Potential Crisis in Environmental Health Research
Scientists are concerned about the consequences of the federal government canceling and scaling back funding for environmental health research.
According to Benjamin Zaitchik, a professor of Earth and planetary sciences at Johns Hopkins University, the situation is alarming. He stated,
"Baltimore is sinking, and the sea is rising", highlighting the impact of extreme weather on the city's infrastructure.
Zaitchik explained that
"excessive rainwater pours into an aging infrastructure and underground water-flow channels that are, in many cases, unknown and complicated", leading to floods. He also noted changes in weather patterns, saying
"the soil doesn't stay frozen as long in January, and it rains much more than it snows".
Author's summary: Funding cuts threaten environmental health research.