Environment and Health
Cigarettes: The Killer that Won’t Die
Would you believe that 45 million adult Americans still smoke? That’s about one in five of us grownups. Worldwide this killer habit ends about six million lives each year. But what’s most disturbing — 10 percent of victims never even took a puff. They got their cancer from second-hand smoke.
Second-Hand Smoke
Radioactive Ties
Not only does corporate political money shout, scream, bellow, and bay in our elections, but afterwards it quietly slips into the back rooms of power to talk softly about payback.
The Six Stages of Climate Grief
Now that the hottest summer on record is drawing to a close, are we any closer to admitting that climate change is upon us? And if not, why not?
The Koch Brothers’ Moonshine
What do you call a mix of “black liquor,” biofuels, diesel, and a generous splash of tax subsidies? If you have Sen. Mike Crapo shake this cocktail vigorously and serve it in a golden goblet provided by corporate lobbyists, I’ve got the answer: Koch Brothers Moonshine.
Healing our Health Care System
The vast scale of America’s health care system is daunting. Maternity wards, emergency rooms, and other facilities operate around the clock at most of the nation’s 4,000 hospitals. Registered nurses form the backbone of this system, providing triage and treatment.
How Romney Could Blow Iowa
Should Congress renew the wind-energy production tax credit that’s scheduled to expire at the end of 2012? It depends on whom you ask — a Democrat, a Republican, or another Republican.
Fracking Exports
In recent years, the natural gas industry has plunged deeper and deeper into the reckless practice of “fracking,” putting communities nationwide at risk of dirty, dangerous pollution and practices that are exempt from many clean air and water laws. Now gas profiteers have realized that there’s even more money to be made by liquefying the gas and shipping it overseas. So what if it comes at the cost of our air, water, and health?
Smoldering Planet
As fires raged in Arizona last summer, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) found the culprits.
Real Nowhere Men (and Women)
The Olympic Games can draw unexpected visitors. Remember the Jamaican bobsled team? This year, it’s the delegation from nowhere.
