US military is a bigger polluter than as many as 140 countries – shrinking this war machine is a must. By Benjamin Neimark, Oliver Belcher, Patrick Bigger. theconversation.com. 24/06/19. The US military’s carbon bootprint is enormous. Like corporate supply chains, it relies upon an extensive global network of container ships, trucks and cargo planes to […]

Ammonia synthesis: the greatest innovation of the 20th century. An exceptional compound with two sides. By Enrique Sacristán. agenciasinc.es. August 01,  2018.In addition to being a well-known cleaning product, ammonia is essential in the manufacture of fertilizers that, equally, are necessary to produce food for livestock and mankind. The chemical process to synthesize this nitrogenous […]

Thirteen bald eagles were found dead in a field. This is what killed them. By Karin Brulliard and Dana Hedgpeth. nptelegraph.com. June 21, 2018. The 13 bald eagles were found lifeless on a Maryland farm more than two years ago, many with wings splayed, bodies intact, and talons clenched. Several were too young to have […]

Why pristine lakes are filled with toxins. By Melissa Hogenboom. bbcnews. April 30, 2018. Much of the focus on plastic pollution centres on our oceans. Emerging evidence shows it’s also a problem in freshwater, which may even be the source. In 2016 a team of scientists scoured a dozen beaches around the shores of Lake […]

Sixty people are rushed to hospital in South Africa after being poisoned by eating a cow that had been killed by a COBRA. By Jamie  Pyatt and Alex Green. dailymail.co.uk.  February 02, 2018. Villagers from Mpoza, Eastern Cape, ate flesh from a dead cow killed by a snake.  Old and young suffered diarrhoea, vomiting, headaches […]

7-Fold Spike Seen in Opioid-Linked Fatal Car Crashes. medlineplus.gov. July 31, 2017. Two decades of U.S. data show another way these prescription medications are taking lives.In yet another sign of just how deadly the U.S. opioid epidemic has become, researchers report a sevenfold increase in the number of drivers killed in car crashes while under […]

Snake sex is every bit as peculiar as you would expect. By Sandrine Ceurstemont. bbcnews. June 09, 2017. We used to assume that male snakes were in charge and females were largely passive, but that has proved to be spectacularly wrong.When Jesús Rivas removed a female anaconda from a snake orgy in order to examine […]

As U.S. Heroin Use Reaches 20-Year High, Cost to Society Soars. By Robert Preidt. medlineplus.gov.* June 14, 2017. Tab is nearly $51,000 for each heroin user, far more than many chronic illnesses. Heroin use cost the United States more than $51 billion in 2015, a new study shows. The financial toll includes heroin-related crime and […]

Wild ‘Death Cap’ Mushroom Seriously Sickens 14 in California. By Margaret Farley Steele. medlineplus.gov. June 01, 2017. Foraging by novices tied to 3 people needing liver transplants and permanent brain damage in a child.A bumper crop of deadly wild "death cap" mushrooms in northern California is likely to blame for the poisonings of 14 people […]

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome a Global Problem: Report. By Robert Preidt. medline.plus. January 17, 2017. Countries with highest alcohol use during pregnancy include Belarus, Britain, Denmark, Ireland and Russia. About 119,000 children worldwide are born each year with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), a new report finds.The syndrome refers to a group of conditions that include poor […]

Alcohol Can Be a Risky Guest at Holiday Parties. By Mary Elizabeth Dallas. medlineplus.gov. December 11, 2016. Don’t pressure people to drink and make sure those who are imbibing have a designated driver.During the holiday season, gatherings and parties are a part of the festivities. Unfortunately, so are alcohol-related accidents and deaths.Many people who attend […]

Tattoos can cause cancer – with one colour potentially more toxic than others, study says. By Kate Nelson. independent.co.uk. July 26, 2016. Their ink is not currently regulated in the EU, with cheap Chinese imports causing concern. Tattoos can cause cancer and mutations – and one colour is potentially more toxic than others, according to […]

FDA Renews Call to Reduce Salt in Processed Foods. By Robert Preidt. medlineplus.gov.* July 22, 2016. By cutting down on hidden sodium sources, agency hopes to reduce America’s overall intake. Americans eat way too much salt, and one reason why is that processed and prepared foods have a lot of hidden salt, the U.S. Food […]

Beware Broken Glow Sticks. By Robert Preidt. nlm.nih.gov. July 04, 2016. Contents can irritate skin, eyes, mouth, poison-control experts say.Letting kids chew or cut glow sticks is a bad idea, health experts say. While safer than sparklers and fireworks, pliable glow-in-the-dark products are easily broken open when put in the mouth. The contents can irritate […]

Drug That Killed Prince Is Making Mexican Cartels Richer, U.S. Says. By Azam  Ahmed. nytimes.com. June 09, 2016.The drug that killed Prince has become a favorite of Mexican cartels because it is extremely potent, popular in the United States — and immensely profitable, American officials say. Law enforcement and border authorities in the United States warn […]

FDA Calls for Less Salt in Processed Foods. By Robert Preidt. nlm.nih.gov.J une 1, 2016. Agency sets short- and long-term goals in effort to cut Americans’ risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants the food industry to cut back on the salt. In draft voluntary guidelines issued Wednesday, […]