>> Vinyl could cause autism. Kids living in homes with vinyl floors, which can emit phthalates, are twice as likely to have autism, found a study published in the Journal Neurotoxicology. “Rates of autism in California have increased seven-fold since 1990, a recent study found. Because genetics do not change that quickly, scientists suspect that chemical pollutants are probably playing a role.” While most U.S. homes don’t have vinyl floors, carpeting could contain similarly scary chemicals — and some U.S. schools have vinyl flooring, a fact that the Center for Health, Environment & Justice is working to change.

>> Joshua Tree National Park could be Joshua Tree-less in 100 years. For more scary news of what’s likely to come to pass in Cali as global climate change continues to take effect, read the 2009 Climate Action Team Report or LA Times’ summary of it. In short, conserve water, and get educated about our water policies.

>> Your not-worth-stealing clunker could soon be worth $5000. Congress is considering giving people up to $5000 for getting rid of old, polluting cars and buying newer, more-efficient cars. As of now, the House and Senate bills have some key differences. Unfortunately, while this LA Times article notes similar programs in France and Germany have been successful, the reporter defines success solely in terms of numbers of new cars sold (and the resulting economic boost) and provides no info on what the programs did for air quality or other environmental concerns.

0 Comments