Science Friday: There weren’t any great new Science Friday videos today, so I bring you a report, based on an AP story, about the problem of abandoned oil wells in the Gulf.
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Maybe Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity campaign has gotten some legs (and arms, of course). A government working group is considering new regulations of foods marketed to kids ages 2 to 17.
Time for lunch!
Science Friday: NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) sends back data on the sun. Here or below.
EPA is on the case. Should we be worried or reassured?
“EPA’s results indicated that none of the eight dispersants tested, including the product in use in the Gulf, displayed biologically significant endocrine disrupting activity. While the dispersant products alone – not mixed with oil – have roughly the same impact on aquatic life, JD-2000 and Corexit 9500 were generally less toxic to small fish and JD-2000 and SAF-RON GOLD were least toxic to mysid shrimp.
While this is important information to have, additional testing is needed to further inform the use of dispersants. The next phase of EPA’s testing will assess at the acute toxicity of multiple concentrations of Louisiana Sweet Crude Oil alone and combinations of Louisiana Sweet Crude Oil with each of the eight dispersants for two test species.”
The Post’s take on this is that the EPA found all dispersants tested “equally toxic.” That they are less toxic than oil is not comforting.
Jonathan Alter on the president’s options:
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The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) compiles grim statistics into a slideshow demonstrating just how bad state economies and revenue streams are right now. These pretty pictures depict an especially ugly situation.
As state governments shed jobs and teachers prepare for layoffs, it’s very hard to see how most states and localities can come through this in the absence of a decent shot of federal assistance. Without short-term help and in the face of regional calamities like the ongoing oil spill, the country could re-enter recession. Paul Krugman writes today that this could lead America into a “deflationary trap” that we won’t soon recover from.
CBPP’s final slide offers a ray of hope: a few tax policies states could enact to lessen their pain as they await increasingly elusive (and, in any case, piecemeal) federal action.
It’s hotter than heck here in Washington, D.C. As the power grid strains to keep up, here are some tips I came across (via National Geo’s blog) for reducing your kilowatt load no matter where you are. Every little bit helps.
