Industrial chemicals by rue

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Industrial chemicals

POSTED BY: RUE
UPDATED: Thursday, September 24, 2009 05:07
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Wednesday, September 23, 2009 5:32 AM

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

http://www.ewg.org/reports/bisphenola

"For 1 in 10 cans of all food tested, and 1 in 3 cans of infant formula, a single serving contained enough BPA to expose a woman or infant to BPA levels more than 200 times the government's traditional safe level of exposure for industrial chemicals."

There are an estimated 60,000 industrial chemicals being maufactured today that never existed on the face of the planet, until now.

A handful of these chemicals have been tested. The rest are unknowns in terms of their potential effect on humans and the environment. But, since their manufacture and use is profitable for somebody, they have been allowed to be made and used by the aggregate billions of tons per year.

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Profit rules ! Let's hear it for capitalism !

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009 6:00 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

Why isn't our government doing something about this? In all the discussions about less government surely this is a PERFECT example of what our government - of any size - should be doing for us, what we're paying them for.

I did read in the linked article about the FDA's response - shameful. I don't get it - how does the FDA profit from this?

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009 6:39 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

[Uncle Scar's voice] You have no idea[/Uncle Scar's voice]

It's like global warming, or the shuffling of invasive species around the world: It seems to be the human way to do first and regret later.

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009 7:14 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

"I don't get it - how does the FDA profit from this?"

During the 'contract on America' the FDA was emasculated to make it friendlier to business.

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Silence is consent.

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009 8:49 AM

BYTEMITE

Quote:
Originally posted by pizmobeach:
Why isn't our government doing something about this? In all the discussions about less government surely this is a PERFECT example of what our government - of any size - should be doing for us, what we're paying them for.

I did read in the linked article about the FDA's response - shameful. I don't get it - how does the FDA profit from this?

Because it has a fundamental role in the production of plastics, and because we have short-sightedly become reliant on plastics. And other petroleum products, hint hint.

Though it amuses me how quick this got turned into an argument against less government. Apparently regulation is doing such a bang-up job, huh?

Yeah, fine, so long as the corporations are around, you need regulations just as a fail-safe. But so long as you have corporations, governments, and regulations, you'll find government agencies making deals for profit for various industries, because the two entities are actually closely intertwined. See lobbyists.

A better solution is if there aren't economic incentives to poison people... One of the reasons I take issue with capitalism --> corporatism as a system, because this problem is ALWAYS going to crop up. Not so much if everyone has a vested interest in food quality control, like you might in a self-sufficient cooperative.

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009 9:14 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

Quote:
Originally posted by rue:
"I don't get it - how does the FDA profit from this?"

During the 'contract on America' the FDA was emasculated to make it friendlier to business.

So let's remasculate it.

This is what gets me - the guy and his admin have SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many things to undo... and at 8 months some people are like, "what? what's he done?? He stinks!"

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009 9:24 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Right on, everything said so far. Sickens me, too, that things get abused. FDA wasn't the ONLY thing emasculated under Dumbya; some of the same things happen under the EPA just as openly and nothing is done about them.

Quote:
It's like global warming, or the shuffling of invasive species around the world: It seems to be the human way to do first and regret later.

AND human nature being too often "I got mine; screw you" so only looking at what they can SEE directly affects them.

Yeah, Bite:

Quote:
Because it has a fundamental role in the production of plastics, and because we have short-sightedly become reliant on plastics. And other petroleum products, hint hint.

Damned straight. Tho' I used that same argument and was told that many things previously made from plastic are now being made from other things...dunno how true that is, but I'd like to.

Quote:
Yeah, fine, so long as the corporations are around, you need regulations just as a fail-safe. But so long as you have corporations, governments, and regulations, you'll find government agencies making deals for profit for various industries, because the two entities are actually closely intertwined. See lobbyists.

Damned straight. The way I see it, if we could JUST get rid of lobbyists, that would be a small step in the right direction. I heard how many lobbyists there are in proportion to politicians in Congress one time, and it shocked me. When I'M Queen of the World, lobbyists will simply cease to exist, period. Not be killed or harmed, I'll just wave my wand and they'll be gone. Along with lawyers, insurance company execs...oh, and pretty much anyone earning over a million dollars a year. NOBODY needs more than that!

Oh, Pizmo, YES:

Quote:
This is what gets me - the guy and his admin have SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many things to undo... and at 8 months some people are like, "what? what's he done?? He stinks!"

That's what I'm trying to hang onto...with my fingernails at this point, but still hanging on...

________________________
Together we are greater than the sum of our parts

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009 9:38 AM

FREMDFIRMA

That's something which oughta be fixed post-haste.

I ain't fond of regulation, but as stated, one of the FEW useful things the Gov *can* do is act as a brake upon Corporate abuses (not that they ever really have...) and as such this is an issue which needs a ball rolling on it.

There's also perhaps a place for private enterprise if Gov cannot do the job, Underwriters Labs would be a good example of how that could work.

Just some thoughts,

-F

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009 9:45 AM

MANGOLO

I learned a long time ago: If you don't trust your dealer, grow your own.

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009 2:16 PM

DREAMTROVE

Mangolo is right.

Regulation isn't necessary, the regulators are already corrupt pawns of the industry. Citizen action is needed. The best thing we can do is maintain accurate data on the contents of all products. We shouldn't rely on labels either. A lot of products now are shipped containing hydrogenated oils but they are just referred to as "oils." "artificial flavors" aren't identified. Independent citizens should form websites and wikis to correlate data on what is actually in foods, water supplies, etc.

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Thursday, September 24, 2009 5:07 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

Some maybe positive updates since the linked article was published:

March 2009

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/13/AR2009
031303507.html

"Leaders from the House and Senate introduced legislation yesterday that would establish a federal ban on bisphenol A in all food and beverage containers.

The bills, introduced by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), would greatly expand efforts to limit the chemical from products for young children.

The move came a day after Sunoco, the gas and chemical company, sent word to investors that it is now refusing to sell bisphenol A, known as BPA, to companies for use in food and water containers for children younger than 3. The company told investors that it cannot be certain of the chemical compound's safety. Last week, six baby-bottle manufacturers, including Playtex and Gerber, announced that they will stop using BPA in bottles."

June 2009

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124405286248681991.html

"BY JARED A. FAVOLE

WASHINGTON -- Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said the FDA has agreed to reconsider a decision that Bisphenol A, a chemical used to harden plastics, was safe at levels found currently in products such as baby bottles.

Democratic lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee had sent a letter Tuesday to Ms. Hamburg asking the agency to reconsider the decision.

She said the FDA has put the agency's acting chief scientist in charge of the review. She said she expects the review to be complete by the end of the summer or early fall.

Last August, the agency had said Bisphenol A, or BPA, was safe at the low levels used in plastic bottles and other food containers. However, after being criticized by some of its own scientific advisers, the FDA later said it would look at other studies that suggest BPA can cause health problems in humans."

The wheels turn slowwwwwwwly.

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