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In April of 2017, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Secretary of the Interior to revisit proposed oil and gas lease sales in coastal waters around the country. Development of a new National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program is now underway. The draft for the Program would make over 98% of the outer continental shelf resources around the country available to possible oil and gas leasing during 2019-2024. Fortunately, we the public get to weigh in and help inform the Secretary on which areas to include for future leasing consideration. Let me highlight some general reasons why new oil and gas drilling would be bad for our coastal waters. After, please leave your public comments by clicking here . Today is the last day to comment! Importantly, as with all projects, accidents do and will happen. It was only this past November that a branch of the Keystone XL pipeline sprung a leak up in North Dakota releasing over 200,000 gallons of oil. That leak ca...

In my last two blogs we learned that the old axiom “Milk, does a body good” simply doesn’t hold water (or milk?). The slogan is just that, a slogan; propagated heavily by the for-profit milk enterprise. It took advantage of some loose science, but was mostly a success in marketing, not public health. When I was a kid, I basically lived off of milk—more specifically, 2% milk. Towards the end of high school, I did the unspeakable. I switched to non-fat. Yes, it tasted like water at first, but I got used to it and continued to enjoy milk in my breakfast cereal. For another decade I kept my non-fat milk/cereal routine, gravitating towards healthier cereals such as unsweetened Grape Nuts, whole wheat Cheerios, and corn flakes as I grew older (and wiser!). However, after taking a couple nutrition courses in grad school and reading a few books by leading nutritionist, I realized milk was an unnecessary part of my diet. It was time to kick the habit! Around that time my girlfriend introduced m...

In my last blog I talked about the drawbacks of milk consumption. Well, what about the benefits? What about the perks of calcium?   True, milk is a rich source of calcium. However, there is no calcium scarcity in the U.S.   In fact, America nearly tops the list when it comes to per capita calcium intake. Television commercials and ads that tell you otherwise, often with the remedy being three glasses of milk per day, are sponsored by the National Dairy Council. Not exactly a neutral source on the issue. Bone strength depends on calcium—so the more the better, right? According to Dr. Walter Willett, who chairs the Dept of Nutrition at Harvard, “there is no solid evidence that merely increasing the amount of milk in your diet will protect you from breaking a hip or wrist or crushing a backbone in later years.” This is particularly relevant to those with osteoporosis. While daily calcium recommendations exist (1000-1300 mg/day), it remains unclear what the proper intake is. Inter...

I won’t speak for the globe, but it seems nearly everyone in America grew up on milk. Milk with cereal, milk with cookies, milk in eggs, and just plain ol’ milk in a glass. Most of us never questioned this norm, and have carried it with us into adulthood. You can probably still replay those ‘Got Milk?” commercials in your memory! However, from a health standpoint there are in fact more reasons NOT to drink milk than to drink it. Don’t take it from me, ask Dr. Walter Willett who chairs the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard Chan School. Let’s look at some key drawbacks he describes.  The Dark Side of Milk 1) Saturated Fat – A typical glass of whole milk contains 5 grams of saturated fat—similar to eating 4 strips of bacon! Saturated fat is strongly linked to heart disease, which is the number one killer in the U.S. To avoid such fat, you could opt for non-fat milk. But this still leaves you with drawback #2. 2) Extra calories – Just 2 glasses of whole milk a day adds 300 calorie...

Hey everyone!  I'd like to share this short video below, reminding you of the power each of us have to shape the world around us. Whether it be something as simple as cleaning up a littered road like I did in this video, or volunteering with a local organization, we can each make a difference. So get active and take pride in your ability to  This video is meant to inspire YOU to make a positive impact to your community and planet. Help prevent toxic pollution and trash from contaminating our environment. It doesn't take much to make a difference. Please share! Please join this blog to help support my upcoming projects. Click “join this site” at the top right of this page, log into your account, and click “follow publicly.”  Thanks!!                                                                     ...

Hey friends, Just had a piece published in The Hill this week; on the link between climate change and wildfire trends. A call to Congress. Click here to read the full article. " In recent months, California has broken all the wrong records as major wildfire after major wildfire has ripped up and down the coastal state. As fall winds down in California, hot and dry conditions typically give way to cooler temperatures, more moisture, and scattered showers, thus putting an end to the long fire season. However, in recent years, and even decades, that trend has faded." To continue reading, visit The Hill . To follow this blog, simply click "Follow" at the top right of this page, log into your account, and click "follow publicly." =)                                                                         Shahir Mas...