public health
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Fancy streetlights save a lot of energy but steal your sleep
LED streetlights sound like a great idea. But there's a hitch.
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With the threat of coal exports, Oakland piles more pollution on a polluted community
Two community organizers explain why they're on the front lines to stop coal exports from coming to Oakland.
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If you build bike paths, cyclists will come
New study shows Minneapolis bicycle freeway system equals more bike commuters, less obesity.
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If you’re sneezing right now, it is climate change’s fault
More climate change = more hay fever, according to the Guardian: Hay fever sufferers face longer pollen seasons and highly allergenic new strains from invasive plants, a new report on the health effects of climate change on the UK warned on Tuesday. Global warming will cause earlier flowering, possibly extending the hay fever season by […]
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Climate change could give you rabies
If rabid environmental activists don’t get their way, the rest of us might end up rabid too. This year’s drought is leading to a huge jump in rabies rates in stricken states, and climate change will only make it worse.
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Sick of the suburbs: How badly designed communities trash our health
There’s no way around it: The suburbs make us sick. One brave researcher has set out to spread the word -- and suggest healthy alternatives.
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Big Coal and Oil Play Dirty but EPA Mercury Ruling Proves We’d Rather Keep It Clean
Starting today, we can begin to breathe, eat, and drink a bit easier. The EPA begins enforcement of the Mercury and Air Toxics standard, a 20-year-old mandate that set limits on mercury emissions from coal and oil-fired power plants. These safeguards are not for show. They reflect a raft of highly credible research proving that mercury, […]
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Troubling Health Trends Holding Back Progress on Life Expectancy
By Brigid Fitzgerald Reading People born today will live for 68 years on average, 20 years longer than those born in 1950. By the mid-twentieth century, industrial countries had already made major strides in extending lifespans with improvements in sanitation, nutrition, and public health. After World War II, rapid gains in life expectancy in developing […]
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Why do cities drive us crazy?
Studies have repeatedly shown that rates of mental illness are higher in cities. We still don't know exactly why, but neuroscience is on the job.