Why Don't We Demand to Know ?
image found here 
Picture: AFP/GETTYNot long ago I watched a special on television with Jean-Michael Cousteau regarding pollution and its effect on the health of sea mammals. What interested me the most is that we find it 100% normal to demand that these mammals be tested for whatever toxins are causing them to have breast cancer or some other cancer but we who are being diagnosed with cancer at alarming rates never once think to DEMAND we too be tested for those same contaminants ! Why are we just sitting back afraid to ask for those blood tests to be run on ourselves, our children and our loved ones ? Why are we not making the Doctors check us for those same contaminants ?
If you watched that special as I did, you saw the results of the blood tests that Cousteau and some of his fellow scientists took and were shocked to hear the results, even on the 4 year old child of one of the people tested. You can find some interesting research on this site and here where the blood test results of Cousteau and some of his crew is discussed. We need to know whats making us sick, even killing us and making our children sick .
This is from OceansFuture.org
Santa Barbara, CA – During a recent expedition, Jean-Michel Cousteau and his Ocean Futures Society team were faced with an alarming fact: many populations of killer whales are contaminated with toxic, synthetic flame retardant chemicals known as PBDEs.
The most toxic of these flame retardants have been required by the State of California in furniture and many children’s products to reduce flammability.
The flame retardant in use today, “DecaBDE,” is dangerous and widespread, used in many common products, including TVs, electronics, textiles, and furniture. Two of the flame retardant compounds were banned in 2003 in California and other states, and although they are no longer manufactured, their levels in the environment are still rising.
It is now known that these toxic flame retardants leak out into dust, enter the environment and end up in the food chain. Like their banned relatives, the PCBs, these flame retardants persist in the environment, concentrate over time, are toxic, with likely adverse effects on both orcas and humans, and are now found globally in the ocean.Their presence in the environment has been doubling every few years.
Mr. Cousteau announced, “The OFS team and I cannot wait to act. We are joining forces with decision-makers in government and industry to address the public’s demand for protection.”
Dr. Arlene Blum, executive director of the Green Science Policy Institute noted, “In animal studies, these chemicals cause scrambling of brain development, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, reproductive abnormalities, diabetes, obesity and cancer. These are the same conditions that are increasing in our children, who are highly exposed to fire retardant chemicals. Both human and killer whale babies are now born with toxic fire retardant chemicals in their bodies and receive an additional dose from their mothers’ milk.”
Dr. Peter Ross, a researcher specializing in marine mammal toxicology with Canada’s Institute of Ocean Sciences stated, "Now we are starting to understand what chemicals such as PCBs or PBDEs do to animals at the top of the food chain, like the killer whale. It’s not good for the marine mammals in question, it’s not good for the environment, and it’s not good for the humans who rely on those same food webs."
The science is clear that these chemicals represent enormous potential harm to the development of both animals and children. Ocean Futures Society takes the stance that this is an issue that must be addressed by policy makers, scientists, healthcare providers, and the public.
Mr. Cousteau stated, “Time is of the essence. We didn’t know before, but now we do and it’s not an issue of pointing fingers or accusing anybody. Now that we know the consequences, we need to immediately change. It's time to find ways to prevent such chemicals from entering the environment in the first place, to find alternatives, and to anticipate problems before they occur. We cannot wait to find a cure for dangerous products after they are in the environment and in us.”
The Ocean Futures Society campaign intends to educate, inform and create a dialogue for change from the level of the individual to the corporate boardroom and international legislatures until environmental protection from toxic contaminants like flame retardants is assured.
The most toxic of these flame retardants have been required by the State of California in furniture and many children’s products to reduce flammability.
The flame retardant in use today, “DecaBDE,” is dangerous and widespread, used in many common products, including TVs, electronics, textiles, and furniture. Two of the flame retardant compounds were banned in 2003 in California and other states, and although they are no longer manufactured, their levels in the environment are still rising.
It is now known that these toxic flame retardants leak out into dust, enter the environment and end up in the food chain. Like their banned relatives, the PCBs, these flame retardants persist in the environment, concentrate over time, are toxic, with likely adverse effects on both orcas and humans, and are now found globally in the ocean.Their presence in the environment has been doubling every few years.
Mr. Cousteau announced, “The OFS team and I cannot wait to act. We are joining forces with decision-makers in government and industry to address the public’s demand for protection.”
Dr. Arlene Blum, executive director of the Green Science Policy Institute noted, “In animal studies, these chemicals cause scrambling of brain development, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, reproductive abnormalities, diabetes, obesity and cancer. These are the same conditions that are increasing in our children, who are highly exposed to fire retardant chemicals. Both human and killer whale babies are now born with toxic fire retardant chemicals in their bodies and receive an additional dose from their mothers’ milk.”
Dr. Peter Ross, a researcher specializing in marine mammal toxicology with Canada’s Institute of Ocean Sciences stated, "Now we are starting to understand what chemicals such as PCBs or PBDEs do to animals at the top of the food chain, like the killer whale. It’s not good for the marine mammals in question, it’s not good for the environment, and it’s not good for the humans who rely on those same food webs."
The science is clear that these chemicals represent enormous potential harm to the development of both animals and children. Ocean Futures Society takes the stance that this is an issue that must be addressed by policy makers, scientists, healthcare providers, and the public.
Mr. Cousteau stated, “Time is of the essence. We didn’t know before, but now we do and it’s not an issue of pointing fingers or accusing anybody. Now that we know the consequences, we need to immediately change. It's time to find ways to prevent such chemicals from entering the environment in the first place, to find alternatives, and to anticipate problems before they occur. We cannot wait to find a cure for dangerous products after they are in the environment and in us.”
The Ocean Futures Society campaign intends to educate, inform and create a dialogue for change from the level of the individual to the corporate boardroom and international legislatures until environmental protection from toxic contaminants like flame retardants is assured.
Comments
The insidious thing about children's pajamas is that the chemical retardants are not even mentioned on the clothing tag - it just doesn't hit people's radar that way. Putting your kids to bed to lie for hours every night in a chemical infused suit, on the off chance they might come into contact with an unsupervised flame some time in their first 14 years is a dangerous practice. Fire has devastated some children, and they must be kept clear of open flames, but how many hundreds of thousands and more are poisoned by the "solution"?
I agree - we need to make a big big noise.