nafta may allow for toxic pesticide

For months there has been extensive research and findings on hormone altering chemicals.  Whether we are talking about Bisphenol-A, phthalates, or any other endocrine disrupting chemical, they are all dangerous and they are all affecting our children, and more than that, our male children.

Canada has been a leader in banning these chemicals from being used in products.  But one such ban is causing legal issues that I think no one was quite expecting.  

Quebec has placed a ban on a common pesticide, 2,4-D, made by Dow Chemical.  In response, Dow is suing Quebec under the North American Free Trade Agreement and asking for millions of dollars in damages, according to Miller-McCune.  Dow claims that “the ban lacks scientific support and amounts to an “expropriation” of its business in the province (several Dow products contain 2,4-D).”

There are many legal complications to this case.  For example, at one time, every country found no proof of harm being caused by these chemicals and do those studies count as equally as the current studies which are conclusively finding the opposite to be true.  And, then there is another dilemma, does NAFTA override what a country’s elected officials vote on.  

This is a case that will determine future rules, regulations, and authority amongst countries to determine what is right for its people.  Its criticality is immeasurable.

in the news

Here are some important news items…

Arctic Sea Ice Underestimated for Weeks Due to Faulty Sensor, via Bloomberg

A glitch in satellite sensors caused scientists to underestimate the extent of Arctic sea ice by 500,000 square kilometers (193,000 square miles), a California- size area, the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center said.  The recent error doesn’t change findings that Arctic ice is retreating, the NSIDC said. The center said real-time data on sea ice is always less reliable than archived numbers because full checks haven’t yet been carried out. Historical data is checked across other sources, it said.

MIT Group Increases Global Warming Projections, via Washington Post

 

New research from MIT scientists shows that in the absence of stringent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, 21st century climate change may be far more significant than some previous climate assessments had indicated.

The new findings, released this month by MIT’s Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, showed significantly increased odds that by the end of the century warming would be on the high end of the scale for a so-called “no policy scenario” as compared with similar studies completed just six years ago. The main culprits: the cycling of heat and carbon dioxide in the climate system are now better understood and projections of future greenhouse gas emissions have increased.

The results also showed that even if nations were to act quickly to reduce emissions, it is more likely that warming would be greater than previous studies had shown. However, the increase in projected temperatures under the “policy scenario” was not as large as for the no policy scenario.

Climate change timetable slips as Obama backtracks on 2008 deadline, via Guardian UK

 

Barack Obama has been forced to slow down a key green objective of his presidency: early legislation to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming.

Officials now concede that Congress is unlikely to pass such legislation by the end of 2009, a delay that could hurt efforts to reach a global treaty at the climate change conference in Copenhagen this December. It also frustrates hopes that last week’s huge infusion of green investment in the $787 bn economic rescue plan would give momentum to efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Presidential staff say America remains determined to play a leadership role at the climate talks in Copenhagen, but downplay prospects of taking steps to curb its own carbon emissions first.

in the news

 

First glimpse of greenhouse gases comes into view, via The Daily Climate

 

BOULDER, Colo. – Scientists have taken the first crack at solving a fundamental climate mystery, criss-crossing the globe in a souped-up corporate jet to determine where and when greenhouse gases enter and leave the atmosphere.

An understanding of how these climate-warming gases move about the globe is a critical prerequisite for any policy aimed at curbing global warming, scientists said Thursday. Information gained over the next three years will play a crucial role in in sharpening future predictions and improving their accuracy.

Using a high-performance jet, scientists will take a series of “slices” of the atmosphere over the next few years from the Arctic to Antarctic and from the surface to the atmosphere’s upper reaches.

The Greenhouse Effect and the Bathtub Effect, from the New York Times

That characteristic is the “bathtub effect” behind the human-amplified greenhouse effect. Dr. Sterman, a prominent analyst of risk perception and management at the Sloan School, has devised various tools akin to flight simulators to help corporate leaders understand the nature of a variety of problems and choose among various remedies. He recently turned this approach to climate, which he says bears much more resemblance to deficit spending and the national debt than it does to 20th-century-style pollution problems like acid rain.

Fish Poop Helping To Protect Ocean’s Delicate Acid Balance, via Huffington Post Green

WASHINGTON — The ocean’s delicate acid balance may be getting help from an unexpected source, fish poop. The increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere not only drives global warming, but also raises the amount of CO2 dissolved in ocean water, tending to make it more acid, potentially a threat to sea life.

Analysts Warn Emissions Are Growing, via New York Times

 

Planet-warming emissions from industry are on track to grow faster than previous estimates, and delaying reduction measures beyond 2010 would risk triggering dangerous levels of climate change, according to McKinsey & Company, a leading consultancy.

The findings by McKinsey, which are expected to be announced on Monday afternoon in Brussels, appear to reinforce the view of some leading scientists and economists that failing to take action now to reduce emissions could badly hobble economic growth in the future.

phthalates in the news

So, a pretty important study was released today from Taiwan regarding the impact of exposure to phthalates during pregnancy.  Essentially the data has proven that mother’s can pass on the hormone altering chemical while the child is in utero, resulting in deformities, according to Environmental Health News.

 

Amniotic fluid and urine samples from 65 pregnant women undergoing amniocentesis were analyzed for five kinds of phthalates. At birth, the researchers measured the distance from the anus to the genitals in both male and female babies. This measure is called the anogenital distance (AGD) and indicates abnormal sexual development (specifically, differentiation) in the womb.

The metabolite monobutyl phthalate (MBP) in the amniotic fluid and urine was correlated in all newborns. This means the pollutant was able to pass from the mother, through the placenta and into the fetal circulation system.

Phthalates is a chemical that is, most commonly used, in the synthesis of plastics, but has also been found in fragrance used in everyday household items.  It acts as a hormone mimicker and has been linked to a higher occurrence of cancers, genital deformities and learning disabilities.

This is just another example proving that the approval of the chemical was premature on the part of the FDA and the chemical companies.

iron’t you glad we didn’t follow through

We have been closely following developments of  the ship that has been heading to the Antarctic to dump loads of iron into the ocean.  

About a month ago, researchers had discovered that by dumping iron into the ocean, may create an algae bloom, that would then suck up a whole bunch of carbon dioxide. Obviously, the idea of this working would be fantastic.  But many people voiced concern ranging from what it would do to the ecosystem all the way to was it even legal under international law.

Well, all of the discussion may not make much of a difference.  New evidence is emerging that the iron may not suck up as much carbon dioxide as originally hoped, according to the New Scientist.

In fact it may be 80 times less effective than originally assumed.  There are some cases in which bloom is limited because of too much iron in the water, thereby not working to trap carbon.

What this all means, at least to us, is that much more research needs to be done to determine the efficacy of such an experiment.

environmental report: mesothelioma

 

We were contacted and asked to publish this article on our site.

Fossil Fuels, CFCs Have Long Trail of Consequences

By James O’Shea; Content Manager, Mesothelioma & Asbestos Awareness Center

January 22, 2009

Often when considering the environmental hazards presented by destructive human behavior, we fail to see further than the direct effects on our planet. However, if we look further, we can see that our behaviors are affecting not only the earth we live on but also the general human health. There are essentially two tiers to the damage posed by destructive environmental actions. Let’s examine each of them for a better understanding of this hazard.

The first effect is the direct human health costs associated with the burning of fossil fuels and the release of chlorofluorocarbons (associated with atmospheric ozone depletion) in the atmosphere. Asthma rates in areas with high smog indices (associated with fossil fuel pollution) are near double that in smog neutral areas. In South Africa and Australia, where the ozone is among the most depleted on the planet, skin cancer rates are astronomically high, as UV rays breaking our atmosphere are much more intense. These are the very real and direct impact of destructive environmental behavior.

The second tier that I wish to bring attention to is the working conditions in the processing of fossil fuels, which pose some of the greatest occupational hazards of any jobsite. Oil refineries and coal plants are laden with older asbestos fixtures, which has been directly linked to the deadly asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Even as asbestos was banned in the late 1970s, older asbestos fixtures (which are much more hazardous) still permeate this industry. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they lodge in the pleural lining of the lungs, which lays the groundwork for mesothelioma and other respiratory complications later down the road. Harmful asbestos exposures are only hazard in these industries however. Countless other industrial hazards such as benzene, which has been classified as a carcinogen, also have been clearly linked to the processing of fossil fuels.

We can see now that the effects of destructive environmental hazards go well beyond the direct impact on the planet. We are beginning to see now that these behaviors may ultimately cost lives if we don’t change our ways. Through change, we will preserve the planet for our children and the lives of its inhabitants today.

persistent pollutants

 

Samples collected in 1800 Americans, 12 years and older, indicate that while concentrations of banned pesticides are going down, they still are present in the blood, according to an article published in Environmental Science and Technology.

Researchers at the CDC tested for 21 different persistent organic pollutants (POP’s).  By definition all POP’s are persistent in the environment, bioaccumulate up the food chain, and have toxic effects on humans and the environment.  All compounds tested have been banned, like PCB’s and some agricultural chemicals, or are being considered for bans, such as flame retardants.  

A cautionary note is that first, a different set of analytical methods were used for the study, which makes comparisons from previous years more complicated, if even possible.  Secondly, while the trend is going down, it will not be confirmed until next years data is available.

Many persistent compounds can still be detected in Americans’ blood decades after U.S. bans. For example, DDT was banned by the U.S. EPA in 1973, but its breakdown product DDE was detected in 99.7% of people.  Likewise, the fungicide hexachlorobenzene was detected in 99.9% of people tested despite a 1984 ban. This continuing occurrence in blood may result at least in part from consumption of foods that were imported from countries that still use these chemicals.

Another likely reason we are still getting these toxins: the milk supply.  Although chemicals like DDT are banned, and the soil is unable to produce food, much of the land has been sold to dairy farmers.  As a result, cattle that graze on contaminated land, ingest the chemical which then is released, and cannot be purified, from the milk supply.

This is another example of why eating food that is home grown, or locally grown and bought at a Farmer’s Market is so important.  The health affects of these chemicals, this far from having been banned, is not known.  The possibility of toxin saturation and accumulation is too risky compared to the amount of time it may take to understand the full affect on the body.

u.s. launches study, too

 

Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York is launching the largest study in children’s health ever in the United States, according to the Wichita Eagle.

The National Children’s Study will track up to 100,000 children’s exposure to environmental factors from their first trimester before birth until they’re at least 21, in an effort to learn more about the effects of pollution on American children.

The study will be funded by the National Institute of Health, with support from the CDC and EPA.  An additional intent is that they will gather enough information to advance the diagnosis and treatment of such diseases like asthma and autism, and other illnesses that environment is a strong factor.

Initially, the study will begin with a selected group of pregnant women from the Queens, NY and Duplin County, N.C. areas.  After 18 months, it will be expanded to include 100,000 children from 105 differing locations.

This study comes on the heels of an announcement of a $6-million study in Canada of environmental risks while in utero.  In either case, we should start seeing valuable data, soon, on how our living conditions are affecting our youth.

rock star

 

For a while now, a rock that most people know from jewlery, has been slowly getting attention as a possible savior in our climate change battle.  However, new data has brought it to the forefront, as reported in Environmental Science and Technology.

Geologists have known for a while that peridotite reacts with carbon dioxide (CO2) to form solid carbonates, like limestone.  It is the most common, and abundant, rock in the Earth’s mantle. However, harnessing that power to combat climate change has been elusive.  Until now.

Geologist Muriel Andreani of Université Montpellier 2 and his team have shown that if you can inject CO2 into the peridotite, the transformation can occur, and rather quickly.  In fact, carbonate formation occurred after only eight hours.  The working principle is that if factories can trap CO2, it can be injected into boreholes, and creating the carbonate rock.

They have found that there are certain conditions that allow this to happen more than others.  Under poor conditions, the carbonate formed closes up the transfer pores.  But, under the right conditions, a slow and steady stream can be injected into the rock.  In fact, as much as 4 billion tons of CO₂ could be permanently stored in peridotite formations that cover half of the country of Oman, located on the Arabian Peninsula, and that occur in other scattered locations worldwide, according to recent estimates by Columbia University.

Before we all get too excited, however, much more research needs to be done to see how this reaction would work on a much larger scale.  This will be very interesting to follow.

humans impacting species evolution

 

Confirming something that we have all suspected, new data indicates that humans are altering the rate of evolution in some animal species in ways that may hurt their long term survival, according to the New York Times.

Based on the analysis of 29 species, they found that the rate of evolutionary change is  three times greater in animals subject to “harvest selection”, early death due to predation or mass farming techniques.

The most likely change is in maturation rate, where many species are propagating sooner.  The intent being that the species can have offspring when they are younger and smaller, and before they are killed due to hunting or other forms of predation.

Unfortunately, this does not seem to be a change that benefits survival.  For one thing, when species mature early, they are not as successful in reproduction.  For example, a fish will produce less eggs in early maturation as opposed to a fish that waits one extra year.  Also, the species is selecting for smallness however that is a trait that makes predation even more likely.

This could be something to consider when looking at areas and species that require protection.  If an animal is expressing these traits (early maturation and smaller size), it could be used as justification for protection before the animal becomes extinct.

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