Environmental News Network

Healing the Heart after a Stroke/Heart Attack
Suffering through a stroke or heart attack, while definitely survivable, can take a tremendous toll on the overall well-being of the heart. It can cause heart scarring which can lead to the thinning of the heart walls and a lessened ability to pump blood throughout the body. Post-heart attack hearts will never fully return to their previous condition. However, a new treatment developed at Tel Aviv University (TAU) by Professor Uri Oron using stem cells has the ability to restore heart function and health. >> Read the Full Article
Fujia plant in Dalian, China triggers protests
Thousands of people demonstrated in northeastern China on Sunday, demanding the relocation of a petrochemical plant at the center of a toxic spill scare, according to eyewitness accounts and state media. Demonstrators in the port city of Dalian, in Liaoning province, faced down a wall of police in riot gear in front of the municipal government office and minor scuffles broke out, although there was no report of injuries, state news agency Xinhua said. State media said last Monday that residents in Dalian were forced to flee when a storm battering the northeast Chinese coast whipped up waves that burst through a dyke protecting the Fujia plant, which makes paraxylene (PX), a toxic petrochemical used in polyester. Although authorities repaired the dyke and insisted that no spills were detected, the incident sparked panic that PX could have been released, fuelling resentment against the project. Calls on popular microblogging site Weibo and QQ, an instant messaging system, urged residents to protest on Sunday. >> Read the Full Article
Unbelievable! The fastest fish in the sea!
Sometimes an animal is so fast even the record books can't keep up! In this second instalment of "Behind the speed", we journey away from the land into the ocean, to uncover the anatomical secrets of one of natureâ€™s greatest speed demons; the Atlantic sailfish. In pursuit of the title for "fastest animal on the planet" is a fish whose agility and speed pips even a sprinting cheetah to the finishing line. With its long circular bill and elongated body, the sailfish's striking profile makes it a predator created for speed. A master of stability and solidity, the sailfish achieves unbelievable speeds while remaining perfectly on target. Considering the fact that water is over 750 times denser than air, these fish are effectively overcoming greater resistance than to their four-legged feline friends. Which is quite a feat! >> Read the Full Article
'Electronic Skin' Grafts Gadgets to Body
He may have had a laser in his watch and a radio in his lighter, but even James Bond didn't sport gadgets tattooed to his skin. Now he could, thanks to the development of ultrathin electronics that can be placed on the skin as easily as a temporary tattoo. The researchers hope the new devices will pave the way for sensors that monitor heart and brain activity without bulky equipment, or perhaps computers that operate via the subtlest voice commands or body movement. >> Read the Full Article
Organic Poultry Contains Dramatically Fewer Drug Resistant Bacteria
Results of a new study show that poultry raised on farms that have shifted to organic practices have significantly lower levels of antibiotic- and multi-drug resistant enterococci bacteria. >> Read the Full Article
Spinal Disc Implants Help Fight Back Pain
In what is surely to elicit sighs of relief from the millions of people who suffer from lower back and neck pain, a more permanent solution in spinal disc implants has arrived. Engineers at Cornell University and doctors at the Weill Cornell Medical College have developed oxymoronic 'living' artificial discs that outperform current implants used in discectomies, a surgery where damaged spinal discs are removed. >> Read the Full Article
Toxic School Supplies Pose Threat to Children's Health
New York, NY - CHEJ today released its 2011 Back to School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies to help parents choose safer, PVC-free school supplies. The guide is being released just in time for back-to-school shopping. Parents across the country are stocking up on binders and lunchboxes. But while it's easy to know the healthiest foods to pack in those lunchboxes, many parents are not aware of the toxic plastic used to make them. In fact, the average child's character-themed backpack is filled with supplies and materials made from the most toxic plastic for our health and environment, polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl). >> Read the Full Article
Behind the lens of Deadly 60 - Filming a Pit Viper striking a water balloon in slow motion
To get this fantastic action shot, the team took a nifty bit of kit into the jungle with them. Cameraman Johnny Rogers rigged up a miniature camera. We used a Sony HXR MC1P, but there are lots of fairly cheap, lightweight camcorders in the shops now and most have a slo motion feature. For a hot wet jungle in Costa Rica we needed a splash proof camcorder, but also small enough to position it right in front of the action; nice and close to the snake. TV is shot at 24 or 25 frames per second â€“ the viper shot is 60 frames per second. Given that ultra slo motion can be up to 5000fps, this shot is hardly impressive technically but whatâ€™s more important is to get the shot. The result was this great footage of a strike, two and a half times slower than the real action. But you don't have to be a pro to get these kinds of shots. You can pick up a camcorder that shoots as fast as 300 frames per second for a few hundred dollars. >> Read the Full Article
Mold Exposure Has Greater Impact on Infants
The inhalation of mold can be extremely hazardous for the lungs, respiratory system, and overall well-being. Some people are more susceptible than others to the symptoms caused by airborne mold, but it is unhealthy for all. A new study recently published in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology has shown that mold exposure has much greater impact in infants during their formative years. It found that infants living in moldy homes are much more likely to develop asthma by age 7. >> Read the Full Article
Meet the fastest land animal, the magnificent Cheetah
It is well documented who are the speed demons of the Animal Kingdom. We all know that a cheetah can reach speeds of up to 60 mph in a mere three seconds and that the Atlantic sailfish leaps to the top of the podium as the fastest creature in the ocean. Yet it is rarely asked why. What parts of their body have evolved to make them so fast, and for what purpose? In this series, BBC Earth peels back the fur and the scales of these incredible creatures to reveal what it is that makes them so fast. As the world's fastest land mammal, the cheetah's ability for acceleration starts on the inside. The spotted cat mobilizes glycogen molecules that are stored in its large liver to provide huge bursts of energy. However these surges are short lived because they produce an unwelcome by-product, lactic acid, which builds up and causes painful cramps. Which means that cheetahs can only run at full speed for up to 30 seconds. Cheetah's are not just one-trick cats, they have other adaptations up their sleeves, or rather within its hair. Their distinctive spotted coat makes them almost invisible when creeping slowly through the African grasslands. The longer that they can stay camouflaged and the closer they get to their target, the more likely they are to catch their prey before they run out of steam. >> Read the Full Article