Regulatory Issues
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Apr 18 | News
New
research from North Carolina State University shows that federal
requirements governing diesel engines of new tractor trailer trucks have
resulted in major cuts in emissions of particulate matter and nitrogen
oxides—pollutants that have significant human health and environmental
impacts.
Apr 3 | News
Despite
concern from some scientists who believe exposure to BPA can harm the
reproductive and nervous systems of humans, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration has turned down a petition from environmentalists that
would have banned the plastic-hardening chemical bisphenol-A from all
food and drink packaging, including plastic bottles and canned food.
Feb 23 | News
Drillers
require a lot of energy to recover and refine heavy, viscous bitumen
from Canada’s oil sands. In the first look at the effect of air
pollution from the excavation of oil sands, also called tar sands,
scientists used satellites to measure nitrogen dioxide and sulfur
dioxide. The effects, they say, are equivalent of a large power plant or
a medium-sized city.
12/12/2011 | News
A
U.N. climate conference reached a hard-fought agreement Sunday on a
complex and far-reaching program meant to set a new course for the
global fight against climate change for the coming decades. The United
States was a reluctant supporter, concerned about agreeing to join an
international climate system that likely would find much opposition in
the U.S. Congress.
10/21/2011 | News
At
the end of October, the United Nations Environment Programme, or UNEP,
will conduct the third of five meetings to hammer out a treaty that may
involve the comprehensive ban on mercury. The problem, says many health
experts, is that a proposed ban might include thiomersal, a mercury
compound used to prevent contamination and extend the shelf life of
vaccines.
10/21/2011 | News
On
Thursday, California formally adopted the nation's most comprehensive
so-called "cap-and-trade" system. The system will be an experiment by
the world's eighth-largest economy to provide financial incentives for
polluters to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Some businesses claim it
will hurt job growth and increase electricity costs; proponents say it
will do the opposite.
9/28/2011 | News
According to an internal government watchdog, the Obama administration cut corners before concluding that climate-change pollution can endanger human health. This key finding underpins costly new regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency.
9/27/2011 | News
For some, Marcellus Shale natural gas represents a economic boon for America. For others, it’s an ongoing ecological disaster. Scientists worry that as advocates on both sides spin every shred of research to fit their own views, they will ignore the bigger picture.
9/1/2011 | News
More and more natural gas is being extracted from underground shale deposits, but environmental concerns have been raised. Stanford geophysicist Mark Zoback, who recently served on a Department of Energy panel of experts, says it can be done safely.
6/20/2011 | News
According
to an extensive investigation by the Associated Press, federal
regulators have been working closely with the nuclear power industry to
keep the nation's aging reactors operating within safety standards by
repeatedly weakening those standards. The report claims that nuclear
regulatory officials have often decided original regulations are too
strict and has argued that safety margins could be eased without peril.
