Posted by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
We have a whodunit on our hands here in California. Unfortunately it's a serious case, because the health effects will be far-reaching, and the ripples will hurt both people and science. Under the cloak of the California budget crisis, a...continued→
Posted by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
It's amazing how confusing it can be when a new disease emerges, and advice starts flying around. One thing that I want to nip in the bud right now is the idea that "antibacterial" soaps can be helpful for fighting Swine...continued→
Posted by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
Today the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the pandemic alert level for swine flu to 5. That's on a scale of 0-6, so the needle's creeping up into the red zone. A pandemic 5 means that there is human-to-human spread of...continued→
Posted by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
The automated voice on my answering machine at first sounded like a telemarketing call. Yet as my finger moved to the 'delete' button, I stopped. "THIS IS A TEST OF THE DISASTER HEALTHCARE VOLUNTEERS NOTIFICATION SYSTEM," the mechanical voice intoned....continued→
Posted by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
When my team at NRDC decided to study whether flea collars leave a hazardous residue on cats and dogs, we really didn't know if there was a problem. It seemed possible that we wouldn't find much, and that the residues...continued→
Posted by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
When I give talks on health and the environment, I almost always get asked about mercury. People want to know whether it's safe to eat fish, whether the mercury in fish is dangerous, and how they can protect themselves. These questions...continued→
Posted by Gina Solomon in Environmental Justice , Health and the Environment
Last summer I stood in a school yard next to the huge cement kiln in the town of Oro Grande, California. It was hard not to be impressed. The school was new, and the soccer field was perfectly manicured. The playground...continued→
Posted by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
Maybe it's because I'm a doctor, or maybe it's just that I'm a nerd; but data and numbers are really important to me. When I see patients in clinic, I monitor their vital signs, try to do a good physical exam,...continued→
Posted by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
I took a friend who's visiting from Ireland to our local flea market this weekend. It's quite a cultural experience. She found some unique (and inexpensive) gifts to bring home. I trolled for my favorite stuff - toxic junk. Sure...continued→
Posted by Gina Solomon in Environmental Justice , Health and the Environment
The other day I got a call from one of my colleagues, Joe Lyou, from Southern California. Joe runs a great group called the California Environmental Rights Alliance. CERA advocates for environmental justice in communities unlucky enough to have major pollution...continued→
Posted by Gina Solomon in Environmental Justice , Health and the Environment
Just a few days ago, I wrote on this blog that I'm in the mood for some good news, and today I'm happy to announce that I have some great news! EPA has just announced that it will follow the advice...continued→
Posted by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
Scratch, scratch, scratch.... The sound of Cricket's toenails digging into his belly woke me last night at 3:00 AM. How annoying. The little guy has a flea, and that means today's bath day. Our dogs recognize the bath day ritual...continued→
Posted by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
So I'm barely back from sabbatical, and stuff is happening thick and fast. The EPA is under a court order to issue an updated standard for lead in the air by this Wednesday, October 15th. The current standard was set...continued→
Posted by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
It has been a while since I blogged on Switchboard, but it's good to be back. This summer, after 12 years as a Senior Scientist at NRDC, I took a four month sabbatical. It wasn't exactly relaxing, since I used...continued→
Posted by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
The dominos are really starting to fall, as major manufacturers and retailers line up to announce that they are removing bisphenol A (BPA) from their products, or are pulling these products from their shelves. Although it’s gratifying to see this...continued→
