Checklists - Complications Ensue

Dr. Atul Gawande is one of the most compelling popular writers about medicine. He likes to examine how medicine works, as a system; to diagnose, if you will, the corpus of medicine. One of the most effective ways to reduce complications and deaths from surgery, he's found, is simple: checklists. Pilots have checklists. Why not surgeons? His team found that instituting checklists reduced complications by 33% and deaths by 47%.

Surgeons are experts. They know what to do, but sometimes they forget to do it.

I wonder if we could come up with checklists for screenwriting. Items like these:

STORY PITCH

  • Do you have a compelling hook?
  • Have you checked your hook with civilians to make sure it's really attractive?
    Have you checked your hook with professionals to make sure it's viable in the marketplace?
  • Are the five elements of story all strong? (They are: a compelling main character; an opportunity, problem or goal; obstacles and / or an antagonist; jeopardy; stakes.)
  • Does the ending deliver the goods that the beginning promised?
  • Does the story deliver the right goods for the movie's genre?

    BEAT SHEET

  • Do all the characters come from your background, or, where appropriate, have you made them diverse?
  • Does the story take place in a fresh/entertaining/cinematic/fun/spectacular place? Given the budget you're writing for, could you move it to one?

    STEP OUTLINE

  • Does each scene take place in a fresh/entertaining/spectacular or character-revelatory location? Given the budget you're writing for, could you move it to one?
  • What is the conflict driving each scene?
  • How does each scene advance the story? (Note: story is not the same as plot. A scene can advance the story by revealing backstory that increases stakes or jeopardy.)
  • What does each scene (including action scenes) reveal about the characters?
  • Track the sequence of NIGHT and DAY scenes. Make sure they feel right.

    SCRIPT

  • Is every line of dialog in the character's voice?
  • As much as possible, is every line of dialog distinctive to the character, so that only he or she could say it?

    LOW BUDGET

  • Can you move any EXT. NIGHT scenes to indoors, or EXT. DAY?
  • For each scene, can you reduce the number of characters you'll need to cover (not just speaking but reacting parts)?
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    Summit lets Obama, Putin size up the competition

    FILE - In this July 7, 2009 file photo, President Barack Obama shakes hands with then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow. With global anxiety rising, President Barack Obama is searching for bolder, swifter signals from Europe that it will contain its fiscal mess and keep it from torpedoing the U.S. economy and his re-election chances along with it. Yet as he prepares to plunge into summit talks with the other world leaders, Obama is down to the power of persuasion and little else. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File)

    FILE - In this July 7, 2009 file photo, President Barack Obama shakes hands with then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow. With global anxiety rising, President Barack Obama is searching for bolder, swifter signals from Europe that it will contain its fiscal mess and keep it from torpedoing the U.S. economy and his re-election chances along with it. Yet as he prepares to plunge into summit talks with the other world leaders, Obama is down to the power of persuasion and little else. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File)

    Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with the military top brass while visiting a military airbase in the city of Korenovsk, about 1200 kilometers (750 miles) south of Moscow, Thursday, June 14, 2012. President Vladimir Putin says Russia needs a new strategic bomber and will develop it despite high costs. Speaking Thursday at a meeting with the military top brass after visiting a base in southern Russia, Putin said the project would be expensive and technologically challenging. He added that the job needs to be done despite high costs, according to Russian news agencies. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press Service)

    Russian President Vladimir Putin attaches a Russian military medal to an air regiment banner during an award ceremony at a military airbase in the city of Korenovsk, about 1200 kilometers (750 miles) south of Moscow, Thursday, June 14, 2012. President Vladimir Putin says Russia needs a new strategic bomber and will develop it despite high costs. Speaking Thursday at a meeting with the military top brass after visiting a base in southern Russia, Putin said the project would be expensive and technologically challenging. He added that the job needs to be done despite high costs, according to Russian news agencies. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press Service)

    Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a signing ceremony of an agreement between state-controlled Russian oil company Rosneft and Exxon Mobil corporation at the Black Sea port of Tuapse, southern Russia, Friday, June 15, 2012. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press Service)

    (AP) ? President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin will use their meeting Monday, the first since Putin returned to Russia's top job, to claim leverage in a mutually dependent but volatile relationship.

    Obama needs Russia to help, or at least not hurt, U.S. foreign policy aims in the Mideast and Afghanistan. Putin needs the United States as a foil for his argument that Russia doesn't get its due as a great power.

    Obama and Putin are set to meet on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic gathering in Mexico that will otherwise focus largely on the European economic crisis. Greece's fate as part of the eurozone may be sealed as Obama and other world leaders meet, and the gathering is a natural forum for sideline discussions of the urgent crisis in Syria as well as diplomatic efforts to head off a confrontation with Iran.

    Russia is a linchpin in several U.S. foreign policy goals. Chief among them are the international effort to deny Iran a nuclear weapon and a smooth shutdown of the Afghanistan war. Brutal attacks on anti-government protesters in Syria and the threat of civil war in the Mideast nation pose the most immediate crisis. In the longer term, Obama wants Russia's continued cooperation in nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation.

    Russia's membership in numerous world bodies and its veto power at the U.N. Security Council give it leverage beyond its economic or military power.

    Obama holds far greater power and both leaders know it. But Putin can be a spoiler and irritant to the administration.

    Things got off to a rocky start this spring, when Obama pointedly withheld a customary congratulatory phone call to Putin until days after his election. Putin appeared to snub Obama by skipping the smaller and weightier Group of Eight meeting that Obama hosted last month at Camp David.

    "Putin is in a petulant sort of mood," said Russia scholar Mark N. Katz of George Mason University. "He's got all these grievances about American foreign policy and he's looking for us to satisfy him, and I don't think we're going to do that. No amount of bonhomie or talking nicely is going to fix that."

    Obama made a special project of Russia in his first term and arguably needs Moscow's help even more if he wins a second one. He is trying to avoid a distracting public spat with Russia during this election year, as suggested by an overheard remark to outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in March. Obama told Medvedev he would have more flexibility to answer Russian complaints about a U.S.-built missile defense shield in Europe after the November election.

    For all Obama's talk of resetting the relationship with Russia, it remains a wary standoff. That's apparently just the way Putin prefers it.

    Putin's campaign included some of the strongest anti-American rhetoric from Moscow in a decade and he openly accused Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton of inciting protests against him. The Obama administration mostly tried to shrug it off, but Putin's return to the presidency makes it more likely that any help Russia provides in Syria, Iran or other matters will come at a cost.

    U.S. strategy has favored flattery that may overstate Russia's influence, especially on Syria, and efforts to highlight areas where U.S. and Russian goals align.

    "The reset with Russia was based on the belief that we could cooperate with them on areas of common interest, understanding that we saw some differences," White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said Friday.

    Syria is at the top of the list of differences, especially on the question of whether the crisis can be resolved without deposing President Bashar Assad. Diplomatic hopes have rested on Washington and Moscow agreeing on a transition plan that would end the four-decade Assad family rule. Russia, as Syria's longtime ally and trading partner, is seen as the best broker for a deal that could give Assad political refuge.

    So far, Moscow has said no.

    There is no formal meeting on Syria scheduled at the G-20, but U.S. and other diplomats have said they expect Syria to be a main topic in other settings.

    The White House tried to soften the blow of Clinton's accusation days before the G-20 meeting that Russia was equipping the Syrian government with attack helicopters that could bused against civilians. She later acknowledged they were only helicopters already owned by Syria that had been sent back to Russia for repairs, but Russia was already annoyed.

    Russia insists that any arms it supplies to Syria are not being used to quell anti-government dissent that began more than a year ago, and has rebuffed efforts to impose an international arms embargo. Russia and Syria have a longstanding military relationship and Syria hosts Russia's only naval base on the Mediterranean Sea.

    The United States has refused to arm anti-Assad rebels in part to avoid a proxy fight in which Iran and Russia and others arm one side and the U.S. and Sunni Arab states arm the other. Opposition groups estimate 13,000 people have died in violence that the U.S. fears is sliding into civil war.

    Carney brushed aside questions about whether the U.S. might yank support for Russia's membership in World Trade Organization if Russia refuses to help on Syria. He underscored that the U.S. supports that core Russian goal, which will be a centerpiece of the talks.

    The Obama-Putin meeting also comes the same day as Moscow hosts an international negotiating session with Iran. Russia has gone along with U.N. Security Council efforts to tighten some penalties against Iran because of questions about its nuclear weapons ambitions, but has blocked the harshest punishments. Still, the United States needs Russia's participation to lend legitimacy to the argument that Iran faces broad international condemnation. Iran usually paints the dispute over its nuclear program as a confrontation with the U.S. and its ally Israel.

    The Pew Research Center's newly released global public opinion survey gives Putin job approval ratings Obama can only dream of. About 72 percent of Russians have a favorable opinion of Putin, and a majority put more faith in a strong leader than in a democratic form of government. Nearly three-quarters of those polled said Russia deserves greater respect from other countries.

    Despite that footing, tens of thousands of protesters thronged Moscow streets this past week in the first mass protest against Putin since he returned to the presidency in May. His tactics in cracking down on political opponents will make it difficult for Obama to play down longstanding U.S. complaints about human rights abuses that infuriate Russian leaders. The Kremlin ordered the detention and interrogation of at least one activist and searches of others' homes last week.

    Putin's own return to the presidency was far more certain than Obama's re-election chances. Despite their differences, Putin probably would prefer a second Obama term to a Mitt Romney presidency, Katz said, not least because the Republican challenger has called Russia the chief strategic enemy of the United States.

    Associated Press

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    New Exodia

    _____Synopsis

    New Exodia is a City Divided into three parts: Muspell, Nifl, and Vanir Tower. Someone is controlling some of the most powerful people in the city and it is your job to discover who it is and defeat them, or join his ever-evolving army against the denizens of New Exodia!

    The Mastermind behind the entire fiasco is an unknown figure, so delving into the Fights seems to be the best way to discovering his whereabouts, which will then lead to discovering where he is, and eventually who he is. Yet it seems that whenever someone gets close enough, they disappear. They join his side. How and why is hunt!


    _____City explanation

    As stated before, New Exodia is broken into three sections. It's a massive, twenty-mile diameter city that is divided down the middle, from north to south. The sides are night-and-day drastic in diversity, but both require each other to survive and thrive.

    Muspell (western side) | The leading industry on resources. The wasteland peninsula that New Exodia was founded on had one major cache of resources and so the village was built around that. Eventually, the township grew and grew into the booming city that it is today. The harder working class remained in Muspell as refiners, miners, and heavy industry, leaving most of the city dingy and darker. These people would be considered the leather-necks of New Exodia.

    Vanir Tower (central) | The high life. The elitism society. The hierarchy of the city and it's primary functioning government that is striving to be a dictatorship as an entire unit, which ends up looking more and more communistic, without the militant hands-on approach. They squander their funds and run the primary trade routes and own the underground subway system that is only accessible to them and guarded by several functions, including those unseen.

    It's a pristine ivory post that stands around thirty stories high in the middle and is built upon a four story wall that segregates the western and eastern sides. This brings cause for bad-blood as the Niflites feel entitled or better than those in Muspell, for not having to live in filthy conditions. The wall dividing is guarded and patrolled by those who work for Vanir Tower, an interesting and secretive organization known as KNIGHT. Considered to be elite guards, they work personally under Vanir Tower's executives and take only express orders from the chairmen of the board.

    Nifl (eastern side) | The technological hub of everything that happens in New Exodia. They created the products to mine and refine the resources that come out of Muspell and in turn, gain those resources to continue the cycle of bettering life for all of New Exodia. Or that is what they claim. Nifl is clean. Modern, straight lines. Whites and stainless steels are amplified by the excessive use of glass to prove their better way of life and superiority to those on the west-side.

    The major note of interest in Nifl is a company called Xion Corporation (Core), who is the major intelligence and development hub in Nifl. There is speculation to unknown ties and deeper inner workings that the public is not aware of, however they continue to provide the excellent necessary technology to function, and thus anything bad against them is chalked up to rival propaganda or rumor.


    _____Character's, Powers, & FUN!

    - Bring a friend and create your own gang / clan / faction. Bring a few.
    - Start a war, but know that there might be consequences.

    Think of Buffy or Angel, Harry Potter, or Heroes.
    Humans are relatively ignorant when it comes to things of the supernatural world and realms. They don't care to know and would love nothing more than to remain as cattle for those who wish to prey and feed on them. Most humans are manipulated in some fashion to do mundane work without them ever realizing that they're aiding someone of ability.

    - However, it is known. Like legend or myth, some people speak hushed tales of the supernatural, but as stories or ghostly experiences. It is hesitantly believed that over 50% of the citizens in New Exodia are those of ability and over 90% of Vanir Employees are.

    - Don't get carried away with power development. Stick to one-to-two and have fun. No world ending idiocy or a power that makes you invulnerable, etc. Play fair, get along, have fun.


    _____The Fights

    - T1 (story) : meaning, it needs to make sense in your character's mind and in the story line as to WHY you're trying to fight someone. If it's a sanctioned fight, cool. If it's because your character is evil, make it legit. If you jump into a thread and start fighting someone for no reason, you're more than likely going to get your ass kicked.

    - We'll open a T1-training ground (spars), if you need help or assistance in learning more.

    - We will not fight OOCly or cause drama. It will not be tolerated or accepted, and this is your first warning. You only get one more before you're booted.

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    China's first female astronaut on mission to space module

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    Radiohead Toronto show canceled after fatal stage collapse

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    Lance Somerfeld: 5 Gifts Dads Really Need for Father's Day

    Many ties, mugs, tools, and electronics will be given to Dads this year for Father's Day. All fine gifts, but since people are calling 2012 "The Year of Dad," we thought we would ask for something more meaningful than the latest universal remote.

    From Advertisers and TV/Film writers . . .
    We would like you to rethink how you portray dads. Somewhere in the mid- to late-eighties, popular media went from treating dads as respectable, engaged parents (Cliff Huxtable, Steven Keaton) to inept, blithering idiots (Homer Simpson, Ray Barone). You are not appealing to mothers or fathers, to men or women, when you portray dads as buffoons. In many families, it's all hands on deck just to keep up with sports practices, homework, PTA meetings, meals, and everything else that keeps a family and home running. We are seeing signs of hope -- advertisers like Huggies and Mass Mutual, TV shows like Parenthood and Up All Night, and even the new movie, What to Expect When You're Expecting, all portray dads as many of us really are-- caring, capable, and confident. This is the new standard.

    From "Parenting Experts" . . .
    We need you to invite Dads into the conversation. When The Today Show identifies their parenting segments as "Today Moms," or parenting magazines gear all of their content to female parents, you do a disservice to dads and moms. Supposedly, your mission is to create information that will improve the life of families. However, by addressing only one parent, you are propagating the pressure that moms are already feeling to be "perfect." When both moms and dads are the authors, audience, and subjects of articles, you change the dynamic of how this content is consumed, and you might even positively change the parenting dynamic in homes. Again, we are seeing progress. Babble.com now has a channel specifically for dads, and employs many dads as contributors. The Huffington Post moved its Parenting channel out of the "Women" section into the "Life & Style" section, and also regularly addresses its content to dads and moms. We are hoping other shows, publications, and websites will follow these examples.

    From Employers . . .
    We ask you to recognize our desire to be serious about our careers while we also juggle being the fathers we want to be. Study after study indicate that fathers are feeling even more work-life conflict than moms. Corporate executives, we need you to institute family friendly policies like paid parental leave and flexible scheduling that will allow both moms and dads the opportunity to meet the needs of their families. Colleagues, we need some pioneers that will explicitly demonstrate that you can care about your work and your career while also caring for your family. We have made some progress on this --- look for inspiration from leaders like Scott Heiferman, CEO of Meetup.com, and Rob Candelino, Vice President at Unilever, as they publicly announce their desire to build great companies and careers, while also building great families. Executive mothers have led the way on this issue, and it's time for fathers to join them.

    From our Friends, our Families, and our Church, Synagogue, Temple, and
    Mosque Leaders . . .

    We need some leeway as we redefine what it means to be a father in 21st Century America. Buddies, your friend is not "whipped" just because he does laundry and cooks meals for his family. Grandpas, you shouldn't be proud that you never changed a diaper--you actually missed some important bonding time. Religious leaders, you have no right to use your sacred book to tell at-home dads and breadwinning moms that they are sinners when they make decisions that are best for their families. We now have nearly 600 dads in the NYC Dads Group that are defying expectations every day--we, and those like us around the country, need your support.

    From our Parenting Partners (the lucky ones among us that have them) . . .
    We want to stand next to you as a co-parent. Millions of moms and dads (as well as moms and moms, and dads and dads) around the country are demonstrating every day that two people can work together to raise children, take care of the home, pursue meaningful careers, and even have time for themselves. It takes an immense amount of hard work, communication, and moments of both selflessness and selfishness. That said, we got ourselves into this mess together, so let's figure it out.

    We realize that is a lot to ask . . . if you're not up for it, Phillips-Norelco makes a nice electric razor.

    ?

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    Black Death Discovered In Oregon

    I think you over-estimate the effects of "domestication" on dogs... although I do admit that many of them have had the piss bred out of them. Pocket dogs are an abomination.

    But for most of human history, dogs were working animals, too. The only difference is that they are (usually) too big to be allowed to gather their own food. That would be dangerous (and inconvenient, considering that they are pack hunters). That is the difference: practicality, not biology.

    Dogs do go feral. In an area not very far from here there has been a pack of feral dogs, descended from escaped domestic dogs, roaming the mountains for at least 30 years. They have been spotted every few years (it is a very remote place and rough country) but their fate is uncertain now that the wolves have returned. And Dingos are of course another example of formerly-domesticated dogs returning to the wild.

    Another interesting example is the domestic ferret. Evidence indicates that they have been domesticated for approximately as long as dogs and cats. And again, for most of human history they were working animals: they were (and still are) used to hunt small game. Not only that, but prior to WWII, right here in the United States, ferrets were also popular farm animals, used for keeping rats, mice, etc. out of the granaries just like cats.

    But unlike both dogs and cats, and except in New Zealand (which presented very specific and unusual conditions), ferrets don't go feral. They just don't. It doesn't happen.

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    BMW's i Pedelec electric bike mates with i-series cars

    1 day

    BMW has been trying to improve its green image lately with the i series of green concept vehicles. Apparently not satisfied with the greenness of its funky i3 electric, the car maker added a pair of folding electric bikes to the bargain.

    Where you would normally have room for kids, groceries, or other cargo, the i3 now has special spots for two of its i Pedelec bikes. These futuristic folding contraptions have 200-watt electric motors that will propel you up to around 16MPH or assist you in climbing hills. They also harvest energy while braking or going downhill, like other eco-conscious electric motors. And if you're hopping on a bus or the subway, it folds up nicely and rolls along like luggage (at 44lbs, it's not quite a carry-on).

    Unfortunately, little thought seems to have been given to the needs of urban bicyclists and commuters: the i Pedelec will get you from here to there (as long as "there" is within 20 miles or so), but there's nowhere to put your briefcase, to-go lunch, or any other thing you might want to carry with you. And of course the cargo space in the car has been sacrificed to make room for the bikes. But as they are merely concepts at the moment, some lenience may be given.

    BMW isn't the first luxury car company to get into cycling; Audi too has produced an electric, the Worthersee, and?Audi and McLaren both produced rather striking traditional?bikes in partnership with existing bike manufacturers.

    Around 200 i Pedelecs will be deployed as part the vehicle?fleet supporting the 2012 Olympics in London, for which?BMW is the sole vehicle supplier. Early pricing info puts the bike's host, the i3 electric vehicle, at a rather pricy ?36,000, or around $56,000. The bikes would no doubt be extra, but BMW hasn't announced anything specific. You can read more about their specs here, or if you're in London, go visit their first i Store on Park Lane?in person.

    Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. His personal website is coldewey.cc.

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    Nanotechnology used to harness power of fireflies

    ScienceDaily (June 15, 2012) ? What do fireflies, nanorods, and Christmas lights have in common? Someday, consumers may be able to purchase multicolor strings of light that don't need electricity or batteries to glow. Scientists at Syracuse University found a new way to harness the natural light produced by fireflies (called bioluminescence) using nanoscience. Their breakthrough produces a system that is 20 to 30 times more efficient than those produced during previous experiments.

    It's all about the size and structure of the custom, quantum nanorods, which are produced in the laboratory by Mathew Maye, assistant professor of chemistry in SU's College of Arts and Sciences; and Rebeka Alam, a chemistry Ph.D. candidate. Maye is also a member of the Syracuse Biomaterials Institute. "Firefly light is one of nature's best examples of bioluminescence," Maye says. "The light is extremely bright and efficient. We've found a new way to harness biology for non-biological applications by manipulating the interface between the biological and non-biological components."

    Their work, "Designing Quantum Rods for Optimized Energy Transfer with Firefly Luciferase Enzymes," was published online May 23 in Nano Letters and is forthcoming in print. Collaborating on the research were Professor Bruce Branchini and Danielle Fontaine, both from Connecticut College.

    Fireflies produce light through a chemical reaction between luciferin and it's counterpart, the enzyme luciferase. In Maye's laboratory, the enzyme is attached to the nanorod's surface; luciferin, which is added later, serves as the fuel. The energy that is released when the fuel and the enzyme interact is transferred to the nanorods, causing them to glow. The process is called Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET).

    "The trick to increasing the efficiency of the system is to decrease the distance between the enzyme and the surface of the rod and to optimize the rod's architecture," Maye says. "We designed a way to chemically attach, genetically manipulated luciferase enzymes directly to the surface of the nanorod." Maye's collaborators at Connecticut College provided the genetically manipulated luciferase enzyme.

    The nanorods are composed of an outer shell of cadmium sulfide and an inner core of cadmium seleneide. Both are semiconductor metals. Manipulating the size of the core, and the length of the rod, alters the color of the light that is produced. The colors produced in the laboratory are not possible for fireflies. Maye's nanorods glow green, orange, and red. Fireflies naturally emit a yellowish glow. The efficiency of the system is measured on a BRET scale. The researchers found their most efficient rods (BRET scale of 44) occurred for a special rod architecture (called rod-in-rod) that emitted light in the near-infrared light range. Infrared light has longer wavelengths than visible light and is invisible to the eye. Infrared illumination is important for such things as night vision goggles, telescopes, cameras, and medical imaging.

    Maye's and Alam's firefly-conjugated nanorods currently exist only in their chemistry laboratory. Additional research is ongoing to develop methods of sustaining the chemical reaction -- and energy transfer -- for longer periods of time and to "scale-up" the system. Maye believes the system holds the most promise for future technologies that that will convert chemical energy directly to light; however, the idea of glowing nanorods substituting for LED lights is not the stuff of science fiction.

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    Story Source:

    The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Syracuse University. The original article was written by Judy Holmes.

    Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


    Journal Reference:

    1. Rabeka Alam, Danielle M. Fontaine, Bruce R. Branchini, Mathew M. Maye. Designing Quantum Rods for Optimized Energy Transfer with Firefly Luciferase Enzymes. Nano Letters, 2012; : 120523130524006 DOI: 10.1021/nl301291g

    Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

    Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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    EPA issues new soot regulations

    The new rule is a political hot potato, and Democrats tried to delay its issue until after the election. ?However, a lawsuit forced their hand.

    By Matthew Daly,?The Associated Press / June 14, 2012

    EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson in front of Congress in a file photo. The Environmental Protection Agency is issuing new soot regulations after a lawsuit.

    Charles Dharapak/AP

    Enlarge

    Responding to a lawsuit from 11 states, the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new air quality standards to lower the amount of soot that can be released into the air.

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    The Obama administration, facing strong resistance from congressional Republicans and industry officials, had sought to delay the politically fraught rule until after the election, but was forced to act by a court order. Critics, including officials representing the oil and gas industry, refineries and manufacturers, complained that overly strict rules could hurt economic growth and lead to job losses.

    Soot, made up of microscopic particles released from smokestacks, diesel trucks, wood-burning stoves and other sources, contributes to haze and can burrow into lungs. Breathing in soot can cause lung and heart problems.

    RECOMMENDED:?US air pollution hits 10-year low, report finds

    Dr. Albert Rizzo, chairman of the board of the American Lung Association, said soot, also known as fine particle pollution, is a known killer. "The science is clear, and overwhelming evidence shows that particle pollution at levels currently labeled as officially 'safe' causes heart attacks, strokes and asthma attacks," he said.

    The long-delayed rule, to be made public on Friday, responds to a federal court order requiring the Obama administration to update air quality standards under the Clean Air Act. Administration officials described the rule to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it has yet to be announced.

    Eleven states, including New York and California, filed suit earlier this year to force a decision. The states and the American Lung Association say current standards jeopardize public health. Soot has been linked to thousands of premature deaths each year, as well as aggravation of respiratory illnesses, heart attacks and strokes.

    An Obama administration official said the new rule was based on a rigorous scientific review. Virtually all counties in the United States would meet the proposed standard with no additional actions needed beyond compliance with current and proposed rules set by the EPA, the official said.

    More than a dozen states, along with environmental groups, sued the EPA several years ago, contending that the Bush administration had ignored science and its own experts when it decided in 2006 not to lower the nearly decade-old annual standard for soot. The agency's own analysis found a lower standard recommended by scientific advisers would have prevented almost 2,000 premature deaths each year.

    The EPA initially promised it would review recent science and issue a decision in 2011. After months of inaction, states led by New York filed suit to force a decision. The lung association and the National Parks Conservation Association filed a similar suit. A federal court eventually ordered the EPA to propose a new rule by Thursday. A final rule is due in December after a public comment period.

    The new rule would set the maximum allowable standard for soot at range of 12 to 13 micrograms per cubic meter of air. The current annual standard is 15 micrograms per cubic meter.

    Administration officials said the proposed changes are consistent with advice from independent scientists and are based on extensive research showing negative health impacts from soot at lower levels than previously understood. The agency will solicit comments from the public, as well as industry, public health groups and other interested groups to help determine the final standard.

    Besides California and New York, states joining in the lawsuit forcing an EPA decision were Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

    RECOMMENDED:?US air pollution hits 10-year low, report finds

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