Congress Bans Plastic Microbeads, Bill Heads to President Obama's Desk
On Friday, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill phasing out the manufacture of beauty products with plastic microbeads by July 1, 2017, and the sale of such products by July 1, 2018. The Microbead Free Waters Act (H.R. 1321) bans all plastic microbeads in beauty products, including those made from so-called “biodegradable plastics,” the majority of which do not biodegrade in marine environments.
The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill phasing out the manufacture of beauty products with plastic microbeads by July 1, 2017, and the sale of such products by July 1, 2018. The bill now heads to President Obama's desk. Photo credit: Alliance for the Great Lakes
“Our oceans have been choking on these tiny plastic microbeads for way too long," Miyoko Sakashita, oceans program director with the Center for Biological Diversity, said. "This is a huge and important step toward protecting fish, birds and other ocean wildlife hurt by plastic pollution. I applaud the Senate for following California’s lead and voting to eliminate this pointless and harmful source of plastic pollution.”
The Microbead Free Waters Act, introduced by Reps. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.), will prevent 1.4 trillion plastic microbeads from entering U.S. waterways each year. Plastic microbeads—designed to be washed down the drain and too small to be reliably captured by wastewater treatment facilities—pollute lakes, rivers and oceans.
Once in the environment, plastic microbeads concentrate toxins such as pesticides and flame retardants on their surface, which may then transfer to the tissue of fish that mistake microbeads for food. A recent study found that one quarter of fish found at California fish markets had ingested plastic. One tube of exfoliating facewash can contain more than 350,000 microbeads.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 1321 earlier this month. The bill now heads to President Obama's desk for his approval.
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Spring is coming. And soon, tree swallows will start building nests. But as the climate changes, the birds are nesting earlier in the spring.
"It's getting warmer overall. They're thinking, OK, it's a good time to breed, to lay my eggs," says Lily Twining of the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior in Germany.
She says that despite recent warming, late-season cold snaps remain common. Those cold snaps can harm newborn chicks.
Hatchlings cannot regulate their body temperature, so they are vulnerable to hypothermia. And the insects they eat stop flying in cold weather, potentially leaving the chicks to starve.
"These chicks are growing very, very fast," Twining says. "They have very high energy demands, so… if they don't get a lot of that good high-quality food during this pretty specific time… that's when these cold weather events seem to be most devastating."
For example, data from Ithaca, New York, shows that a single cold snap in 2016 killed more than 70% of baby tree swallows.
"And there have been more and more of these severe cold weather die-off events for these tree swallows as they've been breeding earlier and earlier over the past 40 or so years," Twining says.
So for these songbirds, earlier springs can come with devastating consequences.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
Reposted with permission from Yale Climate Connections.
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An Exxon oil refinery is seen at night. Jim Sugar / Getty Images
Citigroup will strive to reach net-zero greenhouse gas pollution across its lending portfolio by 2050 and in its own operations by 2030, the investment group announced Monday.
<p>The plan, published by CEO Jane Fraser, on her first day in the role, included few details but promised more within the coming year. </p><p>Citi's pledge follows similar announcements by Morgan Stanley, Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase amid efforts by the group <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VW12pK3RP4wWW7VrLG-4gQ48qW1KLHGL4nHcLsMDyKnp3p_9LV1-WJV7CgZcVW6dxBrb6S8q3rW3qnwpq6YMcnXW6X81xF814HdPW30bQ6285vNx7N3nSYpGv9zFlW9hrJNB7my_bTN2WsJFgWsZR9V5XHC06LHFvjW8vcRxB2-qW9PW25SPND8nSh3QW8HpGht1BnD2wW8QKdqg4Jbh3FW96YSVp91by3NN3zch6CrYKdDW813L1n1bCw-4N9dpv0LBj3ncW2J4ZWs1_rzYJVjPyNV8YwXBrM_RvMg-QsqhW3GWgH539JwwnMf01t66F3jWW71GP2Q96r9kXW92pGBf1TQgyBN5lqmlC5Qt2KW99HT6z3D7f98W1Lv39L1JLLnGW20xsgC3nr4ysW2gVGXx65byDd33K41" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BankFWD</a> to push U.S. banks to slash greenhouse gas pollution from their investments. </p><p>Those three firms, plus Citigroup, have provided more than $705 billion to fossil energy companies since the Paris Agreement went into effect. </p><p>Also Monday, Exxon Mobil Corp. named activist investor Jeffrey Ubben and former Comcast executive Michael Angelakis to its board, in a move to parry calls for the oil giant to focus more on clean energy. </p><p>Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission determined both Citigroup and Exxon could not prevent shareholders from voting on resolutions tied to racial equity and climate change.</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p>Citigroup: <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/finance/541020-citigroup-sets-goal-to-achieve-net-zero-emissions-by-2050?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8JAMXp-yLHJbHxbvmDGfX2S-FYGMVpbawKZ0L_lon_lqt14dH4LzmTvKI9aESVbIEqfL5G6YJ6-pGTa1bLJiM5rXr3PdBqynfiMb0C44NWBz50EpQ&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The Hill</a>, <a href="https://login.politicopro.com/?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fsubscriber.politicopro.com%2Farticle%2F2021%2F03%2Fciti-pledges-to-stop-financing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-3987303%3Futm_campaign%3DHot%2520News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_YfzbNr-q9hDWRJo3ACPfkC6i-2ocHo2VrVypVvHdxMn84PsEPB2n14IuJVzaekX5gUUqqYtQPXv5U0TEnijLlOmJ8JD_57BDmBrvhcv3McLvcvVs&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Politico Pro</a>; Fossil investments: <a href="https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2021/03/01/stories/1063726287?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--M0ZQdvCKkCSpUAWG5LdObCV0J2zGbgHNOiPuaHy_aA4Z4AykqIkE-8HD3lLwg-10v9dJVM7940Kbo0YNxlYL_nwyiKA8LPdRHEwUwVHptx9BPfug&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">E&E</a>; Exxon: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/exxon-adds-two-new-board-members-after-activist-pressure-11614607512?mod=searchresults_pos2&page=1&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--m9T1M8rNEEIgOwgajbNq3NTDkvWWMjdPqPqnlUPN2A5aW3UJUO4y4NEB5ps-OKz-2N3IG_4UuqYEKoDiUZ_UZZS7aB2kHN0-I3lVkrqR70PwD3gI&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal,</a> <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2AT2K0?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8f5L7QA1MNONzvBKjuP6s_y3zBOIbjn8Rc4K0b6zPnO_UslDCfWD_twOH98CoQPPesIGDeZHPSVDC6AXN8A5PqHyx6kRft3u0pBSIwKEeGwKcGtQo&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Reuters,</a> <a href="https://www.axios.com/exxon-board-activist-climate-195cbfb1-cd52-4c92-bd59-13d6781d9896.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_LGXqzYZPEqroDVZv-euFStCRUvQgVX3D3fItkuSfAKB0fOwASTqpFThUU8Bt7d_kgwIlNUfkbWostNHKFWu6Pig81CqI57Cy9lMAdkRXRQ3hAm4M&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Axios</a>; SEC: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-01/citigroup-exxon-must-let-investors-vote-on-esg-issues-sec-says?sref=oUjKJw8m&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9-4on_47qkmXwBeosuro4FJLIPnKjdgOKraW7KJJa0HwquHKfV2lO8eCjRfs2ZqAAQgrKbMR6HGZwqpENToCahHevV-7ATh-8GkFy0M09MkmH3gAU&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
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The Arctic fox's coat changes from the mixed gold and black of summer to a mostly pure white fur in winter. Dennis Fast / VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
By Jacob Job
Maybe you've seen a video clip of a fluffy white fox moving carefully through a frozen landscape. Suddenly it leaps into the air and dive-bombs straight down into the snow. If so, you've witnessed the unusual hunting skills of an Arctic fox.
<p>During winter at the most northern parts of Earth, snow and ice transform the Arctic tundra into a blanket of white as far as the eye can see. It's a long, cold and harsh season, and animals like the Arctic fox have a number of special tricks that help them survive. Here's how they're able to locate and catch their prey.</p>
<h3>Blending in With the Arctic Landscape<br></h3><p>Some Arctic animals have evolved unique camouflage to blend in with their surroundings. The most obvious example is the polar bear. These large predators have white fur that makes them nearly invisible as they hunt seals on the white sea ice.<br></p><p>Arctic foxes actually <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.359.6379.1004-a" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">change color with the seasons</a>. During summer, their <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/arctic-fox" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">gray and brown fur blends in</a> with tundra rocks and plant life. This camouflage helps Arctic foxes slowly sneak up on their prey and avoid being eaten themselves.</p><p>But dark fur would make Arctic foxes easy to see on the all-white winter tundra once it's covered with snow. As winter nears, Arctic foxes shed their dark fur and begin growing all white fur to blend in with the snow and ice. Their changing color helps keep these foxes hidden year-round.</p>
<h3>Changing Hunting Strategies</h3><p>Many of the bird species that Arctic foxes hunt during the summer migrate south to escape the harsh winter weather. The foxes are left with fewer food choices. While they still hunt some birds, like ptarmigan, on top of the snow, Arctic foxes often turn their attention to <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/Arctic_fox/natural_history.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">food found underneath the snow</a> – specifically, lemmings.</p><p><a href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lemmus_lemmus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lemmings are small rodents</a> that live on the Arctic tundra all year. To survive the cold winters, they remain active under deep snow, moving through tunnels, and search for leaves, roots and berries to eat. The snow insulates them from the cold air above, allowing them to stay active even during the middle of winter.</p><p>But how do Arctic foxes find lemmings that are hidden underneath the snow? The answer: by listening for their footsteps!</p>
<h3>Hearing Like a Dog</h3><p>Like other canid species – a fancy way to describe dog-like animals – Arctic foxes have very sensitive ears.</p><p>Have you ever seen a dog running through tall grass and then suddenly stop short, tilting its head back and forth? It probably looked like it was listening to something, even though you couldn't detect what might attract its attention. In fact, there was probably a mouse or vole moving nearby, and your dog was able to hear its footsteps.</p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/RCqQYpM1hCA?start=100" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">What does a mouse or lemming sound like</a> when it runs through the grass or snow? It makes a quiet, high-pitched rustling sound. It sort of sounds like the softest gust of wind causing grass blades to rub against each other.</p><p>Most people can't hear this sound, but your dog and Arctic foxes can hear it just fine. Because human beings domesticated dogs, they don't need to use their special hearing to find food – we make it easy by filling their food bowls every day. But wild canids, including Arctic foxes, still very much <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2014.12.001" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">need this unique ability to survive</a>.</p>
<h3>An Ambush From Above</h3><p>Arctic foxes spend hours each day roaming across the tundra during winter looking for food. This includes listening for lemmings under the snow. But hearing a lemming is only the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198515562.003.0008" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">first step in getting a meal</a>. Arctic foxes still must catch them.</p><p>Once a fox hears a lemming, it becomes almost completely still. The fox then tilts its head back and forth, trying to better locate where the lemming is. It requires careful listening to pinpoint the lemming's quiet movements in the snow.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1800819bdac6e7df21ea2779baf7db94"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r2Ou58p_D7k?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>When a fox is confident it knows exactly where the lemming is, the ambush begins. It will jump straight up in the air, sometimes several feet, and plunge headfirst into the snow with its mouth wide open. If the attack was successful, the fox will emerge from the snow with a lemming in its mouth. Dinner is served.</p><p>Although this pouncing technique, known as "mousing," may seem easy enough, an Arctic fox may attempt it hundreds of times per day with little success. It takes <a href="https://youtu.be/9UaX4RBIThI?start=62" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">practice and persistence</a>.</p>
<h3>Hunting in Noise</h3><p>Humans make a lot of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12207" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">noise that makes it harder for predators to find prey</a>. Although Arctic foxes live far enough north to avoid most noise pollution, other species including coyotes and red foxes live much farther south, where many more people live.</p><p>Coyotes and red foxes also hunt like Arctic foxes. The noise from airplanes, vehicles and other engines likely makes it harder for these species to hear rodent footsteps under the snow. And as the human population grows, bringing noise with them as they spread across the globe and into Arctic regions, it's reasonable to assume that Arctic foxes will also have a harder time finding food.</p>
<p>
<em>Jacob Job is a research associate in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University.<br/>
</em>
</p><p>
<em>Disclosure statement: Jacob Job does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</em>
</p><p>
<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795" target="_blank">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you'd like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:[email protected]" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[email protected]</a>.</em><br/>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from The <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-arctic-foxes-hunt-in-the-snow-153371" target="_blank">Conversation</a>.</em>
</p><script async="async" data-counter="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/153371/count?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" id="theconversation_tracker_hook" src="https://theconversation.com/javascripts/lib/content_tracker_hook.js" type="text/javascript"></script>From Your Site Articles
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Ahead of UN COP26, Survey Finds International Support for Greater Environmental Protection
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Young protesters participate in the Global Strike For Future march to raise climate change awareness in September 2019 in Brussels, Belgium. Thierry Monasse / Getty Images
By Brett Wilkins
An international survey conducted by the University of Cambridge and YouGov ahead of this November's COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference, and published on Monday, found overwhelming support around the world for governments taking more robust action to protect the environment amid the worsening climate crisis.
<p>The pollsters surveyed 14,627 adults in seven countries—Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. According to Cambridge University:</p><blockquote>Participants were randomly assigned to read either one of four 'treatment' texts about climate change—drafted to reflect current U.N. messaging, public health, social norms, and patriotism—or a neutral text, unrelated to climate and used to test "baseline" support. The participants were then asked if they agreed or disagreed with the statement that "all national governments should do more to protect the environment."<br></blockquote><p>In all of the countries except the U.S., at least 90% of baseline respondents agreed with the statement. In the U.S., the figure was 79%.</p>
<div id="26ea0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7aa0d6136bd98584572b3d9cc3ccc8fc"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1366418460289470467" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Nine out of ten people in the UK, Brazil, India, China, Indonesia and Poland want governments to “do more” to prote… https://t.co/URLdsms6LB</div> — Cambridge University (@Cambridge University)<a href="https://twitter.com/Cambridge_Uni/statuses/1366418460289470467">1614614522.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"Compared to the baseline, exposure to one of the climate change texts led to a small but significant rise of about one or two percentage points on average," wrote University of Cambridge political psychologist Lee de-Wit. "The figures ranged in the U.K. from 89-93%; as against 96-98% in Brazil, 91-95% in China, 92-97% in India, 99-100% in Indonesia, 91-94% in Poland, and 76-79% in the USA."</p><p>In the U.S., the survey found tremendous differences between people who voted for former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election—only 55% of whom said governments should do more to protect the environment—and those who elected President Joe Biden, 95% of whom agreed that governments should make more of an effort to safeguard the environment.</p><p>When asked to choose from a list of specific actions governments can take to better protect the environment, the most popular choice among survey respondents was "to protect and preserve" wildlife, marine life, and plants; followed by a policy "to plant more trees to absorb the gases that cause climate change"; spending more on developing clean technologies; and finally reducing "the production over 30 years of the gases that cause climate change."</p><p>On average, 58% of survey respondents also agreed that businesses should be forced "to pay for the damage they do when their activities contribute to climate change."</p>
<p>De-Wit wrote that "we live in a time of polarization, and environmental issues have long embodied the political divisions in society."</p><p>"However, this may be changing," he wrote. "We can see an overwhelming consensus emerging for greater government-led action to protect the environment in major nations."</p><p>"As we approach COP26, politicians the world over should take confidence from these findings," added de-Wit. "Voters across party lines want to see more government action. The time is now."</p><p>"We face huge challenges protecting the environment, but global public opinion may no longer be chief among them," concluded de-Wit.</p><p>The COP26 conference—which was delayed a year due to the coronavirus pandemic—will take place in Glasgow, Scotland November 1-12.</p><p>A U.N. report released last week <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/26/red-alert-our-planet-new-un-report-shows-radically-bolder-action-needed-hit-15degc" target="_blank">revealed</a> the world is far from meeting the emission-reduction goals of the Paris climate agreement, with scientists warning that accomplishing the accord's target of a maximum global temperature rise of 1.5°C requires cutting planet-heating emissions 45% by 2030 from 2010 levels.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/01/time-now-survey-finds-overwhelming-international-support-greater-environmental" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>
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A boy plays basketball in front of an oil well covered with large colorful flowers and located next to Beverly Hills High School. Wells like this have been hidden throughout Los Angeles. Faces of Fracking / Flickr
While the hazards of fracking to human health are well-documented, first-of-its-kind research from Environmental Health News shows the actual levels of biomarkers for fracking chemicals in the bodies of children living near fracking wells far higher than in the general population.
<p>The research fills a gap in the science between the <a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/top_story/racism-gas-flaring-preterm-births/?swcfpc=1&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--IeKYsJkanyv2krbRsHJYxOkofQcR7PNdbAKUOWyWVgo641V3oi78yiiALF6Bs_6g-0ll4FRFpZfIBzg4iuv0d4TxgvA&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">health harms</a> <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VWl5n_3q5CJ8W1vkcM622ZDlgW8LzBkh4nHcKTN3V8l9V3p_9LV1-WJV7CgDHwW5-d9Tn58WbjLW29YYkj1XKTLxW6fxzrF5qVzLQW728zK68hv09gW6XMg5S6P2pm4W8H7t2g7fkYbxW7LK3Rj3lBqjhW6psXpd6BW69mW4LxNjC1fBkckW6zrLg869tPj5VBjczC3NL9KdW3Y7c8w60yrFXW6pQ6db7hmyZbV24BBj6k-9gQW3p45qg1l9h8tVVCGK-https://nexusmedianews.com/top_story/texas-fracking-well-racial-equity/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9HnKTZpGsUpmqPPGaK4yztwgHCQlDwqY7CdovXbWiGnBCvO1jjWXhqUUD1EBXlzR4hXse4J1GNm47XfPzFkOsdqPs5GA&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">experienced by</a> those <a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/top_story/fracking-causes-radiation/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_Z9oDs8ErdTJkOBGkw6yk4DqDqbSJbq4c6Cn32fWeLj3YeiEB6S_IUkDKTaBN4cw4yzClKvupyBMWiQOv4d78IjZrttQ&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">living near fracking</a> and the known harms caused by fracking chemicals: whether fracking chemicals were actually in people's bodies. They are. Of the southwestern <a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/top_story/frack-attack-fail/?swcfpc=1&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Ac7K45kaZuV9bo0mx6c4YENox9oKgEpZX0jkcmR3SCs8X7yL0MjwvSPhqa3ymTYnvF-oIYfh-bQThZp7c5YmULwelNQ&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pennsylvania</a> families who participated in the study, those who lived closer to fracking wells had higher levels of fracking chemicals or their biomarkers than those who lived far away. </p>
<p>One nine-year-old boy had biomarkers for toluene, which can damage the nervous system or kidneys, 91 times higher than the average American. Another had biomarkers for ethylbenzene and styrene, 55 times higher than the average American. Exposure to ethylbenzene and styrene is linked to skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritation, reproductive harm, endocrine disruption, and increased cancer risk. The research is part one of a multi-part series by Environmental Health News exploring the multifaceted "body burden" of fracking.</p>
<p>As reported by <a href="https://www.ehn.org/fractured-harmful-chemicals-fracking-2650428324/family-video" target="_blank">Environmental Health News</a>:</p><blockquote>In Texas, researchers found that babies born near frequent flaring—the burning off of excess natural gas from fracking wells—are <a href="https://www.ehn.org/fracking-preterm-births--2646411428.html" target="_blank">50 percent</a> more likely to be premature. In Colorado, the state Department of Health <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ST8yZ0bUBrEzIkWsalOWCMHNjHNXarHO/view" target="_blank">found</a> that people living near fracking sites face elevated risk of nosebleeds, headaches, breathing trouble, and dizziness. In Pennsylvania, researchers found that people living near fracking face <a href="https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=75575&PageSpeed=noscript" target="_blank">increased rates of infant mortality</a>, <a href="https://www.ehn.org/pennsylvanians-who-live-near-fracking-are-more-likely-to-be-depressed-2590186370.html" target="_blank">depression</a>, and <a href="https://www.ehn.org/fracking-linked-to-increased-hospitalizations-for-skin-genital-and-urinary-issues-in-pennsylvania-2630649093.html" target="_blank">hospitalizations</a> for skin and urinary issues. <a href="https://www.ehn.org/health-impacts-of-fracking-2634432607.html" target="_blank">Studies of fracking communities</a> throughout the country have found that living near fracking wells increases the risk of premature births, high-risk pregnancies, asthma, migraines, fatigue, nasal and sinus symptoms, skin disorders and <a href="https://www.jacc.org/doi/full/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.10.023" target="_blank">heart failure</a>; and laboratory studies have <a href="https://academic.oup.com/endo/article/156/12/4458/2422671" target="_blank">linked</a> chemicals used in fracking fluid to endocrine disruption—which can cause hormone imbalance, reproductive harm, early puberty, brain and behavior problems, improper immune function, and cancer.</blockquote><blockquote>"We have enough evidence at this point that these health impacts should be of serious concern to policymakers interested in protecting public health," Irena Gorski Steiner, an environmental epidemiology doctoral candidate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told <em>Environmental Health News</em> (EHN).</blockquote>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcwNjM4My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NDY3MjcwM30.AYi_2gzgqE9i4HLu995WAMYiYDZiIbQiAS8nWHXm2xg/img.jpg?width=980" id="15f12" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2c985021edf24fb61f16e3a1c5831a11" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="800" data-height="531" />
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://www.ehn.org/fractured-harmful-chemicals-fracking-2650428324.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9O7c9gr0YQxB-7EgWVqaoE01Bpt_vt5POEcj-_cXeFCr8B40TWI__h7eT2FqSJjb30O5mEqc32t8GiONxzhkBMhF4Sog&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Environmental Health News</a>; Series overview: <a href="https://www.ehn.org/fractured-series-on-fracking-pollution-2650624600/fractured-fracking" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Environmental Health News</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>.</em></p>A man stands with his granddaughter in front of the Murphy Oil site located next door to his apartment in West Adams, Los Angles, California on July 16, 2014. Sarah Craig / Faces of Fracking
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