Current Events in March 2014

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized stricter emission standards for cars and gasoline, part of an effort to reduce harmful pollution and prevent thousands of premature deaths and illnesses, while also improving the efficiency of cars and trucks.

Once fully in place, the standards will help avoid up to 2,000 premature deaths per year and 50,000 cases of respiratory ailments in children, the agency said.

"These standards are a win for public health, a win for our environment, and a win for our pocketbooks," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "By working with the auto industry, health groups, and other stakeholders, we're continuing to build on the Obama Administration's broader clean fuels and vehicles efforts that cut carbon pollution, clean the air we breathe, and save families money at the pump."

McCarthy said the new standards will cut harmful soot, smog and toxic emissions from cars and trucks. Improving fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gases from these same vehicles will result in average fuel savings of more than $8,000 by 2025 over a vehicle’s lifetime. 

Oil companies fiercely resisted the move, saying the agency underestimated the cost of cleaning up sulfur and claimed that the new requirements could shut down some of their refineries.

But automakers are generally on board with the changes. 

Mike Robinson, vice president for sustainability and global regulatory affairs at General Motors, said GM glad that the federal emissions requirements will now be aligned with the emissions standards that California is allowed to set under the federal Clean Air Act.

"The benefit from our standpoint is: you get to [engineer cars] once instead of several times," Robinson said, Automotive News reported. "We give the EPA a lot of credit for figuring out how to do this in a way that meets their requirements but also does it in a way that's more efficient for us."

The new standards slash emissions of a range of harmful pollutants that can cause premature death and respiratory illnesses, reducing standards for smog-forming volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides by 80 percent, establishing a 70 percent tighter particulate matter standard and virtually eliminating fuel vapor emissions. These standards will also reduce vehicle emissions of toxic air pollutants, such as benzene by up to 30 percent.

The Tier 3 standards cut tailpipe pollution where people live and breathe – reducing harmful emissions along the streets and roadways that run through our neighborhoods and near our children’s schools, EPA said.

The final standards are expected to provide up to 13 dollars in health benefits for every dollar spent to meet the standards, more than was estimated for the proposal.

Food allergies are increasing across the board but a new study finds they have nearly doubled in black children over the last 23 years. And another study finds that it's becoming easier to predict which children will outgrow their allergies.

"Our research found a striking food allergy trend that needs to be further evaluated to discover the cause," said Corinne Keet, MD, MS, lead study author and assistant professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University. "Although African Americans generally have higher levels of IgE, the antibody the immune system creates more of when one has an allergy, it is only recently that they have reported food allergy more frequently than white children. Whether the observed increase is due to better recognition of food allergy or is related to environmental changes remains an open question."

Researchers analyzed 452,237 children from 1988 to 2011. Of these children, it was found food allergy increased among black children at a rate of 2.1 percent per decade, 1.2 percent among Hispanics and 1 percent among whites.

Self-reported

"It is important to note this increase was in self-reported allergy," said Dr. Keet. "Many of these children did not receive a proper food allergy diagnosis from an allergist. Other conditions such as food intolerance can often be mistaken for an allergy, because not all symptoms associated with foods are caused by food allergy."

The study was published today in the March issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the scientific publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

Another Annals paper, also released today, notes many allergists can often determine which children may outgrow their food allergy, and which might have a lifelong condition.

"Those allergic to milk, egg, soy, and wheat are more likely to tolerate these allergens over time, than those allergic to peanuts and tree nuts," said allergist Wesley Burks, MD, lead study author. "No single test alone can predict eventual food tolerance, but when patients are under the regular care of a board-certified allergist they can be re-evaluated and tested in different ways."

Serious condition

Food allergy is a serious disease that can lead to a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. When food allergy isn't properly diagnosed, the chance of anaphylaxis increases and many time patients undergo unnecessary dietary exclusions which can lead to malnourishment.

"If you think you have symptoms of a food allergy, you should see an allergist for proper testing, diagnosis and treatment," said allergist Marshall Gailen, MD, Annals editor. "You should never take matters into your own hands, whether it is self-treating your allergy or introducing an allergenic food back into your diet to see if you're still allergic."

The increase in consumer spending outstripped the rise in incomes in January.

Figures released by the Commerce Department show personal income rose 0.3% -- to $43.9 billion last month, with disposable personal income (DPI) -- personal income less personal current taxes -- up 0.4% to $45.2 billion. In December, both personal income and DPI dipped about 0.1%.

Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) totaled $48.1 billion, up 0.4% percent, following December's increase revised increase of 0.1%, which was originally reported as a gain of 0.4%.

Wages and salaries

Private wages and salaries rose $14.8 billion in January, after falling $9.1 billion the month before. Goods producing industries' payrolls increased $1.8 billion, compared with an increase of $1.7 billion; manufacturing payrolls decreased $0.4 billion, in contrast to an increase of $0.2 billion. Services-producing industries' payrolls added $13.0 billion, in contrast to a drop of $10.8 billion.

Government wages and salaries rose $0.6 billion in January, compared after jumping $1.3 billion in December. Pay raises for civilian and military personnel added $2.2 billion to government payrolls in January.

Personal outlays and saving

Personal outlays -- which include PCE, personal interest payments, and personal current transfer payments -- soared $49.7 billion in January, compared with an increase of $4.5 billion in December.

Personal saving -- DPI less personal outlays -- fell for a second straight month, totaling $540.1 billion in January, compared with $544.5 billion in December. Still, the personal saving rate -- personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income -- was 4.3% in January, the same rate as in December.

The complete report can be found on the Bureau of Economic Analysis website.