I’m on my way to New Orleans for the annual meeting of the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). It’s my first time attending this meeting and my first trip to a scientific conference in probably more than a year (even if it’s the fourth conference in about six weeks). I’ll be co-presenting with a colleague from the EPA on “Perspectives of Human Health and Wildlife Systems That Color Strategies for Integrating Humans with the Remainder of the Social-Ecological Landscape.” The session is devoted to decision making that integrates social and ecological knowledge. Our work stems from a project begun two years ago when we began wondering how knowledge about emerging contaminants might be worked into the decision-making process in an environmental-policy setting. This presentation offers us our first opportunity to think about the project, what we’ve done so far, and where we might go from here. Continue Reading »

Bisphenol A (BPA) is dangerous to human health.  

Or is it? This is the question that circles through debates as an increasing number of people (scientists and non-scientists alike) discuss chemical effects. What exactly is in the air and in our water supplies? Are harmful chemical mixtures present in our products, or aren’t they? BPA has been largely publicized as an example, though these days few are arguing the absence of the chemical in consumer products. Instead, the argument focuses mainly on exposure levels. I read a New York Times op-ed about BPA levels discovered in canned food, such as particular brands of soup and juice. In addition, another recent article points to BPA traces found in products specifically labeled “BPA-free.”  Continue Reading »

Do you know that Philadelphia’s water department was the first (1801) in America to supply an entire city with drinking water?

Water facts, water history, water resources: all the controversy about the environmental impacts of natural-gas drilling, as mentioned in previous entries, has me thinking about the local management history of one of our most precious, in-demand, and easily contaminated resources. While we may not be living directly on top of active natural-gas sites here in Philadelphia, the question posed above reflects the fact that the city has been juggling water-related issues for centuries. 

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Food safety is again making headlines, with a flurry of recent articles focusing on E. coli and food safety. The FDA announced it would begin a joint effort with the USDA to develop new food-safety rules, as well as begin outreach efforts to the U.S. produce industry. And recently the Center for Science in the Public Interest released a list of the ten most “dangerous” foods (in terms of contamination), with leafy greens at the top of the list, and berries, tuna, and tomatoes implicated as well. (Interestingly, peanuts—which brought to light more food-safety issues earlier this year—didn’t make the list.) At home, handling, washing, and cooking—done properly—can rid produce and meat of most dangerous bacteria. But how can consumers be sure that bag of spinach they’re using doesn’t already carry E. coli inside?  And what about pre-made frozen dinners, and ground beef that may leave traces of bacteria in the kitchen even if handled safely?   Continue Reading »

On 28 September 2009 Norfolk Southern introduced their new all-electric switcher engine, dubbed the NS 999, and it’s getting a lot of press. This engine, which is a joint venture between the U.S. Department of Energy, the Federal Railroad Administration, and Penn State University, could be the future of rail freight. However, in most of the articles available there is nothing mentioned of how this new engine differs from prior ones. We need to take a look at what this engine does and what it means before we can get excited about seeing it cruising down the track.

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“We have a general frustration about Philadelphia’s failure to reach its potential”—Emily Dowdall, Planning Collective

In light of community response to the recent budget shifts in Pennsylvania and also through my work as part of the Environmental History and Policy program, I’ve been thinking a lot about how communities and their local environments interact and what the current infrastructures can (and cannot!) offer to residents. As a city that has struggled with comprehensive urban redevelopment and communication between government and community groups, Philadelphia needs the younger generations to step up and strategize about the future. This idea is not new, of course, though I’m still pleased every time I run across people of my generation taking charge. Planning Collective, a start-up planning group composed of seven recent graduates from the Master of City Planning program at the University of Pennsylvania, all with professional interests spanning community-based research, policy analysis, transportation systems, sustainability, and urban infill development (among others), is on the top of the list.

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