I’ve spent many years wondering why the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been so slow to curb the rampant overuse of antibiotics in agriculture. Read More
Weaker Antibiotic Regulation: Another Problem with FDA’s Voluntary Cooperation Program
February 25th, 2013
Shining A Light On Physician Payments: Delayed Rule Imperfect But Useful
February 15th, 2013
Back in 2010, when Congress approved the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly known as “Obamacare,” it included a requirement to help all of us become more knowledgeable about our health care, and to reduce unacceptable conflicts of interest between physicians and drug and device makers. Read More
As White House Dawdles, More Workers Get Sick from Silica Exposure
February 6th, 2013
Nearly two years after receiving a science-based proposal from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) to protect workers from exposure to toxic crystalline silica dust, the White House Office of Management and Budget refuses to allow the agency to even seek feedback on its proposal. Public health advocates have put together a petition on the White House website urging the White House to act. The petition is worthy of your signature. Read More
Negotiating with Drug Companies: The Horse-Trading Behind the FDA’s Voluntary Program
February 1st, 2013
After decades of dragging its feet on the issue, the FDA has finally acknowledged that the ongoing massive use of antibiotics in food animal production poses a public health risk that demands a response. Read More
The Future Health of Scientific Integrity is at Stake in New FDA Law
June 29th, 2012
The news these days has rightly focused on the Supreme Court’s landmark decision on access to health care. But with scant media attention, Congress on June 26 sent a bill to the President that is just as important to the health and well-being of each and every American family, and the future of scientific integrity at the Food and Drug Administration. Read More
Beware: Wildfire Smoke Can Be Like Smoking a Couple of Packs of Cigarettes over a Few Hours
June 28th, 2012
This week I heard from a friend who evacuated from their work place and another whose parents had to evacuate from their home to protect themselves from wildfires raging throughout the West. Yet, the media coverage I have seen often focuses on the risks to and loss of property. Coverage has been much less focused on the risks to the health of people both in close proximity to fires and those not in the immediate paths of fire, but who still can suffer from its more widespread effects. Read More
The EPA Follows Through on Dioxin
February 29th, 2012
February brought two significant pieces of good news at the EPA. The agency released its final scientific integrity policy, which was much improved over the draft it put out for public comment. And the EPA finally released a scientific assessment of dioxin, an achievement 27 years in the making. Read More
Dear Climate Deniers, Meet California Scientists and Engineers with the Facts and Solutions to the Pollution
February 8th, 2012
A recent opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) from 16 scientists and engineers has gotten a lot of attention on our blog and elsewhere. The scientists and engineers basically urged candidates for public office to ignore the growing problem of climate change. But they are far from representative of the scientific and engineering communities. Read More
