Pesticides could make kids dumb, diesel emissions make them sick

[Guest guest]

I Believe the Children Are Our Lab Rats

Pesticides could make kids dumb, diesel emissions make them sick

 

You know how we say we shouldn't wreck the planet for " future generations " ?

Turns out we're wrecking them too! A study from Indiana University says children

conceived in the summer score lower on tests in school, and suggests that

in-womb pesticide exposure may be to blame. " To recognize that what we put into

our environment has potential pandemic effects on pregnancy outcome and possibly

on child development is a momentous observation, which hopefully will help

transform the way humanity cares for its world, " says IU's James Lemons.

Meanwhile, states are struggling to clean up school-bus diesel emissions --

linked to asthma and lung cancer -- in the absence of $1 billion in cleanup

funds pledged by Congress in 2005. More than 100,000 of the nation's 390,000

diesel school buses don't meet emissions regulations; California approved a $200

million cleanup, while a similar plan in Texas stalled out -- partly because,

says the state's appropriations committee chair, " the

science is not very good. "

 

 

 

straight to the source: The New York Times, Associated Press, 06 May 2007

straight to the source: The Daily Telegraph, Fiona MacRae, 07 May 2007

straight to the source: Science Daily, 07 May 2007

see also, in Grist: An interview with clean-bus campaigner Francisca Porchas

[Guest guest]

Well , the science is good enough to point out the problem The problem is no one

is making the hardware.

 

New diesels and especially the micro particulate diesels - cleaner burning -

are putting particles in the air that are so small they dont settle readily. The

old Federal numbers for spacing of schools from Interstate Highways are invalid

because these microparticulates stay suspended for a much longer time - and

there are no commercialy available filtration systems yet.

These particulates are inhaled and stay there.

So we are promoting the new super fuel efficient diesels but selling them with

inadequate exhaust systems.

And they cannot be ordered with adequate sytems. They dont exist.

 

Meanwhile children report to the athletic field which is too close to the

highway.

 

Kirk