Earth
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Earth
BPA is regulated . . . sort of
Food and Drug Administration officials “say they are powerless to regulate BPA” because of a quirk in their rules, according to a story that ran Sunday in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It comes from a reporter who has made an award-winning habit of documenting the politics that have helped make the hormone-mimicking bisphenol-A a chemical of choice for many manufacturers.
By Janet Raloff -
Agriculture
How better weather models can save peanut farmers money
Better weather forecasts could help farmers avoid unnecessary pesticide spraying.
By Sid Perkins -
Climate
IPCC relied on unvetted Himalaya melt figure
British newspapers have uncovered what appears to be an embarrassing fact-checking omission by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC. It regards the degree of glacial melting in the Himalayas — information that said parts of the area could be icefree a quarter century from now.
By Janet Raloff -
Earth
Scientists scramble to analyze Haiti quake
Teams work to understand and model what could happen next.
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Health & Medicine
BPA and babies: Feds acknowledge concerns
Federal health and research officials outlined new guidance today for parents on the use of plastics made from bisphenol-A, a hard, clear plastic. Their bottom line: Minimize BPA-based products that could make contact with foods or drinks that infants or toddlers might consume — especially hot foods and drinks. But the Food and Drug Administration stopped short of recommending that parents pitch baby bottles and sippy cups made from BPA. Nor did it call for parents to avoid processed infant formulas and baby foods — some of which it acknowledges are contaminated with traces of BPA.
By Janet Raloff -
Earth
Copenhagen Meeting Highlights
Find all the Science News coverage of the 2009 United Nation's climate summit in one place.
By Janet Raloff -
Climate
Acidifying ocean may stifle phytoplankton
Chemical changes in seawater make a key nutrient less available to these organisms.
By Sid Perkins -
Health & Medicine
Study supports connection between BPA and heart disease
U.S. population data reveal possible relationship between cardiovascular risk and plastics chemical.
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Earth
Hydrothermal vent environments not unchanging
Once-rare organisms can become dominant, probably as some environmental conditions change over time.
By Sid Perkins -
Earth
Footprints could push back tetrapod origins
Newly discovered trackways much older than previous evidence for sea-to-land transition.
By Sid Perkins -
Earth
Age of solar system needs a fresh look
Honed measurements show age overshot by amount significant to earliest stage of formation.
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Earth
Danish sustainability: From coats to undies
The United Nations climate change conference may be over, but Denmark’s interest in climate-protection issues isn’t. Case in point: an exhibit at the Danish Design Center. Across the street from Copenhagen’s famed Tivoli Gardens, local fashion-design students are showcasing their idea of another type of greens – fashion-forward clothes that are kind to Mother Nature.
By Janet Raloff