To forestall policy on climate change, the Wall Street Journal editorial board routinely downplays scientific consensus, overstates the cost of taking action, and claims that politics, not science, motivates those concerned about the climate. But in a new analysis of more than 100 editorials from 1976 to present, Media Matters for America shows that the Wall Street Journal used these same rhetorical tactics in previous decades on acid rain and ozone depletion and these arguments did not stand the test of time.
Air pollution to increase by 2050
According to a new report from scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, the Institute of Atmospheric Physics and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, in 2050, the air quality worldwide will be as bad as it already is nowadays in urban areas of Southeast Asia, one of the most polluted places on Earth. Air pollution in Europe and North America would also increase, but due to the effect of mitigation policies – that have been in place for more than two decades now – to a much lesser extent than in Asia. Urban air pollution is estimated to kill 1.2 million people each year and the largest single source is motor vehicle exhaust.
UN Fails to Agree to Arms Trade Treaty
One person every minute dies from armed violence around the world, and arms control activists say a convention is needed to prevent illicitly traded guns from pouring into conflict zones and fueling wars, criminal violence and atrocities. Last week, however, delegates from 170 nations who had spent the last month negotiating a treaty, announced their failure to reach agreement, at least for now. Ultimately, reports Reuters, arms-control activists blamed the United States and Russia, two of the world’s largest arms exporters, for the inability to reach a decision, as both countries said there was not enough time left for them to clarify and resolve issues they had with the draft treaty.
Court Upholds Restrictions on Tobacco Industry
In the latest skirmish in the federal government’s long-running racketeering case against the tobacco industry, reports the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit last week rejected the tobacco industry’s argument that Judge Gladys Kessler’s restrictions should be set aside because Congress in 2009 passed a law that imposed other restrictions on the industry and gave the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco products. The appeals court said Judge Kessler acted reasonably when she decided last year to move forward with the earlier restrictions.
Massachusetts Repeals No Free Lunch Ban for Doctors
Massachusetts has repealed a 2008 state ban on industry-provided meals for physicians and other health professionals, American Medical News reports. The change allows medical industry companies to pay for “modest meals and refreshments” for doctors and other health professionals in connection with educational presentations that are not certified by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. Restaurateurs, pharmaceutical companies and device-makers had lobbied for the repeal, which was included in the state’s $32.5 billion 2013 budget enacted in July.
Health Groups Call for Surgeon General Report on Soda
About 100 health, medical and consumer groups are calling on the U.S. surgeon general to issue a report on the health effects of soda and sugary drinks, reports UPI. The groups include the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, the Consumer Federation of America, the National Hispanic Medical Association, the Prevention Institute, the Trust for America’s Health and Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. The effort was organized by The Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington. “Soda and other sugary drinks are the only food or beverage that has been directly linked to obesity, a major contributor to coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and a cause of psychosocial problems,” the groups wrote. “Yet, each year, the average American drinks about 40 gallons of sugary drinks, all with little, if any, nutritional benefit.”
Alcohol Consumption in China is Up
Thanks to rising demand and growing per capita disposable income, reports China Daily, China’s consumption of alcoholic drinks is expected to reach 84.37 billion liters in 2016. That represents an average annual compound growth rate of 5.9 percent from 2012, said Frost & Sullivan, a US-based market consultancy. Consumption of five major alcoholic drinks, including beer, white wine, rice wine, red wine and imported spirits, surged to 62.72 billion liters last year, compared with 46.52 billion liters in 2007.
Big Pharma’s Future Profits to Come from Brazil, India and China
Just as the tobacco, food and beverage and automobile industries see their future in China, India and Brazil, a new report from IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics finds that rising incomes among consumers in these emerging markets will drive global growth in pharmaceutical spending over the next five years. This is good news for the drug industry, which is struggling to maintain sales in the United States and Europe as patent expirations and price controls eat into profits.
Federal Judge Finds Florida Gun Gag Law Burdens Doctors’ Free Speech
Late last month, reports Bloomberg News, Florida federal judge Marcia Cooke, an appointee of President George W. Bush, struck down Florida’s “gun gag” law. The legislation sought to restrict physician inquiries into patients’ gun ownership. According to Judge Cooke, the legislation signed by Florida Governor Rick Scott inserted the state “in the doctor-patient relationship, prohibiting and burdening speech necessary to the proper practice of preventive medicine, thereby preventing patients from receiving truthful, nonmisleading information.”
SUV and Light Truck Sales Rise, Fuel Economy and Clean Air Decline
The average fuel economy of new vehicles sold in the United States dropped in June for the third straight month, according to a study by University of Michigan researchers. Falling gas prices and higher sales of SUVs and light trucks contributed to the decline in fuel economy. Less efficient cars generate more air pollution.
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