June 11, 2004

"Reagan's Regulatory Reform" - "Getting a grip on runaway federal regulation was one of Ronald Reagan's many significant achievements as president. But media tributes since his death have scarcely mentioned President Reagan's efforts at regulatory reform." (Steven Milloy, FoxNews.com)

June 10, 2004

"What to Do First to Save the World" - "For the leaders of the world's richest countries, meeting this week at the G8 Summit on Sea Island, Georgia, there's no more important question than, "What should come first?"

At last, we have the answer." (James K. Glassman, TCS)

"The Industrial Revolution - Past and Future" - "Of the tendencies that are harmful to sound economics, the most seductive, and in my opinion the most poisonous, is to focus on questions of distribution. In this very minute, a child is being born to an American family and another child, equally valued by God, is being born to a family in India. The resources of all kinds that will be at the disposal of this new American will be on the order of 15 times the resources available to his Indian brother. This seems to us a terrible wrong, justifying direct corrective action, and perhaps some actions of this kind can and should be taken. But of the vast increase in the well-being of hundreds of millions of people that has occurred in the 200-year course of the industrial revolution to date, virtually none of it can be attributed to the direct redistribution of resources from rich to poor. The potential for improving the lives of poor people by finding different ways of distributing current production is nothing compared to the apparently limitless potential of increasing production" (Robert E. Lucas Jr., Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis)

"World Health Disorganisation" - "What is the new head of the World Health Organisation is up to?" (Roger Bate, TCS)

"NNii statement on new thimerosal study" - "The following statement can be attributed to Martin G. Myers, MD, executive director of the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii):

This week, the journal Molecular Psychiatry published a study by researchers at Columbia University on the neurotoxic effects on mice of thimerosal, a mercury derivative that has been used as a preservative in vaccines.

The study raises important scientific issues that need to be further explored.

The study found that thimerosal could cause behavioral abnormalities in newborn mice that have a specific genetic susceptibility. However, it is important to keep the study in perspective. Abnormalities were noted only in mice that were specially bred to have problems with their immune systems. How and whether this relates to human infants can only be determined by additional research." (Infectious Diseases Society of America)

"Too much fructose may skew appetite hormones" - "NEW YORK - Consuming too much fructose -- a form of sugar found in corn syrup, honey and fruit -- appears to alter levels of hormones involved in appetite regulation in such a way as to encourage overeating, a new study suggests.

After people in the study ate a meal followed by a drink flavored with the same amount of fructose found in two cans of soda, they showed relatively low levels of insulin and leptin, hormones that help people know that they are full.

On the other hand, they showed relatively high levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates eating." (Reuters Health)

"Pacific Salmon Runs to Remain on Endangered List" - "Despite rebounding populations, 26 species of Pacific salmon will continue to be classified as threatened or endangered, according to NOAA Fisheries, the federal agency overseeing salmon recovery efforts. The agency is also recommending re-listing an additional run, the Lower Columbia Coho, which had been removed from protection in 2001." (E/The Environmental Magazine)

Fundraising time, again? "E Australia koalas 'under threat'" - "Koalas could be wiped out in eastern Australia within 12 years, a conservation group has warned. The Australian Koala Foundation said that urban and agricultural sprawl was infringing on koalas' habitat to a dangerous degree." (BBC News Online)

The 'Australian Koala Foundation' is a club, of sorts, that happily admits never having attempted a koala survey, as such (mostly because its very hard work counting the nasty nocturnal beasts as they spend their days sleeping in forks and hollows high in the tall timber). AKF's chosen 100K population figure seems to be picked for no particular reason (they must like it though - been using it for decades) and bears no known relation to figures determined by koala researchers or state departments of wildlife, natural resources and/or environment, all of whom give significantly greater numbers and list koala populations as increasing (sometimes catastrophically, as is the case on South Australia's Kangaroo Island where 20K-30K need to be culled to prevent them eating out the manna gum forests and destroying the habitat).

As for koalas being viewed 'in the wild' by tourists - fugeddaboudit! The vast majority of tourists (and a significant portion of Australians) will only ever see koalas in zoos or 'sanctuaries' (enclosures where contained populations are habituated to the presence of people and structured so people can - for usually exorbitant fees - see and sometimes touch something that looks like an overgrown dust bunny that may [but probably won't] lazily open its piggy little eyes).

Anyone who really cares about maintaining healthy koala populations in Australia should lobby for the reopening of the skin trade, which would restore material value to endemic populations (the fur is thick and soft, probably quite valuable) and provide incentive for landowners to maintain habitat for their noisy, ill-tempered 'canopy rabbits'.

"Kyoto protocol on climate change would be scrapped under Tory government" - "BARRIE, Ont. - A Conservative government would scrap adoption of the Kyoto treaty on climate change, Leader Stephen Harper said Wednesday.

The Tories would instead pass a new clean-air bill that would include mandatory limits on emissions with targeted levels to be achieved by 2010, Harper told supporters. "Now is the time for federal leadership to ensure that targets for smog-causing pollutants are reached," Harper said." (Canadian Press)

"Greenland and Global Warming" - "Recent popular media coverage of climate change issues has presented a scary scenario in which human-induced global warming will give rise to a new ice age. Indeed, this is the scenario sketched out in the climate disaster movie "The Day After Tomorrow." It sounds counterintuitive, so let's explain the science behind the scare scenario, such as it is." (Willie Soon, TCS)

"More Local, Less Global" - " Factors such as economic activity and data quality—which are not included in climate models—are closely tied to temperature increases observed during the past two decades, according to a study in the May 25, 2004 edition of Climate Research." (GES)

Coverage of this ranges from fair to atrocious: "New ice core record will help understanding of ice ages, global warming, CU prof says" - "Recovery of a new ice core in Antarctica that extends back 740,000 years -- nearly twice as long as any other ice core record -- is extremely important and will help scientists better understand the Earth's climate and issues related to global warming, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder professor." (University of Colorado at Boulder) | Oldest Antarctic ice core reveals climate history (British Antarctic Survey) | Palaeoclimate: Frozen time (Nature)

"Study Supports View That Ice Age Is Still Quite a Way Off" [since rebranded as 'A New Ice Age? None Soon, Snow 2 Miles Deep Implies'] - "Despite the recent trend toward global warming, scientists have long wondered whether the earth was nearing another ice age — an end to the 12,000-year temperate spell in which modern civilizations arose. Some have said such a transition is overdue, given that each of Earth's three previous temperate intervals lasted only about 10,000 years.

But now, in an eagerly anticipated study, a group of climate and ice experts says it has new evidence that Earth is not even halfway through the current warm era. The evidence comes from the oldest layers of Antarctic ice ever sampled.

Some scientists had already proposed similar hypotheses, basing them on the current configuration of the earth's orbit, which seems to set the metronome that ice ages dance to. Temperature patterns deciphered in sea-bottom sediments in recent years supported the theory.

But experts say the new ice data is by far the strongest corroborating evidence, revealing many similarities between today's atmospheric and temperature patterns and those of a prolonged warm interval that took place 430,000 years ago.

The findings are described today in the journal Nature by the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica." (Andrew C. Revkin, New York Times) | Ice cores unlock climate secrets (Julianna Kettlewell, BBC News Online)

Wow! Look how The Indy writes it up! "Ice core reveals a worrying truth about Earth's climate" - "Scientists drilling in the Antarctic have found evidence that man-made greenhouse gases are causing the planet's climate to destabilise - and could bring on a new ice age in 15,000 years." (Independent) | Record ice core gives fair forecast ['As long as humans do not mess it up'] (NewScientist.com news service) | Weather Forecast Warm for the Next 15,000 Years ['barring human interference'] (Patricia Reaney, Reuters)

"Oil Prices Could 'Damage Climate Change'" - "High oil prices will encourage the search for more oil reserves and the result will be “very serious and damaging climate change”, a leading environmental campaigner warned MPs today.

Tony Juniper, director of Friends of the Earth, told the powerful all-party Environmental Audit Committee inquiry into Sustainable Development Strategy, that the row over the rising price of oil had been useful in generating debate about the global warming problem.

But the US and Britain are planning to press ahead with the search for more oil fields, he warned." (PA News)

"Kicking up a storm over climate change" - "For those who cannot decide whether to see "The Day After Tomorrow," I sympathize. This recent Hollywood thriller that offers an apocalyptic portrayal of global climate change has me at odds with myself. I am torn between the desire to wallow in mindless hyperbole, and the fear of seeing an audience depart even more ignorant about climate change than before they entered." (Stephen Hesse, The Japan Times)

"Greenhouse gas production of corn tracked" - "Canberra, Australia, Jun. 9 -- Australian scientists have received a $600,000 grant to study how much greenhouse gas is released in the production of a bowl of cornflakes." (UPI)

"NASA data shows deforestation affects climate in the Amazon" - "NASA satellite data are giving scientists insight into how large-scale deforestation in the Amazon Basin in South America is affecting regional climate. Researchers found during the Amazon dry season last August, there was a distinct pattern of higher rainfall and warmer temperatures over deforested regions." (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center--EOS Project Science Office)

"All ecosystems are equally productive under drought conditions" - "Under drought conditions, tropical forests can be as efficient at using water as desert ecosystems, researchers report. The finding has implications for how various ecosystems will behave under future climate change." (University of Arizona)

"Lax U.S. power plant rules killing thousands-study" - "WASHINGTON - Over 90 percent of the 23,600 annual deaths caused by pollution from aging coal-fired power plants could be prevented if the U.S. government adopted stricter rules, according to a study by environmental groups.

The report criticized the Bush administration for trying to roll back existing clean air laws which the report said would result in nearly 4,000 more annual deaths from asthma, heart attacks and other ailments linked to coal plant emissions." (Reuters)

"Low Emissions Power Plant to Burn West Virginia Waste Coal" - "WASHINGTON, DC, June 9, 2004 - A new $215 million West Virginia power plant that will use new technology to turn waste coal into electricity with fewer emissions than standard coal-fired power plants was commissioned Monday by Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham." (Environment News Service)

"Experts Warn of Biotech Exploitation" - "STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Biotechnology research used to find new cures for disease could instead be harnessed for use as a weapon of terror, a prominent European think tank warned.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, in its annual yearbook, said that biotechnology, including advancements in mapping the human genome, could result in new biological weapons that could cause harm to a specific ethnic group or a large swath of a country's population.

``The free access to genetic sequence data for the human genome and a large number of other genomes, including for pathogenic micro-organisms, is a great scientific resource, but it could pose a significant threat if misused,'' said the report, which was unveiled in Stockholm Wednesday." (The Associated Press)

"Research fuels fear of gene-altered fish" - "In a head-to-head battle for food, normal coho salmon lose out to their genetically engineered cousins, says a new study that adds to the controversy over what critics call "frankenfish."

Not only did the aggressive, gene-modified salmon gobble up most of the feed when raised in tanks with ordinary salmon, but they also gobbled up their weaker competitors — including their own type, British Columbia scientists reported in yesterday's online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The results were often dramatic population crashes, with only one or two of the genetically modified fish surviving in tanks that originally held 50 animals, said lead author Robert Devlin of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

"When food supplies are low, transgenic (genetically modified) fish have a very significant effect on the population," he said, adding the caveat that laboratory experiments may not predict what would happen if bioengineered salmon escaped into the environment." (Seattle Times)

"There's no masses" - "Protests over biotech conference lead to minimal disruption." (San Francisco Examiner)

June 9, 2004

San Francisco: "The Day After Tomorrow - The Real Global warming Story" - "On Wednesday, June 9, Fred Smith, president of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, will speak at a PRI reception. Following the release of this summer’s global disaster movie, The Day After Tomorrow, Mr. Smith will set the record straight on global warming." (PRI) http://www.pacificresearch.org/events/2004/04-june9.html

"'Nasty' Hurricane Season Seen for U.S. East and Gulf Coasts" - "Long-range forecasters are predicting another worse-than-average hurricane season on the United States East and Gulf Coasts. The experts predict as many as four major hurricanes during the June-to-October hurricane season. An average season produces two.

Forecasters also are wondering how much longer the most powerful hurricanes will continue to steer away from the southeast coast or dissipate before making landfall." (National Geographic News)

From CO₂ Science Magazine this week:
Editorial:
"It's Never Too Late" to "Live Long and Prosper" - "Taking a cue from demographic science and Star Trek's Mr. Spock, we explore some interesting similarities between plant and animal lifespan extension." (co2science.org)

Subject Index Summaries:
"Droughts (North America: Canada)" - "Climate alarmists warn of all sorts of weather disasters, including droughts, as the earth recovers from the debilitating chill of the Little Ice Age and assumes the temperature mantle of the Modern Warm Period.  Does history vindicate them?  We here explore this question across the broad Canadian heartland of the Prairie Provinces.

"Biodiversity (Weeds vs. Non-Weeds)" - "Climate alarmists typically claim that future increases in the air's CO 2 content will increase the presence of weeds and the problems associated with them in both agricultural and natural ecosystems.  After reviewing some of the relevant literature in this area, however, we come to a much different conclusion." (co2science.org)

Plant Growth Data:
"This week we add new results (blue background) of plant growth responses to atmospheric CO 2 enrichment obtained from experiments described in the peer-reviewed scientific literature for: Bracken, Field Mustard, Lambsquarters and St. John's Wort." (co2science.org)

Journal Reviews:
"East Asia and North Atlantic Climates of the Past Two Millennia: What Links Them?" - "The sun, of course." (co2science.org)

"The Industrial-Region Heat Island Effect" - "A permutation of the well-known urban heat island effect could well be responsible for the bulk of the "unprecedented" global warming of the past quarter-century." (co2science.org)

"Deaths Due to Heat and Cold in US Cities" - "Which are greater?  And what do the results portend for likely changes in annual mortality in response to potential future warming?" (co2science.org)

"Native vs. Nonnative Invasive Plants in a CO 2 -Accreting Atmosphere" - "Will either group enhance its productivity at the expense of the other?" (co2science.org)

"Photosynthetic Recovery of Beans Following Chilling" - "How is it affected by atmospheric CO 2 enrichment?" (co2science.org)

"Energy Producers See Cash in Kyoto" - "Staff Writers When the Dutch government expressed interest in funding the modernization of a power plant in Amursk, Khabarovsk region, last year, the Russian government stopped the deal dead in its tracks." (The Moscow Times)

"Room for improvement" - "Britain is moving to reduce emissions but is the rest of the EU? The government and industry think not. Paul Brown reports" (The Guardian) | Full text: government and industry environment statement

"Brian Fallow: Germany's Kyoto ruling to be felt in NZ" - "As Europe's biggest economy steps up its efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, the ripples will be felt in New Zealand." (New Zealand Herald)

"Exxon Mobil: US Can't Kick Oil Habit" - "WASHINGTON - The United States will have to depend on the volatile Middle East for much its oil over the next several decades, but energy companies still need drilling access to more U.S. areas closed to exploration, the head of Exxon Mobil said." (Reuters) | Exxon Head: Energy Independence Is a Myth (Associated Press)

"Oil unlimited?" - "Predictably, the recent rise in oil prices has the usual doom-and-gloom crowd, which has consistently been wrong for 30 years, saying once again that this proves we are running out of oil and that severe curbs on gasoline consumption must be imposed to preserve what little is left for future generations. They need not worry. There is growing evidence that oil is far more plentiful than we have been led to believe." (Bruce Bartlett, The Washington Times)

"California Weighs Tighter Fuel Economy" - "DETROIT, June 8 - An initial draft of a California global-warming regulation would require automakers to cut the amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases linked to climate change that their new vehicles emit by as much as 30 percent over the next decade.

The draft is expected to be made public this week or next. People briefed on it said that the 30 percent figure could still be changed before it is released, though probably not by much." (The New York Times)

"Nanotechnology pioneer slays 'grey goo' myths" - "Eric Drexler, known as the father of nanotechnology, today (Wednesday, 9th June 2004) publishes a paper that admits that self-replicating machines are not vital for large-scale molecular manufacture, and that nanotechnology-based fabrication can be thoroughly non-biological and inherently safe." (Institute of Physics)

"Protesters fail to shut down San Francisco biotech conference" - "SAN FRANCISCO - Police arrested at least 33 protesters Tuesday near a convention center where thousands of biotechnology scientists and entrepreneurs are meeting.

About 200 demonstrators protested on the sidewalks early Tuesday, though they failed to shut down the annual Biotechnology Industry Organization convention as they had vowed. They did cause disruptions in traffic, however, and heckled attendees as they attempted to enter the Moscone Convention Center.

"Arrest them, shoot them," protesters shouted as police escorted attendees across a barricaded street.

Police wouldn't say how many officers were at the scene, but it appeared their number equaled that of the protesters. Police also wouldn't estimate the number of protesters." (Associated Press)

"An Indian farmer bats for new technology" - "MR M.S. Shankarikoppa, a 74-year old from Adur village in Haveri district of Karnataka, is a farmer of modest means but with progressive ideas. He is one of the growing number of farmers starting to benefit from planting genetically-modified cottonseed.

He cultivates about 14 acres of land and has supplemental water facilities in the form of borewell to tend crops such as groundnut, maize, paddy and sugarcane.

Mr Shankarikoppa has turned an unabashed admirer of the latest technology - GM seeds — that helps him cut crop losses, reduce expenses and make a higher profit than he used to. He is one of the participants at BIO 2004 here - the annual convention of the world's biotechnology industry." (Hindu Business Line)

"Who created this monster?" - "As one of the nation's largest and richest trade associations holds its annual meeting in San Francisco this week, it is worth noting that all is not coming up genetically engineered roses for the biotech industry. Although the biopharmaceutical sector is for the most part robust, biotechnology applied to agriculture, food production and environmental problems has a long row to hoe.

Many of biotech's travails can be traced back to two decades of unwise strategic decisions by individual companies and by the trade association itself -- the Biotechnology Industry Organization." (Henry I. Miller and Gregory Conko, San Francisco Chronicle)

"Biotech Trade Group Launches Nonprofit" - "SAN FRANCISCO -- Biotechnology's trade group, armed with a $1 million donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said Tuesday it was launching a nonprofit institute dedicated to fighting disease in the developing world.

The institute, called the BIO Ventures for Global Health, plans to work with biotechnology companies to deliver vaccines and medicines to poor countries overlooked by the industry. It also intends to address diseases endemic to the Third World that are ignored by an industry focused on profits." (The Associated Press)

"Editorial: Crop science/Better genes without splicing" - "From Wired magazine, of all places, comes an intriguing look at new agricultural technologies that could deliver all the benefits of genetically modified foods while avoiding their objectionable aspects.

Despite their significant advantages and widespread use, it seems unlikely that plants and other organisms created through gene-splicing will ever shake their "Frankenfoods" image. No amount of science will persuade those who believe GM foods are inherently risky to human health. Even if those fears could somehow be put to rest, thornier issues would remain: potential environmental harm, inadequate regulatory review, enlarged corporate control of food supplies, the risks of increasing reliance on single strains of important crops. Thus Monsanto Co.'s recent decision against releasing a pesticide-resistant strain of wheat, bowing to the reality that the world marketplace would reject it." (Star Tribune)

Kimbrell, et al: "Anti-biotech coalition lashes out at GMO crops" - "KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Genetically modified crops have not delivered promised benefits of fighting world hunger and raising poor farmers' incomes, according to a report by an international coalition of anti-biotech groups." (Reuters)

"Revolutionising Biotechnology Through Agriculture" - "Biotechnology holds the promise to double food production, ensure adequate nutrition and rid small farmers from poverty. Biotech applications are already yielding health benefits by releasing what are considered life saving and life enhancing drugs. India is slowly emerging as one of the world leaders in this area." (PIB)

"Pharma crops seen as risk to food chain " - "Environmentalists and food industry groups are concerned that crops grown solely for use in pharmaceuticals could contaminate the food supply, and think the federal government must regulate the practice better." (The Washington Times)

"'End of the World' Narrowly Averted" - "The last few days have felt like I'm living through an extended version of the infamous 1938 radio broadcast of "The War of the Worlds." (Roy Spencer, TCS)

Eco correctness strikes again: "Fresh air blows cold germs away" - "NEW YORK - The more outdoor air is pumped into office ventilation systems, the lower the inside levels of viruses that cause the common cold -- according to a new report." (Reuters Health)

Ah, the joys of "energy efficient" (poorly ventilated) buildings - sick building (occupant) syndrome.

"Backyard battles" - "The middle-class nimbys have been replaced by noabys: public-spirited environmental campaigners protesting on behalf of communities across Europe. By John Vidal" (The Guardian)

"UCI center finds perchlorate may be acceptable in drinking water at higher levels" - "Even at significantly higher levels than recommended by the state's leading health assessment agency, the contaminant perchlorate in drinking water seems to pose no additional risks to healthy people, according to a recent report issued by the UC Irvine Urban Water Research Center." (University of California - Irvine)

Re-enter the panic: "Thimerosal, found in childhood vaccines, can increase the risk of autism-like damage in mice" - "Scientists from Columbia University report in Molecular Psychiatry the first animal model to provide evidence that postnatal administration of low-dose, vaccine-based mercury, in combination with genetic factors, can lead to behavioral and neurological changes in developing brain." (Molecular Psychiatry) | Row over autism link to vaccines (BBC News Online)

"Good News Is No News on Cancer" - "Last Thursday, there was wide coverage of the fact that cancer rates have fallen according to a new report.  There was extensive coverage in many news and TV broadcasts but not in America's newspaper of record.

There were actually two stories about cancer death and incidence rates, and perceptions about these important items, contained in the New York Times' coverage: one about health statistics and one about how little some in the press care about stories that can't be spun as scary." (Gilbert Ross, ACSH)

"Ten Odd Health Stories" - "The first half of 2004 has brought some weird health news. Whether good, bad, or ambiguous, these items are all worth noting:" (Todd Seavey, ACSH)

"Turning sea-water into tap water" - "As temperatures push upwards with the onset of summer, some water firms are looking to the Middle East in a bid to stop their supplies from drying up. At first glance there's little that binds the urban sprawl of industrialised east London with the sun-baked scenery of the Canary Islands. But if Thames Water gets its way, the borough of Newham in east London will host Britain's first large-scale project to turn salty sea-water into fresh drinking water." (BBC News Online)

June 8, 2004

"The new PCBs?" - "The good thing about polybrominated diphenyl ethers is that they have probably prevented many household items from bursting into flames. The bad thing is that they could be threatening our health. MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT reports" (Globe and Mail)

"‘Economy class syndrome’ is a myth say medics" - "DOCTORS have found no evidence to prove that passengers flying in economy class are more likely to suffer from deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) than those in more expensive seats, according to a report that debunks many myths about air travel.

Although DVT has been dubbed “economy class syndrome”, the British Medical Association (BMA) believes all passengers have enough leg-room to prevent dangerous blood clots forming during long-haul flights.

“There is no evidence that DVT is related to seat pitch and this is borne out by several papers that have noted that DVT occurs with comparable frequency in all classes of travel,” says the BMA report, called The Impact of Flying on Passenger Health.

“Even in seats with the shortest seat pitch and the tallest passenger, there will still be room to flex the calf muscles — the action to maintain venous circulation.” (The Sunday Times)

"He Says the Fat Epidemic Is an Illusion" - "Ask anyone: Americans are getting fatter and fatter. Advertising campaigns say they are. So do federal officials and the scientists they rely on. But Dr. Jeffrey Friedman, an obesity researcher at Rockefeller University, argues that contrary to popular opinion, national data do not show Americans growing uniformly fatter. Instead, he says, the statistics demonstrate clearly that while the very fat are getting fatter, thinner people have remained pretty much the same." (Gina Kolata, New York Times)

"A Science Lesson for Those Who Demonize Soda" - "Which beverage is best for staying slim -- a can of diet orange soda or a glass of orange juice?" asks the New York Sun's Julia Levy. "If you ask the city's Department of Education, it's option B, the orange juice," she writes.

The June 27, 2003 article should have made the point to misguided officials that their ban on sodas, even diet ones, and replacement of them with high-sugar juices, is a backwards approach for the obesity crisis. As ACSH President Dr. Elizabeth Whelan told the Sun, "There's nothing wrong with soda per se. People just have to know that there are calories in it."

But nearly a year later, as the school year comes to a close, the same regulations apply. And who seriously think the soda ban slimmed New York's kids? Maybe only the regulators themselves, since the rules have not been changed." (Jeff Stier, ACSH)

"What To Do About Fat Kids" - "It's amazing how many people feel comfortable blaming the food industry for the obesity epidemic in the United States. Less surprising is that having blamed industry, people seek to regulate what types of food can be marketed toward children. But refusal to take personal responsibility for eating misleads us into thinking that Americans are fat because of junk food. It also perpetuates the nonsensical claim that food can be separated into two categories: good and bad." (Aubrey Stimola, ACSH)

"Separation of Church and Diet" - "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." So states the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — a statement widely interpreted as specifying the "separation of church and state." Perhaps we need an amendment mandating the separation of church and diet, too. Some advocates of certain vegan and/or "raw" diets claim to garner their authority from the Bible — presumably one can gain brownie points in heaven." (Ruth Kava, ACSH)

"Sunburn scares have led to vitamin D deficiency, expert warns" - "OVERZEALOUS health campaigns warning the public to cover up to avoid skin cancer have resulted in an “unrecognised epidemic” of vitamin D deficiency, a leading researcher will warn this week.

Professor Michael Holick says that a moderate amount of unimpeded exposure to the sun on a regular basis helps the body convert ultra-violet (UV) rays into vitamin D.

He claims lack of the vitamin is causing thousands of unnecessary cancer deaths each year and increases vulnerability to rickets, a bone disease that can cripple children and makes adults more prone to weak bones and muscles.

“Dermatologists have frightened so many people about the sun that they now always wear sunblock. Even people with dark skin do not want to get sunshine to avoid skin cancer and are suffering a lack of vitamin D as a result,” said Holick, professor of medicine at Boston University in America." (The Sunday Times)

"London smog could shave 10 years off lifespan: report" - "LONDON - Air pollution in London could reduce the life expectancy of its residents by as much as 10 years, according to research.

Tiny dust particles, mostly the result of auto exhaust, and ozone are the culprits behind health problems suffered by thousands of locals in the British capital, say the researchers from King's College in an article published by Britian's Evening Standard newspaper." (AFP)

"Emissions of CFC substitutes now feared" - "The greenhouse gas emissions generated by chlorofluorocarbon substitutes are expected to soar in the next decade, according to predictions issued by a business organization and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, informed sources said Monday." (Japan Times)

"This is no disaster movie: Global warming is flooding Britain" - "ENVIRONMENT: Scientists say their worst predictions will come true by 2050 and that London may eventually have to be evacuated." (Duluth News Tribune)

"Climate change 'is costing millions'" - "While Hollywood blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow continues to pull in punters with its vision of the world plunged into a new ice age, the insurance industry is today issuing a warning about how global warming could drive up the costs of cover." (The Guardian)

"Changing climate sees Britain offer a warm welcome to new varieties of wildlife" - "Some sub-tropical species are migrating north at a rate of 50 kilometres a year. And many are ending up on our doorsteps. By Paul Kelbie" (Independent)

"Carbon Dioxide Traders Set for Summit" - "Buyers, sellers, brokers and lawyers, even "specialists in carbon asset creation management," convene Wednesday on the banks of the Rhine to launch a new business for a worried world. CarbonExpo, in the cavernous congress halls of Cologne, Germany, is a three-day trade fair for those who would deal in carbon dioxide — buying and selling permits to discharge the waste gas chiefly blamed for global warming." (AP)

"Garbage in, garbage out" - "Commonly used, but flawed, measures of economic output can lead to bad decision-making" (The Economist)

"An Icy Riddle as Big as Greenland" - "SWISS CAMP, Greenland Ice Cap - This vaulting heap of ice and the swirling seas nearby have emerged as vital pieces of an urgent puzzle posed by global warming. Can the continuing slow increase in worldwide temperatures touch off abrupt climate upheavals?" (New York Times)

"New Land Use Standards Offset Global Warming With Sensitivity" - "WASHINGTON, DC, June 7, 2004 - For the first time a set of standards has been drafted for certifying land use projects that reduce global warming while conserving the environment and alleviating poverty at the same time. The new standards are offered by the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA), which says the "multiple benefit" approach incorporates climate, environmental and social issues in a way that addresses shortfalls in existing climate strategies based on land use." (Environment News Service)

"First ever standards linking climate change, biodiversity and poverty seek global peer review" - "The first ever set of standards certifying land use projects that reduce global warming while conserving the environment and alleviating poverty have been opened up for global peer review and comment by the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA)." (Conservation International)

"Russia Seen Ratifying Kyoto in 2004 - UNEP Head" - "BARCELONA, Spain - Russia is likely to ratify the Kyoto protocol this year, salvaging the stalled U.N. pact aimed at curbing global warming, the head of the U.N. Environment Program said.

Kyoto's fate hinges on Russia after a U.S. pullout in 2001. President Vladimir Putin said last month that Moscow would move to ratify the 1997 deal after an agreement with the European Union on entry to the World Trade Organization.

Putin set no deadlines but UNEP head Klaus Toepfer told Reuters he expected Russia would ratify by the next meeting of Kyoto signatories, scheduled for December in Buenos Aires." (Reuters)

"Iran ministries at odds on signing Kyoto-economist" - "TEHRAN, June 6 - Iran's powerful Oil Ministry has crossed swords with the Foreign Ministry on whether to sign the Kyoto environmental protocol, arguing petrodollars outweigh the need for greater sway abroad, an economist said on Sunday." (Reuters)

"Govt to make firms report CO2 emissions" - "In an effort to help prevent global warming, the Environment Ministry decided Friday to make it compulsory for commercial premises over a certain size to submit reports on how much carbon dioxide they produce." (Yomiuri Shimbun)

"Poll backs boycott of rogue firms" - "Consumers say they will boycott firms which do not comply with targets to reduce CO2 emissions that come into force in January, a poll warns today.

It found a third of consumers said they would shop elsewhere. And one in six said they were prepared to pay up to 25% more to those firms that met the tougher environmental standards. Research by the IT group LogicaCMG found that three in four British firms said they were trying to reduce the emissions, but more than half would not meet the deadline." (The Guardian)

"Scientist suggests to set up national policy on climate change" - "BEIJING, June 6 -- One of China's leading meteorologists suggested here Sunday that the country need to set up a uniform policy on climate change, in order to coordinate diplomatic, economic and social measures for ensuring the country's sustained development." (Xinhuanet)

"$50 Billion Question: World, Where to Begin?" - "COPENHAGEN, May 31 — What would you do with $50 billion? (Assuming that the goal was the benefit of humankind as opposed to owning a personal Lear jet or a tropical island.)" (New York Times)

"The Development Consensus" - "Zealots regularly make the mistake of assuming that others accept the rightness of their cause. That's why Greens run into brick walls, like developing countries. The recent "Copenhagen Consensus" of a group of the world's leading economists that global warming is at the bottom of the list of what needs to be done to improve global welfare clearly shows why." (Alan Oxley, TCS)

"World Bank on horns of dilemma - Key decision looms on oil, coal funding" - "The World Bank faces a momentous choice: whether to heed an official recommendation to stop financing oil and coal projects in developing countries. The bank's decision will not only affect the fate of millions of people around the world and billions of investment dollars. It will help determine whether our civilization reverses perhaps the greatest threat of the 21st century: catastrophic global climate change." (San Francisco Chronicle)

"Is the world's oil running out fast?" - "If you think oil prices are high at $40 a barrel then wait till they are four times that much." (Adam Porter, BBC News Online)

"The Age of Renewables Has Arrived" - "BONN, Germany, June 4, 2004 - Pledges of increased funding for renewable sources of energy have brightened the four day International Conference for Renewable Energy which concludes here today. The nearly 2,000 participants - government ministers and business people, trade unionists, women, nongovernmental organizations, consumers, scientists, farmers, actors in development and poverty alleviation, and renewable energy manufacturers - heard investment promises of hundreds of millions of new dollars a year for renewables." (Environment News Service)

"Green energy may be free but it ain’t gonna be cheap" - "THE full cost of rewiring Scotland to exploit its green energy potential is now becoming much clearer. In January Scottish and Southern Energy revealed its preferred route for a new 400kV transmission line stretching 220km from Beauly in the Highlands to Denny near Stirling. If approved, that project alone will cost some £200m." (Sunday Herald)

"Water World" - "The supply of fresh water is vital: as the world's population and economy expand, demand for water inevitably increases. The UN World Water Development Report "Water for People, Water for Life" should be, therefore, a timely and valuable document. Sadly though, it remains entrenched in the command-and-control paradigm, and so its policy recommendations will likely produce expensive failures, as have so many in the past. This is a pity, because there are several success stories from around the world where significant efficiency in water use has been gained at very low cost." (Roger Bate, TCS)

Grief! "Russian babies fall victims to bio experiments" - "Baby food manufacturers conduct cynical experiments on Russian newborns.

Scientists tested samples of the most popular brands of baby foods sold in Russian supermarkets. Results turned out to be absolutely shocking: 70% of samples contained genetically modified organisms (GMO). Some of the dairy and vegetable mixes were fully made of GMO!" (Pravda)

"Biotech: Mainstream or Pipe Dream?" - "The Biotechnology Industry Organization kicks off its annual gathering in San Francisco this week, prompting plenty of news coverage focusing on the health and financial promise of what is perhaps the most capital-intensive technology sector." (Cynthia L. Webb, washingtonpost.com)

Vandana Shiva, still: "Indian Firebrand Battles Biotech" - "SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The sari-wearing firebrand who for two decades has fiercely fought biotechnology in her native India was complaining yet again about the men in lab coats who say they know best how to manage the world's food supply." (AP)

"Focusing GM on feeding the world’s poor" - "Genetically modified (GM) crops can feed the world’s bulging populations if biotech research focuses on the needs of poorer nations, reports the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). In the same week, an EU decision lifted the de facto moratorium on GM food." (Europa)

"Anti-GM views growing in US" - "Biotechnology companies are getting worried that what they call "the European disease" of opposition to genetically modified food is spreading to the United States.

Activists opposing genetic modification and a variety of other causes staged protests in San Francisco yesterday as 18,000 delegates gathered for the world's biggest biotech conference, Bio 2004.

The activist groups, under the umbrella name "Reclaim the Commons", hope to emulate the success of protesters at the World Trade Organisation talks in Seattle in 1999 and shut down the Bio meeting tomorrow." (New Zealand Herald)

"Zero tolerance for GM crops could be eased" - "Officials are reconsidering New Zealand's "zero tolerance" threshold for GM plants. The move looks set to rekindle the GM debate - just when the Green Party had decided to adopt a softer line to help Labour get re-elected. Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said any attempt to lift the threshold would meet strong opposition." (New Zealand Herald)

"Biotech sees role in obesity fight" - "Meeting in S.F., industry experts tout engineered vegetable oils as healthier." (Sacramento Bee)

Reagan's Regulatory Reform
FoxNews.com, 06/11/04

Global Warmers Adopt New Tactic
FoxNews.com, 06/04/04
Chicago Sun Times, 06/07/04

Anti-Meat Activists Target School Lunches
FoxNews.com, 05/28/04

Lawsuits, Alcohol Advertising and Money
FoxNews.com, 05/21/04

Monsanto Caves to Activists on Biotech Wheat
FoxNews.com, 05/14/04

Enviros Exploit Mother's Day With Mercury Scare
FoxNews.com, 05/07/04

Polluted People?
FoxNews.com, 04/30/04
Orange County Register, 05/18/04

This Earth Day, Progress Worth Celebrating
FoxNews.com, 04/23/04

Renewable Energy, Enviros and New Job Creation
FoxNews.com, 04/16/04

No Mad Cow at New Jersey Racetrack
FoxNews.com, 04/09/04

Chlorine Crackdown Causes Lead Leaks
FoxNews.com, 04/02/04
Washington Times, 04/06/04

Global Warming: The Movie
FoxNews.com, 03/26/04

Pharmaceutical Fantasy
FoxNews.com, 03/19/04

Obesity Obsession
FoxNews.com, 03/12/04
Washington Times, 03/14/04

Antibacterial Reports Cause Public Health Scare
FoxNews.com, 03/05/04

Enviros Commence Election-Year Attack
FoxNews.com, 02/27/04

Antibiotic Link To Cancer Is Baloney
FoxNews.com, 02/20/04
Washington Times, 02/25/04

Feds Press Salt Assault
FoxNews.com, 02/13/04

Has Kerry Helped Vietnam Sue Over Agent Orange?
FoxNews.com, 02/06/04

Atkins Attack
FoxNews.com, 01/30/04
Washington Times, 02/01/04

Tobacco Animal Farm
FoxNews.com, 01/23/04
Pioneer Press, 02/05/04

Eco-Extremism, Not Science, Behind Fishy Salmon Scare
FoxNews.com, 01/16/04
Seattle Post Intelligencer, 01/25/03

The Energy Bill's Bright Side
FoxNews.com, 01/09/04

Don't Have A Cow
Los Angeles Times, 01/02/04
Newsday, 01/06/04
The Hartford Courant, 01/06/04
Philadelphia Inquirer, 01/06/04
The Record (Bergen, NJ), 01/06/04
Dodge City Daily Globe, 01/06/04
Tampa Tribune, 01/06/04
Times-Union (Albany, NY), 01/06/04
Press & Dakotan, 01/07/04
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 01/08/04
Decatur Daily Democrat, 01/08/04
The Record (Ontario), 01/11/04
Roanoke Times, VA, 01/11/04
Detroit News, 01/11/04
Windsor Star (Ontario), 01/16/04

Still No Beef to Mad Cow Mania
FoxNews.com, 01/02/04

Fishy Mercury Warning
FoxNews.com, 12/26/03
Washington Times, 1/2/04

Arsenic-laced Presidential Campaign?
FoxNews.com, 12/19/03

Smithsonian Wrongs Wrights ... Again
FoxNews.com, 12/12/03
Wall Street Journal, 12/12/03
Washington Times, 12/13/03

Eco-Imperialism's Deadly Consequences
FoxNews.com, 12/05/03
FrontPageMagazine.com, 12/05/03

Trash-Talking Landfill Safety
FoxNews.com, 11/28/03

Ballistic Over Botox
FoxNews.com, 11/21/03

Did Sept. 11 Cause Heart Attacks?
FoxNews.com, 11/14/03

Food Labels Won't Cure Obesity
FoxNews.com, 11/07/03
Washington Times, 11/10/03

Enviros fan California's flames
FoxNews.com, 10/31/03

Hit and Run Pesticide News
FoxNews.com, 10/24/03

The Implant Axis
Wall Street Journal, 10/20/03

Secondhand Smoke Scam
FoxNews.com, 10/17/03

Global Warming Litigation Heating Up
FoxNews.com, 10/10/03

Everglades Cleanup Exposes Environmentalists
FoxNews.com, 10/03/03

Prohibitionists Write Federal Alcohol Report
FoxNews.com, 09/26/03

Snack Attack
FoxNews.com, 09/19/03

Hillary's Sept. 11 Smoke Screen
FoxNews.com, 09/12/03
New York Post, 09/11/03

KFC Chickens Out to PETA
FoxNews.com, 09/05/03

Mars and the Eco-Inquisition
FoxNews.com, 08/28/03

EPA Ignores Congress in Power Grab
FoxNews.com, 08/22/03
Washington Times, 08/26/03

California Recall Burns Flame Retardant
FoxNews.com, 08/15/03

Exploiting 9/11 Babies
FoxNews.com, 08/08/03
New York Post, 08/08/03

Global Warming Not a WMD
FoxNews.com, 08/01/03

How NOW on Breast Implants?
FoxNews.com, 07/25/03
Washington Times, 07/30/03

Truth in Advertising
FoxNews.com, 07/18/03

Integrity in Science Award is Neither
FoxNews.com, 07/11/03

Ben & Jerry's New Scam
FoxNews.com, 07/04/03

McJunk Science: Over Five Billion Fooled
FoxNews.com, 06/27/03

Pesticide-Sperm Count Link Is Impotent
FoxNews.com, 06/20/03

EPA: Freaky Frogs Not Linked With Herbicide
FoxNews.com, 06/13/03
National Post, 06/14/03

Cancer Miracle or Mirage?
FoxNews.com, 06/06/03

Hormone Therapy, Alzheimer's Link Is Premature
FoxNews.com, 05/30/03

Mad Cow Mania
FoxNews.com, 05/23/03
National Post, 05/23/03

Kooky Cookie Lawsuit
FoxNews.com, 05/16/03

Chemical Plant Insecurity
FoxNews.com, 05/09/03

Waistline Police Pull a Fasting One
FoxNews.com, 05/02/03

World Health Baloney
FoxNews.com, 04/25/03
Washington Times, 04/28/03
National Post, 04/26/03

Iraq War Not Over for Junk Scientists
FoxNews.com, 04/18/03

Physician-Activists Socially Irresponsible on War
FoxNews.com, 04/11/03

PETA: No Porpoise in War
FoxNews.com, 04/04/03

Environmentalists AWOL on Saddam
FoxNews.com, 03/28/03

Anthrax Mass Bioterror: More Fret Than Threat
FoxNews.com, 03/21/03

Iraqi Oil Well Fires Not a Major Health Threat
FoxNews.com, 03/14/03

Nevada Cancer Scare Is Tree-Ring Circus
FoxNews.com, 03/07/03

Consumer Watchdog: Vinyl Toys Are Just Ducky
FoxNews.com, 02/28/03

Better suing through chemicals
Washington Times, 02/23/03

Mercury Scare Rising
FoxNews.com, 02/21/03

Playground Wood: Cancer Cause or Consumer Scare?
FoxNews.com, 02/14/03

Did PC Science Cause Shuttle Disaster?
FoxNews.com, 02/07/03
Washington Times, 02/09/03
New York Post, 02/07/03

The Kids and Chemicals Scam
FoxNews.com, 01/31/03

McDonald's Lawsuit Deep-Fried for Now
FoxNews.com, 01/24/03

Greens to Launch New Scare Campaign
FoxNews.com, 01/17/03

Beyond Belief
FoxNews.com, 01/10/03

Federal Nannies Go on New Year's Binge
FoxNews.com, 1/3/03
Washington Times, 01/07/03

Junk Science Oscars
FoxNews.com, 12/27/02

Scientists Should Decide Silicone Safety
FoxNews.com, 12/20/02

Feds Scare Public With Cancer ‘Causes’
FoxNews.com, 12/13/02

Fake Fat, Fake Fears
FoxNews.com, 12/06/02

Midwest Plants Don’t Cause Northeast Smog
FoxNews.com, 11/28/02
Chicago Sun-Times, 12/16/02
New York Post, 12/03/02
Indianapolis Star, 12/01/02
Washington Times, 11/27/02

Drugged Driving Hopes
FoxNews.com, 11/22/02

Salt Assault
FoxNews.com, 11/15/02
Washington Times, 11/29/02

Freaky-Frog Fraud
FoxNews.com, 11/08/02

Global Warmers Admit No Solutions
FoxNews.com, 11/01/02

Beware Drug Company Marketing
FoxNews.com, 10/25/02

How Reliable Is Ballistic Fingerprinting?
FoxNews.com, 10/18/02
New York Post, 10/28/02
Orange County Register, 10/22/02
Washington Times, 10/21/02

Small Pox Threat Exaggerated, Part II
FoxNews.com, 10/11/02

Cell Phone Suit Gets Bad Reception
FoxNews.com, 10/04/02

Clean-Up Confusion
FoxNews.com, 09/27/02

Dirt-Asthma Link Needs Scrubbing
FoxNews.com, 09/20/02

What Makes an 'Expert' an Expert?
FoxNews.com, 09/13/02

McJunk Science
The Wall Street Journal, 09/09/02
Chicago Sun-Times, 09/09/02

Desperate Activists, Desperate Ads
FoxNews.com, 09/06/02

The Other Fake Meat
FoxNews.com, 08/30/02

Stop Scaring the Mentally Ill
FoxNews.com, 08/23/02

DDT Could Thwart West Nile Virus
FoxNews.com, 08/16/02
Washington Times, 08/16/02
Chicago Sun-Times, 08/25/02

Ground Zero Research Boondoggle
FoxNews.com, 08/09/02
New York Post, 08/13/02

Hormone Hysteria or Hype?
FoxNews.com, 08/02/02

Organic Industry’s Thin Skin
FoxNews.com, 07/26/02

IV-Bag Scare Drips Junk Science
FoxNews.com, 07/19/02

The Fat Police Indict Margarine
FoxNews.com, 07/12/02

Irradiated Mail Syndrome?
FoxNews.com, 07/05/02

French Fry Scare, Part II
FoxNews.com, 06/27/02
Washington Times, 07/03/02

Rethinking DDT
FoxNews.com, 06/20/02

Cloning Hype Offers False Hope
FoxNews.com, 06/13/02
Washington Times, 06/16/02

Global Warming Fears Must Cool Down
FoxNews.com, 06/06/02

WTC Rescuers Not Exposed to Toxics
FoxNews.com, 05/30/02

Don't Hold the Pizza Just Yet
FoxNews.com, 05/23/02

What is WHO Doing?
FoxNews.com, 05/16/02

Mercury Ban Promotes Lawsuits, Not Health
FoxNews.com, 05/10/02

Allergy Drug Scare Unfounded
FoxNews.com, 05/02/02

The Great Potato Chip Scare
FoxNews.com, 04/25/02

Frog Study Leaps to Conclusions
FoxNews.com, 04/18/02

College Drinking Study Is Intoxicating Scam
FoxNews.com, 04/11/02
Washington Times, 04/18/02

Fat Police Raid Classroom
FoxNews.com, 04/04/02
The Philadelphia Inquirer, 04/03/02

TV & Violence: Strong Bond or Weak Link?
FoxNews.com, 03/28/02

A Cost-Benefit Analysis
FoxNews.com, 03/21/02

When Does Activism Become Terrorism?
FoxNews.com, 03/14/02

EPA Lung Cancer Study Based on Faulty Data
FoxNews.com, 03/07/02
National Post, 03/08/02
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 03/14/02

Reporter Scares Readers With Dubious Diabetes Study
FoxNews.com, 02/28/02

New Nutrition Book Choking on Bad Science
FoxNews.com, 02/21/02

Make Sure Drugs Work
FoxNews.com, 02/14/02

Firefighters' Honor At Risk
New York Post, 02/14/02

Bioterror Boondoggle
FoxNews.com, 02/08/02

Women Confused By Conflicting Mammogram Data
FoxNews.com, 02/01/02

Stem Cell Panel Has Vested Interest in Research
FoxNews.com, 01/25/02
Washington Times, 01/31/02

Junk Science
Salt Lake Tribune, 01/22/02

Formula for a Scam
FoxNews.com, 01/18/02

Ringling CEO targets animal activists in ad
Chicago Sun-Times, 01/14/02

World Trade Center Syndrome
FoxNews.com, 01/11/02
New York Post, 01/17/02
Washington Times, 01/24/02

Spitzer's Smog
New York Post, 01/11/02

Bio-terror Hucksters
FoxNews.com, 01/04/02
Washington Times, 01/07/02

Homeless Data Based on Politics, Not Numbers
FoxNews.com, 12/28/01
New York Post, 12/26/01

Animal Rights Activists Unleashed
FoxNews.com, 12/20/01

The Feds: Terrorizing With Fat
FoxNews.com, 12/13/01
Washington Times, 12/16/01

When Environmental and Political Science Clash
FoxNews.com, 12/06/01

Government pushes 'power-drunk, anti-alcohol agenda'
Washington Times, 12/04/01

It Might Not Have Been a Clone
FoxNews.com, 11/30/01
Washington Times, 12/3/01

The CDC’s Public Health Turkeys
FoxNews.com, 11/21/01

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's ... Soda?
FoxNews.com, 11/16/01
Washington Times, 11/15/01
Charlotte Observer, 11/18/01

EPA Program Based on False Information
FoxNews.com, 11/9/01

Don't Blame Sodas for Kids' Obesity
Los Angeles Times, 11/05/01

Flu Shot Frenzy Not Anthrax Answer
FoxNews.com, 11/2/01
Washington Times, 11/05/01

Health Officials Not to Blame in Anthrax Deaths
FoxNews.com, 10/26/01
Washington Times, 10/30/01

Correcting Smallpox Alarmism
Wall Street Journal, 10/29/01

Misinformation Is Real Anthrax Danger
FoxNews.com, 10/19/01
New York Post, 10/19/01

Concerns Vs. Chaos in the Anthrax Scare
FoxNews.com, 10/12/01
Washington Times, 10/15/01
New York Post, 10/12/01

Smallpox Attack Exaggerated
FoxNews.com, 10/05/01
Washington Times, 10/7/01
New York Post, 10/5/01

Bio-Terror Fear More Costly Than Attacks
FoxNews.com, 09/28/01

Asbestos Column Raised Awareness
FoxNews.com, 09/21/01

Asbestos Could Have Saved WTC Lives
FoxNews.com, 09/14/01

The Dirty Business of Sowing Mammography Doubt
FoxNews.com, 09/07/01

Dairy Industry Tries to Scare the Fizz Out of Soda Sales
FoxNews.com, 08/31/01

Activist Attention Disorder
FoxNews.com, 08/24/01

Federal Research Rat Hole
FoxNews.com, 08/17/01

Medical Journals Hooked on Drug Money
FoxNews.com, 08/10/01

Scare-Mongering Over 'Hillybilly Heroin' Deprives the Rest of Us
FoxNews.com, 08/05/01
New York Post, 08/01/01

Fishy Tales About Frogs and Fanatical Global-Warmers
FoxNews.com, 07/27/01

Nobel, Schmobel; Who Died and Made Them Experts?
FoxNews.com, 07/20/01

Don't worry: Climate changes naturally
USA Today, 07/19/01

Fat-Free America?
FoxNews.com, 07/13/01

Audubon's Fly-by-Night Pesticide Campaign
FoxNews.com, 07/06/01

Bleeding N.Y.C. - For Profit
New York Post, 06/29/01

Animal Rights, Research Wrongs
FoxNews.com, 06/28/01

Congress Working Hard to Make Schools Safe for Roaches and Rodents
FoxNews.com, 06/21/01

At Least the Biotech Terrorists Are Consistent ... They're Always Wrong
FoxNews.com, 06/14/01
National Post, 06/15/01

Bush Push for Son of Kyoto is Misguided
FoxNews.com, 06/07/01
National Post, 06/08/01
Washington Times, 06/11/01

Second-Hand Smokescreens
FoxNews.com, 06/01/01

PPA ban isn't science, it's statistical malpractice
National Post, 06/01/01

Lingering infestation of science moles
Washington Times, 05/30/01

Scaremongering From the Sundance Kid
FoxNews.com, 05/25/01

Coming Soon: More Chemicals Scares Than Anyone Dreamed Possible
FoxNews.com, 05/18/01

The Breast-Cancer Myth
New York Post, 05/17/01

Let 'Em Go Thirsty
FoxNews.com, 05/11/01

Holy Isotopes! Radiation Levels at Capitol 65 Times EPA Standards for Facility
FoxNews.com, 05/04/01
Washington Times, 05/08/01

National Research Council Poisons Arsenic Debate
FoxNews.com, 04/27/01
Washington Times, 05/04/01

JunkScience.com Report Is Accurate
Roll Call, 04/24/01

Soft Drinks, Hard Bias
FoxNews.com, 04/20/01
Washington Times, 04/18/01

Gun Control Science Misfires
FoxNews.com, 04/13/0

Quack Attack! The Case of the Dangerous Sippy Cup
FoxNews.com, 04/06/01

Anti-chemical Activists and Their New Clothes
FoxNews.com, 03/30/01

Organized Organic Crime
FoxNews.com, 03/23/01
Washington Times, 03/27/01

Getting the Lead Hysteria Out
FoxNews.com, 03/16/01

Secondhand Smokescreen
FoxNews.com, 03/09/01

Adjusting Science to Fit Policy
FoxNews.com, 03/02/01
Washington Times, 03/04/01

Laboratory Animal Farm
FoxNews.com, 02/23/01

FDA Censors Diet-Health Debate
FoxNews.com, 02/16/01

The Toxic Tooth Scare
New York Post, 02/15/01

Global Warming's Dirty New Secret
FoxNews.com, 02/09/01
Washington Times, 02/13/01

Fear-Mongering Where It Hurts the Most
FoxNews.com, 02/02/01

American Heart Association Paradox
FoxNews.com, 01/26/01

FDA's Mercurial Fish Story
FoxNews.com, 01/19/01

Where's the Beef on Farm Antibiotics?
FoxNews.com, 01/12/01

EPA Lamb Among Transition Wolves
FoxNews.com, 01/05/01

Organic, Schmorganic
FoxNews.com, 12/29/00
Washington Times, 01/02/01

Studies Steal Cell Phone Lawyer's Christmas
FoxNews.com, 12/22/00

Gagging on Statistical Pollution
FoxNews.com, 12/15/00

Get the butterfly net for inattentive media
Washington Times, 12/8/00

Final Countdown at EPA
FoxNews.com, 12/8/00

Don't Let the EPA Pollute the Hudson
New York Post, 12/8/00

DDT Ban Is Genocidal
FoxNews.com, 12/1/00

Media Activist Turkeys Ignore Butterfly Thanksgiving FoxNews.com, 11/24/00

Global Warming COP-Out
FoxNews.com, 11/17/00

Is the FDA's PPA Scare BS?
FoxNews.com, 11/10/00

Hamburger Report Not Well Done
FoxNews.com, 11/3/00

The Hot Air Candidate
New York Post, 10/29/00

Biotech tricks or treats
Washington Times, 10/27/00

Plutonium Pandemonium
FoxNews.com, 10/27/00

Environmental Clapp-Trap
FoxNews.com, 10/20/00
National Post, 10/26/00

Al's Environmental Whoppers
New York Post, 10/16/00

The Tail End of the Fiber Myth
FoxNews.com, 10/13/00

'Fat Police' Brutality
FoxNews.com, 10/6/00

Diaper Dump
FoxNews.com, 9/29/00

Taco Terrorism
FoxNews.com, 9/22/00

Polluting the Facts
FoxNews.com, 9/15/00

Just Another 'Junk Science' Joe
FoxNews.com, 9/8/00

Benign Study, Toxic Spin
FoxNews.com, 9/1/00

Butterfly 'Survivor'
FoxNews.com, 8/25/00
Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 9/16/00
Washington Times, 8/30/00

A Scoop of Debunkey Monkey, Please
FoxNews.com, 8/18/00

The Greens' Yellow Science
FoxNews.com, 8/11/00

'Ozone Al' Picks 'Junk Science Joe'
Junkscience.com, 8/7/00

Kyoto accord alarmists misguided, dangerous
Chicago Sun-Times, 8/7/00

The EPA's Secret Science
FoxNews.com, 8/4/00

No panic necessary
Washington Times, 8/4/00

The Pesticide Myth
FoxNews.com, 7/28/00

Disinfecting the anti-bacteria debate
Washington Times, 7/27/00

Science Can't Help Cell-Phone Makers
FoxNews.com, 7/21/00

Spitzer's Dishwasher Politics
New York Post, 7/14/00

Despite Killer Bees, Biotech Works
FoxNews.com, 7/14/00
San Diego Union Tribune, 6/23/00

AMA, Disinfect Thyself
FoxNews.com, 7/7/00

Cellphone hysteric
The National Post, 6/23/00

EPA's way of pulling the pesticide plug
Washington Times, 6/12/00
NewAustralian.com, 6/19/00
Chicago Sun-Times, 6/12/00
New York Post, 6/9/00

WWF helping to flush money down Toronto sewers
National Post, 6/2/00

Medical Journal Forgets Own Warning
Junkscience.com, 5/21/00

A Win for West Nile -- By Two Rats
New York Post, 5/12/00

Averaging health data harms both sexes
USA Today, 5/11/00

Will a memorial to Chunky Monkey consumers be next?
Washington Times, 4/30/00

Unwarranted warning
Washington Times, 4/21/00

The Cancer Cluster Lie
New York Post, 4/15/00

Media lose message
Chicago Sun-Times, 3/27/00

Second-hand science
The National Post, 3/25/00

Branson’s hot air on zero-risk
New Australian, 3/20/99

European caution carries risks
Financial Times, 3/10/00

JAMming an Rx for gun grabs
Washington Times, 3/6/00

A Child's Tragedy: A Parent's Character
CNSNews.com, 2/28/00

‘Scare’ Tactics in Reprocessed Medical Device Debate
Chicago Sun-Times, 2/22/00

Unreasonable Precautions
The National Post, 2/7/00

The Case for Public Access to Federally Funded Research Data
Cato Institute, 2/2/00

Ben & Jerry's or Bay water?
The National Post, 1/29/00

FDA label rule lacks
scientific basis
Chicago Sun-Times, 1/25/00

Al Gore has high risk of heart attack, study indicates
Junkscience.com, 1/24/00
Salon.com, 2/1/00
Deseret News, 2/2/00

Junk Science of the Century: The DDT Ban
Junkscience.com, 1/1/00
The Wasatch Courier, 01/25/00

The Greens' Ear-ie Ad
Washington Times, 12/10/99
New York Post, 12/16/99

Glickman Sticks His Neck Out
for Science
Farm Journal, December 1999

Still a secret
Washington Post, 12/4/99

Tobacco-izing telephones
New Australian, 11/29/99

"The Insider": Whistle Blowing or Sucking Wind?
Junkscience.com, 11/12/99

Study eases gene-altered corn fears
Chicago Sun-Times, 11/4/99

The Biotech Rumor Mill
Investor's Business Daily, 10/8/99

Modified crops cause concern
Chicago Sun-Times,10/6/99

Study: Weed Killer O.K.
Chicago Sun-Times, 9/17/99

Spitzer, Smog and Mirrors
New York Post, 9/17/99

Falcon's Fall
San Francisco Examiner, 8/29/99

Tort Lawyers Getting Fat
Off Fen-Phen
Wall Street Journal, 8/10/99

No chemical threat found
Chicago Sun-Times, 8/6/99

Dressing up the butterflies
Washington Times, 7/20/99

Fist's forgotten facts
New Australian, 6/14/99

Saving secret science
New York Post, 5/24/99

Report gives new life to mobile phone phobia
National Post, 5/19/99

Fisticuffs
New Australian, 4/19/99

Fear and ignorance followed
Three Mile Island
News Tribune, 3/28/99

Save plastic IV-bags so they can save you
Washington Times,3/1/99

No, ordering pizza won't save your life
New York Post, 2/21/99

Ban hysteria,not gas additives
Investor's Business Daily,2/10/99
Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2/11/99

By any other name
Chemical and Eng. News, 2/8/99

Science 'adjusted' to fit EPA policy
Wall Street Journal, 1/19/99

Cancer study was flawed
Deseret News, 1/14/99

Slamming Science, Hollywood Style
Investor's Business Daily, 12/24/98
Detroit Free Press, 12/28/98
Cincinnati Enquirer, 12/21/98

Misleading headline
Bangor Daily News, 12/12/98

No smoking gun
Science News, 12/05/98

Cooking beef and cooking news reports
Washington Times,11/27/98
Dayton Daily News, 11/29/98
Chicago Tribune, 11/27/98

Tobacco: Who pays whom?
Science, 9/18/98

Diesel gets new scrutiny
Dayton Daily News, 9/8/98

No conclusive evidence on cancer
Bergen County Record,9/1/98

Silencing Science in the Climate Debate
Investor's Business Daily, 8/7/98

For the Feds, Fat is Where It's At
Investor's Business Daily, 6/10/98

Breast Cancer Drugs Hold Out Hope -- But Not Certainty
Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/23/98

An Empty Uniform
Wall Street Journal, 2/10/98

Politics and the Promise of Biotechnology
Genetic Engineering News 2/1/98

Medical Privacy Should Not Mean 'Secret' Science
Epidemiology Monitor, Feb. 1998

A Diet Prescription for Trial
Lawyers
Investor's Business Daily, 11/24/97

EPA's Peer-review Perversion
Public Risk, October 1997

Junk Science:It's the Law
Investor's Business Daily, 8/25/97

Relax...You Might Not Be Doomed
Public Risk, February 1997

The EPA's Clean Air-ogance
Wall Street Journal, 1/7/97

The EPA's Chemical Jihad
Investor's Business Daily, 11/19/96

The EPA's Houdini Act
Wall Street Journal, 8/12/96