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The Green Grok Blogs on Health

GM Declares Bankruptcy

GM Declares Bankruptcy

by Bill Chameides
Jun 01, 2009
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The end of an era, to be sure. But how did this happen? The result of meddling by “pointy-headed busybodies” or the inevitable march of time?

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Is a Free-Range Pig a Good Pig?

Is a Free-Range Pig a Good Pig?

by Bill Chameides
Apr 23, 2009
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A free-range pig is happier than a confined pig. Perhaps. But is a free-range pig safe to eat?

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Finally Standards for Coal Ash … Just in Time?

by Bill Chameides
Mar 11, 2009
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On Monday, while the Environmental Protection Agency sought information from electric companies about their coal waste disposal practices, a new crisis was bubbling up around Maryland. It’s about time EPA acts on coal waste. But is it enough?

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Environmental Roundup

Environmental Roundup

by Bill Chameides
Mar 05, 2009
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From coastal wetlands and "green" tissue paper to getting the lead out, here are four environmental news items theGreenGrok thought you might want to know about.

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The Old Ice Age Myth Put to Rest

The Old Ice Age Myth Put to Rest

by Bill Chameides
Feb 10, 2009
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Global warming skeptics often point to an "imminent ice age” touted by the popular press in the 1970s to dissuade the public from believing today’s very real threat of global warming. The argument was always a red herring, and now a new paper resolves the scientific issues raised by the supposed warnings.

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Clean Coal’s Dirty Secret - When 'Clean' Isn't Clean

Clean Coal’s Dirty Secret - When 'Clean' Isn't Clean

by Bill Chameides
Feb 04, 2009
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Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel. Burning it produces a myriad of noxious air pollutants. That's a problem. Clean coal technology supposedly scrubs those pollutants before they get into the atmosphere. Problem gone, right? Not quite. Guess where those pollutants end up.

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Memo to CNN.com: You Got It Wrong

by Bill Chameides
Feb 02, 2009
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It’s great when reporters call you for your opinion. It’s even better when they feature a quote from you in the story. And it’s better yet when it’s from an organization with the reach of CNN. However, it’s not great when they get what you said wrong.

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Tennessee Coal Ash Contaminated With Radioactivity and Arsenic

Tennessee Coal Ash Contaminated With Radioactivity and Arsenic

by Bill Chameides
Jan 29, 2009
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Remember that huge spill of coal ash at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Kingston coal-fired power plant on December 22nd? New measurements by Duke University scientists confirm not only the presence of toxic metals like arsenic but also dangerous levels of radioactivity.

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Obama: The Environmental President?

Obama: The Environmental President?

by Bill Chameides
Jan 21, 2009
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It's official: there's a new U.S. president. Will Barack Obama be able to advance an environmental agenda? If so, he will have distinguished himself from Democratic administrations that promised a lot but delivered little on the environment.

See also comments on Huffington Post (36)

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Statistically Speaking: Real vs. Fake Christmas Trees

Statistically Speaking: Real vs. Fake Christmas Trees

by Bill Chameides
Dec 18, 2008
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In 1901, Theodore Roosevelt nixed a Christmas tree for the White House. "It's not good to cut down trees for mere decoration," he claimed. "We must set a good example for the people of America." Was President Roosevelt right? Should today's conservationists take a page out of his book and forgo the tree?!

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Statistically Speaking: Detroit Does It Better in Europe

Statistically Speaking: Detroit Does It Better in Europe

by Bill Chameides
Dec 05, 2008
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So the Big Three automakers are in trouble and want some of our money to stay afloat. Before handing over any cash, we might want to look at how Detroit does when it has to.

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The Life of a Turkey

The Life of a Turkey

by Bill Chameides
Nov 21, 2008
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Thanksgiving approaches. As most of us look forward to celebrating our blessings with family and friends, putting a turkey front and center on the dinner table, I thought it might be interesting to learn about the life of the average American turkey.

read the full post » | comments (3)

Are All Meat-Eaters Children of the Corn?

Are All Meat-Eaters Children of the Corn?

by Bill Chameides
Nov 18, 2008
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For decades, big companies have been consuming others until only a few are left. This Pac Man-like game has been especially true of agriculture where a handful of large corporations control almost every aspect of our food production. A new study explores this situation vis-a-vis our fast-food addiction.

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Update on E-Waste

Update on E-Waste

by Bill Chameides
Nov 13, 2008
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If you caught 60 Minutes on Sunday, you got quite an eyeful. Scott Pelley's 12-minute exposé opened a window onto the continuing problem of electronic waste. Following a tanker filled with computer monitors and other abandoned electronics, from a U.S. to a Hong Kong port, the news magazine shined a light on an illegal but apparently common practice. Though exporting e-waste is against the law, it is obviously still happening. But a bit of good news on the e-waste front crossed the wires this week as well.

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Leave the Caps Off!

Leave the Caps Off!

by Bill Chameides
Nov 11, 2008
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Are you an obsessive-compulsive type like me, who recaps plastic bottles before tossing them into the recycling bin? Wrong.

read the full post » | comments (3)

The Pros and Cons of Modernization: Cancer in China

The Pros and Cons of Modernization: Cancer in China

by Bill Chameides
Nov 06, 2008
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When it comes to getting cancer, is it better to live in a modern, developed economy or in an undeveloped one? Two studies from China suggest that the answer is yes … and yes.

read the full post » | comments (1)

Mercury: A Persistent Toxin

by Bill Chameides
Oct 29, 2008
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Mercury poisoning has a long history. The phrase "mad as a hatter" (circa 1830s) derives from the slurred speech, tremors and other neurological symptoms displayed by the day's hatmakers – maladies caused by long-term exposure to mercury used in hat-making. Today, the highly toxic metal continues to plague us, and new studies indicate even very low doses of mercury can be risky. But there's at least one way we can safeguard against it – remember, you are what you eat.

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Climate Change: Bad News on the Health Front

by Bill Chameides
Oct 15, 2008
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When it comes to environmental pollution, people tend to care most about health effects. Three new studies on how global warming is affecting health will not be welcome news to these folks.

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Statistically Speaking: Natural Gas - Future Green Fuel?

by Bill Chameides
Oct 03, 2008
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Seen those natural gas commercials on TV? They tout natural gas as the low-carbon, low-pollution, homegrown, near-term solution to break our addiction to oil. Sounds great, but is it true?

read the full post » | comments (3)

Is It Too Late to Avoid Dangerous Climate Change?

by Bill Chameides
Sep 22, 2008
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Scientists call it DAI — "dangerous anthropogenic interference" with the climate system. The United States along with 191 other countries pledged to prevent DAI in 1994. However, little has happened to address the problem since, and now some scientists think it may be too late.

Huffington Post Comments (7)

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about The Green Grok

We are on an unsustainable course. While world populations and consumption grow, resources diminish and global warming threatens our way of life. We must find a more sustainable path. But how?

In The Green Grok, Dr. Bill Chameides elucidates causes of and potential remedies for environmental change and identifies pathways towards a more sustainable future.

meet team Grok »

Grok video

A Cautionary Tale of Trees

City Parks: Great Places to Visit and Good for the Environment

DIY: Eight Tips for a More Sustainable Food Shopping Trip

more Grok videos »

Grok series

Cap and Trade Ongoing series »

Cash for Clunkers Ongoing series »

Coal Ash Ongoing series »

Electronic Waste Ongoing series »

Global Warming and Predictions
of an Impending Ice Age
In 4 parts »

The Smart Grid Part 1 » :: Part 2 »