Alice_Shabecoff's blog

HOW BP AVATARS SHOW UP IN YOUR LIFE

The BP Gulf oil catastrophe is not the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, contrary to news headlines. The hugeness of the blow-out captures our attention, but the worst pollution actually takes place here in our ordinary lives, in hardly-noticed events that add up day after day.

Kvetching about Sick Children

Why do we write about, talk about, meet about and, in general, complain about children’s chronic illnesses in the U.S. when statistics show that, year by year, we Americans are living to an ever riper old age?

That’s a favorite gotcha question, usually employed by defenders of the right to pollute and intended to squash or at least minimize the impact of the damage we describe. Sometimes, though, it can be an honest question posed by someone really wanting to learn. So, it’s worth thinking about.

To Vaccinate Your Teenage Girl, Teenage Boy, Yourself ...Or not?

As soon as a teenage girl walks into her pediatrician’s office, he will suggest another vaccination, to be delivered through a series of shots spaced out over six months. This time the vaccine is Gardasil, intended to protect her from being infected by the human papilloma virus, HPV, which might cause cervical cancer later in life.

On balance, is this series of vaccinations a good idea? Is it safe? Is it worth the possible side effects?