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You can't cordon yourself off from air.

President Obama, speaking at Howard University yesterday, on the need to address the health effects of climate change

A huge explosion rocks a controversial chemical plant in China. -

A fuel tank has now caught fire, two days after an explosion injured 12 people. The plant produces paraxylene, a carcinogenic chemical used in manufacturing plastics and polyester that has been the focus of environmental protests. The site has seen two major accidents in two years. New York Times 

Pollutants are making England's clams more ladylike. -

Almost one in 10 male clams found in Britain now has feminine features such as ovarian tissue, thanks to hormone-disrupting chemicals from pharmaceuticals that wind up in sewage and other waste. The Independent 

The EPA is moving ahead with strengthening the Clean Water Act. -

The agency has sent the proposed rule—which would ensure that streams and headwaters are also protected from pollution under the actto the White House for review. (Big Ag and the GOP are not happy.) The Hill

Along KXL's path, oil trains are few and far between. -

Keystone XL proponents have argued that building the pipeline from Canada to refineries near the Gulf of Mexico would cut down on rail shipments—but new data show that only 5 percent of oil shipped by rail in the United States in January went to the Gulf Coast. Kansas City Star

Drought is making Bay Area tap water taste funky. -

To preserve cold water for spawning salmon, a California utility is drawing safe-but-smelly water from warm, shallow parts of the Pardee Reservoir where algae grows. A utility spokesperson said this swill could be the "new normal." Smithsonian