Environmental Health

"As diseases such as Ebola and MERS jump from creatures to humans, we need to keep a closer eye on wildlife illnesses."

"Two environmental organizations are suing [Maryland] Gov. Larry Hogan for blocking proposed clean air regulations on his first day in office. The Sierra Club and Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility argue that the governor lacked the authority to pull back the rules aimed at reducing nitrogen oxides that are key ingredients in ozone."

"The American Medical Association, citing growing concerns about monitoring and tracking long-term human health impacts caused by shale gas development, is calling for the public disclosure of all chemicals used in the extraction technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking.'

"Figuring out whom to trust for nutritional advice can be a daunting task; new findings on everything from the dangers of sugar to the health benefits of leftover pasta seem to come out every day, and the "experts" behind them often have ulterior motives."

"The Obama administration said on Wednesday that it would take the first step toward regulating greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes, but it acknowledged it would most likely take years before stringent standards are enacted."

"After growing up poor in a predominantly African-American neighborhood of Cincinnati, the young adults had reached their early 20s. One by one, they passed through an MRI machine that displayed their brains in sharp, cross-sectioned images."

"The very seats designed to provide safety for small children have been found to be at risk for containing toxic chemicals, according to an updated study released today by Healthystuff.org. Still, despite the concerns raised by this study, using a properly installed child safety seat is the best way to transport a child by car."

"The Obama administration convened representatives of hospitals, food producers, professional medical societies and restaurant chains on Tuesday and extracted pledges to reduce the use of lifesaving antibiotics, whose effectiveness is waning because of overuse."

"Back in 2008, an estimated 1.1 billion gallons of toxic coal ash was released into the Emory River in Tennessee when a dam breached at the Kingston Fossil Plant. It was the biggest coal ash spill in the nation. Much of that coal ash was hauled to a landfill in Perry County, Alabama. Residents of the poor, mostly African-American county have filed a lawsuit saying they're suffering as a result of the coal ash. But the landfill is also a vital part of the local economy.

"A U.S. Geological Survey researcher says she's worried about the Navajo because drought, combined with increasing temperatures, are making it harder for them to live in the harsh conditions. The Navajo Nation is being buried in sand."