Book Review: "Exposed"

by: JayinPortland

Fri May 29, 2009 at 06:00:00 AM PDT

Schapiro takes a look at each of the regulatory approaches favored by both the European Union and the United States when it comes to substances ranging from BPA to GMOs to the chemicals in children's toys and cosmetics and beyond, and concludes that, like it or not, product innovation necessitated by Europe's adoption of the precautionary principle leads to not only safer products for people in the European Union, but is also creating a significant competitive advantage for companies overseas over their American competitors, as more and more of the world simply refuses to take the same leap of faith Americans must unfortunately currently take when it comes to new chemicals and substances being rushed onto the market and introduced into our bodies without sufficient prior testing to ensure they won't harm us.  For just one recent example, as we're all seeing with BPA now, it's becoming clearer by the day that the current American laissez-faire approach to environmental regulation does not, and will not, work.

More below the fold...

Sampler Platter 05.21.09

by: JayinPortland

Thu May 21, 2009 at 06:00:00 AM PDT

• Surprise!  A plastics industry-funded study claims that reuseable cloth grocery bags are a threat to their bottom line your health.  The gist of their study?  You can get really sick if you don't occasionally clean them, or if you also use them to carry dirty diapers and gym clothes.  (Note to self: keep soiled diapers separate from strawberries.)  Also, it's dangerous to use them for unwrapped raw meat.  (Btw - you can buy unwrapped raw meat at the grocery store?  Never knew that...)  They also point out that their brand new, single-use plastic bags are sterile and safe.  Natch.  In other news, the fossil fuel industry is going to soon claim that solar power is bad because if you sit in the sun and don't move for hours at a time, you could get a really bad burn.  And wind is just terrible because it can knock things over, and steal children's balloons and stuff...

• Action Alert: Let's ask Congress to put the "health" into health care reform, and increase funding for CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity (DNPAO).  This currently underfunded program provides funding to states for programs like building bike paths, starting up farmers' markets and initiating worksite wellness programs, in order to help prevent many of our diet-related diseases from ever becoming problems in the first place.

• California and Massachusetts have already passed statewide menu labeling legislation, Oregon is just about there, and now New York may become the next state to require chain restaurants (and convenience stores) to post calorie counts on their menus.

• Scientists and recreational divers are teaming up once again to conduct a fish census in the Puget Sound.

• U.S. District Judge James Redden has again told the federal government that their restoration plans for Columbia Basin salmon are too weak.

• A researcher in the Skagit River Delta has just come across a rare find, tidal beavers.  He also found that the beavers build prime habitat for threatened young salmon.

• Curtis Abbey mentioned this the other day, and in case you missed it - video of The Simpsons' take on fast food greenwashing is up at Grist.