Latest News On Environmental Health

Latest KFF Health News Stories

‘Climate Grief’: Fears About The Planet’s Future Weigh On Americans’ Mental Health

KFF Health News Original

Although there’s no official clinical diagnosis, the psychiatric and psychological communities have names for the phenomenon of worrying about the Earth’s fate: “climate distress,” “climate grief,” “climate anxiety” or “eco-anxiety.” The concept also is gradually making its way into the public consciousness in television shows and movies.

As Temperatures Climb, A New Push To Keep Workers Safe

KFF Health News Original

Over the past decade, more than 350 workers nationwide have died from heat-related illness, and tens of thousands have had heat-related problems serious enough that they missed at least one day of work. Proposed federal legislation, modeled on California regulations, would create the first national standards for protecting workers from heat-related stress.

A Million Californians Don’t Have Clean Drinking Water. Where Do They Live?

KFF Health News Original

More than 10% of residents in 12 California counties don’t have safe drinking water, according to a California Healthline analysis of state water data. State lawmakers have pledged $130 million a year to help bring clean drinking water to Californians who need it.

Heat And Violence Pose Twin Threats For Asylum-Seekers Waiting At Border

KFF Health News Original

For Central American migrants who follow U.S. government rules for pursuing asylum, conditions on the Mexican side of the border are sweltering, filled with anxiety and illness. Few people have a clear timetable for when it will get any better.

State Bans Pesticide Linked To Developmental Problems

KFF Health News Original

California officials announced a ban on chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide that has been linked to lower IQs, lower birth weights and other developmental issues in children, even as the federal government fights to protect it.

California prohíbe pesticida vinculado a problemas de desarrollo

KFF Health News Original

Varios estudios han relacionado la exposición prenatal al clorpirifos con bajo peso al nacer, reducción del coeficiente intelectual, trastorno por déficit de atención y síntomas del autismo en niños.

Estados debaten prohibir popular pesticida que afectaría el desarrollo infantil

KFF Health News Original

Varios estudios han relacionado la exposición prenatal al clorpirifos con disminución de peso al nacer, bajo coeficiente intelectual, déficit de atención y otros problemas de desarrollo en niños.

States Weigh Banning A Widely Used Pesticide Even Though EPA Won’t

KFF Health News Original

The pesticide chlorpyrifos has been linked to developmental problems in children. Some state and federal lawmakers want the chemical banned, but federal regulators are fighting to keep it on the market.

Heavy Rains, End Of Drought Could Help Keep West Nile Virus Subdued — For Now

KFF Health News Original

Scientists say drought can spur transmission of the disease and that wetter winters since 2015 have helped reduce the number of infections in California. In the long term, however, climate change could mean more drought — and more infections.

Crece la preocupación por posible vínculo entre popular herbicida y el cáncer

KFF Health News Original

El glifosato es el herbicida más utilizado en los Estados Unidos, y probablemente en todo el mundo. Se usa en casi cada acre de maíz, algodón y soya cultivados en el país. La marca más popular es Roundup.

Popular Weed Killer’s Alleged Link To Cancer Spreads Concern

KFF Health News Original

The main ingredient in numerous popular herbicides has been implicated by two juries in the cancers of frequent users, but major public health agencies disagree over whether it is a carcinogen. Can you use it safely in your garden? Here are some answers to questions you may have about the weed killer glyphosate.

Smoke-Filled Snapshot: California Wildfire Generates Dangerous Air Quality For Millions

KFF Health News Original

Smoke from the deadly and destructive Camp Fire has caused air quality readings to spike into “hazardous” and “unhealthy” levels for millions of people far outside of the burn zones. Is smoky air the new normal for California?

Bad Air And Inadequate Data Prove An Unhealthy Mix

KFF Health News Original

San Joaquin Valley residents breathe some of the dirtiest air in the country, but it can be a challenge for them to find accurate and timely information on the air quality in their neighborhoods. This summer, nonprofit organizations began distributing 20 small air monitors to hard-hit families, and next year, the state is expected to install monitoring systems in some communities.