Environmental News Network

Chicago: Nation's Largest School Bus Company Switches Entire Fleet To Bio-Fuel
CHICAGO - The nation's largest independent school bus company, the Cook Illinois Corporation in Chicago, is switching its entire fleet of school buses to burn bio diesel fuel. Biodiesel is a cleaner-burning diesel fuel made from natural, renewable sources such as vegetable oils. In addition, company officials will kick off a new Clean Air Club for kids and a new website that teaches kids about the importance of reducing air pollution. Cook-Illinois is now the largest school bus fleet in Illinois and the largest independently owned bus company in the country to use this new fuel. >> Read the Full Article
Lettuce, leafy greens and E. coli
The rise in year-round consumption of fresh leafy greens such as lettuce and baby spinach is increasing the difficulty of keeping produce free from contamination by food poisoning bacteria, according to US scientists speaking today (Monday 3 September 2007) at the Society for General Microbiologyâ€™s 161st Meeting at the University of Edinburgh, UK, which runs from 3-6 September 2007. >> Read the Full Article
China Vows to Clean Up Toxins Amid Food Scares
China will clamp down on foods tainted with illegal and excessive chemicals as it seeks to quell domestic and foreign alarm about toxins in meat, seafood and vegetables, the country's top agriculture official said. China is battling a torrent of warnings and recalls abroad that have shaken international markets' confidence in the "made in China" label on products ranging from toothpaste and toys to food and tires. >> Read the Full Article
Baby Yoga, Made Easy
COLUMBUS, Ohio, - It's called Itsy Bitsy Yoga. As the name implies, it's yoga for babies, taught to mom and baby via DVD. The DVD introduces babies to yoga routines that can help them learn to stretch, roll and crawl, while helping moms better understand their babies' physical development and abilities. A recent survey of fitness providers found a 40 percent increase in demand for parent-baby fitness classes(1). Additionally, research shows that having a baby triggers greater attention to health and nutrition issues(2). >> Read the Full Article
WHO confirms five human bird flu cases in Vietnam
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed five human bird flu cases in Vietnam, four of them fatal, the U.N. agency said in a statement. The four, including two women, died between June 21 and August 3 while a fifth person, a 29-year-old man, had recovered, it said. All five cases, which had been confirmed earlier by Vietnam-based laboratory tests, were from the country's north. They brought the total human infections in the Southeast Asian country since 2003 to 100 with 46 fatalities. >> Read the Full Article
Malaria Mosquito's Odour-Sensing Systems Mapped
Vanderbilt University - Scientists have mapped a sensory organ that the principal malaria-carrying mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, uses to hunt down humans. They hope this will help in developing better mosquito attractants that will divert them away from humans and reduce the threat of malaria infection. >> Read the Full Article
Scientists have something to chew on:Ancient yucca chaws yield ancient DNA
In a groundbreaking study, two Harvard scientists have for the first time extracted human DNA from ancient artifacts. The work potentially opens up a new universe of sources for ancient genetic material, which is used to map human migrations in prehistoric times. Before this, archaeologists could only get ancient DNA from relics of the human body itself, including prehistoric teeth, bones, fossilized feces, or â€” rarely â€” preserved flesh. Such sources of DNA are hard to find, poorly preserved, or unavailable because of cultural and legal barriers. >> Read the Full Article
Red wine compound shown to prevent prostate cancer
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have found that nutrients in red wine may help reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. The study involved male mice that were fed a plant compound found in red wine called resveratrol, which has shown anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties. Other sources of resveratrol in the diet include grapes, raspberries, peanuts and blueberries. >> Read the Full Article
Star Trek Medical Device Uses Ultrasound Could Seal Punctured Lungs
SEATTLE - Engineers at the University of Washington are working with Harborview Medical Center doctors to create new emergency treatments right out of Star Trek: a tricorder type device using high-intensity focused ultrasound rays. This summer, researchers published the first experiment using ultrasound to seal punctured lungs. >> Read the Full Article
New Book: The Macho, Homophobic World Of Adolescent Boys; Harassment, Predatory Behavior
University of California, Berkeley - Researcher Cheri Jo Pascoe spent a year and a half hanging out in a high-school weight room, auto shop, and drama class, and she learned what frightens adolescent males most. â€œBeing called a fag is the specter that constantly lurksâ€ in the minds of high-school boys, explains Pascoe, a postdoctoral scholar at the Institute for Social Change, UC Berkeley. >> Read the Full Article