6 results for tag: health
Climate Change is Impacting Youth Mental Health
Do you find yourself or the youth in your life feeling anxious or depressed over the idea of climate change? A new study shows this is a problem sweeping Oregon and beyond. The Oregon Health Authority just released a report, Climate Change and Youth Mental Health in Oregon, documenting the impacts of climate change on the mental health of youth (ages 15-25). This study was completed under the direction of Governor Brown’s Executive Order 20-04, also known as the Oregon Climate Action Plan.
The study, one of the largest in the nation to date, documents a growing youth mental health crisis in Oregon. Climate stressors, including climate anxiety, ...
Grinchlike behavior: Toy Association delivers lawsuit against safer toys just in time for the New Year
In one of the most Grinch-like moves of 2021, American Apparel, the Toy Association, and its member coalition- Safe to Play, filed a lawsuit during the week of Christmas, in an effort to ensure that they can continue delivering toxic toys to Oregon kids. They claim that the final rules of Oregon’s Toxic Free Kids Act (TFKA) is preempted based on the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) and Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), and that compliance with phaseouts, especially if they have to pay the fees to apply for waivers, will cause them “irreparable harm.”
This move came six and a half years after TFKA was enacted, and over 9 months ...
Common Questions About Lead In School Water
What’s the news?
Schools are finding high levels of the toxic heavy metal lead in drinking water, coming from pipes, solder or plumbing fixtures that contain lead.
It’s not the first time that this problem came to the Portland school district’s attention. As far back as 2001, tests in Portland schools revealed high levels of lead and fixtures were shut down until they could be replaced or filters installed. Yet the legacy of lead remains: In late spring 2016, lead was found in many Portland schools, in Beaverton schools and in Eugene.
Where is the lead coming from?
Lead contamination typically happens when water corrodes lead ...
Three science mistakes that non-scientists make
I’m a sucker for science. I am inclined to believe it. So when politics and science get whipped into a froth and poured over a debate about protecting health and the environment, I need a refresher on what science can and cannot do.
Living Green: Weird but true germ facts
Blue Bell made national news in April 2015 when a listeria outbreak led them to recall all of their ice cream products. Meanwhile. people also got nasty food poisoning—bacterial illness—from a church picnic in Ohio, a sushi restaurant in California and a winery in Arizona.
Thank goodness for powerful antibiotics! But if we’re going to keep antibiotics working, it’s worth giving a little shout-out to the freakishly adaptive nature of bacteria. Here’s why we have to use antibiotics with care:
Bacteria reproduce incredibly fast. Some bacteria, like e. coli, can double in 20 minutes. That means not only rapid infestation, but also rapid ...
The Fertilizer Savings Bill: A Win-Win for Farms and Water
The Problem:
Fertilizer Waste: Despite farmers being cost conscious, most of the fertilizer that farmers and land managers apply to crops is wasted. At least 30-40% of the fertilizer applied to most major U.S. crops simply washes away as runoff or leaches into our water supply. Farmers and other land managers are losing money.
Wasted Fertilizer Turns into Water Pollution: More than 70% of Oregonians get some of their drinking water f om groundwater sources, and 700,000 (23%) of Oregonians rely on private wells as their primary source of water. Yet in many parts of the state, Oregon’s ...