Tag Archives: NRE

Securing Anthrax (and Other Dangerous Pathogens)—the Risk of “Incomplete Inactivation”

In 2015, the Department of Defense discovered that one of its laboratories had inadvertently sent live anthrax to almost 200 other labs worldwide over 12 years. Labs routinely inactivate samples of dangerous pathogens so they can be shipped to other … Continue reading

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The National Park Service Is Turning 100—How Are Its Finances?

The National Park Service is celebrating its centennial on August 25, 2016.  For 100 years, the Park Service has helped the public enjoy its parks and worked to protect its resources. It currently manages 413 parks covering 84 million acres. That number … Continue reading

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What Do Quagga Mussels, Pythons, and Hydrilla Have in Common?   

They’re all aquatic invasive species—and federal agencies are trying to do something about them. When nonnative plants, animals, and microorganisms live in new aquatic habitats, they can damage ecosystems and threaten commercial, agricultural, and recreational activities. Today’s WatchBlog explores what … Continue reading

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Licenses for Dangerous Radioactive Materials (podcast)

We set up fake companies in 3 states to test licensing of radioactive materials, which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission oversees. The result? 2 states flagged the fake business but, in 1 state, we were able to get a license and … Continue reading

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Worker Safety at Meat and Poultry Plants

Buying meat for your summer cookout is certainly faster than hunting for it. But that doesn’t mean that getting all of those burgers, wings, and hot dogs from the farm to the grill is easy. Today’s WatchBlog takes a look … Continue reading

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Examining Ocean Acidification on World Oceans Day

Increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and oceans are resulting in chemical changes known as “ocean acidification.” These changes may pose risks for some marine species and ecosystems, as well as for the coastal communities that rely on them … Continue reading

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74 Years Since the ‘Battle of Midway’—What Happens Now?

It was 74 years ago this week—June of 1942—that one of the major naval battles of World War II raged around the Midway Atoll, a chain of three small islands that are about 1,300 miles from Honolulu. Today, the atoll … Continue reading

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High-Containment Labs (podcast)

To protect the public’s health, scientists working on things like anthrax and bird flu keep those diseases in “high-containment labs.” Yet, government agencies have mistakenly shipped live samples of anthrax from such labs, raising some serious management questions. A team … Continue reading

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Forest Health

When Earth Day started in 1970, our nation’s forests needed help. That’s still the case today. For today’s Earth Day, the WatchBlog looks at federal efforts to restore large swaths of the nation’s forests.

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Genetically Engineered Crops (podcast)

Genetically engineered crops, while controversial in some circles, have become commonplace in commercial agriculture. USDA and industry groups estimate that 90% of major commercial crops such as corn and soybeans are genetically engineered varieties. But as demand for organic and … Continue reading

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