Nell Greenfieldboyce

Sand From Fracking Could Pose Lung Disease Risk To Workers

Nell Greenfieldboyce — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:12:00 +0000

When workplace safety expert Eric Esswein got a chance to see fracking in action not too long ago, what he noticed was all the dust.

It was coming off big machines used to haul around huge loads of sand. The sand is a critical part of the hydraulic fracturing method of oil and gas extraction. After workers drill down into rock, they create fractures in that rock by pumping in a mixture of water, chemicals and sand.

To Keep Deadly Bird Flu In The Lab, Feds Set Rules For Scientists

Nell Greenfieldboyce — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 19:13:00 +0000

Government-funded scientists here in the U.S. are a step closer to being able to resume some controversial experiments with lab-altered bird flu viruses.

Researchers in the Netherlands restarted their experiments a week ago, after scientists around the world declared an end in January to a year-long voluntary moratorium.

Close Shave: Asteroid To Buzz Earth Next Week

Nell Greenfieldboyce — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 08:35:00 +0000

An asteroid the size of an office building will zoom close by Earth next week, but it's not on a collision course, NASA says.

Still, some people think this near-miss should serve as a wake-up call.

"It's a warning shot across our bow that we are flying around the solar system in a shooting gallery," says Ed Lu, a former astronaut and head of the B612 Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting humanity from asteroids.

The asteroid known as 2012 DA14 was first spotted last year by astronomers in Spain.

Silica Rule Changes Delayed While Workers Face Health Risks

Nell Greenfieldboyce — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 08:31:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHwvKKQ5WtI

Scientists Put An End To Moratorium On Bird Flu Research

Nell Greenfieldboyce — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 20:35:00 +0000

Controversial experiments on bird flu could resume within weeks because leading influenza researchers around the world have finally called a halt to an unusual moratorium that has lasted more than a year.

The voluntary pause in the research started back in January 2012.