Environmental News Network

Cases of Swine Flu Grow in US, Internationally
The human swine flu outbreak continues to grow in the United States and internationally. Today, CDC reports additional cases of confirmed swine influenza and a number of hospitalizations of swine flu patients. Internationally, the situation is more serious too, with additional countries reporting confirmed cases of swine flu. >> Read the Full Article
Pandemic Fears as Flu Kills 68
A swine flu virus outbreak that has rapidly claimed up to 68 lives in Mexico, and infected people in the US, was last night declared a "public health emergency of international concern". The decision, made by the World Health Organisation (WHO), means that countries are now being asked to step up surveillance for any cases. >> Read the Full Article
Shell Settles Air Pollution Accusations
The oil company Royal Dutch Shell said Thursday that it had reached a $5.8 million settlement over claims of air pollution at its Deer Park refinery near Houston. >> Read the Full Article
DDT Exposure in Womb May Cause Obesity
It's not just what you eat and how much you exercise that can pack on the pounds. What your mother consumed during her pregnancy may also add to your own waistline later in life. >> Read the Full Article
Ontario to enact toughest pesticide ban in Canada
Ontario will enact the toughest rules in Canada when its pesticide ban takes effect today, a move that could land the province in the legal crosshairs of an international trade dispute. >> Read the Full Article
Pesticide exposure found to increase risk of Parkinson's disease
In a new epidemiological study of Central Valley residents who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, researchers found that years of exposure to the combination of these two pesticides increased the risk of Parkinson's by 75 percent. Further, for people 60 years old or younger diagnosed with Parkinson's, earlier exposure had increased their risk for the disease by as much as four- to six-fold. >> Read the Full Article
Southern Calif. District Reduces Water Supply, Hikes Rates
Effective July 1, the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California reduced supplies its member public agencies for the first time since 1991. The financial impacts of higher Delta costs due to supply reductions caused by new regulatory restraints also were primary factors behind a rate increase approved by the board in a separate action. The rate increase will take effect Sept. 1. "Up to 19 million Southern Californians this summer will feel the impact of a new water reality that has been in the making for years, if not decades," said Metropolitan board Chair Timothy F. Brick. >> Read the Full Article
Is 'Better Safe Than Sorry' Reason Enough For Law?
A federal proposal to restrict a plastic additive called bisphenol A (BPA) is focusing attention on a guiding concept known as the "precautionary principle." The proposal would ban BPA from food and beverage containers. Proponents say the precautionary principle requires such a ban because high doses of BPA can cause reproductive abnormalities and cancer in animals. >> Read the Full Article
The World's Cleanest Countries
The Environmental Performance Index, developed by Columbia and Yale Universities, ranks the environmental performance of 140 countries based on 25 categories ranging from air and water quality to biodiversity and the use of pesticides. This list looks at the top countries in each of six world regions and the ways in which each excel, as well as areas where the countries lag their peers. >> Read the Full Article
Removing Toxic Mercury From Fish Oil While Retaining Beneficial Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Faced with the global demand for fish oils and tighter restrictions in the EU on toxins in the oils, a cluster of Norwegian and French companies and researchers saw a niche in the market for a cost-effective method to remove harmful components. >> Read the Full Article