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Published on Leave a comment on Hundreds Of Government Datasets Have Been Deleted or Altered

Can you trust government data these days? And what if you can't find government data anymore - that is, data that used to be easy to find, such as air pollution, climate change, health data, whether you live near hazardous chemicals, and certain medical topics? Well... it turns out that the current U.S. government has deleted or altered nearly 400 data sets since January 2025.

So what information can we now trust? It is interesting that the independent news site The Guardian is writing about this, but silence in most of the media in the US.  Ooops. Knowing what information or data has been altered or deleted is very important to know because the US federal government does not have to notify us that that are deleting or altering data sets.

To follow in depth go to the online tracker , the site put together by dataindex.us (the group of researchers and experts that have put together this information in one place). The list is not complete, so they also want YOU to notify them if you know of more deletions and alterations.

Excerpts from The Guardian: Trump 2.0 has deleted or altered nearly 400 US datasets, endangering public health, education and more

A database of federal law enforcement officer misconduct records. A survey measuring physical, sexual and emotional violence against children and youth. Real-time pollution readings collected by air quality monitors from US embassies around the world.

These are among the hundreds of federal datasets that the Trump administration has taken down or altered as part of its aggressive campaign to wipe all mentions of data findings that do not align with the administration’s priorities. ...continue reading "Hundreds Of Government Datasets Have Been Deleted or Altered"

Published on Leave a comment on A Commonly Used Pesticide Is Linked to Thyroid Cancer
Turf Builder Weed and Feed (with 2,4-D)

Exposure to the weed-killer 2,4-D is very common. This pesticide has been used for many years starting with its use in Agent Orange decades ago, as an ingredient in the commonly used Weed and Feed for lawns, even on genetically engineered crops, and on and on. While the pesticide industry tells you it's safe, many studies have found that exposure to it can cause all sorts of health harms.

A recent study found that exposure to 2,4-D is linked to thyroid cancer in rural counties (where the pesticide is used the most). The researchers think that this may be occurring because 2,4-D is "an endocrine disruptor and may be toxic to the thyroid gland".  They also point out that biomonitoring studies find that in rural agricultural areas people (especially women and children) have higher amounts of 2,4-D in their urine.

As mentioned in the following article, other studies also find that 2,4-D exposure has thyroid effects. It also points out that one study found 2,4-D in the bodies of 1 in 3 Americans, and another study found the presence of both 2,4-D and dicamba (both herbicides) in all pregnant midwest women studied in 2020-2022.

While the United States EPA does not view 2,4-D as carcinogenic (cancer-causing), other countries and international organizations do.

Bottom line: To lower your own 2,4-D exposure, eat as many organic foods as possible, and don't use pesticides on your lawn. Organic crops and organic lawn care does not allow the use of 2,4-D.

Excerpts from Beyond Pesticides: Thyroid Cancer Associated With Exposure to the Weed Killer 2,4-D, Study Finds 

In a study of the herbicide 2,4-D and thyroid cancer in the U.S., researchers find that 2,4-D exposure is significantly associated with greater thyroid cancer incidence in rural counties. Utilizing incidence rates for thyroid cancer for 2017–2021 through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) database and county-level 2,4-D use data from the U.S. Geological Survey, this research, published in Endocrines, highlights a link between pesticide exposure—in areas where agricultural pesticide use is most concentrated—and disproportionate cancer risks. ...continue reading "A Commonly Used Pesticide Is Linked to Thyroid Cancer"

Published on Leave a comment on Military Veterans and ALS

Oops! Another choice of occupation may result in a higher rate of an illness - this time a higher rate of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in male veterans of certain branches of the military - the Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard. But not the Army or Marines.

ALS is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease. There is progressive loss of motor neurons, the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement and breathing.

The ALS study, led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, included nearly 9.2 million male veterans who received care through the VHA between 2000 and 2024. Air Force veterans had a 29% higher rate of ALS, Coast Guard veterans  a 26% higher rate, and Navy veterans a 15% higher rate, when compared to Army veterans. Officers had a 64% higher rate than enlisted personnel.

The researchers also said that since ALS is rare and women make up a smaller share of the military population (just 18%) it is hard to assess what is going on with women. But among the women who were included, female officers faced a 72% higher risk compared with enlisted women

The big question is - what environmental exposures led to higher rates of ALS? Still unknown at this time. Some known risk factors are lead, pesticides, and other toxins.

From Harvard T.H. Chan school of Public Health: In veterans, ALS risk linked with military branch, rank

Male veterans of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard had higher rates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal nervous system disease, compared to veterans of the Army, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. ...continue reading "Military Veterans and ALS"

Published on Leave a comment on Healthy Soil Contains More Organisms Than All the Humans on Earth

This past week I read an amazing fact, so amazing that I had to verify it by looking at other sources. The fact: One teaspoon of soil from a healthy forest floor contains more living organisms (bacteria, fungi, protists, and nematodes) than there are humans on Earth. And most of the species in that teaspoonful have never been named or described.

I first read this at the Times of India this week. But the actual research quoted in the article is from 2022.  Christine Sprunger, an Assistant Professor of Soil Health at Michigan State University has been studying soil health for years, and has famously argued that "a teaspoon of soil contains more life than there are humans on Earth".

Unfortunately, the important words are "healthy soil". Christine Sprunger, as well as many other scientists, point out that we humans are degrading soil quality throughout the world. Main things degrading soil quality are: land conversion, climate change, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, farming practices that disturb the soil in a negative way (tillage, reduced organic matter inputs, pesticides, pollution, nitrates).

One example of serious soil degradation with terrible consequences was the Dust Bowl in the US. Yes, we need healthy soil!

Excerpts from an Oct. 2022 interview with Christine Sprunger. From Open Access Government: Deteriorating soil health: ‘A teaspoon of soil contains more life than there are humans on earth’

...I think it is first effective to define soil health. The Natural Resources Conservation Service, a branch of the United States Department of Agriculture, defines soil health as “the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans”. Thus, on a global scale there are numerous factors that could potentially threaten these living components, depending on where the ecosystem is. ...continue reading "Healthy Soil Contains More Organisms Than All the Humans on Earth"

Published on Leave a comment on Are Statins Still Needed For Adults Over 75?

Many people are on statins these days for the purpose of lowering total cholesterol levels and so reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. But are they still needed past a certain age?

The results of one study conducted in France compared 2 groups of adults 75 years old and older, and who didn't have a history of heart disease or stroke. One group stopped statins and the other continued statin use. They found that in the group of persons stopping statins there was no increase in death rates in the next 3 years, when compared with those still on statins.

There was no difference in heart attacks and strokes among the 2 groups. However, in the group that discontinued statins - their LDL cholesterol levels did rise.

Of course, there will be a lot of debate over these conclusions. And it is unknown if group differences will develop going forward, that is, in the next few years.

From Medical Xpress: Adults 75 and older who stopped statins had similar three-year survival, trial finds

Stopping statins in adults 75 and older with no history of heart disease or stroke does not increase the risk of death over three years compared with continuing statins, although "bad" cholesterol rose around 50% in those who stopped, according to a randomized controlled trial published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity.
...continue reading "Are Statins Still Needed For Adults Over 75?"

Published on Leave a comment on Global Warming Is Now Accelerating

Scientists are now reporting that global warming is accelerating. And it's a sharp acceleration! The past decade (since 2015) has seen faster warming (global temperature increases) than any other years since modern records began in 1880. Yikes!

Again: The planet's warming rate is accelerating! Researchers agree that this is due to climate change. The biggest culprits are the emissions from burning of fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal).  We can see that this is happening in real time, yet nothing is being done - at least not in the US.

From Science Daily: Scientists detect a sharp acceleration in global warming

Global warming has sped up since around 2015, according to a new analysis from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). After removing the effects of natural temperature swings, researchers found the first statistically significant evidence that the planet's long-term warming rate is accelerating. ...continue reading "Global Warming Is Now Accelerating"

Published on Leave a comment on California Is Finally Taking Steps To Ban A Highly Toxic Pesticide

For years it has been known that the pesticide paraquat has serious health effects, which is why it is banned in so many countries - but not the US. But California, the US's largest user of the toxic pesticide, is now the second state to ban the use of the pesticide. It is considered the deadliest pesticide used in agriculture in the US.

Paraquat is a herbicide (weed-killer) that is strongly linked to (causes) Parkinson's disease, and is known to damage the lungs, kidneys. liver, cardiac system, and other bodily systems. While it is banned in more than 70 countries world-wide (e.g., the EU, China, UK, Brazil), the EPA reapproved its use in 2024. More than 10 million pounds annually are sprayed on US crops (e.g., soybeans, almonds, walnuts, cotton), with the most used in California.

Once again, the US is lagging behind other countries in safety and health regulations. Unfortunately, the current EPA is led by persons affiliated with the chemical industry. No wonder it's big industry first in all decisions!

Excerpts from The Guardian: California bans paraquat, highly toxic herbicide outlawed in more than 70 countries

California is banning paraquat, a highly toxic, controversial herbicide used across millions of acres of American cropland. ...continue reading "California Is Finally Taking Steps To Ban A Highly Toxic Pesticide"

Published on Leave a comment on Residents of a NY Town, Parkinson’s Disease, and the Pesticide Paraquat

Stories about the toxic pesticide paraquat keep coming. Paraquat is a herbicide (weed-killer) that is strongly associated (causes) Parkinson's disease plus other health harms. This pesticide is banned in over 70 countries world-wide due to its known health harms, but not the US.

California recently took steps to ban the pesticide, but people in New York state are also demanding a ban. The Guardian recently wrote an investigative piece describing the elevated incidence of Parkinson's disease among residents in the rural farming community of Hebron in upstate NY.

The residents want a state-wide ban on the use of paraquat. They say that too many of them have developed Parkinson's disease due to the use of paraquat in their area.

Paraquat is a herbicide (weed-killer) that is strongly linked to (causes) Parkinson's disease, and is known to damage the lungs, kidneys. liver, cardiac system, and other bodily systems. While it is banned in more than 70 countries world-wide (e.g., the EU, China, UK, Brazil), the EPA reapproved its use in 2024. More than 10 million pounds annually are sprayed on US crops (e.g., soybeans, almonds, walnuts, cotton).

Excerpts from the Guardian: The herbicide haunting a New York farm town

Gordon Chaplin gingerly stepped out of the car at the top of the steep hill behind his farmhouse, sporting a bandage on his hand from a fall the day before. He gripped his cane as he shuffled through the knee-high grass. He stopped every few feet to catch his breath, leaning on his caregiver for support. ...continue reading "Residents of a NY Town, Parkinson’s Disease, and the Pesticide Paraquat"

Published on Leave a comment on July Was Hot, Hot, Hot

It was incredibly hot last month. So hot that that the lower 48 United States broke all records since record-keeping started in 1895. But globally, Earth's temperature (surface temperature) in July was tied with 2024 as the warmest July since global record-keeping began in 1850.

An example of extreme heat in the US was Arizona - while many days in Phoenix hit over 110 degrees F, on July 24 they recorded 117 degrees Fahrenheit. The second article (scroll down) lists the hottest temperature recorded globally in July:  126.9 °F (52.7 degrees C) Omidieh (Omidiyeh), Iran on July 14. Population estimates for Omidieh in 2026 are about 84,000 people.

Scientists say the increased warmth is due to global warming and climate change tied to fossil fuels (gas, oil, coal). Yet we are doing nothing about it in the US. Instead, it's business as usual - "Drill, baby, drill"!

From AP News: Contiguous US breaks its record for hottest month ever, NOAA says

 The contiguous United States sizzled to its hottest month ever last month, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

July averaged 76.89 degrees Fahrenheit (24.94 degrees Celsius) across the Lower 48 states, eclipsing the Dust Bowl’s July 1936 by an eighth of a degree. Records go back to 1895. ...continue reading "July Was Hot, Hot, Hot"

Published on Leave a comment on Full-Fat Dairy Products Have Health Benefits
Glass of whole milk

For years health professionals advised everyone to avoid whole fat dairy products. They said all that saturated fat was unhealthy, but studies from the last decade is proving that advice wrong. Recent studies have found that consuming full-fat dairy products, including whole milk, is associated with a number of health benefits.

The latest is a Canadian study that found health benefits (e.g., lower blood pressure, and increased ingestion of protein, vitamin D, and calcium) from consuming three servings of full-fat dairy products daily for 12 weeks. The full-fat dairy products were milk, yogurt, and cheese. There were no negative health effects (e.g., in weight, cholesterol levels, lipids, insulin resistance) when compared to two other groups that did not consume full-fat dairy.

Interestingly, all the study participants had metabolic syndrome, so the researchers were pleasantly surprised to see health benefits and no adverse effects from consuming all that full-fat dairy.

Bottom line: Stop avoiding full-fat dairy! Dairy products are healthy for us.

From Science Daily: For decades, we were told to choose low-fat dairy. New research says otherwise

A new Canadian study led by University of Toronto professor Harvey Anderson adds to growing evidence that full-fat dairy can be part of a healthy diet. ...continue reading "Full-Fat Dairy Products Have Health Benefits"