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Industry challenges ban on phthalates in kid's toys
Harvard ethics investigation violates federal law
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October 30, 2006
California rocket fuel standards too weak
California is years behind schedule in setting safety standards for rocket fuel waste in drinking water, and now there's evidence that the proposed standard is too weak to protect pregnant women and their unborn babies. A new study by the Centers for Disease Control found that drinking water with just 5 parts per billion of perchlorate could disrupt thyroid hormones in women of childbearing age, and for 1 in 10 the condition would be serious enough that they'd need treatment to protect their babies from IQ and developmental deficits. At California's proposed standard of 6 ppb, that means 272,000 women would need treatment. If the same standard was applied nationwide, more than 2.2 million women would be at increased risk.
Environmental Working Group analysis [ Link ]
Eco-friendly pest control
Got cockroaches? Grist’s Umbra gives us a few eco-friendly tips for getting rid of the unwanted guests. I’m definitely bookmarking this one as I have little idea what crawlers may await me in the historic rowhouse I just moved into, and my roommate who works for Beyond Pesticides would exterminate me if I let the landlord spray the nasty stuff.
If you're interested in finding a contractor that uses less or non-toxic methods of pest control, check out the Beyond Pesticides service provider directory. They've also got downloadable tip sheets for do-it-yourself control of 25 different pests.
In the news: October 30, 2006
Rich Nations' greenhouse gases up in 2004- Greenhouse gas emissions by industrialized nations rose in 2004 to the highest levels since the early 1990s. Emissions by 40 nations, including backers of caps under the U.N.'s Kyoto Protocol and outsiders led by the United States, rose to 17.9 billion tones in 2004 from 17.8 billion in 2003 and 17.5 billion in 2000.
Mercury triggers premature birth- The more mercury pregnant women are exposed to, the greater chance they have of giving premature birth to babies. New study showed that women with high levels of mercury in cord blood are three to five times more likely to give premature birth, which is to deliver a child in less than 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Urgent climate action will cut economic fallout- A report on the economic costs of climate changes shows the longer the world waits to tackle global warming, the greater the bill will be. The report said that ignoring climate change could lead to economic upheaval on the scale of the 1930s Depression.
Caffeine-stoked energy drinks worry docs- Thirty-one percent of U.S. teenagers say they drink energy drinks. That represents 7.6 million teens, a jump of almost 3 million in three years. Nutritionists warn that the drinks, laden with caffeine and sugar, can hook kids on an unhealthy jolt-and-crash cycle. But the biggest worry is how some teens use the drinks. Some report downing several cans in a row to get a buzz, and a new study found a surprising number of poison-center calls from young people getting sick from too much caffeine.
Britain calls for tighter EU carbon emission limits- Britain wants tighter limits on greenhouse gases by Europe and other rich countries as a first step toward establishing a global carbon trading system to help reduce the cost of climate change.
October 27, 2006
Industry challenges ban on phthalates in kid's toys
Industry and trade groups are suing to overturn San Francisco’s newest ordinance aimed at protecting the city’s toddlers from a suite of chemicals shown to cause cancer and hormone disruption in laboratory trials. The ban prohibits the sale and manufacture of toys and products intended for children under the age of 3, if they contain phthalates—compounds used to soften plastics containing PVC and Bisphenol A.
San Francisco’s phthalate ban is based on the city’s "precautionary principle,” a landmark policy requiring chemicals be proven safe before they reach market. In the U.S. the norm is for chemicals to reach market on the “innocent until proven guilty” presumption until it can be conclusively proven that they are causing measurable harm to a population.
Straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle
October 26, 2006
Harvard ethics investigation violates federal law
Last month we reported on the outrage of some distinguished Harvard alums over a suspiciously closed-door “investigation” that cleared Harvard professor Chester Douglass of charges that he covered up links—revealed by federally-funded research—between fluoridated water and bone cancer in boys. He's the same Harvard doc who is a paid consultant for Colgate toothpaste, which is clearly pro-fluoride, and who donated $1 million to the university's dental school in 2001.
Well, it turns out Harvard’s “investigation” violated federal law. Because Douglass misrepresented the results of taxpayer-funded research, the review process must follow guidelines set out by the U.S. government. The rules for federal ethics investigations state clearly that the review panel must contact and seek testimony from the party that brought the charges under review (which, in this case, is EWG). Not only were we not contacted, but we know of no other party that was interviewed by any member of the panel. We don't know for sure how the panel conducted its "investigation," because its final report has been kept hidden from the public.
EWG wrote to Harvard President Derek Bok to demand the immediate release of:
2. The identities of all panel members along with all information on potential conflicts of interest, including disclosure documents required for participation on the ethics review panel.
Assuming there's nothing to hide, Harvard should have no problem producing these documents. Could they possibly reflect more poorly on the university than the current veil of secrecy?
In the news: October 26, 2006
EU calls for ban on mercury- The European Commission on Thursday asked EU nations to back a ban on exports of mercury from 2011 as part of efforts to cut down the global supply of the highly toxic chemical. The EU is the world's biggest exporter of mercury, which is gradually being phased out by industry.
Mobile calls put sperm on hold- Men who spent hours talking on their mobile phone had significantly lower sperm counts than usual, according to a new study. Study found that sperm count, viability, motility and shape declined as mobile phone usage increased.
Obesity wastes fuel, study shows- If people want to spend less at the pump, they should lose some weight. That's the implication of a new study that says Americans are burning nearly 3.8 billion more liters of gasoline each year than they did in 1960 because of their expanding waistlines. Simply put, more weight in the car means lower gas mileage.
Pay for permit to drive in England- Motorists across England could be forced to pay hundreds of pounds to park outside their home. Drivers of 'gas guzzling cars' are to be charged £300 for a parking permit in London. It will rise to £450 for a second high-polluting car, such as a 4x4, giving a staggering family total of £750.
October 25, 2006
In the news: October 25, 2006
Who is the “greenest”?- Some urban areas are starting a new race: to lead the nation in reducing greenhouse gases. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley says he wants to make his city the greenest in America, and to back that up, the Windy City is planting trees, creating more rooftop gardens, and fast-tracking green buildings. In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently announced intentions to make the Big Apple the leader in reducing greenhouse gases.
Toxics for jobs- In exchange for the export of nurses and caregivers, the Philippines will allow the entry of toxic and hazardous waste from Japan. This is the first time a bilateral trade and investment agreement (Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement) will include and encourage trade in hazardous waste, including the highly toxic incinerator ash, a practice banned by the Basel Convention of which the Philippines and Japan are both signatories.
Pollution in Chinese rivers: When yellow is red- Chemicals that are spilled into Chinese rivers nearly every day have left nearly all of the nation's surface water unfit for human consumption.
October 24, 2006
EWG intern makes USA Today front page
Alex Wells explains the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce while staffing the EWG booth at this year’s Green Fest.
Today’s USA Today profiles (on the front page no less) EWG intern Alex Wells. According to USAT Alex may be pretty typical of Generation Y. Research suggests she and other millennials — those in their mid-20s and younger — are civic-minded and socially conscious. A recent survey of 13-25-year-olds finds that:
• 81% have volunteered in the past year.
• 69% consider a company's social and environmental commitment when deciding where to shop.
• 83% will trust a company more if it is socially/environmentally responsible.
Harvard public policy professor Robert Putnam says that volunteerism and the new crop of activism are an upper middle class phenomenon further dividing those with and without college degrees. The “have-nots,” he says, are less engaged than ever before.
Enter GenerationEngage, a 2-year-old non-partisan, youth civic engagement initiative focused particularly on bringing non-college students in to the political and activist fold. The group organizes events where young people can meet face-to-face and online with leaders and politicians, such as Al Gore and Newt Gingrich.
In the news: October 24, 2006
New study links race, income with landfill locations- North Carolina communities with significant minority populations are more than twice as likely to be located near landfills than overwhelmingly white areas.
Race tied to breast cancer severity- Black women with breast cancer are more likely to suffer from a more aggressive and harder-to-treat type of tumor than other women. In research that cautions against putting too much emphasis on socioeconomic factors, scientists reported that tumor biology is a component in the lower rates of breast cancer survival among black women. Although the study also found black women were more likely to have larger, late-stage tumors, researchers found, after adjusting for that, blacks had a lower survival rate.
Glacier melting in Switzerland- Rhone glacier, once the largest in Europe, may melt completely in this century. The glacier is rapidly shrinking by 12 to 15 feet a day. The Rhone still remains the source of the Rhone River, which flows westward into France and from there into the Mediterranean.
In brief: Number of organic farms on decline in Canada- Organic goods is declining at a time when demand is up.
October 23, 2006
Kid-powered water pumps
Several years ago, concerned by the time and energy South African women spent fetching water from distant, often polluted sources, Trevor Fields decided to do something. Fields teamed up with an inventor to produce the PlayPump—a children’s merry-go-round, that when spun, pumps water from below ground to an above-ground storage tank. Each PlayPump costs about $14,000, but operating costs are nil since the pumps are run by kidpower.
PlayPumps have been unique to South Africa, but now this brilliant and sustainable technology is spreading. Last month, First Lady Laura Bush announced a $16.4 million investment by the U.S. government, the Case Foundation and the MCJ Foundation to install PlayPumps throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Says Jane Case of the Case Foundation:
As Americans, we tend to take clean drinking water for granted, but in Africa it can be the difference between basic health and disease, between stability and poverty, and between life and death. Providing a clean water solution to an African community can open the doors of opportunity in so many areas – health, education, gender equality and economic development.
Ready to help bring PlayPumps to more communities? Learn more about the global water crisis, make a donation to PlayPumps International, or help spread the word.
Related Links:
PlayPumps International
WorldChanging on PlayPumps
BBC on PlayPumps
NPR series on development issues affecting Africa
October 20, 2006
Say NO to nano in cosmetics
While industry and government officials debate the safety of nanotech, 256 popular products have already been identified where nanomaterials are listed as ingredients. Products include eye liner, moisturizer, bronzer, lip balm and sunscreen.
Why should you care? Nanomaterials are super-tiny manmade chemicals that may pose unpredictable risks to public health. The FDA is concerned about these micro-sized ingredients because their toxicity may be very different, and potentially more severe than normal-sized chemical ingredients.
Take action now: Urge FDA to request that nanomaterials be clearly identified and assessed for safety before they are used in personal care products.
October 19, 2006
And you thought the Tahoe ad idea was bad ...
Chevy is back it at with another ridiculous ad strategy. Since their "make your own" Tahoe advert was a flop, Chevy and John "whatever-my-middle-name-is-today" Mellencamp have teamed up to try a new angle--capitalizing on American icons like Rosa Parks and MLK, and tragedies like 9/11 and Katrina, to sell their new Silverados. Seth Stevenson at Slate rolls up the newspaper and slaps Chevy in the nose with his assessment of the ad:
This ad makes me—and, judging by my e-mail, some of you—very angry. It's not OK to use images of Rosa Parks, MLK, the Vietnam War, the Katrina disaster, and 9/11 to sell pickup trucks. It's wrong. These images demand a little reverence and quiet contemplation. They are not meant to be backed with a crappy music track and then mushed together in a glib swirl of emotion tied to a product launch. Please, Chevy, have a modicum of shame next time.
Idolator had this to say in their so aptly titled post, 'John Mellencamp's controversial new song hurts so bad':
The video is creepily exploitative--we're pretty sure that Rosa Parks didn't get on the bus hoping that she'd be posthumously employed to sell pick-up trucks--and the song sounds like every other Mellencamp tune since 1992.
And SoulTek:
...GM is using images of 9/11 - an act largely produced by America's foreign oil dependency - to promote a gas guzzler and the apparent pride of foreign oil dependency.
And Jalopnik, who got their hands on an earlier version of the commercial, informs us that it originally showed a "scene of a mushroom cloud -- what we're assuming was a test of some sort -- then an image of duck n' coverin' kids doing just that under their desks." A nuclear explosion!
**BONUS** a few examples of Chevy's make-your-own Tahoe disaster:
In the news: October 19, 2006
The Geography of Breast Cancer- Cape Cod, with a breast cancer rate 20 percent higher than the rest of Massachusetts, is just one of a several places around the United States with the dubious distinction of being a “hot spot” on our nation's increasingly lit-up breast cancer map. It's joined by Long Island, Marin County and San Francisco, as well as newly emerging areas such as the Puget Sound in Washington state and Brownsville, Texas. The reasons for variable rates of the disease are not well understood. But it is clear that the discovery of hot spots both in the United States and around the world have sparked a new breast-cancer environmental movement, supported by strong local advocacy groups as well as new national groups.
Pity the honeybee, hummingbird, and bat- A report issued yesterday by the National Academy of Sciences said that the three species are "demonstrably" declining in the United States and Canada, and that their losses are affecting not just their populations -- but potentially parts of various ecosystems, including some parts of our food supply. The birds, bees, and bats are pollinators, and nearly three-quarters of all flowering plants depend on them to spread pollen so that fertilization can occur and fruits, nuts, and vegetables can grow.
Evangelicals Ally With Democrats on Environment- Democratic strategists are joining forces with conservative evangelicals to promote a faith-based campaign on global warming. The president of the Christian Coalition and a board member of the National Assn. of Evangelicals — both groups closely tied to the religious right — will announce today Call to Action, an effort to make global warming a front-and-center issue over the next three weeks for Christians in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, Colorado and several other states with pitched election campaigns.
Obese kids aging before their time-The nation's childhood obesity problem is hitting pediatricians' offices as children, aging before their time, show up with conditions more common in middle-aged adults.
Farmers want conservation programs
& an end to payment limit abuse
Today Michelle Perez, Senior Analyst for Agriculture & Natural Resources at EWG, enlightens us about the results and implications of the survey The 2007 Farm Bill: U.S. producer preferences for agricultural, food, and public policy:
A nationally representative survey of farm producers showed that farmers are willing to consider reasonable subsidy limit policy proposals and that they continue to support conservation programs.As farmers and environmentalists begin to rally their troops in preparation for the 2007 Farm Bill reauthorization fight, both sides should take a deep breath and count what they have in common.
A September 2006 study by the Farm Foundation and others found that farmers’ support eliminating the three-entity rule and supported continued funding of conservation programs. On a scale of 0 thru 5 with 0 being “least important” and 5 being “most important,” the composite score of 15,000 farmers was 3.69 indicating, “eliminating the 3-entity rule was important.” In terms of conservation support, over 80% of the farmers surveyed, favored federal technical and financial assistance for water quality and soil erosion programs.The 3-entity rule:
Farmers and fiscal conservatives agree that the subsidy payment limit policy known as the “three-entity rule” has been abused. Originally, the three-entity rule enabled family members that farm together and grow specifically subsidized commodity crops (like corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton, and rice) to collect the limit from two additional farming entities such as partnerships or joint ventures. For example, the direct payment limit for all commodities for an individual is $40,000 per year. Additionally that farmer can receive another $40,000 per year for being a member of up to two additional farm entities, totaling $80,000 to that one individual. When it was originally developed, this policy recognized that many family farms involve more than one member and allowed the additional members to benefit from the commodity system as well.
Abuse of the 3-entity rule and unintended policy consequences:
However, some farmers have abused the system and the “three-entity rule” is widely regarded as a subsidy loophole. Some farmers game the system simply by setting up three different corporations on one farm, saying for example, that their grandmother (who happens to be in a nursing home) or their son (who is away at college in another state) or even dead relatives, are operating the other farms.In addition to fraud, the 3-entity rule encourages the honest consolidation of farms towards commercial sizes in order to stay a float in a government-controlled agricultural marketplace. Many economists acknowledge, the 3-entity rule is yet another factor forcing family farmers off the land.
As the Farm Bill ’07 fight unfolds, farmers and environmentalists should agree to agree on certain issues so that everyone leaves the debate happy and with party favors.
Thanks, Michelle.
October 18, 2006
Beverage container recycling scorecard
Today As You Sow and the Container Recycling Institute released a report
card on the performance of major U.S. beverage companies on recycling and
recycled content in their containers. They found that except for Coke and
Pepsi, the industry gets poor or failing grades.
Sales of beverages, especially bottled water, are increasing, while
recycling rates plummet. "Waste and Opportunity: U.S. Beverage Container
Recycling Scorecard and Report," the result of a year of original research,
evaluates use of recycled content in bottles by beverage companies and
demonstrated commitment to container recovery efforts.
Scientists find farm link to breast cancer
October 17, 2006
BUSTED: former FDA head charged with conflict of interest and lying
From Wonkette:
Ex-FDA chief Lester Crawford pled guilty today to being the latest administration scumbag caught owning shares of companies he regulated.[ link : AP ]Crawford was forced out last year, after a grand total of two months as Food and Drug Administration Commissioner. (He was acting director for three years before that, because the Senate didn’t want to confirm him.)
His official crimes are lying to the Justice Department, breaking conflict-of-interest laws and falsely reporting his stock ownership. For all this, he’ll pay a fine.
Drink me, I'm toxic
Over 100 accidental ingestions of Colgate-Palmolive’s multi-use cleaner Fabuloso have prompted an article in the journal Pediatrics. Those who drank the cleaning product (40% of whom are over 12), presumably did so because it’s sold in a color and packaging that resembles a sports drink. In honor of their 100th accidental poisoning, Colgate-Palmolive has decided to redo the Fabuloso label to more clearly indicate the product’s intended use. The company has also added a child safety cap, but has yet to change the color or smell of the product. Changes to the bottle shape are “under consideration.”
Fabuloso: A Cleaning Product That Tastes and Smells Good Enough to Drink (Pediatrics)
[ Full story : NYT ]
Preschool puberty from cometics, drugs
Today the New York Times reports some disturbing news about certain drugs and cosmetics causing preschoolers to go into puberty. In one case, a girl and her brother--whose father had been using a testosterone skin cream--started growing pubic hair just from skin contact with their father. Her brother also developed some aggressive behavior problems. The article cites some 1998 cases of early breast development in young girls brought on by a shampoo which contained estrogen and placental extract.
What does the FDA have to say about this? The FDA spokesperson told the Times that FDA was “aware of some reports describing premature sexual development” and that “there is no reason for consumers to be concerned.” And at this time “placental materials are neither prohibited by cosmetic regulations nor restricted” by the FDA.
Robert Cooper, chief of endocrinology at the reproductive toxicology division of the EPA suggests that conflicts of interest on advisory panels have hampered the development of adequate testing measures for these endocrine disruptors in consumer products:
In 1996, Congress directed the E.P.A. to develop a comprehensive screening program for possible endocrine disruptors within three years. Dr. Cooper says no such program has begun operation, a failure he attributed largely to stonewalling by chemical industry representatives who serve on an advisory committee for the program. Now the proposed rollout is December 2007, but Dr. Cooper said, “They may be dreaming.” Critics cite the program’s high potential costs and lack of reliable laboratory tests.
Full article
RAN's World Rainforest Week
Currently, about 40 million acres of rainforest are lost annually, even though they are home to to five to ten million plant and animal species. In addition to their role as diverse habitats, rainforests also help mitigate the effects of global warming by absorbing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.Rainforest Action Network(RAN) has organized a week of actions you can take to ease your strain on the rainforests. Today, for example, is Live Tree Free Day. RAN's suggestions for the day are: steering clear of disposable cups, following some simple steps to greening your workplace vis-a-vis your office's paper purchasing, and writing to Australian Bank ANZ to ask that they stop funding the Tassie Pulp Mill, which is rapidly consuming Tazmanian forests.
October 16, 2006
CDC joins the blogosphere
We learn today, via Effect Measure and DemFromCT at DailyKos, that the CDC has started a blog of their own, with the realization that "new media" is a good vehicle to help advance discussion of federal health policy.
Senator laughed at for climate change skepticism
Check out this 40 second clip of Minnesota Senator Michele Bachmann calling climate change science into question as her audience laughs in her face.
[ via : deSmog & Grist ]
October 13, 2006
In the news: October 13, 2006
Insurance industry offers incentives to "go green": The world's second-largest industry, worried about losses related to climate change, offers incentives to 'go green.' Some of the planned incentives:
• Travelers, the giant insurance firm, will offer owners of hybrid cars in California a 10 percent discount. It already offers the discount in 41 other states and has cornered a large share of the market.
• This fall, Fireman's Fund will cut premiums for "green" buildings that save energy and emit fewer greenhouse gases. When it pays off claims, it will direct customers to environmentally friendly products to replace roofs, windows, and water heaters.
• In January, Marsh, the largest insurance broker in the US, will offer a program with Yale University to teach corporate board members about their fiduciary responsibility to manage exposure to climate change.
West outpaces rest of globe in temperature rise: The globe is warming, but the American West is really cooking - hotter and faster on average than the rest of the U.S. and the world. The West is already 2 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than its average annual temperature, the warmest it has been in the past 400 years.
New study shows dangers of perchlorate: The most definitive study to date on the health effects of perchlorate, a chemical used in rocket fuel, has shown the substance is more dangerous than previously thought. The study found that low-level, everyday exposures to perchlorate in drinking water can reduce thyroid function in women, and that even small amounts of exposure to the chemical can create small-to moderate-sized effects on the thyroid.
Senators prod EPA over perchlorate: Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, both California Democrats, are demanding that the U.S. EPA issue a health advisory to warn people about perchlorate. This common water contaminant is linked with impaired thyroid function in women.
"The EPA should also establish a drinking-water standard that protects vulnerable pregnant women and children," the senators said in a letter to EPA.
October 12, 2006
Study links mercury and premature births
A new study of over 1,000 pregnant Michigan women has found that those with hair samples containing high levels of mercury are three times more likely to give birth prematurely. The study acknowledges that pregnant women often receive mixed messages about fish- while they can benefit from unsaturated fatty acids and protein, they are also exposed to hazardous mercury.
While this is the first community-based study to investigate the dangers of mercury for pregnant women, it is only one of many to call into question the risks pregnant women face from mercury exposure.
California begins biomonitoring initiative
Last week California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed a bill to establish a state-wide biomonitoring program aimed at helping to identify populations at-risk from long-term chemical exposures as well as isolate the trends that put certain groups in harm’s way. According to Environmental Science & Technology, public health officials are gaining confidence in the importance of biomonitoring as the method has helped uncover hidden threats as it did with an arsenic-laden skin cream in New York City.
Related Links:
CA Senator Senator Deborah Ortiz on importance of biomonitoring.
Body Burden: The Pollution in People: EWG’s comprehensive studies of the multiple chemical contaminants found in humans. (In short: 455 industrial pollutants, pesticides and other chemicals in blood, urine, and breast milk in 72 people altogether, from newborns and and grandparents to mothers and teens.)
Enviroblog gets a makeover
Isn’t this MUCH better?
Thanks to EWG designer extraordinaire, Carrie Gouldin, we no longer look like a spam blog. In fact, I’d have to say (in my completely impartial opinion, of course) that we’ve now got one of the best designs out there. We’re still making small tweaks, so please comment or email us if you have trouble with anything, or if something just looks plain wrong on your browser.
October 11, 2006
Florida county debates fluoridation of municipal water
"After being alerted to a scientific report linking high fluoride levels in drinking water to tooth and bone ailments, the Martin County Commission decided Tuesday t