The FDA is recommending Gardasil for boys, saying in a memo that it seems to be safe and effective in preventing genital warts in young men and boys. And guess what! None of the boys tested got cervical cancer! Kidding.
The way the tests work today is we think that by testing at high doses we’re gonna see everything. So that once we get to a dose that’s intermediate and we don’t see anything, we’re golden.
But the science is telling us that at really low doses as contaminants mimic hormones. They can have effects that are totally unpredictable by what happens at high doses.
Pete Myers spoke to Living on Earth about the consequences of current testing.
According to the title of an article published in The City of Lancaster’s Outlook (Fall 2009) magazine “The Future Looks Bright for Solar Power in Lancaster”.
My small town, all 475,000 of us, are at the forefront of solar energy! On August 5, 2009, eSolar unveiled the 5 MW (mega watt) demonstration plant known as Sierra SunTower. The solar power plant has24,000 mirrors and two giant tower house boilers. The boilers create what’s known as “thermal solar” which is said to be more cost-effective than the standard photovoltaic approach used in solar cells. The process creates steam to drive the turbine generators. The project was completed in 14 month time frame and has already begun to distribute power to Southern California Edison.
eSolar’s site says “Sierra SunTower will supply 5 MW of clean, renewable energy to the grid. This full-scale power plant, the only one of its kind in the U.S., produces electricity for Southern California Edison (SCE) and will power up to 4,000 homes.”
Even before this news came out, you may have already cut the HFCS from your family’s diet. But manufacturers are sneaky. There is the corn sweetener in things you wouldn’t even suspect: ketchup, yogurt, salad dressing. Actually, condiments are the biggest culprits when it comes to the mercury/high fructose corn syrup link.
So what did this brilliant researcher receive for her tireless work? Surely, a commendation, right? Nope. Renee Dufault is currently suffering through early retirement in Hawaii.
The swine flu has been widely believed to eventually become resistant to Tamiflu, an antiviral flu drug administered orally. Many people rely on Tamiflu instead of the vaccine for the seasonal flu to avoid contact with thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative found in most types of flu vaccines. (Though the FDA and CDC say Tamiflu is not a replacement for any flu vaccine, but in the case of the swine flu, has been approved for Emergency Use Authorization.)
Now, scientists in Denmark have discovered the first strain of H1N1 that is resistant to Tamiflu. Officials there issued a statement, quoted by Reuters:
It does not constitute a risk to public health and does not cause changes to the recommendations for the use of oseltamivir (Tamiflu).
They were also a huge annoyance to Daniel Burd, who said that they’d come pouring out of the closet every time he did chores.
One day, I got tired of it and I wanted to know what other people are doing with these plastic bags.
So he did what any teen would do. He experimented with bacteria and decomposed a plastic bag in 3 months, winning top prize in the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Ottawa.
Now a new study shows that kids with childhood leukemia have elevated levels of household pesticides in their urine. The study was performed at the Georgetown University Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
These aren’t industrial-level pollutants, either. These are everyday chemicals people pick up at the hardware store and use in their very own backyards.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius has signed a document to provide legal immunity for the manufacturers of the new swine flu vaccine, the Associated Press reports.
The first time the government had a major round of swine flu vaccines, many complained of adverse side effects and filed claims against the companies. But this time, the government has nipped it in the bud. We’re protecting the companies before we even know what those side effects might be.
That’s because vaccines aren’t as profitable for manufacturers as other drugs, so the makers took a stance that worried government officials, thus leading to the legal immunity. The attitude of the companies was,
Do we really need this?
I don’t know about you, but I’m asking the same thing.
I have to credit my sister-in-law for this one. She’s a recent convert to “all things natural” and is sharing her new discoveries with evangelical enthusiasm. The latest is the apparent evidence that having a spoonful of honey at bedtime helps you get to sleep, and stay asleep. She swears that she has noticed an enormous difference in her own sleep since trying this.
I’ve struggled with insomnia my whole life. My son seems to be heading down the same route. As he has SPD (Sensory Processing Dysfunction) and possibly ADHD, his sleep is vitally important yet he cannot settle down to rest. We’ve had to resort to him taking melatonin most nights for the past couple years, though we’ve recently been working to find other means to help him relax and get to sleep.
Will a simple dose of honey solve our sleep problems? We’re going to find out. And I’ll keep you posted right here on Eco Child’s Play. Stay tuned!
is a fun and fabulous book for people that love to create their own gadgets.
