1. New on the Web: THE CONCEPT OF HORMESIS IS GRADUALLY BECOMING ACCEPTED - FOR BOTH CHEMICALS AND RADIATION.

2. HEALTH BENEFITS OF SMALL DOSES OF TOXINS

3. DRY-CLEANING CHEMICALS ABSOLVED AS CANCER CAUSE

4. EPA WARNS WOMEN ON TUNA CONSUMPTION

5. OREGON DEVELOPS PLAN TO REDUCE CHEMICAL RISKS

6. U.S. SPENDS MOST ON POLLUTION ABATEMENT

7. NEWSWEEK LOOKS AT PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE

8. CHINA DEVELOPING 'GREEN GDP' CONCEPT AS WAY TO EVALUATE OFFICIALS' PERFORMANCE

9. JOHN STOSSEL QUESTIONS JUNK SCIENCE

10. SCIENCE BY POPULAR VOTE?

11. EPA TOUTS NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT TURNS TOXIC SEDIMENT INTO CEMENT

12. And Finally, A SOLUTION TO THE ENERGY PROBLEM

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2. Benefits in Small Doses of Toxins:

A recent article in the Boston Globe profiled Professor Edward J. Calabrese of University of Massachusetts. Calabrese has often been criticized by activist groups for his research, which shows that for many chemicals exposure to low levels may be healthier than no exposure at all. Calabrese's work, according to the Globe, is part of a dramatic rethinking of the biological effects of low-level exposures, as advances in science allow researchers to move beyond traditional high-dose animal toxicity studies. The article notes that Calabrese's work is increasingly gaining the attention of prominent scholars and medical experts, putting the scientist "at the center of a politically charged debate with broad implications for health." His research threatens to overturn a key principle of environmental regulation -- the assumption that the harmful effects of a chemical decreases as the dosage goes down, but that they do not hit zero until the exposure is zero (or a very low threshold). Instead, Calabrese's work on 'hormesis' suggests that for some chemicals doses below a threshold may actually be beneficial.
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3. PERC Review Finds No Link Between Exposure, Cancer:

A literature review published in the September issue of the International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health finds no evidence to conclude occupational exposure to perchloroethylene (perc) is carcinogenic. Epidemiologist Kenneth Mundt analyzed published information from 44 studies on the incidence of cancer in drycleaners and other workers exposed to perc. His analysis found no evidence of an association between perc exposure and breast, prostate, skin, brain, or digestive tract cancers, and an "unlikely" association for oral cavity, liver, pancreas, cervical or lung cancer. Available scientific evidence was deemed inadequate to determine the relationship for laryngeal, kidney, esophageal, bladder, and lymphatic cancers. As BNA's Daily Environment Report noted, the industry-funded review was limited by incomplete information on exposure to perc and other cleaning solvents, as well as the presence of confounding variables such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and diet. However, the inability to find differences in cancer incidence between workers exposed only to perc and those with mixed solvent exposure "argues against a specific association.".
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4. EPA Warns Women on Tuna Consumption:

Concerns over mercury have led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency to issue a draft advisory cautioning pregnant women, nursing mothers, young children and women of childbearing age to limit their intake of tuna and other fish and shellfish to 12 ounces a week. For any one fish, such as tuna, FDA suggests that women eat no more than 6 ounces a week. According to a Reuters news story, the FDA has previously warned pregnant women against eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish because of their high levels of mercury, but had not included tuna on that list because it feared women would substitute it with less nutritious food. An overview of the draft FDA/EPA advisory is available at http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/mehgadvisory1208.html.
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5. Oregon Develops Plan to Reduce Chemical Risks

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is developing a plan to combat 10 toxic chemicals it says pose a serious threat to humans, air, land and waterways. The Associated Press reports that the "starter list" compiled by state authorities includes DDT, mercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Within six months, the agency expects to convene a summit on toxic chemicals, inviting representatives from environmental groups, industry, local governments and state and federal agencies to talk about how Oregon might reduce its exposure. Environmental groups are pushing for tougher regulations on toxic chemicals and limits on toxic emissions. State officials agree that air and water permits should include limits for pollutants such as dioxin, lead and mercury, but noted, "the mere presence of toxics doesn't necessitate permit limits."
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6. U.S. Spends Most on Pollution Abatement:

The United States spends more on pollution control than its nine leading trading partners, according to a new report from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). "As a percentage of output, American manufacturers spend considerably more on pollution abatement than do their competitors in Germany, Japan, France, the U.K., Canada, Mexico, China, South Korea, and Taiwan," according to NAM vice president Michael Baroody. As noted in BNA's Daily Environment Report, in the late 1990s, the United States spent about 1.6 percent of its gross domestic product on pollution abatement costs, compared to 1.1 percent spent by Canada, 1.4 percent by Japan, 1.5 percent by Germany, and 1.4 percent by France. The report concluded that Pollution abatement alone reduces U.S. cost competitiveness by at least 3.5 percentage points, with the burden of those costs falling mostly on manufacturers. The full report is available at http://www.nam.org/costs.
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7. Newsweek Looks at Precautionary Principle:

The latest issue of Newsweek offers a look at the debate over the precautionary principle between the United States and Europe. The article recognized the inherent appeal of "better safe than sorry," but noted that, in practice, the precautionary principle has become a political tool. "It's an ideal way of doing politics because you don't have to prove anything," commented a Dutch scientist. The article observed the role of the precautionary principle in the ongoing debate over biotech foods, noting that Europe's "culture of precaution" is behind new chemical regulatory policies that "aim(s) to create a toxin-free society in 20 years." Newsweek reports Washington's assessment of the proposed program as "costly, burdensome and complex," and the opposition of both American and European industry leaders. Harvard development expert Calestous Juma closes that article with a warning that safety issues could split the world into new trade blocs.
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8. China Developing 'Green GDP' Concept As Way to Evaluate Officials' Performance:

China is developing a "green GDP" index that will take into account environmental degradation when calculating economic growth. The statistic will be used to "evaluate the performance of the government or of officials within the government" according to BNA's Daily Environment Report. The environmental indicators to be used have yet to be determined. China has had an 'environmental responsibility system' whereby officials are supposed to be evaluated based on their environmental performance, however, no officials have been punished for poor performance. The "green GDP" concept could have meaningful implications for how Chinese government officials operate if it is indeed used as an enforcement mechanism, and if the numbers are published by the country's statistics bureau, which has a broader authority.

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U.S. Signs Environmental Pact with China: The heads of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and China's State Environmental Protection Agency have signed a memorandum that EPA says signals "a new stage in U.S.-China environmental cooperation" with "support at the highest levels in both governments." According to BNA, the agreement will establish a Joint Committee for Environmental Cooperation that will coordinate activities in "air monitoring, emissions inventories, mobile sources control policies, clean energy technology, indoor air quality, watershed management, water quality surveillance and control, and the management of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals including pesticides, dioxin, mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls." The committee will meet every two years, alternating between sites in the U.S. and China.
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9. Stossel Questions Junk Science:

In a recent opinion column for the New York Post, ABC News investigative reporter John Stossel wrote about his frustration with "junk science" health scares. "Somehow, the real scientists get less publicity than the activists," he writes. "Seldom (if ever) do the activists do the large-scale, statistical studies and number-crunching to see if the substances they're worried about really raise disease rates. Some of the big-name environmental groups that generate scares don't even claim to have scientists on their boards; they issue their "findings" straight to the media instead of going through peer review." Stossel noted he often turns to the American Council on Science and Health for information to help put stories about supposed chemical risks into perspective. "When we frighten people about small risks, it makes it harder to focus on bigger threats, like smoking or driving drunk."
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10. Science by Popular Vote?

A recent Washington Times opinion column by Henry Miller, a former FDA official now with the Hoover Institution, questioned the role of popular opinion in formulation of government policies that involve science and technology. In particular, he expressed concern about "citizens technology forums," currently being sponsored by the National Science Foundation on issues related to biotechnology. "We should be wary of attempts to sample public opinion as a prelude to setting public policy on highly technical subjects," writes Miller. "The goal of policy formulation should be to get the right answers…. The formulation of public policy toward science and technology can be difficult, to be sure, but if democracy is to take public opinion appropriately into account, good government must also discount ignorance and prejudice."
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11. EPA Touts New Technology That Turns Toxic Sediment Into Cement:

EPA is testing a new technology that could provide a safe alternative to the expensive disposal costs of dredging large volumes of toxic sediments. According to Inside EPA, the technology, known as "Cement Lock," neutralizes and seals toxic components in dredged sediments, allowing the material to be mixed in cement. The dredged material is heated to break down toxic components such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), producing a black, glassy material known as "Ecomelt" that can be ground into fine powder and combined with Portland cement. Filter technology helps keep emissions low. The technology could prove to be especially crucial for the New York and New Jersey areas because of the limited landfill capacity, but may eventually provide a nationwide solution to sediment disposal. EPA hopes to stimulate interest among industry to use Cement Lock so that it can become self-sustaining.
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12. Solution to the energy problem

From the secret diary of Bill Gates

Scientists have just decoded the first message from an alien civilization. It says:

*SIMPLY SEND 6 TIMES 10 TO THE 50 ATOMS OF HYDROGEN TO THE STAR
SYSTEM AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, CROSS OFF THAT STAR SYSTEM, THEN PUT YOUR STAR SYSTEM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST.
*NOW SEND THE LIST TO 100 OTHER STAR SYSTEMS.
*WITHIN ONE TENTH GALACTIC ROTATION YOU WILL RECEIVE ENOUGH HYDROGEN TO POWER YOUR CIVILIZATION UNTIL ENTROPY REACHES ITS MAXIMUM!
*TRY IT. IT REALLY WORKS! -

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