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newsies, 7-20 sept. '97
"New Culprit in Deaths of Frogs [Science Times]." New York
Times, 16 September 97, C1,C6.
Dr. Karen Lips, an assistant professor of biology at St.
Lawrence University, discovered large quantities of dying
frogs in the Panamanian rain forest last year. Analyzes of
samples she sent back to the U.S. are yielding real clues
for the first time as to what might be causing the 15 year
increasing disappearance of frogs and toads. Long article
describes the scientific investigation that lead to a
protozoan being suspected.
"Heed Environmental Warnings [Letters to the Editor]." Wall
Street Journal, 18 September 97, A15.
Three letters in response to Prof. Stephen Safe's Aug. 20
editorial page column about endocrine disruptors ("Another
Enviro-Scare Debunked"). They dispute his claim that
environmental estrogens are not still a possible
health-threat to be investigated. The writers are: Dr.
Ellen K. Silbergeld, Professor of Epidemiology and
Toxicology, University of Maryland, Baltimore; and Dr.
Bernard Weiss, Professor of Environmental Medicine and
Pediatrics, University of Rochester; and Kevin Carmody
(President) and Beth Parke (Executive Director), Society of
Environmental Journalists.
"Tracking Biological Sabotage. Scientists Are Studying How
Natural and Manufactured `Disrupters' Interfere with Normal
Growth and Can Lead to Disease in Both Animals and Humans." USA
Today, 16 September 97, 4D.
Lengthy article discusses the research that is being done on
endocrine disrupters to determine if they are a public
health threat. Accompany article: "Malformed Frogs Bring
Concerns to the Fore" presents the theory by Stanley
Sessions, an amphibian expert at Hartwick College in
Oneonta, N.Y., that water-borne parasites called trematodes
are responsible for the deformed frogs being found in
Minnesota and elsewhere.
"PCB's Found in Eagle's Body [Digest: The New York Region]." New
York Times, 17 September 97, A31.
The body of a young bald eagle, killed along the upper
Hudson River, contained high levels of PCB's, according to
New York state environmental officials. PCB's have been
linked to reproductive problems in eagles in the Great Lakes
region.
"Frederick J. DiCarlo Dies; Senior Scientist at EPA
[Obituaries]." Washington Post, 17 September 97, B5.
Dr. DiCarlo, 78, died of cancer at Suburban Hospital
September 15, after a noted career as an authority on drug
research and development. In 1970 he became founding,
executive editor of the journal _Drug Metabolism Reviews_
and continued to serve as editor until his death. He also
served on the editorial board of _Xenobiotica_. A native of
New York, Dr. DiCarlo came to Washington in the early 1970s
to found a consulting firm; as a consultant he was involved
in the establishment of EPA's Structure-Activity Team
designed to evaluate the safety of new chemicals. He
formally joined EPA in 1982, where he worked until forced in
June to leave for health reasons. He is survived by his
wife of 54 years, Nancy DiCarlo of Mountain Lakes, N.J., and
three children, two brothers, and five grandchildren. [It
is with much sadness that we report the death of beloved
OPPT Library patron Fred DiCarlo. He will missed greatly by
his colleagues here in OPPT and EPA. The OPPT Library staff
wish to offer their condolences to his family.--OPPTNB
Editor]
"House Panel Weighs EPA Scientist's Case." Washington Times, 14
September 97, A4.
Jeff Nesmith of Cox News Service reports that the House
Government Reform and Oversight subcommittee on regulatory
affairs, headed by Rep. David M. McIntosh (R.-Ind.), is
considering holding hearings on EPA's treatment of EPA
scientist David Lewis, employed at EPA's Athen's laboratory.
Mr. Lewis filed a whistleblower's complaint with the
Department of Labor over EPA's concern over his possible
violations of ethics rules in relation to articles he
published in the journal _Nature_ and in the local Athens,
Ga. Banner-Herald newspaper. EPA is appealing the Labor
Department's ruling against them, and is awaiting a
decision.
"Downsizing Activism: Greenpeace Is Cutting Back." New York
Times, 16 September 97, A1.
An in-depth look at the downsizing of Greenpeace. While
other environmental groups have stable membership,
Greenpeace saw a jump in membership when high-profile events
captured the headlines. U.S. offices are also being closed
to subsidize activities in Latin America and Asia. A
moratorium on whaling was a success for the organization,
but robbed it of an issue. It's tactics became more
familiar, internal dissent, and low-keyed local campaigns
also lowered the organization's profile.
[note -- don't look at this to find a comprehnsive picture of what went
down, tho it's ok to read, i guess. i understand from elsewhere there was
a lot of dissatisfaction w/ the methods the gp toxics program was using,
and possibly over their lack of 'victories'. i can't believe knowlegeable
resources like weinberg, cray, thornton, hind, possibly even costner are
being or may be tossed away. -tony tweedale]