Many heart disease risk factors such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure could be treated early on, thus preventing various future types of heart disease from developing -- if only uninsured Americans had access to health care. Democratic Mass. Senator John Kerry proposed recently that by 2012, all Americans be required to have health insurance -- and that anyone who can't get themselves covered be aided by the government to make sure that they are.

An estimated 46 million Americans have no health insurance. For many low-income Americans, that means no access to health care due to the high cost. A potential 2008 presidential candidate, Kerry plans to give Americans access to the same quality of care available to members of Congress, lower employer costs and cover every child in this country. Where will the funds to provide national health care come from, you ask? There will be more than enough, Kerry proposes, by repealing President Bush's tax cuts for people earning more than $200,000 a year.

The pressure to protect our air is mounting, with renewed effort from our neighbors in Canada. In a recent conference on cross-border air pollution, American and Canadian politicians agreed that we all need to work together to prevent further climate change, environmental damage, and impending natural disaster. "Within the next 10 years, if we don't do something real about global warming, we are looking at a global catastrophe," said Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.

Over half of Ontario's air pollution comes from U.S. sources, causing billions of dollars in health and environmental damages a year. Air pollution is also responsible for 2,700 premature deaths a year in Canada-- many undoubtedly heart-related, as this climate crisis has also been linked to a rise in heart attacks and strokes. In an effort to eliminate smog, air pollution and prevent further climate change, Ontario and neighboring province, Quebec, signed a deal to work together on Monday. Ontario is also in the process of renewing clean-air pacts with Michigan and New York.

Unfortunately, the denial of any environmental crisis in Washington is preventing any political action to solve the problem our country contributes so much to. "The bad news is that Washington is full of flat-Earth politicians," Kerry said. "No matter how the evidence mounts for over two decades -- the melting of the Arctic ice cap, rising sea levels, extreme weather that we've all witnessed and hurricane seasons that grow more and more intense -- the flat-Earth caucus isn't convinced." Maybe the President is holding out for beach-front property.

Have you ever had a Fluffernutter? I haven't-- but I imagine the Marshmallow Fluff and peanut butter Boston State sandwich is probably delicious. A new debate has flared up in Massachusetts legislation as to whether or not fluffernutters should be available to school children in their cafeteria. Currently, fluffernutters are consumed by students everyday at lunch. This is considered a problem with child obesity doubling in the U.S. over the last 25 years-- and a two-tablespoon serving size of fluff contains 60 calories. With obesity directly tied to heart health, locally made fluff containing corn syrup, sugar and egg whites can't be a healthy option in the long run.

Massachusetts state Sen. Jarrett Barrios proposed a law that would limit fluffernutters to be available in school cafeterias only one day a week, after finding out his son had access to the non-nutritious option daily. Don Durkee, the 80-year-old president of Durkee-Mower company that produces fluff, said "there's probably more serious things to be concerned about."