It’s a question I have asked many, many times, especially when dealing with fragrance chemicals and scent marketing.
Penelope Jagessar Chaffer wasn’t referring specifically to fragrance chemicals when she asked that question, but one set of the chemicals that she discusses in the following TEDX talk are often found in fragrances, laundry, and personal care products (but are never on the labels), and they have been implicated in many different adverse health effects, including the deformities of the penis that she elaborates on in this new video:
Do you know that you have hundreds of toxic chemicals in your body right now?
Do you know that our bodies weren’t designed to deal with 24/7 exposure to the kinds of substances we are breathing, ingesting, and absorbing all the time now?
If you have MCS/ES, then yes, you know. If you are involved with the environmental health movement, then yes, you know. If you watched the interview with Bruce Lourie that I shared earlier this year, about his book ToxIn ToxOut, then yes, you know. If you or someone you know has a health condition that has been linked to chemical exposures and pollution, then maybe you know… Otherwise, probably not…
How many of you have any idea what kinds of chemicals are in your body now, and what kinds of health effects they might be having on you, or on your eggs and sperm?
Have you agreed to be a chemical experiment (and are any of you being paid for it, or receiving funding to deal with the adverse effects that might happen or are happening)?
If you are like most of us, then you are completely unaware of what we are all being exposed to and the effects these exposures are having on our health. We still believe that products have to be safe if they are being sold to us. It’s hard to believe otherwise.
Like so many others, we don’t question this belief until something goes wrong in our own lives. Ed Brown was no exception. But after his wife suffered a couple of miscarriages, he got to asking
Kim was an award winning singer/songwriter/keyboardist originally from Toronto, Canada. She passed away October 23, 2006 after a long struggle with MCS, which developed after a gas leak and pesticide poisoning, among other things that she was exposed to during a short period of time.
She may have left us physically, but her music is still with us.
The following song is from her album titled “songs from a porcelain trailer”:
I’m sharing a lot of videos about food lately, as what we put in our mouths, chew and swallow is something we have more control over than many other things in life. If a healthy life is the goal, then nourishing food is required, but not all food is created the same. Hopefully these videos inspire you to examine what you eat, where it comes from and how, and also help you choose foods that are the most nourishing for yourself, your family, and the earth that supports us.
Here is an excellent short video introducing true cost accounting for food
Soot (and ‘by’products) from burning wood, diesel, coal or other fossil fuels are bad enough for the planet, but did you know that those particles attract harmful chemicals (secondary organic molecules) from the air so when we breathe them in, their adverse health effects can be multiplied?
Here’s a must see two and a half minute video from The Allegheny Front, a radio program covering environmental issues in Pennsylvania.
Before watching, it might be helpful to get really grounded and plan how you will deal with the emotions that come up.
These interviews and the roundtable discussion were filmed in Sante Fe, New Mexico in 1995. Parts of this piece are in the full documentary, Homesick: Living With Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.
Chemerical is a film about a regular family as they learn about what’s lurking in their products, struggle to come to terms with the new info, and then learn how to make safer changes in their lives.
“Chemerical” explores the life cycle of everyday household cleaners and hygiene products to prove that, thanks to our clean obsession, we are drowning in sea of toxicity.
The film is at once humorous, as we watch the Goode family try to turn a new leaf by creating and living in a toxic free home, and informative, as director Andrew Nisker works with many experts to give audiences the tools and inspiration to live toxic free.
Andrew Nisker weaves visits to the Environmental Health Clinic in Toronto,
What is happening with salmon, has happened before. In fact, it’s very similar to what has happened regarding MCS/ES.
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Missing Fraser River Sockeye Photo via Leanne Hodges
In addition to the diseases being found in most farmed salmon now, there are many toxic chemicals used in farmed salmon feed and in the pesticides that are used to “treat” the viruses. You wouldn’t want to BE a farmed salmon, nor would you want to eat any, or feed them to your family or pets if you knew all this!
…”Staggering” levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been found in farmed salmon.” …
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“Farmed Salmon: Unhealthy and Unsustainable”
(2010) by Jean-Michel Cousteau, first son of Jacques Cousteau
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I just got the new IKEA catalogue, and they make a big deal out of using farmed salmon. You might want to let them know that serving harmful food to their customers is not a good business strategy.
Listeria monocytogenes bacteria detected in some ready-to-eat smoked salmon samples sparked a rash of recalls in recent months, with major fish producers such as Ocean Beauty, Marine Harvest and Pacific Seafood Group, plus retail giants including Whole Foods Market, Walmart and Ralph’s, getting caught in the recall net.
“Difficult to detect or cure, listeriosis may start with a fever or stiff neck and then progress to confusion and convulsions, encephalitis and meningitis. Nearly everyone who gets invasive listeriosis requires hospitalization and a weeks-long course of intravenous antibiotics. Odds are that the disease will kill one out of every five victims, giving it the highest mortality rate of foodborne pathogens.”
How to File an ADA Complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice
You can file an Americans with Disabilities Act complaint alleging disability discrimination against a State or local government or a public accommodation (private business including, for example, a restaurant, doctor’s office, retail store, hotel, etc.).
Report an Adverse Effect or Unsafe Product (U.S.)
Product Safety Commission – Through SaferProducts.gov, consumers, child service providers, health care professionals, government officials and public safety entities can submit reports of harm
CHE Toxicant and Disease Database
a searchable database that summarizes links between chemical contaminants and approximately 180 human diseases or conditions.
Sandra Steingraber
, an acclaimed ecologist and author, explores the links between human rights and the environment, with a focus on chemical contamination
Toxic Clout
explores how the industry’s actions create uncertainty and delay, threatening public health. The Center for Public Integrity
TOXNET
– Databases on toxicology, hazardous chemicals, environmental health, and toxic releases.
UCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment
PRHE has developed a series of brochures that describe the common types and routes of exposure to toxic substances and provide evidence-based recommendations on ways to reduce those exposures
US Chemical Policy Reform
Physicians for Social Responsibility… statements from a number of organizations concerned about the new bill
Washington Toxics Coalition
We promote alternatives, advocate policies, empower communities and educate people to create a healthy environment.
Food
Buy Non-GMO
Buying non-GMO not only impacts your own and your family’s health concerns, it also influences the buying decisions of food manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.
Cultivating Food Co-ops
– resources and tools to meet the needs of those involved in sustainable food and farming co-operatives
Dr Vandana Shiva and Navdanya
are actively involved in the rejuvenation of indigenous knowledge and culture. It has created awareness on the hazards of genetic engineering, defended people’s knowledge from biopiracy and food rights in the face of globalisation and climate chan
Dr. Anne C. Steinemann
Resources: Fragrance-Free Policies, CDC Indoor Environmental Quality Policy, Leaders for Healthier Air, Air Freshener Fact Sheet, Green Clean Fact Sheet , Toxic Chemicals in Air Fresheners, Toxic Chemicals in Fragranced Laundry Products
Center for a New American Dream
We seek to cultivate a new American dream—one that emphasizes community, ecological sustainability, and a celebration of non-material values.
Sandrup Jongkhar Inititiative, Bhutan
establishing food security and self-sufficiency, protecting and enhancing the natural environment, strengthening communities, stemming the rural-urban migration tide, and fostering a cooperative, productive, entrepreneurial and self-reliant spirit
Accommodation and Compliance: Electrical Sensitivity
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues.
How to File an ADA Complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice
You can file an Americans with Disabilities Act complaint alleging disability discrimination against a State or local government or a public accommodation (private business including, for example, a restaurant, doctor’s office, retail store, hotel, etc.).
Chemical Sensitivity Foundation
The primary goal of the Chemical Sensitivity Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, is to raise public awareness about multiple chemical sensitivity.
EI Wellspring
Practical Tips for Coping with Chemical and Electrical Hypersensitivity
Environmental Health Center-Dallas
The mission of the Environmental Health Center – Dallas is to provide superior medical care and education with a special emphasis on the effects of environmental factors on health and disease.
Quinte Healthcare Corporation
Accessibility – Environmental Sensitivities (previously known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivities)
Scent Reduction at Southlake Hospital
FAQ – an introduction (note, reduction is not the same as elimination, and they don’t mention scented laundry products, which can be worse than perfumes)
Miscellaneous
Amelia Hill
from Australia, her MCS story and resources
Marie LeBlanc
Canadian disability artist Marie LeBlanc advocates for those living with environmental sensitivities/multiple chemical sensitivity through her art.
Paradigm Change
While we are interested in all kinds of toxins (including heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, fire retardants and other chemicals), a particular focus is on the biotoxins made by molds, cyanobacteria and other microorganisms.
Safe Canary Nest
Excellent compilation of resources for canaries
ThinkBeforeYouStink
An educational resource for reducing your chemical and fragrance footprint, improving your health, and making your home or business safe and accessible for all.
Orion Magazine
to inform, inspire, and engage individuals and grassroots organizations in becoming a significant cultural force for healing nature and community.
The Story of Stuff Project
Short, easily shareable online movies that explore some of the key features of our relationship with Stuff
News
Environmental Health News
a foundation-funded news organization that advances the public’s understanding of environmental health issues by reporting and publishing news stories and providing daily access to news from other media around the world.
O Ecotextiles
Excellent info on chemicals in textiles and furnishings
Report an Adverse Effect or Unsafe Product (U.S.)
Product Safety Commission – Through SaferProducts.gov, consumers, child service providers, health care professionals, government officials and public safety entities can submit reports of harm
Accommodation and Compliance: Electrical Sensitivity
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues.
Bio Initiative
—A rationale for a biologically-based public exposure standard for electromagnetic fields
EI Wellspring
Practical Tips for Coping with Chemical and Electrical Hypersensitivity
The BabySafe Wireless Project
a joint initiative of two environmental health non-profit organizations providing info like What You Should Know About Wireless Radiation and Your Baby
The Switch2Safe project
exists to inform the public of the dangers of e-pollution and to advise on ways to lower it in the home, at work and other public places
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Seriously "Sensitive" to Pollution 