Civilian contractors supporting U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan face many of the same dangers as troops do, but the system for providing healthcare when theyâre injured is very different. An investigation by the Los Angeles Times and Pro Publica found that the insurance companies responsible for their treatment routinely deny serious medical claims. The […]
Next Tuesday (April 28th) is Workers Memorial Day, when people around the world remember workers killed and injured on the job and call for improved workplace safety and health. Here in DC, weâre marking the occasion with a rally in front of the Department of Labor, then a march to the House and Senate hearing […]
by revere, cross-posted from Effect Measure There are plenty of tragedies in this story about a plant manager sentenced to almost 6 years in prison for criminal conspiracy, covering up safety violations that killed a fork lift worker, and polluting the Delaware River. Fifty-nine year old John Prisque worked for Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe […]
The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, and it heralded a new era in the US. The New Yorkerâs Elizabeth Kolbert explains: Among those who seemed unmoved was President Richard Nixon. He avoided the festivities and made no public comment on them. (One of his aides, John Whitaker, later acknowledged that the […]
Our countryâs food-safety system may leave a lot to be desired, but the New York Timesâ Gardiner Harris reminds us that we should be grateful to the epidemiologists who let us know an outbreak is occurring at all. And it turns out that many of these alarm-sounding professionals work in Minnesota. âIf not for the […]
Weâve written before about Alexandra Berzonâs fantastic Las Vegas Sun articles on Las Vegas construction deaths, and the paper won the 2009 Roy W. Howard public service reporting award from the Scripps Howard Foundation last month. Now, they’ve also won a Pulitzer in the Public Service category. The Pulitzer site states: Awarded to the Las […]
by revere, cross-posted from Effect Measure When a small body of water, say a slow flowing creek or water in a drainage ditch, “goes septic” it starts to stink, often giving off a rotten egg odor (hydrogen sulfide, H2S). This isn’t a sign that the water is polluted in the chemical sense of toxic materials. […]
Today’s big news is that EPA has officially determined that greenhouse-gas emissions pose a threat to public health and welfare. Over at Gristmill, Kate Sheppard explains what this all means (and tells you how to submit a public comment), Jonathan Hiskes and rounds up reactions from industry, environmentalists, and politicians. Elsewhere:
by revere, cross-posted from Effect Measure This year’s flu season isn’t over, but it’s almost over, and it was fairly typical and much better than last year, which was nasty. It began at the end of September but didn’t take off until early January, peaking in mid Februrary. New cases are still appearing but much […]
In today’s New York Times, Elisabeth Rosenthal highlights an intervention that can slow global warming while improving people’s respiratory health: cleaner-burning stoves. Primitive cooking stoves emit black carbon (or soot), which researchers now estimate is responsible for 18% of global warming. How does it work? Rosenthal explains: Like tiny heat-absorbing black sweaters, soot particles warm […]