Posted April 11, 2012 by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
This week, the U.S. EPA may have opened the door to a major expansion in the use of a pesticide known as 2,4-D, by denying a 2008 petition from NRDC to ban the dangerous chemical. The EPA sat on the...continued→
Posted March 30, 2012 by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
FDA is kicking the BPA-lined can further down the road in an announcement today that the Agency plans to keep studying this issue while consumers continue to be exposed. Specifically, the Agency's response to NRDC's petition is: "FDA has determined,...continued→
Posted March 22, 2012 by Gina Solomon in Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
Yesterday, in a victory for farmworkers and agricultural communities, the manufacturer of a highly controversial agricultural fumigant suspended sales in the United States. Methyl iodide was used on a variety of crops, including strawberries, tomatoes, and nursery plants, and it...continued→
Posted February 23, 2012 by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
This weekend, I walked the aisles of a large home supply store near my home. Sure enough, on the shelves were an array of weed killers and "weed and feed" products marketed to keep your lawn looking great. My little...continued→
Posted February 22, 2012 by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
There are so many toxic chemicals and pollutants in our air, water, food, and consumer products that it's easy to just focus on one at a time and get stuck in the details of each specific case. But sometimes it's...continued→
Posted December 8, 2011 by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment, Solving Global Warming
As a health professional, I knew that disasters could have devastating impacts on the physical health and psychological well-being of the people who lived through them. But it was only when I went to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina that...continued→
Posted November 22, 2011 by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment, Moving Beyond Oil
Last night, our recent scientific paper on Gulf seafood safety was featured on Anderson Cooper's 360*. It's a nice piece, and is worth watching, since it highlights the ongoing crisis in the Gulf fisheries, and the ongoing disagreements about seafood...continued→
Posted November 4, 2011 by Gina Solomon in Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
The Martin family lives in Maywood, California, just minutes from Los Angeles. They are dealing with chronic illnesses and a history of lead poisoning. Now they are trying to learn more about what might be affecting their health, and whether the...continued→
Posted October 12, 2011 by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
October is National Seafood Month, so it’s a good time to reflect on seafood safety. I have been raising concerns for years about this issue, since it’s an important and delicate balancing act for doctors and consumers. On the one...continued→
Posted September 29, 2011 by Gina Solomon in Curbing Pollution
Anyone who saw the famous movie Erin Brockovich is familiar with hexavalent chromium, or 'hex chrome'; it's the carcinogen that polluted the town water supply in Hinkley, California and triggered the David vs. Goliath fight between sick community members (aided by Erin...continued→
Posted September 22, 2011 by Gina Solomon in Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
Successful environmental health programs are on the chopping block in this year's budget. President Obama has proposed major budget cuts to the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Center for Environmental Health, including asthma prevention programs, funds to track and investigate lead...continued→
Posted August 25, 2011 by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment, Solving Global Warming
Like most people on the East Coast, I’m anxiously watching the approach of Hurricane Irene, a swirling knot of wind and rain taking dead aim at New York City, where I’m currently visiting my family. I had been hoping to...continued→
Posted August 10, 2011 by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment, Solving Global Warming
Mosquito and ticks carry a variety of infectious agents, including those that cause malaria, West Nile, Dengue Fever and Lyme disease. NRDC recently launched a new website with climate maps of the United States. One of the maps shows the areas...continued→
Posted July 27, 2011 by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
Today, the State of California took an important step toward protecting people from cancer-causing chromium in drinking water. After a decade of study, public review, meetings, and scientific analysis, the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) released a final Public Health Goal (PHG) for hexavalent...continued→
Posted July 14, 2011 by Gina Solomon in Health and the Environment
On Tuesday, my colleague, Dr. Sarah Janssen, attended a hearing of a California scientific panel that identifies reproductive toxicants. The panel unanimously rejected a chemical industry petition that would have eliminated the National Toxicology Program as an authoritative agency for...continued→
Switchboard is the staff blog of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the nation’s most effective environmental group. For more about our work, including in-depth policy documents, action alerts and ways you can contribute, visit NRDC.org.
