IHT Rendezvous: Should Common Plastics Be Labeled Toxic?

THE HAGUE — Hoping to reduce one of the most ubiquitous forms of waste, a global group of scientists is proposing that certain types of plastic be labeled hazardous.

The group, lead by two California scientists, wrote in this week’s issue of the scientific journal Nature:

We believe that if countries classified the most harmful plastics as hazardous, their environmental agencies would have the power to restore affected habitats and prevent more dangerous debris from accumulating.

While 280 million tons of plastic were produced globally last year, less than half of that plastic has ended up in landfills or was recycled, according to the scientists’ data. Some of the unaccounted for 150 million tons of plastic is still in use, but much of it litters roadsides, cities, forests, deserts, beaches and oceans. (Just think of the great floating garbage patches at sea).

Unlike other forms of solid waste, such as uneaten food, scrap metal or last year’s clothes, plastics take an especially long time to break down. And when they finally do, they create hazardous, even toxic particles that can harm wildlife, ecosystems and humans.

For now, the group — led by Chelsea M. Rochman of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, and Mark Anthony Browne at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in Santa Barbara, California — is calling for the reclassification of plastics that are particularly difficult to recycle and that are most toxic when degrading: PVC, polystyrene, polyurethane and polycarbonate.

The scientists say these types of plastics — used in construction, food containers, electronics and furniture — make up an estimated 30 percent of all plastics produced.

Join our sustainability conversation. Does it make sense to re-classify common plastics as hazardous, or are their better ways to reduce the amount of plastics we throw out?

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Apple to expand U.S. distribution with new Staples deal

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Kris Humphries Now Breaking Up with His Divorce Lawyer

By Ken Lee

02/15/2013 at 09:20 AM EST

The cracks are beginning to show in Kris Humphries's year-long fight to prove that his marriage to Kim Kardashian was based on fraud.

In papers filed in L.A. Superior Court on Thursday, Humphries's lawyer Marshall Waller sought to remove himself from the case, citing "irreconciable differences" causing an "irremediable breakdown" of their attorney-client relationship.

Lawyers for Kardashian and Humphries, whose marriage lasted only 72 days, were set to face-off in court Friday. Their judge was expected to rule on whether to grant Kardashian a divorce or a set a trial date.

In recent weeks, Humphries's attorney argued that Kardashian was using her pregnancy as leverage to force a trial.

The reality star responded by imploring the court to grant her a divorce because the ongoing battle was endangering "the health and well-being of my unborn child."

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Study: Fish in drug-tainted water suffer reaction

BOSTON (AP) — What happens to fish that swim in waters tainted by traces of drugs that people take? When it's an anti-anxiety drug, they become hyper, anti-social and aggressive, a study found. They even get the munchies.

It may sound funny, but it could threaten the fish population and upset the delicate dynamics of the marine environment, scientists say.

The findings, published online Thursday in the journal Science, add to the mounting evidence that minuscule amounts of medicines in rivers and streams can alter the biology and behavior of fish and other marine animals.

"I think people are starting to understand that pharmaceuticals are environmental contaminants," said Dana Kolpin, a researcher for the U.S. Geological Survey who is familiar with the study.

Calling their results alarming, the Swedish researchers who did the study suspect the little drugged fish could become easier targets for bigger fish because they are more likely to venture alone into unfamiliar places.

"We know that in a predator-prey relation, increased boldness and activity combined with decreased sociality ... means you're going to be somebody's lunch quite soon," said Gregory Moller, a toxicologist at the University of Idaho and Washington State University. "It removes the natural balance."

Researchers around the world have been taking a close look at the effects of pharmaceuticals in extremely low concentrations, measured in parts per billion. Such drugs have turned up in waterways in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere over the past decade.

They come mostly from humans and farm animals; the drugs pass through their bodies in unmetabolized form. These drug traces are then piped to water treatment plants, which are not designed to remove them from the cleaned water that flows back into streams and rivers.

The Associated Press first reported in 2008 that the drinking water of at least 51 million Americans carries low concentrations of many common drugs. The findings were based on questionnaires sent to water utilities, which reported the presence of antibiotics, sedatives, sex hormones and other drugs.

The news reports led to congressional hearings and legislation, more water testing and more public disclosure. To this day, though, there are no mandatory U.S. limits on pharmaceuticals in waterways.

The research team at Sweden's Umea University used minute concentrations of 2 parts per billion of the anti-anxiety drug oxazepam, similar to concentrations found in real waters. The drug belongs to a widely used class of medicines known as benzodiazepines that includes Valium and Librium.

The team put young wild European perch into an aquarium, exposed them to these highly diluted drugs and then carefully measured feeding, schooling, movement and hiding behavior. They found that drug-exposed fish moved more, fed more aggressively, hid less and tended to school less than unexposed fish. On average, the drugged fish were more than twice as active as the others, researcher Micael Jonsson said. The effects were more pronounced at higher drug concentrations.

"Our first thought is, this is like a person diagnosed with ADHD," said Jonsson, referring to attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. "They become asocial and more active than they should be."

Tomas Brodin, another member of the research team, called the drug's environmental impact a global problem. "We find these concentrations or close to them all over the world, and it's quite possible or even probable that these behavioral effects are taking place as we speak," he said Thursday in Boston at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Most previous research on trace drugs and marine life has focused on biological changes, such as male fish that take on female characteristics. However, a 2009 study found that tiny concentrations of antidepressants made fathead minnows more vulnerable to predators.

It is not clear exactly how long-term drug exposure, beyond the seven days in this study, would affect real fish in real rivers and streams. The Swedish researchers argue that the drug-induced changes could jeopardize populations of this sport and commercial fish, which lives in both fresh and brackish water.

Water toxins specialist Anne McElroy of Stony Brook University in New York agreed: "These lower chronic exposures that may alter things like animals' mating behavior or its ability to catch food or its ability to avoid being eaten — over time, that could really affect a population."

Another possibility, the researchers said, is that more aggressive feeding by the perch on zooplankton could reduce the numbers of these tiny creatures. Since zooplankton feed on algae, a drop in their numbers could allow algae to grow unchecked. That, in turn, could choke other marine life.

The Swedish team said it is highly unlikely people would be harmed by eating such drug-exposed fish. Jonsson said a person would have to eat 4 tons of perch to consume the equivalent of a single pill.

Researchers said more work is needed to develop better ways of removing drugs from water at treatment plants. They also said unused drugs should be brought to take-back programs where they exist, instead of being flushed down the toilet. And they called on pharmaceutical companies to work on "greener" drugs that degrade more easily.

Sandoz, one of three companies approved to sell oxazepam in the U.S., "shares society's desire to protect the environment and takes steps to minimize the environmental impact of its products over their life cycle," spokeswoman Julie Masow said in an emailed statement. She provided no details.

___

Online:

Overview of the drug: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682050.html

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Wall Street opens flat with data on tap

Finola Hughes has called the upcoming 50th anniversary of "General Hospital" a "really sweet" moment."I think the fact that we, at 'GH,' are doing so well right now, and to enter into our 50th anniversary on such a high, it feels really sweet," the actress, who plays Port Charles Police Chief Anna Devane, told Access Hollywood, when asked about the daytime drama's impending anniversary.

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The Lede: Video of Meteorite Fragments Streaking Over Siberia

Video posted on YouTube Friday appeared to catch an explosion caused by a meteorite fragment streaking over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk.

Last Updated, 9:55 a.m. As our colleagues Ellen Barry and Andrew Kramer report, Russians recorded video of bright objects, apparently debris from a meteor, “streaking through the sky in western Siberia early on Friday, accompanied by a boom that damaged buildings across a vast area of territory.” Hundreds of injuries were reported, mainly from breaking glass.

Video recorded from the dashboard camera of a car in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk on Friday.

The video clips, many recorded from cars on the dashboard cameras that are popular in Russia, quickly spread from social networks to Russian news sites. While it was not possible to confirm the authenticity of these clips, they track closely with witness accounts and each other.

Several clips showed a flaming object streaking through the sky.

Another video, taken from a vehicle moving along a city street, shows a burst of blinding light followed by a tail of flaming debris.

Взрыв над Челябинском

Some of the numerous videos that quickly emerged of the incident highlighted a distinctly Russian phenomenon: the dashboard cam. As the blogger Marina Galperina explained last year, they are commonplace in Russia partly because of the dangerous driving conditions that lead to so many accidents, and with an unreliable police force such cameras can provide valuable evidence following a crash.

The conditions of Russian roads are perilous, with insane gridlock in cities and gigantic ditches, endless swamps and severe wintry emptiness on the backroads and highways. Then there are large, lawless areas you don’t just ride into, the police with a penchant for extortion and deeply frustrated drivers who want to smash your face.

Psychopaths are abundant on Russian roads. You best not cut anyone off or undertake some other type of maneuver that might inconvenience the 200-pound, six-foot-five brawling children you see on YouTube hopping out of their SUVs with their dukes up. They will go ballistic in a snap, drive in front of you, brake suddenly, block you off, jump out and run towards your vehicle. Next thing you start getting punches in your face because your didn’t roll up your windows, or getting pulled out of the car and beaten because you didn’t lock the doors.

These fights happen all the time and you can’t really press charges. Point to your broken nose or smashed windows all you want. The Russian courts don’t like verbal claims. They do, however, like to send people to jail for battery and property destruction if there’s definite video proof.

Another video apparently shot from the window of an apartment building, appeared to capture the long trail of smoke after the object passed through the sky.

Video posted on YouTube Friday appeared to show the trail of a meteorite fragment in the sky.

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Flagship HTC One smartphone revealed in leaked photo

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Jenna von Oy Blogs: All's Fair In Love (and Raising Kids)

One of my valentines – Lila McCann Photography

Celebrity blogger Jenna von Oy is a new mama!

Best known for her roles as Six on Blossom and Stevie on The Parkers, von Oy is also a musician who has released two albums and is set to publish a book, The Betweeners.

von Oy, 35, wed Brad Bratcher on Oct. 10, 2010, and resides in Nashville with her husband and five dogs.

They welcomed their first child, daughter Gray Audrey, on May 21. She is now 8 months old.

In her latest blog, von Oy reflects on the memorable events and observations that have made her realize what loving a child truly is.

You can find her on Facebook and Twitter @JennavonOy, as well as posting on her weekly blog, The Cradle Chronicles.

Author’s Note: This month’s post officially marks my one-year anniversary of blogging for PEOPLE.com. I have loved — and continue to love — every moment of sharing the motherhood experience with all of you. Thank you for being a part of this adventure with me! Here’s to many more … — Jenna

I know a plethora of folks out there regard Valentine’s Day as a meaningless “holiday.” There are those who feel it is an overrated day of commercial benefit, perpetuated by greeting card companies and chocolate manufacturers, and I suppose they may not be entirely off-base.

After all, do we need a calendar to tell us when to give flowers, or candy, or paper hearts? Is it necessary to oversaturate the market with tangible items meant to represent something completely intangible?

While I respect those who stand staunchly by that viewpoint, I prefer not to be quite so cynical about the whole deal. Instead, I choose to see the day as a not-so-gentle nudge in the right direction for those who aren’t as romantically inclined by nature. I believe that romance is a learned habit and doesn’t come easily for everyone out there.

I realize, for instance, that in asking some men to sit down for a candlelit dinner, you might as well be asking if you can inflict them with the bubonic plague. I suspect Feb. 14th incites a perpetual “deer in the headlights” look from spouses across America, as they tear their hair out over finding a token keepsake that says, “I love you” with just the right amount of pizzazz.

The thought of coming up with gift ideas makes many a husband break out in a massive case of hives, God bless them.

But there are gifts that can’t be wrapped and sentiments that a Hallmark card can’t write for us. They generally come in the form of unconditional love, support, affection and intimate moments shared while the kids are asleep. And, in my book, they are the most treasured gifts one can give or receive.

All of the silly lollipops and forget-me-nots aside, I think Valentine’s Day is a good time to articulate our appreciation. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the little things that endear us to one another, that made us fall in love to begin with. Which brings me to…

Happy – Courtesy Jenna von Oy

I certainly don’t want to diminish the feelings any of us have for our significant others, but I believe Valentine’s Day is about love in all capacities, rather than just a romantic one. On May 21st of 2012, when my daughter was born, my husband and I fell in love all over again — with our baby girl, as well as with each other.

We are celebrating our parental love this Valentine’s Day too, because its depth has propelled us into an entirely different stratosphere. The feelings we have for Gray are limitless, overwhelming and instinctual. Though our love for her is unquantifiable, it is somewhat measured by the small moments that resonate in a big way.

Those instances have taken many forms; they’ve been hilarious, gut-wrenching, terrifying, wonderful, smile-worthy, tear-inducing and poignant … sometimes all at once!

So, in honor of the first Valentine’s Day we get to be in love as a family, I have compiled a list of some of the memorable events and observations that have made us realize what loving a child truly is. It is by no means comprehensive (we’ve only been parents for eight months, after all), but it’s a start!

Since laughter is a form of sharing love, I’ve stuck to mostly tongue-in-cheek examples. Hopefully you’ll giggle along with us as you reminisce about some of your own love-inspiring anecdotes.

A big hug of thanks to my mom, who contributed some of her experiences as well. Please feel free to leave your own additions in the comment section that follows!

Valentine’s – Courtesy Jenna von Oy

Love Is…

1. Slobbery baby kisses.

2. Knowing you’d go through another nine months of praying to the porcelain god, puffing up like a French pastry, breaking out in acne and mysterious rashes, suffering through back pain, craving pickles and ice cream, (insert your own personal hell here…) and feeling like you’ve been lifting weights from your breasts, if it meant having another child who’s as perfect as the one in your arms.

3. Inviting in the dawn of a new media decade — a.k.a. forgoing your favorite car playlist to listen to Winnie the Pooh music, and swapping out that episode of Scandal you Tivo’d in exchange for back-to-back episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba.

4. Becoming best friends with the unholy trinity — poop, puke and snot.

5. Having the covers stolen, freezing your butt off all night, then somehow winding up in the co-sleeper because your child is a nighttime nomad.

6. Trading in your party dress and stilettos for practical shoes and clothes that don’t purport to be “dry clean only.”

7. Knowing the words to every Disney song better than your child does. (Are there bonus points for dressing up like the princess who sings them?)

8. Learning that Play-Doh is not easily removed from carpets, and walls are not an ideal medium for crayon drawings.

9. Bundling your child in so much winter paraphernalia that they resemble the Michelin Man, but forgetting to put your own coat on.

10. Loving and admiring your spouse even more, because he or she is such a phenomenal parent.

11. Gladly trading in wine night with the girls to read Goodnight Moon for the hundredth time.

12. Allowing yourself to become a human jungle gym … and scratching post … and teething toy.

13. Treasuring the fact that your child is still asleep in your arms, even though your arms have gone to sleep too.

14. Praying the good in the world outweighs the bad, and your child’s innocence lasts longer than a marshmallow Peep in your pantry.

15. Saving for your child’s college fund, instead of getting a new fall wardrobe.

16. Accepting that your nipples have become a part-time taffy pull, and it’s worth it for the incredible bonding of breastfeeding. (As a side note, this is nothing against those of you who don’t breastfeed … I support you either way!)

17. Discovering that your idea of a Friday night out on the town now entails root beer, Tater Tots and tickets to Sesame Street on Ice.

18. Being overly excited about the prospect of potty training.

19. Finding redeeming qualities during the terrible twos. And the terrible threes. And…

20. Making up annoying ditties about everything from changing stinky diapers to taking naps, just to see your kid smile.

21. Discovering that sleep is a privilege. After all, you might be getting less than you did in college, but the rewards are 10 times greater than passing your exams.

22. Going to Disneyland and enduring endless rotations of “It’s a Small World.”

23. Knowing that you will never have your own ice cream cone again.

24. Crying along with your child when they get hurt for the first time.

25. Giving up your attachment to anything breakable, discovering that your plants are much shorter than they used be, and accepting that your home now serves as one giant toy box.

26. Sporting spit up on your blouse, and hoping it becomes en vogue on the fashion runways this year. What, you’re saying vomit isn’t the new black?

27. Scaring away imaginary monsters under the bed, knowing there are real ones out there in the world, and doing your best to protect your child from all of them.

28. Being excited to go to sleep at night so you can cuddle together; being excited to wake up in the morning so you can laugh together.

29. Making seven loops around the mall at Christmastime, just to find the beloved giraffe pacifier that mysteriously disappeared from the stroller.

30. Knowing you’ll never be on time again (or in my mom’s case, appreciating that you now have an excuse for why you aren’t…)

31. Acknowledging that drool has replaced Aqua Net as your favorite hair product, and your locks double as an “oh #@$&” handle for your infant.

32. Dragging three kids on a train ride to New York, and realizing you’ll never be the same afterwards … For that matter, neither will the passengers who sat anywhere near you. (God bless you for braving that, Mom!)

33. Packing half the nursery for a road trip: changes of clothing, diapers, wipes, teethers, books, a sippy cup and everything else you can think of, only to realize you’re driving in your slippers.

34. Thinking it’s cute when your baby burps loudly during a church service.

35. Noticing an hour has gone by, and all you’ve accomplished is gazing intently at your sleeping child.

36. Crying at the end of The Velveteen Rabbit, because you finally understand what “being real” is.

37. Loving every second of the experiences listed above, and realizing they don’t mean that you’ve lost sight of who you are … they mean you’ve found the best parts of you.

Day! – Courtesy Jenna von Oy

Wishing you a Valentine’s Day filled with love … no matter what form it takes.

Until next time,

– Jenna von Oy

More from Jenna’s PEOPLE.com blog series:

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Morning-after pill use up to 1 in 9 younger women

NEW YORK (AP) — About 1 in 9 younger women have used the morning-after pill after sex, according to the first government report to focus on emergency contraception since its approval 15 years ago.

The results come from a survey of females ages 15 to 44. Eleven percent of those who'd had sex reported using a morning-after pill. That's up from 4 percent in 2002, only a few years after the pills went on the market and adults still needed a prescription.

The increased popularity is probably because it is easier to get now and because of media coverage of controversial efforts to lift the age limit for over-the-counter sales, experts said. A prescription is still required for those younger than 17 so it is still sold from behind pharmacy counters.

In the study, half the women who used the pills said they did it because they'd had unprotected sex. Most of the rest cited a broken condom or worries that the birth control method they used had failed.

White women and more educated women use it the most, the research showed. That's not surprising, said James Trussell, a Princeton University researcher who's studied the subject.

"I don't think you can go to college in the United States and not know about emergency contraception," said Trussell, who has promoted its use and started a hot line.

One Pennsylvania college even has a vending machine dispensing the pills.

The morning-after pill is basically a high-dose version of birth control pills. It prevents ovulation and needs to be taken within a few days after sex. The morning-after pill is different from the so-called abortion pill, which is designed to terminate a pregnancy.

At least five versions of the morning-after pills are sold in the United States. They cost around $35 to $60 a dose at a pharmacy, depending on the brand.

Since it is sold over-the-counter, insurers generally only pay for it with a doctor's prescription. The new Affordable Care Act promises to cover morning-after pills, meaning no co-pays, but again only with a prescription.

The results of the study were released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's based on in-person interviews of more than 12,000 women in 2006 through 2010. It was the agency's first in-depth report on that issue, said Kimberly Daniels, the study's lead author.

The study also found:

—Among different age groups, women in their early 20s were more likely to have taken a morning-after pill. About 1 in 4 did.

—About 1 in 5 never-married women had taken a morning-after pill, compared to just 1 in 20 married women.

—Of the women who used the pill, 59 percent said they had done it only once, 24 percent said twice, and 17 percent said three or more times.

A woman who uses emergency contraception multiple times "needs to be thinking about a more regular form" of birth control, noted Lawrence Finer, director of domestic research for the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit group that does research on reproductive health.

Also on Thursday, the CDC released a report on overall contraception use. Among its many findings, 99 percent of women who've had sex used some sort of birth control. That includes 82 percent who used birth control pills and 93 percent whose partner had used a condom.

___

Online:

CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/

Emergency contraception info: http://ec.princeton.edu/index.html

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Wall Street falls on Europe data but deals support

DEAR ABBY: My daughters are attractive young women, both doing well in their professional careers. "Melanie," who is 27, is married to "Sam," an extremely attractive and successful man.My 30-year-old daughter, "Alicia," has been divorced for a year. Her marriage failed two years ago because she and her husband had an appetite for sex outside their marriage. While I was disturbed about that, I was horrified to learn that Melanie allows her sister to occasionally have sex with Sam.Melanie's argument is that Sam is less likely to cheat given this situation. ...

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