In the news: October 19, 2006

The Geography of Breast Cancer- Cape Cod, with a breast cancer rate 20 percent higher than the rest of Massachusetts, is just one of a several places around the United States with the dubious distinction of being a “hot spot” on our nation's increasingly lit-up breast cancer map. It's joined by Long Island, Marin County and San Francisco, as well as newly emerging areas such as the Puget Sound in Washington state and Brownsville, Texas. The reasons for variable rates of the disease are not well understood. But it is clear that the discovery of hot spots both in the United States and around the world have sparked a new breast-cancer environmental movement, supported by strong local advocacy groups as well as new national groups.

Pity the honeybee, hummingbird, and bat- A report issued yesterday by the National Academy of Sciences said that the three species are "demonstrably" declining in the United States and Canada, and that their losses are affecting not just their populations -- but potentially parts of various ecosystems, including some parts of our food supply. The birds, bees, and bats are pollinators, and nearly three-quarters of all flowering plants depend on them to spread pollen so that fertilization can occur and fruits, nuts, and vegetables can grow.

Evangelicals Ally With Democrats on Environment- Democratic strategists are joining forces with conservative evangelicals to promote a faith-based campaign on global warming. The president of the Christian Coalition and a board member of the National Assn. of Evangelicals — both groups closely tied to the religious right — will announce today Call to Action, an effort to make global warming a front-and-center issue over the next three weeks for Christians in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, Colorado and several other states with pitched election campaigns.

Obese kids aging before their time-The nation's childhood obesity problem is hitting pediatricians' offices as children, aging before their time, show up with conditions more common in middle-aged adults.

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