Weatherization program finally takes off, By Tracy Idell Hamilton, May 12, 2010, San Antonio Express-News: “Patricia Teran remembers the moment she realized just how well the new insulation in her home was working. ‘I went to let my dog out in the middle of the night, and when I opened the door, I realized it was really cold out there,’ she said. ‘It was nice and warm in my house, and my heater wasn’t even on.’ Teran, 62, is one of the first local beneficiaries of the Obama administration’s $5 billion weatherization program, which aims to help low-income residents to seal up their homes, lower bills and save energy. It also is supposed to create thousands of jobs in the nascent ‘green energy’ industry. The program, a centerpiece of the administration’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, has faced rising criticism as more than a year of bureaucratic delays saw only a fraction of homes completed and few jobs created. But in Texas, at least, the program finally is taking off…”
Day: May 12, 2010
Anti-Asthma Program – New York City
Program to combat asthma would lean on landlords, By Javier C. Hernandez, May 11, 2010, New York Times: “For decades, public health experts have tried – and mostly failed – to contain an asthma epidemic that afflicts many New Yorkers living in the city’s poorest neighborhoods. But now, the City Council hopes to significantly curtail the spread of the lung disease by forcing landlords at some of the most badly maintained buildings to clean up their premises. Under legislation to be introduced on Wednesday, the Council would require owners of 175 apartment buildings to take steps to eliminate garbage, mold and vermin – all factors that have been linked to asthma. If they do not comply, the city would file liens against the properties, effectively billing landlords for the work required…”
Maternal Mortality – India
India, despite poor health care, sees drop in maternal mortality, By Mian Ridge, May 11, 2010, Christian Science Monitor: “It is rare good news for poor women in India. A new report has found a significant drop in the rate at which women across the world die as a result of childbirth – with one of the most dramatic falls in India. Maternal deaths in India decreased from 677 per 100,000 live births in 1980 to 254 in 2008, according to a study published in the Lancet, a leading British medical journal, in April. This contributed to a global fall of 35 percent to 251 per 100,000 live births, found a research team led by Christopher Murray at the University of Washington…”