Print Friendly and PDF
11-4: Five quick things for your Saturday

11-4: Five quick things for your Saturday

Winter's coming. We all have chores to do. Let's make this simple: Five quick hits to keep you up to date on our environment and health.



Gov't climate report at odds with Trump and his team

Coverage of the federal climate assessment takes Trump to task:

AP's Seth Borenstein:

As President Donald Trump touts new oil pipelines and pledges to revive the nation's struggling coal mines, federal scientists are warning that burning fossil fuels is already driving a steep increase in the United States of heat waves, droughts and floods.

Our new look and feedback

Two weeks into our new look, and we continue to refine and adjust it. Like it? Loathe it? Let us know how we can better serve you.

It's time to be loud: We deliver news that drives the discussion on environmental health and climate change.

Drop us a line at feedback@ehn.org ("Attaboys" always welcome).

Three top stories for Saturday

  1. New Jersey sets new PFOA level below Vermont standard. New Jersey last week set its safe drinking water standard for the chemical PFOA at 14 parts per trillion, 30 percent lower than Vermont's standard. (Vermont Public Radio)
  2. Louisville neighborhoods use trees to fend off heart disease. The poets were right all along: Trees are a drug, in ways marvelous and often misunderstood. We underestimate at our peril the powers of a walk in the woods. (USA Today) (thanks to Univ. of Louisville's Alex Carll for pointing us to that story)
  3. Will the bird that dodged a bullet pay the price of peace? "Armed conflict is good for preventing deforestation." (Mike Shanahan, Under the Banyan)

One must-read opinion

As ice shelves crumble and the Twitter president threatens to pull out of the Paris accord, author Jonathan Franzen reflects on the role of the writer in time of crisis (The Guardian)

One beautiful thing

Those are my kids (and dog), at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday. Eleven inches of snow fell overnight in Bozeman, Montana.

It's ski swap weekend here, and people are lining up to nab sweet deals on winter gear.

I said we weren't moving the car until the driveway was clear.

Amazing how much energy a motivated kid has.

Today's gift in Bozeman is reminder for us all: Get outside and enjoy the weather. It's beautiful out there.

Become a donor
Today's top news

WATCH: The aftermath of the East Palestine, Ohio, toxic train derailment

Beyond Plastics captures the personal stories of residents and call for a federal ban on vinyl chloride.

Monsanto sued for excluding non-US citizen plaintiff from Roundup cancer settlement

Diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Elvira Reyes-Hernandez was allegedly denied a settlement payout by Monsanto due to her immigration status.

From our newsroom

Op-ed: A radical solution to make US affordable housing healthy and community-driven

“The way we as a nation approach affordable housing should begin with centering the people in the homes.”

PFAS: EPA releases proposed drinking water standards for six “forever chemicals”

The Biden administration announcement comes after years of pleas from exposed communities, scientists and health and environmental activists.

Una propuesta radical para viviendas asequibles, salubres y al servicio de la comunidad en Estados Unidos

“La forma como nuestra nación se aproxima a la vivienda de interés social debería tener centrarse en quienes viven en esos hogares.”

Ethylene oxide adds to toxic burden for Memphis residents

“The South Memphis community should not be forced to endure several more years of unnecessary exposure to a cancer-causing chemical."

Op-ed: Time to take action to protect people from PFAS contaminated fish

The EPA and the states have years of data showing that PFAS contamination of our nation’s waters poses serious public health threats.