Category Archives: Environmental Health

“Sensitive” to Pollution #3

"Sensitive" to Pollution 3

Is there anyone who isn’t “sensitive” to pollution?

Sandra Steingraber: Prepared Sentencing Statement 2013

Sandra Steingraber was arrested while demonstrating against fracking. Sandra is one of my heroines.

“In my field of environmental health, the word trespass has meaning. Toxic trespass refers to involuntary human exposure to a chemical or other pollutant. It is a contamination without consent. It is my belief, as a biologist, that Inergy is guilty of toxic trespass.” …

“In closing, my actions were taken to protest the trespass of Inergy into our air, water, bodies, safety, and security. My small, peaceful act of trespass was intended to prevent a much larger, and possibly violent one.”

Sandra Steingraber: Prepared Sentencing Statement for the Reading Town Court, April 17, 2013.

She has written a lot about the dangers of fracking, as well as other environmental health issues that affect us all. Well worth checking out what she has to say.

I have heard Sandra speak once, after I read her book “Living Downstream” but before “Raising Elijah” was published. In fact, it was very shortly after he was born that she was there. Sandra was in Toronto again just before I left, and a friend (because I was too sick to go) brought me this wonderful gift from her :

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You might be “SENSITIVE” to pollution!

Do you breathe?

sensitive to pollution 4

Are YOU “sensitive” to pollution?

Are YOU
“sensitive”
to pollution?

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Ask Major Retailers to Eliminate the Toxic 100+

Mind the Store

New Mind the Store initiative calls on the largest U.S. retailers to restrict the most Hazardous 100+ chemicals.

“It’s not feasible to ask the average person to keep 100+ chemicals in their head when they go to the store”

In fact, it’s usually impossible for us to find out if and where these chemicals are lurking, and they are lurking almost everywhere! Store buyers can, however, ask their suppliers to provide supply chain information on chemicals used, and can ask for safe, non-toxic products and materials for their customers.

“Our coalition came together around a shared critique of our government’s failure to protect the public from toxic chemicals and a shared platform for how to fix our policies. But most importantly we came together with a shared moral urgency to reduce the suffering caused by chronic diseases like cancer, disabilities and autism that are linked to chemical exposure.”

What is the Hazardous 100+ list?

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Endocrine disruptors – in fabric?

O Ecotextiles is a great blog to follow if you are interested in what’s happening in the textile world. Lots of excellent information about why those of us with MCS/ES and Fibromyalgia can have so much difficulty finding safe (non-toxic) clothing to wear, as well as safe beds and furniture to rest our weary bodies on.

Here’s their latest, a subject that is worth understanding, as endocrine disruptors are found in so many of our everyday products and materials, and our endocrine systems are responsible for regulating so much of our lives, processes that we seem to have taken for granted for far too long…

Endocrine disruptors – in fabric?.

A big thank you to Patty and Leigh Anne who founded O Ecotextiles in 2004 and keep us so well informed.

Ecocide as a Crime Against Humanity

Do you live in the EU? If so, please sign on to the current campaign to end Ecocide in Europe. Opportunities for  global involvement also exist (see below).

This short video describes the issue, please watch and get involved. We need legally binding laws for things to change, and this would be a good one.

“Ecocide is the extensive damage to, destruction of or loss of ecosystems of a given territory.  Ecocide should become a crime for which companies and individuals can be held responsible according to criminal law and the principle of superior responsibility.”

The Problem: Ecocide

Ecocide, the extensive destruction of ecosystems, is occurring today. For example:

  • Large-scale land use change that causes the direct destruction of habitats – as is the case with deforestation in most tropical rainforests;
  • Significant pollution whether deliberate or incidental – such as oil dumping and spills;
  • Open cast mining where entire landscapes are removed – as is the case with oil sands and some coal and gold mining;

http://eradicatingecocide.com/overview/what-is-ecocide/

Wish to End Ecocide

See  End Ecocide in Europe for more information on how you can get involved there.

Eradicating Ecocide has more information on global efforts.

Everyone can sign on here

Phthalates in Supermarket Foods

Finally.

Someone tested it.

And just like many of us who have MCS/ES have been saying for years:

Supermarket food is contaminated with fragrance and plastic chemicals.

supermarket food contaminated

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Women’s Voices for the Earth Report on “Secret Scents”

Women’s Voices for the Earth recently released a new report, called “Secret Scents“. It  highlights the need for ingredient transparency by the companies that create fragranced products, since right now we have almost no way of knowing what is causing the fragrance allergies and other serious health effects people experience when exposed to  fragrances. These adverse health effects are increasing, especially in children.

Amazingly, companies are not required by the FDA or EPA to disclose fragrance ingredients, so it is difficult for anyone to pinpoint specific fragrance allergens and sensitizers among the hundreds of ingredients that can make up a scent.

Another report  was also just released, this one on endocrine disrupting chemicals. Some fragrance ingredients, like phthalates (see below) are also endocrine disruptors, while others are known carcinogens and/or neurotoxic!

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Toxic Chemicals in Air “Fresheners” and Health Effects

Some people wonder what the fuss about air”fresheners”  is all about.

Air”fresheners” do not freshen the air. In fact, they make the air harmful to breathe!

Thank goodness we have people like Dr Anne Steinemann to tell us what some of the ingredients that harm our health actually are.

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