Aug 09 This EPA rule may expand asbestos use, and the deadline for feedback just passed By Nsikan Akpan Critics say a proposed rule would allow asbestos to make a comeback. EPA officials say it will do the opposite, filling a loophole that companies could use to manufacture asbestos. Here's what you need to know. Continue reading
Aug 08 Will geoengineering to cool the planet harm crops? By Annie Sneed, Scientific American Solar geoengineering would ease heat stress, but also block vital sunlight for plants, according to a new study published Wednesday. Continue reading
Aug 08 Watch 9:11 How an earthquake alert app could eventually give the West Coast vital warning By Cat Wise West Coast residents go about life knowing seismic threats are lurking, but there's a lot that people can do before an earthquake hits if they have even a few seconds of warning. A system called "ShakeAlert" picks up seismic information… Continue watching
Aug 08 Watch 4:29 A new lust for elephant skin jewelry could decimate Myanmar’s giants By Nsikan Akpan The poaching of African elephants, where they are murdered for their ivory tusks, is well-documented. But halfway around world in Myanmar, their cousins are 10 times more endangered and facing a new serious threat. Poachers are taking the skin of… Continue watching
Aug 07 CDC says 1 in 7 babies exposed to Zika have health problems By Amanda Grennell One in seven infants exposed to Zika in utero experienced microcephaly, seizures, hearing deficiencies or other health problems during their first year of life, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday. Continue reading
Aug 05 Watch 4:01 Hundreds of toxic sites await cleanup under Superfund program By PBS News Hour In 1980, the Congress approved the Superfund program, generating money to clean up the country’s most hazardous toxic sites by imposing a tax on industries that polluted the most. Since 2000, the program’s purchasing power has declined by 40 percent… Continue watching
Aug 05 What is a blockchain token? By Stephen McKeon, The Conversation People are just becoming acquainted with the idea of digital money in the form of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, where transactions are recorded on a secure distributed database called a blockchain. Continue reading
Aug 04 Poison control calls spike for unapproved drug that produces opioid-like highs By Megan Thielking, STAT Calls to U.S. poison control centers about an unapproved antidepressant that has opioid-like effects have climbed dramatically since 2015, according to a new analysis published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Continue reading
Aug 02 Watch 3:26 Trump administration plans rollback of fuel standards, setting up legal fight with states Over President Obama's tenure, rules were put in place that would have nearly doubled the average fuel economy standard in the U.S., which the Trump administration has argued goes too far. Now a new EPA proposal would set standards to… Continue watching
Aug 02 A child lost a sixth of his brain, then made an amazing comeback By Amanda Grennell A child's major brain surgery could have sacrificed key skills, including the ability to recognize faces. Instead his brain shifted the jobs elsewhere. Continue reading