National Research Council reports that the EPA needs to study the impact of phthalates as demasculinizing agents on male reproductive organs. Phtlalates are ubiquitous in the environment due to their use as a plasticizer. Traditionally the EPA has studied the effects of pollutants individually rather than as a class. The impact on exposure is permanent (http://www.sciencenews.org/view/access/id/39542/name/jar_phthalates.jpg) causing developmental problems.

Not certain if they have the balls for it.

"ATIC has potentially detected Dark Matter "near" us, (http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/11/22/0038218) and we now have a bit more thought on the matter.

Douglas Finkbeiner with Harvard (http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~dfinkbei/) suggests that a new type of dark energy may be drawing the dark matter together leading to their annihilation (http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/36919).This new force only effects dark matter. WIMPS or "Weakly Interacting Massive Particles" are considered as a likely type of dark matter, are pulled together and self-annihilate releasing the energy that was detected by ATIC.

Visit the links to get the full story.

Stephanie Majewski, a Post-Doc from Brookhaven, currently stationed at CERN has a few photos and comments of the damage.

See:http://stephatcern.blogspot.com/

"International artists Christo and Jean-Claude plan to erect colorful panels over lengths of the Arkansas River towards its headwaters area in Colorado. Of course, something of this magnitude has groups on both sides.

The project called "Over the River" has a website and is looking for backing for their environmental impact statement (http://www.overtheriver.org/ and http://www.overtheriverinfo.com/page_1 ). They need public support sent to:

Field Manager, Royal Gorge Field Office
Bureau of Land Management
3028 East Main Street
Canon City, Colorado 81212

Opposition is led by the group calling itself "Rags Over Arkansas River" going by the acronym ROAR (http://www.roarcolorado.org/). Obviously, opposition could be sent to the same source. Will the draping trouble local wildlife not to mention the crews that install it and those that come to view."

Bottle water debate: We have an increasingly loud debate going on over the ubiquitous purchased bottle of water. Many areas are considering regulating sales of bottled water (see new article in the California Chronicle about San Francisco's mayor's position: http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/55969) from the impact on landfills to safety (see EWG's article at: http://www.ewg.org/reports/bottledwater and the NRDC's at http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/bwinx.asp).

Industry is pushing back (http://www.bottledwatermatters.com/petition.php). Part of the argument against bottled water is that what comes from your tap is fairly tightly regulated, but what is in the bottle does not necessarily meet the same standards. On the flip side is the simple convenience and the palatability of the bottled product, regardless of any perceived health impacts one way or another it tends to taste better than a lot of well water systems. Industry has an active petition (http://www.bottledwatermatters.com/petition.php) and plenty of info at http://www.bottledwater.org/. So, does the average Slashdoter want the perceived purity and taste of the bottled stuff or does the stuff from the tap or chiller handle the job?"

"The CDC released (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/grtlakes/2007.html) the preliminary report on the health impact of hazardous waste sites around the Great Lakes. They had originally wanted the report to be re-worked (watered-down), but released it after Congress and the press got involved."