Pollution causes 40 percent of deaths‏

Water, air and soil pollution causes 40 percent of deaths worldwide, Cornell research survey finds… By Susan Lang About 40 percent of deaths worldwide are caused by water, air and soil pollution, concludes a Cornell researcher. Such environmental degradation, coupled with the growth in world population, are major causes behind the rapid increase in human diseases, [...]

Extreme Ice Survey: The Must-Watch Movie of 2012

Forget 007 and Skyfall. Why not watch a movie that all of us starred in. Not as incidental extras, but leads, with very important roles in the plot and subplot. We’ve made this movie happen with our everyday acts – like turning our mall aircons to mimic temperate climates – so bring out the popcorn [...]

UN chemical experts recommend that widely used flame retardant be phased out of global production and use – UNEP

  19 October 2012, Geneva - A UN expert body has recommended that the industrial flame retardanthexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) be eliminated from the global marketplace to protect human health and the environment. HBCD is used mainly in expanded polystyrene and extruded polystyrene. It is also used in textile coatings and in high impact polystyrene for electrical and electronic [...]

Utility-scale solar plant for Fukushima

A  Japanese town recovering from the Fukushima disaster is teaming with Toshiba Corp. to build several solar electricity plants that combined could be Japan’s largest solar facility, according to several reports. The northeast coastal town of Minami Soma plans to install 100 megawatts of solar at a cost of 30 billion yen ($378 million), Reuters reported [...]

Products Made from Oil – Surprising Products That Are Made of Oil

    Ammonia Antifreeze Antiseptics Art supplies Artificial limbs Aspirin Astroturf Awnings Bandages Cleaning products Candles Carpets Caulking Clothing Crayons Creams Cosmetics Cutlery Dentures Dice Dyes Electronics Film Fishing line Floor wax Foam Glasses Glue Glycerin Guitar strings Heart valves Helmets Ink Insulation Lubricants Medicine Nail polish Nylon Paint Paint brushes Panty hose Petroleum jelly [...]

Electric and hydrogen cars: What noise should they make?

    It is a unique and slightly bizarre question facing the car industry, as most electric vehicles are virtually silent. This can cause problems for other road users. via BBC News

Pesticides a Threat to Children’s I.Q., Studies Find

    Prenatal exposure to pesticides — common in agricultural areas as well as low-income urban neighborhoods, where the chemicals are used to control cockroaches and other insects — can significantly affect a child’s ability to succeed in school, a trio of new studies finds. “This is not trivial,” a researcher says. [Yale Environment 360] [...]