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20 May
Toxics
How the ‘Plandemic’ movie and its falsehoods spread widely online
Conspiracy theories about the pandemic have gained more traction than mainstream online events. Here’s how.
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www.nytimes.com
08 January
Toxics
Should the U.S. ban fracking?
The potential harm from fracking to the environment and local communities is polarizing. Opponents of fracking argue water contamination and air pollution warrant stricter regulation and in some cases, a complete ban.
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www.youtube.com
04 January
Climate
VIDEO: Overpopulation & climate change: A seat at the table
Recorded at COP25 in Madrid, Spain on December 6, 2019.
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www.youtube.com
28 December 2019
Climate
Must-watch video: Despite extreme weather and surging activism, 2019 saw political paralysis on climate
From PBS NewsHour's Miles O'Brien: The past year and crucial year ahead in climate change.
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15 November 2019
Justice
John Oliver takes on Bob Murray
"Last Week Tonight" gores Bob Murray as the king of harassment lawsuits.
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www.youtube.com
29 September 2019
Toxics
Documentary: Coca-Cola's plastic secrets
By 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the sea. Ten tons of plastic are produced every second. Sooner or later, a tenth of that will end up in the oceans. Coca-Cola says it wants to do something about it - but does it really?
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03 August 2019
Climate
Must-watch video: Massive Siberia wildfires pose potential threat to climate worldwide
A 8-million acres are on fire in Siberia. Yes, Siberia.
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02 May 2019
Originals
Childhood cancer survivors are more likely to end up in the hospital from air pollution
Editor's note: This is the fourth story in our series on cancer and air pollution in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
<p>Survivors of childhood and adolescent cancers are significantly more likely to wind up in the hospital with respiratory problems on bad air days than members of the general population, according to a new study.<br></p><p>The study, published in the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/6/1081/htm" target="_blank"><em>International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health</em></a>, is the first to examine the connection between air pollution and respiratory hospitalizations among childhood cancer survivors and suggests that cancer survivors' weakened immune systems may leave them more vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollution. </p><p>"I was very surprised to see how vulnerable childhood cancer survivors are compared to the general population," Dr. Judy Ou, a cancer epidemiologist at the University of Utah's Huntsman Cancer Institute and lead author of the study, told EHN. </p><p>"This is meaningful from a regulatory perspective because no one has ever thought about cancer survivors as a population that's vulnerable to air pollution before."</p><p>One in every 530 American adults ages 20-39 is now a childhood cancer survivor due to both an <a href="https://www.ehn.org/us-steel-pittsburgh-cancer-2634765539.html?rebelltitem=6#rebelltitem6" target="_self">increase in childhood cancer</a> and improved survival rates. But current air pollution regulations don't include cancer survivors as members of <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pmcourse/patient-exposure-and-air-quality-index" target="_blank">"sensitive groups"</a> like children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing heart and respiratory conditions, all of whom are advised to take extra precautions to reduce their exposure on bad air days. </p><p>Ou and her colleagues looked at medical records for nearly 4,000 childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer survivors diagnosed or treated in Utah between 1986 and 2012. They found that childhood cancer survivors were much more likely to end up in the hospital with respiratory illnesses like infections, obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis, or asthma on days with high levels of particulate matter pollution—tiny, airborne particles of chemicals that, when inhaled, can cause heart and <a href="https://www.ehn.org/pittsburghs-asthma-epidemic-and-the-fight-to-stop-it-2575098934.html" target="_self">respiratory problems</a>, and <a href="https://www.ehn.org/pittsburgh-cancer-air-pollution-2623207335.html" target="_self">heightened cancer risk</a>. </p>
Weakened immune systems
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTQzNjI3MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNjgwOTQzM30.UimI_gm90x7pIXDsF3Y5MrnsPMS1_1TReWT7O_ETcyY/img.jpg?width=5871&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=3914" id="c31fb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8ee6b5cce985b63a57668eacb26e606e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Photo by Marcelo Leal on Unsplash
<p>The researchers found that cancer survivors who didn't undergo chemotherapy see about the same level risk as the general public, but childhood cancer survivors who received chemotherapy are nearly twice as likely as the general population to be hospitalized with respiratory illnesses after exposure to particulate matter pollution on a bad air day.<br></p><p>They don't know why these cancer survivors are more likely to get sick from air pollution, but Ou and Hanson speculate it could be the result of a weakened immune system due to both their illness and the side effects of chemotherapy.</p><p>"Chemotherapy is a very powerful killer of cancer cells, but it also kills white blood cells and weakens the body's immune system," Dr. Heidi A. Hanson, co-author of the study, told EHN. "It has been shown that those who receive chemotherapy face increased risk for a variety of infections during and after treatment."</p><p>The EPA's maximum safety threshold for particulate matter pollution over a 24-hour period is 35 micrograms per cubic meter of air (mg/cm). But previous research has shown that members of sensitive groups, including elderly people across the U.S., still experience significant health effects at less than 25 mg/cm of particulate matter pollution. The researchers observed a similar trend among cancer survivors.</p><p>"Our research suggests cancer survivors are sensitive enough to this kind of pollution that they may need to be careful on days that are considered 'moderate' air days, which usually means between 12 and 25 micrograms per cubic meter of particulate matter pollution in a 24-hour period," Ou said.</p>"There's always a cost when it comes to air pollution"
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTQzNjI2NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDQyNzY4M30.j1UmilSMO-O833jCJBXYcMA2vT2k8AvyU_kWjfv1B4Q/img.jpg?width=4000&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=2467" id="e7333" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="62bc08dfda36dba03023de6d08b676d5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Charlein Gracia on Unsplash/Connor Mulvaney for EHN
<p>The study's findings are especially relevant for Pittsburgh, which ranks <a href="https://www.ehn.org/pittsburghs-air-quality-continues-to-decline-new-report-finds-2635280543.html" target="_self">7th worst in the nation</a> for year-round levels of particulate matter, has <a href="https://www.ehn.org/cancer-in-pittsburgh-pollution-hampers-prevention-progress-2628074364.html" target="_self">elevated rates</a> of the types of cancer associated with air pollution, and is in the <a href="http://www.heinz.org/UserFiles/Library/PRETA_HAPS.pdf" target="_blank">top 2 percent</a> of U.S. counties for cancer risk caused by air pollution.<br></p><p>The Allegheny County Health Department—the county which encompasses Pittsburgh—<a href="https://www.ehn.org/pittsburgh-warned-stay-indoors-pollution-2627997216.html" target="_self">issues regular warnings</a> about high levels of particulate matter pollution that may impact sensitive groups.</p><p>However, the Health Department recently issued a <a href="http://bit.ly/2ZSPLSq" target="_blank">press release</a> stating that thanks to "more aggressive enforcement" of the Clean Air Act, annual particulate matter levels at the air monitor closest to the Clairton Coke Works, one of the region's <a href="https://www.ehn.org/us-steel-pittsburgh-cancer-2634765539.html" target="_self">worst industrial polluters</a>, dropped from 36.5 mg/cm to 28 mg/cm last year.</p><p>According to Ou's study, that level of pollution still poses a serious risk to childhood cancer survivors in the region.</p><p>Children are already considered a uniquely sensitive group when it comes to the health effects of air pollution. Adult survivors of childhood cancer who've undergone chemo face increased risk of respiratory illness from air pollution, but survivors who are still kids are the most vulnerable.</p><p>"Kids breathe about four times as much air as adults," Dr. Philip Landrigan, pediatrician, epidemiologist and director of the Global Public Health Program and the Global Observatory on Pollution and Health at Boston College, told EHN. "So they have proportionately more of these substances in their bodies."</p><p>When possible, Hanson said, young cancer survivors should avoid outdoor activities and consider wearing a mask, and parents should closely monitor their respiratory health on days with poor or moderate air quality.</p><p>"We need to think about the quality of the environment that kids who survive cancer are exposed to after they're done with treatment," Ou said.</p><p>"Expecting childhood cancer survivors to go home to same unhealthy environments that may have contributed to their illness doesn't seem fair," she added, "and it doesn't make sense from a public health perspective."</p><p>Next, Ou and her colleagues hope to conduct a larger study outside of Utah to determine if the trend they observed is consistent across populations with different demographics, and in regions with different types of pollutants contributing to particulate matter levels.</p><p>In the meantime, though, they believe there's enough evidence for policymakers to take action.</p><p>"Some people oppose strengthening air pollution laws because it will cost industries money," Ou said. "But if industries, governments, or other parties don't spend money up front to reduce pollution, the cost doesn't disappear—it gets shifted into healthcare spending of the general public and members of sensitive groups like cancer survivors."</p><p>"There's always a cost when it comes to air pollution," she added, "the difference is just in who's paying for it."</p><p><em><em><br></em></em></p><p><em><em>Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story stated that Allegheny County is in the top 3 percent of U.S. counties for cancer from air toxics. It is actually in the top 2 percent, according to the <a href="http://www.heinz.org/UserFiles/Library/PRETA_HAPS.pdf" target="_blank">2013 Pittsburgh Regional Environmental Threat Analysis</a>.</em></em></p>
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20 April 2019
Climate
VIDEO from Sir David Attenborough: Climate change - The facts
Hour-long BBC documentary hosted by Sir David Attenborough on the urgent need for action on climate change.
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www.youtube.com
28 March 2019
Originals
Residents shout down oil and gas execs over fracking at US Steel mill
Tensions ran hot Wednesday night during a community meeting about proposed fracking at the site of U.S. Steel's Edgar Thomson Steel mill in Braddock, 10 miles east of downtown Pittsburgh.
<p>Approximately 200 residents jammed into the rowdy meeting, held in a fire hall bedecked with electronic bingo boards and folding chairs. Dozens lined up at a microphone to tell representatives from U.S. Steel, Merrion Oil and Gas, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection exactly what they thought of the fracking plan.</p><p>"We've been dealing with U.S. Steel's poor environmental record here for 150 years," one resident said, pointing his finger at the oil and gas executives. "We have had enough. You keep saying you want to respect our community. If you really want to respect our community, keep moving. Go somewhere else. We don't want you here."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-custom">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTMyMzIyOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMTgwMjg5MH0.cx2wRrSDhdnJNN3iz2MdzeaM3hTNMeYHdNsmD0U1GB4/img.jpg?width=4032&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=3024" id="192d2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ccbaec6d02d017e73b526b59b1267daa" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Braddock community meeting on fracking at the Edgar Thomson mill</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Kristina Marusic/EHN</small></p><p>Under the plan, New Mexico-based Merrion would drill an unconventional horizontal well, or a "fracking" well, on part of U.S. Steel's property to provide the facility with natural gas.<br></p><p>Fracking, another name for hydraulic fracturing, is a process of extracting oil and gas by drilling deep wells and injecting liquid at high pressure. The practice has been linked with a range of health effects including <a href="https://www.ehn.org/fracking-linked-to-increased-hospitalizations-for-skin-genital-and-urinary-issues-in-pennsylvania-2630649093.html" target="_self">skin, genital, and urinary issues</a>, low birth weights, asthma, and <a href="https://www.ehn.org/pennsylvanians-who-live-near-fracking-are-more-likely-to-be-depressed-2590186370.html" target="_self">depression</a>. It has been banned by New York, Vermont, and Maryland, along with a growing number of U.S. counties and foreign countries like France, Germany and Ireland.</p><p>Densely populated, urban neighborhoods in Allegheny County surround the proposed well sites. The drilling infrastructure would primarily be located in North Versailles Township, but would also extend to East Pittsburgh and North Braddock.</p><p>Those communities include designated <a href="https://www.dep.pa.gov/PublicParticipation/OfficeofEnvironmentalJustice/Pages/PA-Environmental-Justice-Areas.aspx" target="_blank">"Environmental Justice Areas,"</a> or census tracts where 20 percent or more individuals live in poverty, and/or 30 percent or more of the population is minority. Several of the residents who spoke pointed out that the racial makeup of the mostly-white panel did not mirror the racial makeup of the community members in the room, about a quarter of whom were people of color.</p><p>The representative from the Office of Environmental Justice, tasked with keeping the discourse civil during the meeting, noted that while the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has environmental justice policies in place, they're a bit of a "moving target:" The policies are not enforceable laws.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-custom">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTMyMzEzMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzI5MDMwOX0.jgV-7zWY57yaQU1hSZM3AGPluAyMJaJDynoCUYxvKBU/img.jpg?width=4032&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=3024" id="458db" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bcc8fa427b783df85e94b67fac74339c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Braddock community meeting on fracking at the Edgar Thomson mill</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Kristina Marusic/EHN</small></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-custom">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTMyMzEzMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTMwMTE2Mn0.3Hs6Rz_1lZS6LNm7IYigdqgOCqSTchI8NtQSWopp6e8/img.jpg?width=3955&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=2408" id="8b5e0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9917fdf029a8e676e1f77eb5f744c9f4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Braddock community meeting on fracking at the Edgar Thomson mill</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Kristina Marusic/EHN</small></p><p>Merrion operates many conventional wells throughout the country, but this is the first unconventional or fracking well the company has ever proposed to drill, and their first well of any type in Pennsylvania, which has a unique topography.<br></p><p>Ryan Merrion, the great grandson of the founder of Merrion Oil and Gas, was in attendance. He and the other representatives from Merrion, U.S. Steel, and the Department of Environmental Protection wore suits and sat at long tables before microphones at the front of the room. Public attendees were asked to leave all protest signs outside the building. So instead many members of the audience wore black face masks with white lettering bearing messages like "Frack no" and "not for shale" or T-shirts reading "Our health vs. their wealth" and "Don't frack the E.T. Mill." </p><p>Heckling from the audience was frequent throughout a brief PowerPoint presentation from Merrion spokesperson Ryan Davis, which included statements about being a family company that prioritizes safety above all else, a slide emphasizing Merion's experience operating fracking wells in other urban areas, and a review of the company's plans to mitigate perceived safety concerns (video below).</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a55d9dbddb97ea59d86e4615df9338e1"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/roLmFPqYdXM?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Braddock community meeting on fracking at the Edgar Thomson mill</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roLmFPqYdXM" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p><p>The first person to take the microphone asked, to thunderous applause, why the community wasn't given access to the projector and invited to give a PowerPoint presentation, as Merrion had been.<br></p><p>When a representative from the Office of Environmental Justice repeatedly stated that they would not "take sides," a community member responded, "You're the Department of Environmental Protection. You're supposed to be on the side of protecting the environment."</p><p>Many residents raised concerns about increased traffic on Route 30 after a Merrion representative stated that it would receive the increased truck traffic associated with fracking. Last year, a landslide caused a stretch of the highway to collapse, <a href="https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2018/04/07/apartment-collapses-near-route-30-landslide/" target="_blank">destroying an apartment building</a>, and residents worried that the increase of heavy vehicle traffic could cause a similar event.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="38b801447cf414ec38c09ae7e4e2f942"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/axhWtPtSc-g?start=6&rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Braddock community meeting on fracking at the Edgar Thomson mill</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axhWtPtSc-g&t=6s" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
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</p><p>Merrion operations manager Ryan Davis stated that the increased truck traffic was temporary and would reach a high volume only during the initial drilling phase. DEP spokesperson Scott Perry stated that the agency is not evaluating erosion near the highway as part of their permit review for the project.<br></p><p>Residents also repeatedly questioned how the project would benefit the community and why they should accept it. Davis answered that legally required <a href="https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2018/06/21/pennsylvanias-gas-impact-fees-rise-to-209-million-this-year/" target="_blank">impact fees</a> will be distributed to the state and paid out to impacted municipalities.</p><p>"It's not our job to ask whether a project is good or bad for a community," answered DEP spokesperson Scott Perry. "Fundamentally, from DEP's perspective, this is a land use issue."</p><p>Many community members clearly felt frustrated by Perry's response. One heckler demanded to know whose job it <em>was</em> to decide whether the project was good or bad for the community, and how they could talk to them.</p><p>Others raised concerns about increased air pollution, an ongoing problem in the Pittsburgh area, and cited the statistic that children in the region's most polluted neighborhoods have asthma rates <a href="https://www.ehn.org/pittsburghs-asthma-epidemic-and-the-fight-to-stop-it-2575098934.html?rebelltitem=5#rebelltitem5" target="_self">more than double the national average</a>. </p><p>The DEP spokesperson was quick to say that their agency doesn't regulate air quality in this region and they aren't taking it into consideration while reviewing the three permits they've received for the project. Air quality in the region is overseen by the Allegheny County Health Department, which was not represented at the meeting. Some permitting for the project may need to go through that agency, but those permits have not yet been filed.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-custom">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTMyMzEzMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxOTE0OTEwOX0.mthlI8B71hv24p8FqU8TT3XMzm_J4RKBWL8m5YVh-Fc/img.jpg?width=4032&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=3024" id="814de" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bc12a9fd9e4ddeb3607d1ec967a26885" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Braddock community meeting on fracking at the Edgar Thomson mill</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Kristina Marusic/EHN</small></p><p>Rachel Priselac, a young mother in attendance said she's hoping to have a second child, but is afraid, knowing that she lives within two miles of the proposed wells and that <a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/article/fracking-linked-low-birth-weight-pennsylvania-babies" target="_blank">research has shown</a> infants born in close proximity to fracking operations have low birth weights.<br></p><p>"I can not eat lunch meat or sushi," she said. "I can do everything else you're supposed to do while you're pregnant. But what I can't do is pick up and move my family away from our home because you have chosen to drill here. 21,000 people live in this community. How many of those are children, or people who want to have children?"</p><p>Many audience members also stated that they don't trust U.S. Steel due to their <a href="https://www.ehn.org/clairton-residents-plead-with-officials-to-protect-them-from-pollution-following-u-s-steel-fire-2626830057.html" target="_self">long history of clean air regulation violations</a> and their <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/this-day-in-politics-july-15-1959-120091" target="_blank">history of contention</a> with union workers, and asked why they should expect this project to go any differently.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-custom">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTMyMzEzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NTY1MTAwMn0.23lKRmqnSJEsaI2myKGETPDWqfWbqL9FvaUvAfoAMzc/img.jpg?width=4032&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=3024" id="14443" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5b64477c63d5001711b94743a3ab933b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Braddock community meeting on fracking at the Edgar Thomson mill</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Kristina Marusic/EHN</small></p><p>"My dad worked for U.S. Steel his whole life," said resident Tony Buba. "When I was a kid, my family was eating surplus cheese and peanut butter when the union went on strike because U.S. Steel didn't want to pay workers what they deserved. So my dad helped get the workers today the good contracts they have, but one thing he told me was, 'Never trust U.S. Steel.'"<br></p><p>He added, "In this community, we have to fight for everything. We had to fight for two years to try and save [our only] hospital. We have to fight for kids to feel safe in school. We have to fight for public transit so people can even get to their jobs. We have to fight for police to get proper training so they don't continue to shoot our children in the back." </p><p>Last year an East Pittsburgh police officer shot unarmed 17-year-old Antwon Rose in Braddock. The shooter was acquitted last week, and <a href="https://www.citylab.com/equity/2019/03/cities-suburbs-police-violence-antwon-rose-pittsburgh/585676/" target="_blank">protests erupted</a> throughout the greater Pittsburgh region.</p><p>"Meanwhile, we're riddled with asthma and cancer from pollution," Buba added. "We're exhausted. But as you can tell here today, we still won't stop fighting."</p>
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17 March 2019
Plastic Pollution
Starbucks' mixed messages on recycling left Ellen confused
Ellen Degeneres sorts through the grande confusion facing Starbucks customers on recycling.
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15 March 2019
Originals
Pittsburgh students go on strike to join international day of climate action
PITTSBURGH—More than a hundred Pittsburgh-area students went on strike today, skipping school to participate in an international day of protests to demand action on climate change.
<p>
The students, who ranged in age from preschool to college, lined the steps of City Hall holding signs bearing messages like, "The oceans are rising and so are we," "Green new deal now," and "There is no planet B."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-custom">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTI3ODYyOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyODA1NzI3NH0.LiFfQ4gQOWvPBwqiHdSA5V_sAQDmUX6g8NchP9YqLt4/img.jpg?width=4010&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=1795" id="8f81e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1f2dea837ee43176c4e337701ae7cbc8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Pittsburgh student climate strike</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Kristina Marusic/EHN</small>
</p><p>
Students were joined by supportive adults—some parents, caretakers and grandparents, and some environmental activists—but children and teens led the event, bringing young speakers to the center of the group one by one, and passing around the bullhorn to take turns leading chants between speeches.
</p><p>
The event was one of
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/15/climate/climate-school-strikes.html" target="_blank">thousands of sister events</a> held around the world today in cities from Sydney, Seoul, and Kiev to Paris, Berlin and New York. The student strike in Philadelphia took place at the same time as the Pittsburgh event.
</p><p>
"When I realized there wasn't a strike planned for Pittsburgh today, I realized I had to do something about it," 16-year-old Ryleigh Murphy, a high school sophomore who coordinated the strike, told EHN. "So I started emailing schools and I emailed the mayor, who gave me his support, and it turned out so much bigger than I thought it was going to be."
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1200eb9f76cbf34ae118c79c66b316f0"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mfkuIWpmtLs?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Pittsburgh student strike for climate action</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfkuIWpmtLs" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p><p>
The students expressed anger at older generations for not taking better care of the planet, expressed their fears about the fate of humanity if climate change continues unchecked, and urged politicians to take more urgent action.
</p><p>
"We only have 11 years left to transformatively change the ways we use energy before Earth faces catastrophic, irreversible consequences," Paul Kim, a 17-year-old student from Pittsburgh's Taylor Allderdice High School, told EHN. "Seeing that our elected officials aren't taking action, and that fossil fuel companies have long known about this, but haven't taken any action to stop it, is what brought me here today."
</p><p>
Here's what the student strike looked and sounded like in Pittsburgh:
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-proxy-image shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-custom">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTI3ODc3Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTA4MTQwOX0.yjQjzfs35p0jPcqMJS54tE_234qtyvvNf6um1_hd9Lk/img.jpg?width=980&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=813" id="b09ad" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5f473af9de610cf805e23c9195751c1e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Student strike for climate action in Pittsburgh</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Kristina Marusic/EHN</small>
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6e5fac8f7e1cff30f5d3a429c79982ff"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tt31_GOARZI?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Student strike for climate action in Pittsburgh</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">
<a href="https://youtu.be/Tt31_GOARZI" target="_blank">youtu.be</a>
</small>
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fa844eb616732b8445d4a40a8b2dfd82"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y2i14JLeT9g?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Pittsburgh student strike for climate action</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2i14JLeT9g" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-custom">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTI3ODc3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyODAzODgzMn0.6uYSEA6aubY9Rb95p2mbpYsMnYddrSA2EDwpDhmrnnk/img.jpg?width=2855&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=2635" id="6e436" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d62cd31a522350e1ba59f84e8e92dfc9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Student strike for climate action in Pittsburgh</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Kristina Marusic/EHN</small>
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-proxy-image shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-custom">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTI3ODc4MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MjYxNzM2NH0.xc4-s3lt1TaUei2f4dyX9crIx0wcyWUSkRSkwq0QA20/img.jpg?width=980&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=735" id="6a8b1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b7d1062e29afaf0f4cebf7f7a6cc8e1e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Student strike for climate action in Pittsburgh</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Kristina Marusic/EHN</small>
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-custom">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTI3ODc4My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNzAyMjk4N30.-E-eDpnIyWMpaf_jDqDC05CmlivywqXuNnfud__QU7s/img.jpg?width=3935&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=2461" id="aa81b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="16c63928817398219b78ec06fe8b05cd" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7468c23b37a1073531531bfe01aec0d5"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WyMByHYnMH0?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Pittsburgh student strike for climate action</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">
<a href="https://youtu.be/WyMByHYnMH0" target="_blank">youtu.be</a>
</small>
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-custom">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTI3ODc4NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMDg1NDUzMn0.3qN_eTWlhkjTeAYLXgKew2YmnBDCG_UKmBFgntPDznU/img.jpg?width=3074&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=2264" id="76fc2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c3e468ddb67f69bf5ac1669b08a84cf6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Student strike for climate action in Pittsburgh</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Kristina Marusic/EHN</small>
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-proxy-image shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-custom">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTI3ODc4NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMDAxNzY0M30.IU16UXPT8WHs1GmQybEH1a3MZU0jvLsu6_ljP8qmd0M/img.jpg?width=980&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=697" id="9cbec" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2c25eb4868734a35c896f4be5a6ba607" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Student strike for climate action in Pittsburgh</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Kristina Marusic/EHN</small>
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-custom">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTI3ODc4Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1Nzc1NDM1Nn0.UCkPieeSAalHSydTtfqoMixe4L4YZV3nax4TxovXzMc/img.jpg?width=3521&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=3024" id="5f2ac" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1f52a467101b44eb56ab92a68f8b3812" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Student strike for climate action in Pittsburgh</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Kristina Marusic/EHN</small>
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f3dd53bb55fa663c64de5757f9cfd4b8"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BqfFB2d0bO8?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Student strike for climate action in Pittsburgh</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">
<a href="https://youtu.be/BqfFB2d0bO8" target="_blank">youtu.be</a>
</small>
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-custom">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTI3ODc4OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwOTg3ODUwNn0.EApq1nDnkjCyoIGKBLBw95DG5Jv_z6maT8I6sijW9wM/img.jpg?width=2515&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=2655" id="a1256" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b4de64ca28dfc4fb49c05aa4709c661d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Student strike for climate action in Pittsburgh</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">Kristina Marusic/EHN</small>
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="57dfae9dee32ef8a5e718c04142945c2"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rfmKvj4aHGU?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Student strike for climate action in Pittsburgh</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">
<a href="https://youtu.be/rfmKvj4aHGU" target="_blank">youtu.be</a>
</small>
</p>
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07 March 2019
Climate
Global Weirding: I'm not a tree hugger
Climate change is one of those "tree hugger" issues...right? Not quite. On this new episode of Global Weirding, Katharine Hayhoe shares why this issue concerns everyone.
Read the Full Article on
www.youtube.com
15 January 2019
Originals
Kids in Clairton are experiencing decreased lung function following the Clairton Coke Works fire
PITTSBURGH—Three weeks after a Christmas Eve fire at U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works plant resulted in levels of sulfur dioxide in the air that exceed Clean Air Act standards for safety, a local physician has observed an increase in asthma exacerbations among elementary school students who live near the plant.
<p>On January 9, residents of 22 Pittsburgh-area neighborhoods were <a href="http://www.alleghenycounty.us/News/2019/6442466131.aspx" target="_blank">advised by the Allegheny County Health Department</a> to minimize outdoor activity after sulfur dioxide pollution had exceeded clean air regulation standards six times. </p><p>Sulfur dioxide exposure <a href="https://www.ehn.org/clairton-coke-works-fire-what-are-the-health-effects-of-sulfur-dioxide-exposure-2625761911.html" target="_blank">causes a number of respiratory issues</a> and is a known asthma trigger. According to the Allegheny County Health Department's data, the air monitor closest to the plant detected sulfur dioxide at 145 parts per billion (ppb) on December 28—nearly double the maximum hourly safety threshold of 75 ppb.</p><p>Dr. Deborah Gentile, whose previous research has revealed <a href="https://www.ehn.org/pittsburghs-asthma-epidemic-and-the-fight-to-stop-it-2575098934.html" target="_blank">a childhood asthma epidemic linked to air pollution in Pittsburgh</a>, regularly monitors lung function and asthma control in a group of students at Clairton Elementary school as part of <a href="https://www.ehn.org/screenings-to-help-pittsburgh-kids-with-asthma-2575985815.html" target="_blank">an innovative in-school asthma management clinic</a>.</p><p>When Gentile checked on Clairton students for a regularly-scheduled clinic on January 14, 2019, she reported that 36 percent of the students participating in the program had a significant decrease in lung function (14 of the 15 students participating in the program were in attendance).</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f5a3e6f0c293b259cbd83ceb39b1f59b"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ayBsBxI4hrc?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">How in-school asthma screenings in Pittsburgh can help kids catch their breath</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">
<a href="https://youtu.be/ayBsBxI4hrc" target="_blank">youtu.be</a>
</small>
</p><p>None of the students reported having a recent respiratory viral illness, which could cause similar symptoms.<br></p><p>Two of the students had documented increased use of albuterol rescue medication since school resumed in January, and both of these students were placed on oral steroids to control their worsening asthma. </p><p><span></span>In comparison, Dr. Gentile reported that there was no decrease in lung function among the nine enrolled in the same asthma program in Hazelwood, which is not one of the 22 neighborhoods included in the health advisory.<br></p><p>"These results show a temporal relationship between SO2 exceedances and deteriorating asthma control in children residing near the Clairton cokes facility," said Dr. Gentile in a press statement. </p><p>"These deteriorations are not due to other common asthma triggers since none of the children from Clairton had a recent viral respiratory illness and there is no outdoor pollen in the air. The absence of asthma deterioration in the Hazelwood cohort suggests that the local exceedances in SO2 from the Clairton Coke Works contributed to worsening asthma in those schoolchildren."</p><p>The health advisory, which remains in effect and urges residents to "limit outdoor activities until further notice," includes the neighborhoods of Braddock, Clairton, Dravosburg, Duquesne, East McKeesport, East Pittsburgh, Elizabeth Borough, Elizabeth Township, Forward, Glassport, Jefferson Hills, Liberty, Lincoln, McKeesport, North Braddock, North Versailles, Pleasant Hills, Port Vue, Versailles, Wall, West Elizabeth and West Mifflin.</p>
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