barrier is to paint is needed.  So next time you want to dress up as a blood-sucking vampire or courageous lion for Halloween, consider the consequences and perhaps choose a mask instead of face paint!  

Full article can be found at: http://www.naturalnews.com/034003_face_paint_heavy_metals.html 

Paraíso de Dios

Over spring break I went to the Dominican Republic for one of my classes and visited Paraíso de Dios. The area previously had a battery factory, and the company there practiced illegal disposal of the lead waste. This waste led to contamination of the surrounding neighborhood resulting in sickness and birth defects of the children there. Many children received a nutritional supplement to help eliminate the lead from their bodies, but some children did not receive proper treatment in time. It sadly led to decreased neural development and now prevents some children from being able to go to school. Once the factory was closed, the land was turned into a park. The led contamination remained until recent years when a proper clean-up was instilled. This article discusses in more detail what occurred in the neighborhood. 

Toxic Mercury Found to in California Fog

According to an article recently posted in the New York Times, scientific research has shown that a highly toxic form of mercury, namely methylmercury, is present in the moist air along the California Coast. Although methylmercury levels in fog are very low, what researchers fear is that methylmercury can be deposited in large quantities along the coastline. Being water soluble, methylmercury can drip down into soil from fog, where it can then be taken up by plants and animals, and therefore enter into the food web. This is a serious issue that must be addressed, for when exposed to humans, methylmercury primarily impairs neurological development. Currently, research teams are studying how methylmercury makes its way into fog and also measuring the levels of this neurotoxin in insects. Read more about this study here!