"People living in nearly 600 neighborhoods across the country are breathing concentrations of toxic air pollutants that put them at a much greater risk of contracting cancer, according to new data from the Environmental Protection Agency.  The levels of 80 cancer-causing substances released by automobiles, factories, and other sources in these areas exceed a 100 in 1 million cancer risk. That means that if one million people breathed air with similar concentrations over their lifetime, about 100 additional people would be expected to develop cancer because of their exposure to the pollution."  [Associated Press]

"Researchers are looking at another potential “unintended consequence” — the likelihood that collectively, groups of large wind farms in one region could alter weather patterns downwind of the turbines in another region.  So far, evidence suggests that large collections of wind farms could have small but measurable effects on atmospheric circulation patterns, cloudiness, and temperatures over substantial distances." [Christian Science Monitor]

"Researchers have found that, among pairs of mammals of the same species, the DNA of those living in warmer climates changes at a faster rate.  These mutations - where one letter of the DNA code is substituted for another - are a first step in evolution...These results support the idea that high tropical biodiversity is caused by faster rates of evolution in warmer climates." [BBC]