Climate Change And Allergies And Asthma | Care2 Healthy Living

by?Karen Lee

As the pediatrician told me the lab results for my 3 ? year old son?s blood work, my heart jumped up and lodged in my throat.

?Allergy to Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, and Dust. What?s worse, he may also have asthma.?

ASTHMA!

This news was like a death sentence to a toddler. No cookies, milk, pizza, and mac & cheese! What will he eat? How will he know what NOT to eat at a playdate, or at a birthday party? Does he need to carry an inhaler for the rest of his life, like many of his friends at preschool did?

Are his allergies?my fault in some way?!?

Eczema And Allergies

As they say a mother?s intuition is always right. I was relieved, and also sad that my son?s month-long coughing fits, which prompted me to urge his doctor to do the allergy testing despite her insistence that it was just a cold, was indeed because of his allergies to so many things. And how about his eczema? I always suspected his eczema was related to some sort of an allergy, but the doctors vehemently disagreed with me on that too,??Oh, it?s because his skin is dry. Just put some Vaseline on the affected areas and he?ll be fine.? But I had a gut feeling they were wrong. Yes, he never had an anaphylactic reaction, or broke out in hives, but his eczematous skin always made me curious about allergies. Maybe I should have changed his pediatrician?

My reaction to the lab result is still visceral ? even now, almost twenty years later, because even as a young adult, he still struggles with the same issue. And so does his younger sister. After doing more detailed allergy testing, we recently discovered that they are allergic to more things. Ironically, the current allergist confirmed my belief that eczema is indeed strongly related to allergens. Can doctors agree on anything?

Who?s To Blame?

In my misguided, young and naive mother?s mind, (and of course, filled with inevitable self-guilt), I frequently wondered, are their allergies due to my being too clean and raising them in a semi-sterile environment? Should I have raised?them on a farm? Is it because I inhaled?formaldehyde for 3 three years, dissecting cadavers for Anatomy and Physiology Lab while being pregnant? (I had a miscarriage and a stillbirth during my four years of chiropractic school. My classmates speculated that formaldehyde played a huge role.) Or, maybe my husband should have done genetic testing for everything? After all, I am not allergic to anything, and I didn?t know his full medical history before I giddily accepted his marriage proposal.

The kids current allergists told me allergies are genetic and no one can do anything about it. The only solution was to give my kids a myriad of allergy pills daily or take allergy shots weekly. Sure?let me make my kids into pincushions or medical rats and let the doctors bill my insurance company weekly.

Climate Change And Allergies

The signs and symptoms of allergies differ in people. But when the effects are visible on your skin, the stigma attached to the condition is profound. I was neurotic about managing their condition like a hawk with proper diet and all the necessary precautions during allergy seasons ? even making the kids stay indoors during peak allergy seasons.

Last spring was the worst. Their eczema flared up like a Christmas tree. Starting in early March, afflicted skin areas were red and inflamed. This seemed way too early for allergy season in the Northeast. Rutgers University researchers announced that because of the mild winter, allergy season started early with vengeance in the NE. Since my kids are allergic to mold, rag weed, tree and grass pollen, they were miserable almost all of 2012. When tree and grass pollen season died down, ragweed season started. The particularly dry summer made matters worse in the fall when ragweed season started.

We live in the suburbs to be away from the city?s smog and air pollution?so we thought. We actually suffer worse in the suburbs because of the trees and grass that we are supposed to enjoy! In fact,?climate change and CO2 levels cause trees to produce more pollen. Worse yet, some scientists believe this trend will be worse in the future! Oh joy. So would it be better if we lived in the concrete jungle?

Our Kids Need Clean Air

People have different reasons for being passionate about the environment. My role as a mother of kids with food and environmental allergies has made me work fervently towards making sure the world we borrowed from them is not destroyed. My kids don?t need inhalers now, but who knows what the future holds if the current rate of climate change continues?

What are your reasons for advocating for clean air?

Related
7 Ways to Beat Allergies Naturally
Treating a Peanut Allergy With?Peanuts?
6 Tips to Improve Indoor Air Quality

Source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/allergies-asthma-climate-change-oh-my.html

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Kerry meets Palestinian, Israeli leaders after Obama visit

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Saturday after earlier talking to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jordan in a bid to revive stalled peace talks.

Kerry's back-to-back meetings followed up on President Barack Obama's visits to Israel and the Palestinian Territories this week in which he called for fresh diplomatic efforts but offered no new peace proposals of his own.

Kerry, who had accompanied Obama on his trip and then stayed on in the region, met privately for two hours with Abbas in Jordan's capital of Amman, a Palestinian source told Reuters.

A State Department official said earlier that Kerry planned "to continue the conversations they started with President Obama and the secretary earlier this week".

Neither side issued any formal statements after Kerry's meeting with Abbas, and their senior aides declined initially to divulge any details.

A Palestinian source speaking on condition of anonymity said the talks had focused on "trying to find common ground between both sides to see if there is ground to resume peace talks", and cautioned against expecting any quick results.

"It could take some time" to achieve a formal resumption of negotiations, the source said.

Peace talks ran aground in late 2010 in a dispute over Jewish settlement building in land Israel captured in a 1967 war that Palestinians seek for a state.

In Jerusalem, Kerry was photographed meeting with Netanyahu but no official statements were released.

Obama promised that Kerry, Washington's new top diplomat, would dedicate time and energy to the Israeli-Palestinian problem, one in which the president failed to make progress during his first term.

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick in Amman, Ali Sawafta in Ramallah and Allyn Fisher-Ilan in Jerusalem; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-meets-palestinian-israeli-leaders-obama-visit-201025789.html

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First message sent from space to be preserved by Library of Congress (video)

A 1958 message by then-President Dwight Eisenhower sent from space has been selected for the National Recording Registry archives alongside 25 other notable recordings like Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon and, er, Chubby Checker's The Twist. Each audio recording was selected by the Library of Congress because of their cultural, artistic or historic importance to the United States, however, the first message ever broadcasted from a space satellite was a short one. Eisenhower's 30-second speech included "America's wish for peace on Earth and goodwill toward men everywhere" and could be heard on shortwave radio as the satellite passed overhead. Project Signal Communications by Orbiting Relay Equipment (SCORE) was the world's first communications satellite and we've added a suitably old-school newsreel of its launch (and that slightly scrambled message) after the break.

Filed under: Science, Alt

Comments

Source: Space

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/22/first-message-sent-from-space-to-be-preserved-by-library-of-cong/

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LIVE BLOG: Senate Vote-A-Rama Begins

7:29 p.m.

All the vote-a-rama roll call votes have had 99 senators voting. That's because 89-year old Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, is absent.

7:25 p.m.

Alaska?s bipartisan pair of senators, Mark Begich, the Democrat, and Lisa Murkowski, the Republican, both back an amendment requiring labeling of a genetically modified ?fake fish,? as Begich calls it. It passes with a voice vote.

7:08 p.m.

The amendment on taxing internet sales passed 75 to 24. Non-binding, of course, but interesting marker for future fights over overhauling the tax code.

7:01 p.m.

Lots of the amendments in this vote-a-rama include the phrase "deficit-neutral funds." What the heck does that mean? As Dylan Matthews of the Washington Post's Wonkblog explains: The words "deficit-neutral funds" offers "a way to discuss budget-irrelevant topics without violating budget reconciliation rules." In other words, they're a technical workaround that allows lawmakers to score? political points on a wider range of topics.

6:49 p.m.

How do Republicans sustain themselves ahead of a long evening of votes? BBQ. That?s what?s getting dished out in Sen. Mitch McConnell office during the sales tax debate: meat, baked beans, corn bread and salad.

6:30 p.m.

If you want a better sense of why overhauling the tax code may be difficult politically, just tune into the debate unfolding now on the Senate floor over a possible sales tax on internet purchases. The Senate has been fiercely debating this amendment for the past 30 minutes or so.

This amendment, put forth by Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and Republican Sen. Mike Enzi, would express support for letting states collect sales taxes on internet purchases--even if those companies were headquartered out-of-state. And, the amendment pits the business interests of typical retail stores against internet competitors. Among others, the amendment is backed by big lobbying money including the country's largest retail trade association that says it is "strongly supporting this legislative effort aimed at leveling the sales tax playing field for all retailers."

Like many fights over taxes, the split between those in favor of the amendment and those against it does not fall along typical party lines. Among the biggest critics of the bill: Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and Ron Wyden and Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte

6:18 p.m.

The Senate is now in the midst of debating an amendment from Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, about states' ability to apply the sales tax to Internet purchases.?

6:03 p.m.

The Hoeven amendment supporting the Keystone XL pipeline passes 62-37, with the backing of 17, yes 17, Senate Democrats.

5:46 p.m.

?The hand-writing is on the wall. I see it,? Boxer says ahead of the next Keystone pipeline amendment vote, this one pushed by Hoeven, after she lost the first tally.

5:45 p.m.

Just how many amendments have been filed? As of 5:30, Senate Republicans have offered 371 budget amendments and Democrats have put together 154.

5:43 p.m.

Boxer?s Keystone amendment fails 33-66.

5:40 p.m.

Settling in for a long night here on the Senate side. For those just tuning into vote-a-rama, a reminder: This is Sen. Patty Murray's first time shepherding a Democratic budget to the floor. She's taken on other thankless tasks, like leading the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (when few thought the party would retain the Senate in 2012) and co-leading the super committee that failed to come up with a grand deficit deal. For background reading on Murray's political ascendance, I'd recommend two deep dives: an August 2011 look at her role leading the DSCC and a March 20 profile of her leadership on the Senate Budget Committee and as a foil to Rep. Paul Ryan, Chairman of the House Budget Committee and former Republican vice presidential candidate. Also, of note: Majority Leader Harry Reid really trusts her.

5:29 p.m.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota, speaks against an amendment from Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., related to the Keystone XL pipeline. Boxer stands, arms crossed, steadily shaking her head in disagreement across the floor as Hoeven speaks.

5:20 p.m.

You know who seems to love vote-a-rama? Sen. Tom Coburn. The Oklahoma representative, who disdains wasteful government spending, has put forth over 50 amendments for this budget voting fest. If every senators did that, leadership would have to contend with 5,000 amendments. This doesn't mean that all of Coburn's amendments will make it to the floor, but it does show that Coburn is sticking with his usual playbook of digging into the budget and pointing out its myriad of flaws.

5:11 p.m.

The Whitehouse amendment falls short 41-58.?

5:04 p.m.

The vote on the Whitehouse amendment (#652) is the first of four in a row on energy and environment issues, including two related to the Keystone XL pipeline.

4:55 p.m.

Our first papal reference. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, cites Pope Francis in pushing his amendment related to a carbon tax. Whitehouse says that, ?We ignore carbon pollution at our peril? and cites God when suggesting that not taking care of the environment ?is an offense to His creation.?

Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, rises in opposition and declares, ?To have to oppose the pope is really ominous.?

4:18 p.m.?

Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., issues a warning to her colleagues who choose to wander off the floor amid the coming flurry of votes. "You leave at your own peril," she says.

4:00 p.m.

More than 400 amendments to the Senate budget have been filed for Friday's marathon session on the floor. More amendments can be offered through the night, although senators won't necessarily demand votes on every measure.

Under the rules, it all comes to end only when there is no senator on the floor seeking a vote on an amendment. Senator Reid has said he hopes senators will only ask for votes on 25 to 30 of the amendments put forth.

Even so, the chamber likely will not end this "vote-a-rama" until after midnight.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/live-blog-senate-vote-rama-begins-163559785--politics.html

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Apple hit by password-reset security hole

Devin Coldewey , NBC News ? ? ? 12 hrs.

Apple's password-resetting process has been taken down following the publication of a major security hole that allowed accounts to be accessed with just an email and date of birth. Apple is in the process of fixing the vulnerability.

The password-reset exploit, first reported by The Verge after they received an anonymous tip, involved pasting a certain URL into the browser while answering the date-of-birth security question. This would grant access to the iTunes and iCloud accounts associated with that email address, with which the attacker could do what they liked.

There is no indication of how long the hole has been available to be taken advantage of, or how accounts have been compromised.

Apple is working on a fix, but in the meantime has taken down the password-reset function. The company rolled out a two-step verification process on Thursday, allowing users to tie their account security to a device ? but some users found that the feature would take three days to take effect, preventing them from using it as a way to avoid this security problem.

The company offered the following statement pending further announcements on the security hole:

Apple takes customer privacy very seriously. We are aware of this issue, and working on a fix.

Update: The "iForgot" password reset page came back online late Friday evening, indicating Apple has patched the security hole.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/29e3c542/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Ctechnolog0Capple0Ehit0Epassword0Ereset0Esecurity0Ehole0E1C90A35842/story01.htm

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Patti Stanger: Engaged to David Krause Probably!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/patti-stanger-engaged-to-david-krause-probably/

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Apple Finally Adds 2-Step Verification to iCloud and Apple ID

Today Apple began rolling out two-step (also known as two-factor) authentication for Apple ID and iCloud users, highlighting the growing importance of security as our digital lives move to cloud-based services. You can set it up here. Two-step authentication provides ...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/h4-8BtoZei0/

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