ANH-Intl News Alerts: Week 30, 2015

Fracking linked to higher hospitalisation rates

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University have found that people who live in areas near hydraulic fracturing are more likely to be hospitalised for heart conditions, neurological illnesses and cancer. The study appears in the scientific journal PLOS ONE and is one of a small, but growing number suggesting that the practice could be affecting human health. The study looked at hospitalisation rates between 2007 and 2011 comparing various areas within Pennsylvania and found that there was a significantly higher number of hospitalised patients in areas where fracking is carried out. The researchers summarised that, “hydraulic fracturing as determined by well number or density had a significant association with cardiology inpatient prevalence rates, while well density had a significant association with neurology inpatient prevalence rates.” Lead author Dr Reynold Panettieri, a professor of pulmonary medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, said the study did not prove that fracking itself was causing the illnesses, but states it was suggestive. The researchers believe that the study “supports the concept that healthcare utilisation should be factored into the value (costs and benefits) of hydraulic fracturing over time.”

Access to nature is vital for mental health

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America has found that, “Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation.” More simply, walking in nature could lead to a lower risk of depression. The study found that people who walked in a natural area for 90 minutes showed decreased activity in a region of the brain associated with a key factor in depression compared to the participants who walked in a high-traffic urban setting. Co-author Gretchen Daily commented, “These results suggest that accessible natural areas may be vital for mental health in our rapidly urbanising world.” As urbanisation, disconnection from nature and mental disorders, such as depression have grown dramatically, Daily believes these “findings can help inform the growing movement worldwide to make cities more liveable, and to make nature more accessible to all who live in them.”

US Government GM standards ‘outdated’— Monsanto’s false claims over GM soybean safety

The team led by MIT-trained systems biologist, Dr VA Shiva Ayyadurai PhD