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Plankton, base of ocean food web, in big decline. Worldwide phytoplankton levels are down 40 percent since the 1950s, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature. The likely cause is global warming, which makes it hard for the plant plankton to get vital nutrients, say researchers who described their results as both staggering and disturbing.
Associated Press 2010-07-29T09:00-05:00

Accidents plague China's workplaces. Mishaps that threaten lives and the environment are an everyday occurrence in China's workplaces—in coal mines, fireworks plants or at ports. In the first half of this year, an average of 187 people died per day in industrial accidents, China's government reported this month.
Wall Street Journal 2010-07-29T09:00-05:00

Plan to ship radioactive generators on Great Lakes faces backlash. A global outcry is growing over a proposal to ship 16 aging radioactive steam generators across Ontario's Great Lakes, a plan critics say risks turning the iconic waterways into a permanent corridor for the transportation of nuclear waste.
Postmedia News 2010-07-29T09:00-05:00

Crackdown in U.S. will bring clean air to Ontario. Tough new U.S. rules on coal-fired plants in Smog Alley look to profoundly cut air pollution in southern Ontario.
Toronto Star 2010-07-29T09:00-05:00

Hydro-fracking fight hijacks spill bill. The fight over the Senate offshore drilling “spill bill” shifted Wednesday from the Gulf of Mexico to the mountains of western Pennsylvania, as Republicans slammed the last-minute inclusion of language to regulate a controversial technique to extract onshore natural gas.
Politico 2010-07-29T09:00-05:00

Vietnam's forgotten war victims. When Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, visited Vietnam on Thursday she extolled the country's "unlimited potential" and strong trade relations with the US. But the words must have rung hollow for Ngyuen Ngoc Phuong, who has seen his potential destroyed by American chemical poisoning, resulting from dioxin contamination in Agent Orange.
Al Jazeera 2010-07-23T09:00-05:00

Researchers model personal pollution exposure. A new study finds that people's diets matter more than their local environment, when it comes to how much organic chemical pollution settles into our bodies. A person living in the Arctic is about 520 times more susceptible to some pollutant exposures than a person eating a mixed diet in the temperate zone, scientists estimated.
Chemical & Engineering News 2010-07-23T09:00-05:00

Unborn babies exposed to chemicals. A new study says some babies were born with hundreds of chemicals in their blood. Most mothers-to-be try to be extra careful when they are expecting. But there may be nothing a pregnant woman can do to avoid exposing her unborn child.
Cleveland WKYC TV 2010-07-23T09:00-05:00

Hormone-disrupting chemicals a danger to all. The Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment are concerned that future generations are facing a "chromosome debt" that may pose an even greater threat to their health and quality of life.
Ogden Standard-Examiner 2010-07-14T09:00-05:00

Agriculture might have impact on pregnancies. There is a growing body of epidemiologic evidence that exposure to agricultural contaminates near the time of conception may increase the risk of conceiving a child with a birth defect. A new investigation should cause us to pause and consider once again the deplorable implications of earthly pollution on humankind.
Muncie Star Press 2010-07-13T09:00-05:00

San Francisco compost no more toxic than others. Compost made from the effluent that San Franciscans flush down their toilets does not contain any more toxins than the soil treatments and animal excrement available in garden stores, according to a San Francisco Public Utilities Commission study released Tuesday.
San Francisco Chronicle 2010-07-28T09:00-05:00

Desert, dust and toxins. Scientists in Tucson are examining human exposure to mine tailings, or residual dust from mines, and the early indications are troubling.
Phoenix KSAZ TV 2010-07-27T09:00-05:00

Receipts could be harmful to your health. Cash-register receipts from many fast-food outlets, groceries, pharmacies, big-box stores and U.S. post offices contain high levels of the endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol A.
AOL News 2010-07-27T09:00-05:00

Urban air pollutants may damage IQs before baby's first breath, scientists say. A pair of studies involving more than 400 pregnant women in two cities has found that 5-year-olds exposed in the womb to above-average levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, score lower on IQ tests. The compounds, created by the burning of fossil fuels, are ubiquitous in urban environments.
Environmental Health News 2010-07-26T09:00-05:00

Oil spill spreads to 35 miles; Granholm calls response inadequate. Contamination from a massive oil spill in the Kalamazoo River has spread to 35 miles from the initial the source of the leak, potentially endangering a previously polluted site and prompting a sharp rebuke from the governor.
Detroit News 2010-07-29T09:00-05:00

Health group sues FDA over antimicrobial soap. A nonprofit environmental group has sued the U.S. FDA, claiming the agency failed to regulate toxic chemicals found in "antimicrobial" soap and other personal care products. It alleges that two common ingredients, triclosan and triclocarban, can damage reproductive organs, sperm quality and hormone production.
Reuters Health 2010-07-29T09:00-05:00

Subsistence diet not safe from toxins. They're in the foods we eat and the toys our children play with, that's why the safety watchdog group, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, is trying to increase awareness about the chemicals we encounter everyday and recent studies show some concerns about the freshest foods from the wild.
Anchorage KTUU TV 2010-07-29T09:00-05:00

BPA concern at Wal-Mart, Whole Foods and others. These days every piece of paper from both green-minded or green-washing companies seems to have that necessary tag line, "printed on 100% post-consumer recycled fiber with vegetable-based inks." I predict that this tag line is going to get even longer--especially for cash register receipts.
Forbes 2010-07-29T09:00-05:00

Working to ban dangerous chemicals. Maine's awful ranking may inspire future legislation that will be ripe for enactment. I will oppose any effort to poison for profit our children and grandchildren from infancy to adulthood.
Portsmouth Herald 2010-07-29T09:00-05:00

Joint clean-up effort breathes life into waterway. For decades the Cooks River has had a reputation as one of the country's dirtiest waterways — lethal to marine life and unsafe for swimmers. But work by a coalition of councils is helping to reduce pollution in the river and is slowly improving its health and amenity.
Sydney Morning Herald 2010-07-29T09:00-05:00

A solar-power first. The world’s first molten-salt-based solar thermal power plant has just opened in Sicily, capable of generating five megawatts of power – about enough to power 5,000 homes.
Climate Central 2010-07-28T09:00-05:00

Experts illuminate the future of lighting. When a San Francisco lighting designer set out to remodel his home, he knew he wanted to upgrade the lighting and make it more energy efficient without sacrificing the style and look of the home. He found, to his delight, that energy-efficient lighting also can be aesthetically pleasing.
San Francisco Chronicle 2010-07-25T09:00-05:00

Portland architect developing energy-saving air conditioning system. Architect John Breshears finds inspiration in unusual places, which partly explains why his patented air conditioning design looks like fish gills. It may make air conditioners up to 40 percent more efficient.
Portland Oregonian 2010-07-25T09:00-05:00

Plug-in hybrids curb smog. Researchers have modeled how Denver's air quality would change if the whole city adopted electric cars.
Chemical & Engineering News 2010-07-23T09:00-05:00

Freedom of spill research threatened. An Alabama paper reported that beleaguered oil giant BP was hurriedly signing up scientists to gather data for the company, to aid its defence in cases arising from the Deepwater Horizon spill. The catch was that these lucrative contracts also restricted the scientists' freedom to publish their research.
Nature 2010-07-29T09:00-05:00

Obama must take a lead on climate change – and soon. Three factors – the enormous economic challenge of reducing greenhouse gases, the complexity of climate science, and deliberate campaigns to confuse the public and discredit the science – add up to the overarching problem: US politicians' unwillingness or inability to formulate a sensible climate-change policy.
London Guardian 2010-07-29T09:00-05:00

Green chemistry program must be strong, efficient and open to public. The Department of Toxic Substances Control’s draft regulations to implement California's Green Chemistry Initiative fall far short of meeting its worthy goals.
Sacramento Capitol Weekly 2010-07-29T09:00-05:00

BP offering Gulf-area scientists lucrative contracts. Faced with hundreds of lawsuits and a deep need for experts, BP has been offering some Gulf Coast scientists lucrative consulting contracts that bar them from releasing their findings on the company's massive oil spill for three years.
Associated Press 2010-07-24T09:00-05:00

What "clinically proven" means for a beauty product. Science doesn't just help to invent new products, it can push existing ones.
Reuters Health 2010-07-24T09:00-05:00

Common herbicide suspected in frog sex changes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will present findings in September on the safety of atrazine, one of the most common herbicides used in the U.S. But studies show the chemical affects the sexual development of amphibians, raising concerns about its effect on people.
International Business Times 2010-07-28T09:00-05:00

Large quantities of controversial chemical bisphenol-A found in paper receipts. A new analysis by an environmental group suggests Americans are being exposed to BPA through another, surprising route: paper receipts.
Washington Post 2010-07-27T09:00-05:00

Childhood radiation therapy linked to stillbirths later on. Women who had radiation treatment on reproductive areas for cancer as children are more likely to experience a stillbirth or have a baby die in the first four weeks of life, a new report says.
Toronto Globe and Mail 2010-07-24T09:00-05:00

Downing diet soda tied to risk of premature birth. New research suggests that drinking lots of artificially sweetened beverages may be linked with an increased risk of premature births.
Reuters Health 2010-07-24T09:00-05:00