What’s the truth about the dangers of artificial turf?

Edition: US - Today's top story: Why artificial turf may truly be bad for kids [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 6 March 2017 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair]( Editor's note As spring sports get under way, another rite of the season begins: complaints about the dangers of artificial turf. Georgia State University environmental health scholar Stuart Shalat explains why crumb rubber, an ingredient that helps support the blades of fake grass in artificial turf, [“should not be a first choice material for children to play on.”]( Reflecting on years spent traveling along the U.S.-Mexico border, Michael Dear, a regional planning expert at UC Berkeley, writes about the ties between communities on each side. The sense of connection is so deep that “people assert that they have [more in common with one another than with citizens of their countries](.” And climate scientist Robert Kopp, who studies sea-level rise, provides a unique book review of “New York 2140,” a novel set in a world where the oceans have risen 50 feet from global warming. Lynne Anderson Senior Editor, Health & Medicine Top story Soccer player on artificial turf. From www.shutterstock.com [Why artificial turf may truly be bad for kids]( Stuart Shalat, Georgia State University Artificial turf has become popular for kids' sports as well as for professional players. The little black crumbs that help support the blades of fake grass may not be so harmless. Politics + Society - [Americans and Mexicans living at the border are more connected than divided]( Michael Dear, University of California, Berkeley Communities on either side of the US-Mexico border feel deeply connected by ties that existed before there was a wall, or even a border. - [How our morals might politically polarize just about anything]( Randy Stein, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Our morals compel us toward helping our team win. This can turn even otherwise innocuous decisions into 'us vs. them.' Environment + Energy - [New York 2140: A novelist's vision of a drowned city that still never sleeps]( Robert Kopp, Rutgers University A researcher on sea level rise and climate change impacts reviews Kim Stanley Robinson's new novel, 'New York 2140,' which envisions the city's future in the face of extreme sea-level rise. Ethics + Religion - [Lessons in resistance from MLK, the 'conservative militant']( Christopher Beem, Pennsylvania State University King led one of the most successful resistance movements in American history. It was related to his Christian faith. He urged his followers to emulate the love that Christ epitomized. Economy + Business - [Why Wall Street is like a used car lot]( Steven Pressman, Colorado State University As the New York Stock Exchange marks 200 years since its official formation, investors are wondering whether the surging stock market is a 'Trump bump' or more like a lemon. [“On stock exchanges, success means doing what other people are doing, rather than buying the shares of companies that are really the best.”]( Steven Pressman Colorado State University [Read more]( [Steven Pressman] Science + Technology - [Communicating climate change: Focus on the framing, not just the facts]( Rose Hendricks, University of California, San Diego Are we in a race against climate change? Or is it a war? How does thinking of the past or the future affect your support for the science? Researchers are learning how metaphors and context matter. - [America's broadband market needs more competition]( Hernán Galperin, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism; Annette M. Kim, University of Southern California; François Bar, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism World-class fiber-based internet service is available in less than a quarter of Los Angeles County. By contrast, it's almost ubiquitous in Stockholm and Paris. Education - [Explainer: Why transgender students need 'safe' bathrooms]( Alison Gash, University of Oregon The bathroom has become a battleground for transgender rights — and rightfully so. Research shows that bathroom restrictions threaten the health and safety of the transgender community. Health + Medicine - [How traditional medicine can play a key role in Latino health care]( Courtney Parker, University of Georgia Many Latino immigrants feel comfortable with traditional medicine approaches. Adopting some of these might provide a helpful bridge in providing treatment to large groups of people. From our international editions - [Somali elections: How women still fight for political space in African polls]( Stephanie Carver, Monash University The Somali election didn't deliver the long-awaited universal suffrage, but was another exercise in limited democracy that extended only to a small part of the population. - [Tax laws are not keeping up with our globally mobile workforce: new research]( Lynne Oats, University of Exeter New research finds there are significant risks and uncertainties in the complexities of national and international tax systems as applied to internationally mobile employees. - [How new hepatitis C drugs could tackle liver cancer, too]( Maryam Alavi, UNSW; Greg Dore, UNSW The newer drugs for hepatitis C might mean fewer people are diagnosed with liver cancer. [Donate and keep independent journalism alive]( [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? 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