0ne of the causes of the decline of the Roman empire is said to be the use of lead in their plumbing systems and cookware which caused lead poisoning. That can manifest itself in many ways. Abdominal pain and constipation can occur. Peripheral neuropathy can happen  with numbness and tingling especially in the hands and feet since those nerves are the longest. Numbness can cause falls or other injuries. The brain including cognitive function can be affected. The milder end of

We must all keep trying to make the world a better place for our family and ourselves. Each one of us does make a difference- for better or for worse.           Reading the news can make one feel helpless, pessimistic about the future, hopeless that we can solve the issues that may ruin the future for many or for all. Global warming and climate change are happening- hurricane Melissa caused more than $10 billion in damage in Jamaica in one day, torrential rains and mudslides

For 38 years I practiced family medicine in a community that was only a few miles from two different oil refineries. A variety of patients were concerned about possible health problems related to their exposure to air and water pollution from these refineries. I had been aware of some research regarding these adverse effects. But I just read the report Fueling Sickness: The Hidden Health Costs of Fossil Fuel Pollution published by PSR- Physicians for Social Responsibility (we

The health of the environment- that is, the world that we live in- has a direct effect on our health. There are many aspects to that environment. One important area is having clean air. An editorial in the latest edition of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) (November 6, 2025) outlines adverse health effects of the energy-related provisions of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” act(OBBBA) that was passed by Congress earlier this year and signed by the President on July 4 t