Environment and Health
The Cocktail Option
Over half a million people in the United States will die of cancer this year — more than 1,500 a day. It’s so common that we’ve grown numb to the risks. But this could change sooner than you might think. President Barack Obama has put Vice President Joe Biden in...
You Don’t Matter to Drugmakers
If you wonder why Congress critters keep ignoring what the people want them to do — while doing things that people don't want them doing — take a peek at the unique PR campaign now being run by the pharmaceutical industry. The public is dismayed and disgusted by the...
The GOP Experiences Extreme Weather
A Greener Leap Year
What if an extra hour somehow slipped into your day? Aside from most Arizonans and all Hawaiians, Americans get to ponder this question in early November as Daylight Savings Time gets underway. I usually fill this gap with some combination of reading, cooking, and...
Scalia’s Ghost Can’t Save Oil, Gas, and Coal
Bleak news for fossil fuels is piling up higher than an icy Washington snowbank in the capital's most precipitation-challenged state. Peabody Energy, the nation’s biggest coal company, is limping toward bankruptcy after its shares sank 99 percent over the past two...
Natural Gas Becomes a Fracking Mess
Until late last year, Laura Gideon’s family lived in Porter Ranch on the outskirts of Los Angeles. “We didn’t ever want to leave,” Gideon told the Associated Press. It’s “a nice gated community.” What uprooted them from one of LA’s wealthiest pockets? They became...
It’s Not All in Your Head
We often hear about public health crises related to poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking. But what about chronic stress? Canadian physician Gabor Maté studies the mind-body connection. He argues that chronic stress plays a big role in the development of disease....
A Cannonball in the Oil Market
Toxic Waste on Tap
You've probably heard that Flint, Michigan has lead in its water and it’s poisoning the locals. But did you know that this debacle is a symptom of our ailing democracy? Governor Rick Snyder has appointed “emergency managers” to govern many Michigan cities, including...
Obama Takes a Walk on the Greener Side
Until now, President Barack Obama has embraced gas and oil fracking, encouraged the construction of new nuclear reactors, and hailed government investment in wind and solar power. In keeping with this “all-of-the-above” energy strategy, he’d call for climate action...
