SPRINGFIELD, Ill.–(ENEWSPF)–June 29, 2011. Dr. Damon T. Arnold, state public health director, today announced mosquitoes collected in Cook and Kendall counties are the first positive West Nile virus test results in northern Illinois this year. Health department staff collected the positive mosquito samples on June 28, one in Evergreen Park,[Read More…]
Science
Durbin and Blumenthal Introduce Legislation Designed to Protect Consumers of Dietary Supplements
WASHINGTON, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–June 30, 2011. U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today introduced legislation that would ensure that consumers have the information they need to distinguish between products that are safe and others that contain potentially dangerous ingredients which haven’t been approved by the Food and Drug Administration[Read More…]
Obama Administration Announces 14 Initial Partners in the Better Buildings Challenge
WASHINGTON, D.C. –(ENEWSPF)–Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced today at the Clinton Global Initiative America meeting in Chicago the 14 initial partners committing to the Better Buildings Challenge. The Better Buildings Challenge is part of the Better Buildings Initiative that President Obama launched in February to catalyze private sector investment[Read More…]
NOAA Sets Fishing Quotas for Bluefin Tuna
Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–June 30, 2011. NOAA today announced quotas and other measures for bluefin tuna that underscore the nation’s commitment to sustainable science-based management of this vital fish stock. The allocations divide the available 2011 U.S. bluefin tuna quota of 957 metric tons among commercial and recreational fishing sectors for the[Read More…]
Average U.S. Temperature Increases By 0.5 Degrees F
Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–June 30, 2011. According to the 1981-2010 normals to be released by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) on July 1, temperatures across the United States were on average, approximately 0.5 degree F warmer than the 1971-2000 time period. Normals serve as a 30 year baseline average of important[Read More…]
Bill Reintroduced to Regulate Chemicals in Cosmetic Products
Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–June 29, 2011. The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011 was reintroduced last week in the House of Representatives aiming to grant the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate personal care products, including cosmetics, to ensure they are free of harmful ingredients before they hit the shelves.[Read More…]
Durbin, Maloney Introduce Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act
Bill Will Be Expanded to Include Rights for Same-Sex Families; Extended Family Members WASHINGTON, D.C.—(ENEWSPF)—June 28, 2011. Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) introduced the Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act today, which will allow employees to take unpaid leave to care for a[Read More…]
2010 One of the Two Warmest Years on Record
Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–June 28, 2011. Worldwide, 2010 was one of the two warmest years on record according to the 2010 State of the Climate report, which NOAA released today. The peer-reviewed report, issued in coordination with the American Meteorological Society, was compiled by 368 scientists from 45 countries. It provides a[Read More…]
Study Offers Insights into Link between Parkinson’s and Pesticides
Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)–June 28, 2011. Recent studies have linked Parkinson’s disease to pesticide exposure. In a new article published in the journal Molecular Neurodegeneration, researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine take some of the first steps toward understanding this link and unraveling the molecular dysfunction that occurs when[Read More…]
Department of Energy Awards Nearly $7.5 Million to Help Develop Next Generation Wind Turbines
Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–June 28, 2011. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that six projects in four states – California, Colorado, Florida, and New York – have been selected to receive nearly $7.5 million over two years to advance next-generation designs for wind turbine drivetrains. Drivetrains, which include a turbine’s gearbox[Read More…]
