October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) organization is a partnership of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to screening services.

Breast cancer in the U.S. is the most common cancer in women, no matter your race or ethnicity. More than 220,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. this year, and more than 40,000 women will die from breast cancer. There are over 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.

LifeScience Moment: A proposal to establish "Earth Day" was submitted to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors

On Oct. 3, 1969, a proposal to establish "Earth Day" was submitted by John McConnell to Peter Tamaris with the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

The first Earth Day was held April 22, 1970 and the modern environmental movement was born.

Gaylord Nelson, a Democratic Senator from Wisconsin was instrumental in founding Earth Day as a teach-in and to "force this issue onto the national agenda.” 20 million Americans demonstrated across the nation.

Senator Nelson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Clinton in 1995 -- the highest honor given to civilians in the United States -- for his role as Earth Day founder.

It's a Small World
	West Nile Virus (Photo Credit: Cynthia Goldsmith)

Science Quote

"There are sadistic scientists who hurry to hunt down errors instead of establishing the truth."