Are sperm counts on the decline? Federal researchers hope they can find out. The government is about to launch the largest project ever to find out if something’s gone wrong with male reproductive health. The study will follow a recent report from the California Department of Health Services that startled the scientific community. The study found a significant drop in sperm count and raised questions about whether environmental chemicals are the culprit. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Julie Edelson Halpert has more:
Tag: health
Rat Patrol
They can chew through cinderblock…tread water for days…And survive…if necessary, by just eating dog feces. But they’re not some kind of mutant superhero…they’re rats. And in cities, where rat populations can quickly explode, there’s a constant battle against the resilient rodents. Today, some cities are winning the war with some surprisingly simple solutions. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson explains:
Colored Plastics Threaten Recycling Industry
More and more dairies are packaging their milk products in colorful plastic containers instead of clear plastic. But some say that may be hurting the plastic recycling industry. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel reports:
Radium Girls
It’s not unusual for authors to feel a bond with the people they write about. But that connection is especially strong between a modern-day university professor and a group of working class women in the early 1900’s. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson has more:
Large-Scale Factory Farms
One of the nation’s largest egg producers plans to expand its operations—and that worries some family farmers in Ohio, who say factory farms make bad neighbors. Farmland states throughout the region are currently struggling with the environmental issues that surround large-scale corporate farming. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Maria Gallagher reports:
Napalm Disposal Plan Proceeds
Next week (week of 3/9), the U.S. Navy will begin a controversial program to ship napalm from San Diego, California to East Chicago, Indiana where it will be recycled. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel reports:
A Mother’s Crusade
Lead poisoning has been called the number one environmental health hazard for children. While low-income families are most affected, lead poisoning can happen to anyone. And the damage it does is permanent. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson recently met a family that’s been forever changed because of lead:
Federal Policy Spurs Clean-Up
A new batch of federal funding intended to get the lead out of homes is expected to bring big benefits to several Midwestern cities. The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a plan late last year to dole out fifty-million dollars nationally to better educate the public on lead’s dangers and provide cleanup funds for individual homes. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Julie Edelson Halpert has more:
Getting the Lead Out of Home Renovations
Buying a house is part of the American dream. But after the papers are signed, most homeowners discover that the maintenance and remodeling that go with owning a home are expensive. So to save money, many go the do-it-yourself route. But sometimes even the simplest projects are more complicated than they first appear. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson reports:
Early Puberty
A recent study in the medical journal Pediatrics reports that many girls in the U.S. are entering puberty much easier than normal. And as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Suzanne Elston discovered, exposure to environmental chemicals may be the culprit: