National (U.S.)

A new California rule may herald the end of toxic flame-retardant chemicals in furniture.

"Only about half of the prescription drugs and other newly emerging contaminants in sewage are removed by treatment plants."

"National standards should be set for building construction, storm shelters and emergency communications to reduce death and damage from tornados, a federal agency that studied the deadly 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, recommended on Thursday."

"WASHINGTON -- Last year the hacker group Anonymous broke into computer systems of oil companies including Shell, Exxon Mobil and BP as a protest against Arctic drilling. The next month, a different set of hackers infected the computers of Saudi Arabia’s national oil company with a damaging virus that knocked 30,000 workstations offline."

"Most Americans have heard little or nothing of the oil and gas production process called hydraulic fracturing, and many don’t know if they support or oppose it, according to a new paper by researchers from Oregon State, George Mason and Yale universities."

"In an interview with Yale Environment 360, Robert Martin, co-author of a recent study on industrial farm animal production, explains how a powerful and intransigent agriculture lobby has successfully fought off attempts to reduce the harmful environmental and health impacts of mass livestock production."

"The growing fracking industry is 'yielding gushers' of campaign donations for congressional candidates—particularly Republicans from districts with fracking activity—according to a new report from the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington."

"American Geophysical Union adds legal counseling to its Fall Meeting agenda, citing scientists' need to defend against increasing attacks on research, correspondence and public statements."

"WASHINGTON -- Only blocks away, the Energy Department manages the search for quarks and NASA scours the heavens for Earth-like planets. But inside a big white tent on the National Mall, the focus is on something simpler: oak, ash and elm, and how to make them heat a house with as little pollution as possible."

"Many organic farmers are hopping mad right now at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and their reason involves perhaps the most under-appreciated part of agriculture: plant food, aka fertilizer. Specifically, the FDA, as part of its of food safety regulations, wants to limit the use of animal manure."