The Canary Report

Open Tabs

Posted on Mar 12, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Government Regulation, News, Susie Collins

More from my series Open Tabs, sharing links to the pages I have open on my browser.

I’m sorry I don’t always remember where the links come from, many are sent to me through Facebook or email. I try to give credit when I can. I’m not working in a vacuum, most info I find is sent to me in one way or another and I thank all of you for taking the time to share. xoxo

Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat by Dr. Walter Crinnion

My online friend, Missy, sent me this link to a book about losing weight, Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat by Dr. Walter Crinnion. Before you get the wrong idea, this book is not about another fad diet so your can fit into your Gucci pants, this is serious information of value to people who have a weight problem due to toxic chemical or mold exposure. It’s also available on Kindle.

A renowned naturopathic doctor shows you how to get lean and be green while helping to save the planet.

Now you can lose weight and be good to the environment, too-without starvation diets, calorie counting, complicated meal plans, or even having to exercise. Dr. Walter Crinnion, a naturopathic doctor and environmental medicine physician, shows you how to clean up your diet and clear out your body and home to eliminate unwanted pounds and toxins from your life. You’ll be able to get rid of nagging health problems such as allergies and fatigue and enjoy greater energy and a greener planet. Clean, Green, and Lean:

* Shares an effective program to shed pounds and stay healthy by getting rid of toxins in your body and your life in just four weeks
* Combines losing weight with being good to the environment
* Can help reduce aches and pains, depression, and other health problems
* Is written by one of the country’s foremost authorities on environmental medicine who has appeared on The View and other programs

If you’re serious about losing weight and safeguarding your health, follow the expert advice of Dr. Crinnion and start getting clean, green, and lean today.

Here’s an enlightening essay by Helen Larkin on Women and the Environment: Understanding Connections.

America was created, designed, and governed by men, yet now we are one of the most violent Westernized countries, infested with cancer, and have the greatest disconnection from our ecological impacts. Young women today need to enter into the sciences with a vengeance studying toxicology, agriculture, biomimicry, conservation, green chemistry, alternative energy, health, nutrition, and ecological dynamics. Women today must enter all realms of governance. We need to preserve the best of modern living while walking as gently as possible on the planet. We must educate and KNOW that female is creation, female is nature, and female is the future. Most important: Female is Life.

The Environmental Working Group has an excellent page on Scented Secrets: Fragrances Hide Toxic Chemical Ingredients. It was produced as guidance for Valentine’s Day presents, but can be applied any day. The Environmental Working Group is one of the best places on the web to get information about toxic chemicals in consumer goods, it’s info you can trust.

Take a quick look at a personal care product label, and you’ll nearly always find a long list of chemical ingredients in tiny print. Chances are, somewhere in the midst of these technical chemical terms, is the simple word “fragrance.” Although companies are required by law to list all chemicals ingredients in a product, a special loophole allows them to hide what’s in the “fragrance” component[1]. And what’s hidden in that simple word can include complex mixtures of up to hundreds of chemicals that studies show may be linked to a variety of health problems, including allergies, skin reactions, endocrine/hormone disruption, and possibly even birth defects. Companies are not required to test cosmetics for safety before they are sold. The label is the primary protection we have to make decisions about products we rub, pour, and lather on our skin and hair. Yet when it comes to fragrances, we don’t even have this simple protection.

An online friend asked me to share some info about burn pits. I’ve covered this story previously on The Canary Report, but here’s a recent report in the New York Times: Veterans speak out against burn pits, a range of health problems are linked to the pits on military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, toxic substances have been found in the smoke.

On the website Fragrance Free Living, Bonnie tells her story about losing her job and almost her house due to her Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. I’m pleased to see my online friend Roberta Bradley, vice president at the Environmental Health Association of Alberta, leave a comment for Bonnie with links and information.

Common Dreams reports Cities Sue Manufacturer of Weed-Killer Found in Tap Water: Federal Lawsuit Seeks Funding to Remove Atrazine from Water Supply. This story is interesting because the states are arguing that they shouldn’t have to pay for filtering out the contaminant that the chemical company is responsible for manufacturing and selling as safe. I would argue the federal government is equally to blame for this problem, having not done their job of protecting public health before protecting corporate interest.

Annie Bond writes about toxic teeth, BPA and dental bonding materials. This is a product about which every canary should be aware.

Okay, that’s enough, that should keep you busy for awhile! Thanks to everyone who sent me the links!

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Tags: Books, Chemicals, Environment, Fragrance, Perfume, Pesticides, Policy, Pollution, Products, Research, Toxic

Film: Gasland

Posted on Mar 12, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Government Regulation, Susie Collins

A cross-country odyssey uncovers toxic streams, dying livestock, flammable sinks and weakening health among rural citizens on the front lines of the natural gas drilling craze.

This is a follow-up on the same topic of yesterday’s post about fellow canary Sandra DenBraber, who is battling an oil and gas company contaminating her neighborhood with toxic emissions from a natural gas drill site near her home.

Meet Josh Fox, who is offered $100K for rights to drill for natural gas on his property, but Josh smells a rat and decides to travels through 32 states to discover for himself what happened in other areas that cut a deal. There he discovers the hellish world of fracking, the highly toxic process of natural gas extraction. And he catches the whole nightmare on film.

This film is currently on the film festival circuit. The next three Gasland film fests: WASHINGTON DC Environmental Film Festival, March 16th; the PHILADELPHIA film fest, April 9-11; and at the YALE Environmental Film Fest, April 11th.

Link to the Gasland website.

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Tags: Environment, Policy, Pollution, Video

Gas well drilling operation impacts health of an entire neighborhood

Posted on Mar 10, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Government Regulation, MCS, Susie Collins

Woman with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is the first in  her neighborhood to detect toxic emissions from gas well drilling site; her health deteriorates while she fights for clean air.

Drilling at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Sandra DenBraber

Sandra DenBraber, who has Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, sent me an update about the toxic emissions from a natural gas drill site near her home. She wanted me to share with Canary Report readers an update about her health and a report in the Fort Worth Weekly published today.

“I really wanted you to have this story since the reporter did such an excellent job,” she wrote me. “The more people that hear about what happens to chemically sensitive people the more hope for change. I will continue to fight for change in drilling. It is essential since now 25% of children in the drilling area have respiratory problems per a recent news article.”

Here’s an excerpt from the Fort Worth Weekly report:

DenBraber, a former occupational health nurse, moved to her neighborhood more than 24 years ago after developing severe chemical sensitivities that forced her to quit her job. She went to great lengths to make sure her environment was as free of chemicals as possible: Her home has no carpeting, no gas lines, and several heavy-duty air filtration units. She lived there in relative good health, getting by on disability payments supplemented by a small income from making and selling charcoal masks for others who suffer from the same problem.

But in 2008, in the midst of drilling operations near UTA conducted by Houston-based Carrizo Oil and Gas, her health declined rapidly. Both DenBraber and her physician, Dr. Alfred Johnson, began to suspect emissions from the well site might be responsible.

“It got to the point I wasn’t able to leave my home without getting an instant migraine,” DenBraber said. “I have an above-ground pool for exercise [following joint replacement surgeries] that I was unable to use. I couldn’t work in my garden; I couldn’t step out the door.”

The change in her health became so pronounced that both Johnson and Dr. Susan Murphy , a rehabilitation specialist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, sent letters to Carrizo on her behalf in March and April of 2008, asking that the company work with DenBraber to find a mutually agreeable solution to her situation.

“Sandy tends to react more strongly to chemical exposure than most because of her chemical sensitivity,” Johnson said. “In a sense, she’s kind of like the canary in a mineshaft.”

My guess is that no one from Carrizo Oil and Gas lives anywhere near this operation. It shouldn’t be that the people who have been made ill are the ones at the front lines of the battles for clean air, but that is too often the case. Sandra has my respect and admiration for fighting the good fight not just for herself, but for the health, safety and welfare of her entire neighborhood. Brava, Sandra! I hope this is resolved soon so that you and your neighbors, including the students at UTA, are soon protected from this major polluter.

Photo credit of drilling site, Carrizo Oil and Gas.

Photo of Sandra ©2010 Sandra DenBraber

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Tags: Air, Children's Health, Environment, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Nontoxic, Policy, Pollution, Stink, Toxic

Film: Living Downstream

Posted on Mar 06, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

Based on the acclaimed book by ecologist and cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D., Living Downstream is an eloquent and cinematic feature-length documentary.

This is sure to be an incredible film, making the connections between cancer and toxic chemicals in our environment. Public screenings begin this month.

There once was a village overlooking a beautiful river.

The people who lived here were very kind.

These residents, according to parable, began noticing increasing numbers of drowning people caught in the river’s swift current and so went to work devising ever more elaborate technologies to resuscitate them.

So preoccupied were these heroic villagers with rescue and treatment that they never thought to look upstream to see who was pushing the victims in.

Living Downstream is a walk up that river. The river of human cancer.

Based on the acclaimed book by ecologist and cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D., Living Downstream is an eloquent and cinematic feature-length documentary. This poetic and character-driven film follows Sandra during one pivotal year as she travels across North America, working to break the silence about cancer and its environmental links.

Link to the Living Downstream website.

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Tags: Air, Children's Health, Environment, Pollution, Research, Toxic, Video, Water

Toxic soup, phthalates, and checking your house for chemicals

Posted on Mar 06, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Linda Sepp

Canary’s Cry.

Post by Linda Sepp.

Above is the trailer for Toxic Soup: The Politics of Pollution. Toxic Soup shares the stories of everyday Americans fighting to keep their blood, water and air safe from pollution.

Environmental Health News reports phthalates predispose mice to allergies. Phthalates are the chemicals that make your laundry and deodorant smell fresh forever. DBP is an endocrine disruptor associated with developmental, metabolic and reproductive disorders. It has also been shown to sensitize skin during immunological studies.

Enviroblog, the Environmental Working Group’s blog, reports on checking your house for chemicals. If you’ve ever wondered what’s toxic in your house, you’ll want to watch this home walk-through with Jane Houlihan, EWG’s Senior Vice-President for Research.

The Globe and Mail reports that road salt is poisoning water bodies. During winter thaws, some streams have salinity levels just under those found in the ocean. There are too many things being put down our drains and I think it’s time to take water quality seriously. The old saying “the solution to pollution is dilution” only worked till saturation point. We are past that point and need to seriously clean up everything we do that ends up in our water if we want to remain alive. That includes getting toxic chemicals out of laundry, personal care and cleaning products, pharmaceuticals and pesticides. As well as everything that drips out of cars and gets used on roads.

Brené Brown at Ordinary Courage blogs about “i’m pretty. pissed.”

The word is getting out. Oprah Radio host Dr. Mehmet Oz talks with Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie, authors of Slow Death by Rubber Duck: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things. (Audio.)

###

The health and ability for those with environmental sensitivities rests with the choices and actions of others. For more information, see The Medical Perspective on Environmental Sensitivities.

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Tags: Air, Chemicals, Children's Health, Environment, Video

Open tabs

Posted on Feb 25, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, News, Susie Collins

Every night when I turn off the computer, I have dozens of tabs open from all the sites I’ve explored during the day. In the first of a new regular series on The Canary Report called “Open Tabs,” I’d like to share some of the more interesting with you!

Every night when I go to turn off the computer, I have dozens of tabs open from all the sites I’ve explored during the day. Some links are emailed to me, some I pick up on Twitter and Facebook, some I get from peeps during chats on our network, some I find on my own. I thought it might be fun to share them with you from time to time: it will give you a glimpse into the roaming I do all day to satisfy my uncontrollable urge to stick my nose into absolutely everything.

Here are a few of the tabs that I’ve had open for the past few days:

A sign every canary will love.

Someone sent me a link to this awesome sign, “Environmentally Sensitive Area.”

My cat’s been very sick for months, unable to eat without throwing up. We put her through myriad tests, which all came up with nothing. Then, I remembered my holistic vet from when I lived on Kauai, Dr. Ihor Basko. Ihor’s specialty is homemade diet and Chinese medicine, including acupuncture and medicines. From his website: “Dr. Basko provides high quality, caring, holistic veterinarian services and healing acupuncture services on the Islands of Kauai and Oahu. Dr. Basko also provides guidance to pet owners world-wide for preventing disease and supporting the well-being of their pets through telephone consultations, a weekly radio show and through products and resources available through this website.” I filled out an online questionnaire, sent it off along with all the test results, and within five minutes on the phone, Dr. Basko had the problem diagnosed as gall bladder problems. He prescribed a special diet and some Chinese medicine, and after only a couple of days, my cat was doing almost 100% better! We are in week two of the Basko Protocol and she’s getting stronger every day. Thank you, Dr. Basko!

[...]

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Tags: Air, Chemicals, Children's Health, Environment, Environmental Health, EPA, Policy, Products

Anatomy of a toxic chemical spill

Posted on Feb 25, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Government Regulation, Guest Bloggers

On February 17, 2010, in Alameda, CA, a garbage or recycle truck owned by Alameda County Industries blew its hydraulic line at the corner of Oak Street and San Jose Avenue, spewing hydraulic fluid all over the street. I had to walk through it to get to my house.

By guestblogger Steph.

~~~

02-17-10

February 17, 2010 - Alameda, CA. That's not snow - it's 57F outside. Alameda County Industries garbage or recycle truck blew its hydraulic hose earlier in the day, and their crew came out with an absorbent material to pick up the spill. That material was like fine grain sand and immediately went airborne. Now it's on the cars and everything, and likely in my house since I had to open the front door to go inside.

~~~

02/18/10

On February 17, 2010 in Alameda, CA, a garbage or recycle truck owned by Alameda County Industries (ACI) blew its hydraulic line at the corner of Oak Street and San Jose Avenue, spewing hydraulic fluid all over the street.

Cars continued driving, as San Jose Ave is a thoroughfare, and the oil spread all up and down both streets. ACI sent a cleaning crew, who applied a thin sandy ‘absorbent’ material all over the road, which got picked up by passing cars and went airborne immediately, with the oil particles on the sand.

The scene above is what I had to walk through to get to my house.

Please google hydraulic fluid toxicity to learn more, and also check out a news story about a woman who died after a similar accident.

I have also uploaded photos here. My lips were stinging when I got back into the house last night after taking pictures. I should have worn a mask of course. Of course. I shed all my clothes in the kitchen and put them in a garbage bag. I took a shower immediately.

Last night I filed complaint with the Alameda Department of Public Works and the City Clerk’s office for Boards and Commissions. This morning, following Susie Collins’ advice, I phoned up the police department to make sure they’d been notified. They said they had, and seemed indifferent to me. They routed me over to the fire department, where I was told I’d get a call back. I got a voicemail saying they’d send someone over to check out the street, but I didn’t see anyone come by in a Fire Department uniform or vehicle.

At 3pm today, I received the following email:

Good afternoon Steph,

I am responding back to your e-mail that was sent to ACI this morning, at approximately 2:30pm on February 17,2010 one of our fully automated trucks had a hydraulic hose rupture and leaked fluid onto the street, our driver immediately contacted our dispatch center and a field supervisor.

Upon notification of the spill we immediately contacted the City of Alameda, Public works department. Both the City of Alameda Fire and Police department were called and responded to the scene to assist us with the cleaning of the street and traffic control.

After meeting with the fire department and the urban run-off group they released the scene back to us for our cleanup process. We responded with 7 ACI employees to put dry sweep on the on the fluid and swept up all the areas effected. The hydraulic fluid can become slippery and that’s why we reacted to get it cleaned up immediately. The fluid that was on the ground is a premium hydraulic oil that is commonly used in hydraulic systems. The absorbent that was used is called select sorb professional multi purpose spill aid (MSDS_SelectSorbProfessional.pdf).

We are keeping in contact with the city of Alameda and the urban run-off Manager, today we had street sweepergo thru the areas that were effected and he will be returning again tonight after cars have left the street. As far as the City of Alameda and ACI is concerned there are no direct health hazards as a result of the spill.

I apologize for any inconvenience this matter may have caused you, please feel free to contact me should you have any further questions or concerns.

Best Regards,

Guy Martinez

Safety Manger

I sent an email back to Mr. Martinez, asking for specifics on the hydraulic fluid; “Thank you for your response. Can you tell me what type of hydraulic fluid had spilled, aside from it being ‘premium’? Was it mineral oil, organophosphate ester, or polyalphaolefin?”

And now I wait.

[...]

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Tags: Air, Children's Health, Environment, EPA, Law, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Pollution, Products, Toxic

More blogging canaries

Posted on Feb 09, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Susie Collins

I’ve discovered a couple more blogs by canaries!

On her blog After Gadget, Sharon blogs about life after the loss of her beloved service dog Gadget. After Gadget is a new blog with only a few posts, but if you get hooked like I did, you’ll read every page and then subscribe so you don’t miss the next entry!

Along with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Sharon also suffers myalgic encephalopathy (ME), also called chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS). Her bio is here. An excerpt from the page about how MCS affects her life:

In my case, the low-level, constant exposure to the sick building was the initial trigger. If I had recognized what was happening and taken steps to lower my toxic burden, I might have regained my health and not become disabled. Instead, I moved into an apartment with freshly painted walls, bought cheap pine furniture (which is usually imbued with fungicides, insecticides, and formaldehyde), and then painted the new furniture. My symptoms increased in severity and number, and still I didn’t see the connection. Being so ill, I was forced to stay home from work and from teaching; I didn’t know this was the nail in the coffin of my health. The ancient gas stove and furnace in my kitchen and living room were leaking. As a result, I suffered several months of low-level, chronic carbon dioxide poisoning. By the time I found a doctor who diagnosed me with MCS and told me to shut off my gas, I’d developed severe MCS and CFIDS/ME.

Here’s Gadget delivering a message for Sharon to someone in another part of the house:

Because Sharon has speech disabilities, when she lost Gadget, she also lost this way of communicating with others in her home, which increased her sense of isolation and loss. But she’s adapting to life after Gadget, and while her heart still mourns for him, she’s also looking forward to bringing home a puppy in the very near future.

~~~

Faith at An Ocean of Joy gave The Canary Report two shout outs, so nice of her! First post here and second here. In the more recent, she explores biochemist Martin Pall’s MCS research. Faith has mast cell problems, and through process of elimination, has recently come to the conclusion that she has Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. I’m not familiar with mast cell problems, so I welcome the education I’m getting from her blog on that topic.

Pall explains how mast cells can be triggered by the cycle in the context of MCS, which may be of interest to anyone with Mast Cell Activation Disorder. In addition, he lists the 6 genetic polymorphisms associated with a susceptibility to MCS, including the UGT1A1 polymorphism associated with the heretofor ‘benign’ Gilbert’s Syndrome.

The way out of the cycle, according to Pall, is to reduce nitric oxide levels in the body, and he presents an experimental treatment protocol designed to do so.

Thanks for the education, Faith!

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Tags: Children's Health, Environment, Environmental Illness, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Research, Sick Building, Toxic, Work

CFL bulbs are not a safe choice for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Posted on Feb 09, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Products, Susie Collins

Lighting can be a difficult issue for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, but compact fluorescent bulbs are not the answer.

Compact fluorescent lighting (CFL)  is a classic example of something being touted as green but in fact being anything but. While CFL bulbs use less electricity, and therefore are lessening the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, they contain trace levels of mercury, which can be released into the environment if they are accidentally broken, like in your home. In many states, CFL bulbs are regarded as hazardous waste, and in those states it is illegal to just throw out the old bulbs with the regular trash; they must be recycled at hazardous waste recycling centers. Of course the problem with this is that most people are not doing that, they just toss out the bulbs with the trash.

But getting back to the topic of CFLs in regards to people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Here are my thoughts on the topic:

CFL bulbs are toxic, period. If one breaks, trace mercury is released into the environment– that means if the bulb breaks in your bedroom, the mercury is in your bedroom and you are at risk for breathing vapors. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin. Clean up would be an expensive nightmare. Here’s an article “objectively” arguing that if you break a CFL bulb, there’s really nothing to worry about because only trace amounts of mercury vapor are released and so it probably won’t do any harm– the problem with that argument is that people with MCS can be made seriously ill from trace levels of toxic chemicals, especially neurotoxic.

The very first rule for someone with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is to limit exposure to toxic chemicals, limit risk. I don’t care how much electricity you save with a CFL bulb, it is not worth the risk to have a bulb break inside your home.

Further, many people with MCS also have problems with the flicker of fluorescent bulbs. It’s simply not the best choice for someone whose body is stressed from chemical injury.

Right now, Light Emitting Diode or LED (at left) is the best lighting choice if you can afford it. While some people with light sensitivity may have problems with the brightness of LED, there are things you can do to lesson that brightness like shades, filters, or fixtures that create indirect light in the room. Otherwise, halogen or plain old light bulbs are best for canaries (you can play with full spectrum to see if it works for you or not). Try to stay away from fluorescent and CFL lighting as much as possible; I do not recommended that you bring CFLs into your home at all.

Thanks to Dennis, Connie, Hank, Linda, and Katrina for their contributions to this report!

Photo credit

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Tags: Environment, Healthy Living, Home, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Products, Toxic

US Senate committee holds hearing on public exposures to toxic chemicals

Posted on Feb 04, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Government Regulation, Susie Collins

Now available: Transcript and webcast of today’s hearing at the United States Senate Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health entitled, “Current Science on Public Exposures to Toxic Chemicals.”

Led by Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), at left, the United States Senate Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health held a hearing today entitled, “Current Science on Public Exposures to Toxic Chemicals.” I urge you to become familiar with Sen. Lautenberg’s work on the hill; along with Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), he’s the greatest advocate in the U.S. Senate for toxic chemical policy reform. For those of you who follow The Canary report, you’ll remember a post I did on Sen. Launtenberg back in February 2009 when he assumed the chairmanship of this committee. Lautenberg is the senator who introduced the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act, a proposal to overhaul federal restrictions on toxic chemicals.

Canaries will recognize the name of one other of our heroes among the panel members: Ken Cook, president at the Environmental Working Group.

Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health hearing entitled, “Current Science on Public Exposures to Toxic Chemicals.”
Thursday, February 4, 2010
10:00 AM EST
EPW Hearing Room – 406 Dirksen

Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics, and Environmental Health, will convene a hearing to examine the current science on public exposures to toxic chemicals.

Majority Statements
Barbara Boxer
Frank R. Lautenberg

Minority Statements
James M. Inhofe
Witnesses

Opening Remarks

Panel 1

Steve Owens
Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances
Environmental Protection Agency

Henry Falk M.D., M.P.H.
Acting Director, National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

John Stephenson
Director, Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. Government Accountability Office

Linda Birnbaum Ph.D., D.A.B.T., A.T.S.
Director
National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences

Panel 2

Molly Jones Gray
Participant in a Biomonitoring Study

Ken Cook
President
Environmental Working Group

Charles McKay MD FACMT, FACEP, ABIM
Division of Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Hartford Hospital

Tracey J. Woodruff PhD, MPH
Associate Professor and Director
Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco

I don’t know how much change is going to be made as a result of these hearings, but I can tell you that trends are moving in the direction of toxic chemical policy reform. If President Obama manages to hang on to a second term despite the discontent that is brewing due to the economic problems, we will have a much better chance at stronger reform. I can tell you though, that even though the wheels of Washington, DC, move painstakingly slow, I’ve seen more happening to enforce the Clean Air Act and to put progressive environmental policies in place over the past year than I saw in the entire eight years of the Bush administration.

Link to transcript and webcast of today’s hearing.

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Tags: Air, Chemicals, Environment, Food, Law, Policy, Pollution, Products, Research, Toxic, Water

We are all connected

Posted on Jan 25, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

A tribute to great minds of science, intended to spread scientific knowledge and philosophy through the medium of music.

“We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.” -Carl Sagan

Incredible mix of quotations from some of the greatest scientific minds of our age. If everyone understood the truth of this, the planet would not have been poisoned with toxic chemicals and most of us canaries would not not have developed Multiple Chemical Sensitivity due to toxic chemical injury.

There is much to learn.

“We Are All Connected” was made from sampling Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, The History Channel’s Universe series, Richard Feynman’s 1983 interviews, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s cosmic sermon, and Bill Nye’s Eyes of Nye Series, plus added visuals from The Elegant Universe (NOVA), Stephen Hawking’s Universe, Cosmos, the Powers of 10, and more. It is a tribute to great minds of science, intended to spread scientific knowledge and philosophy through the medium of music.

Check out “A Glorious Dawn” by Carl Sagan, another Symphony of Science project!

And my website for more original music: [Colorpulse]

Enjoy!

John
john@symphonyofscience.com

Lyrics [after the jump]:

[...]

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Tags: Environment, Environmental Health, Video

Short film: The Story of Food

Posted on Jan 19, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Food, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

USC Canada’s new short, animated film will get you thinking about our broken food system.

It identifies what’s gone wrong with the modern food system, and what we can do to rebuild it.

Link to more info about the film.

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Tags: Chemicals, Environment, Food, Garden, Health, Healthy Living, Organic, Products, Video

Book ties toxic chemicals to rising healthcare costs

Posted on Jan 11, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Home & Garden, Linda Sepp, Media/Videos, Research

Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA: A Probe Into What’s Probably Making Us Sick, by Catherine J. Frompovich (2009, BookSurge Publishing)

Post by Linda Sepp.

I just ran across a reference to this.

From the Industrial revolution and onward, the world has become an environment that is overflowing with dangerous toxins. Mass manufacturing has resulted in thousands of chemical pollutants being released in the atmosphere, water, and soil. As well, there has been a widespread increase of chemicals being added to almost every type of food and retail product. With this overwhelming chemical exposure, there has been an increase in research and studies showing the life threatening impacts on our health and well being. In her book, Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA, author Catherine J Frompovich delves into the effects of a chemical laden world on the body at a cellular level.

Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA is an important “wake up call’ about the current and future state of our toxic environment and what will happen if important changes are not made. Not only is it highly educational, the attention to detail makes the book a handy health resource tool. It is highly recommended to not just mass readers, but also to politicians, manufacturing industry officials, and health professionals.

Link to the author’s website.

Link to Amazon.com and good review.

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Tags: Books, Chemicals, Children's Health, Environment, Environmental Health, Environmental Illness, Fragrance, Home, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Pesticides, Toxic

Volcano Awareness Month starts off with a blanket of vog

Posted on Jan 04, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Susie Collins

I can hardly catch my breath today sitting here at my desk because the volcanic emissions, or vog, is so thick. Oh, and the itchy eyes, lovely when trying to work.

This week the National Park Service launched Volcano Awareness Month, just as the vog, or volcanic emissions, got so thick that we can hardly see how many fingers we’re holding up in front of our faces.

We won’t get relief until Thursday when the northeast tradewinds return. Pleh. Those yellow bands you see on the graphic are the vog plumes heading north, past me at the northern part of the island and up throughout the state. The chart shows the worst toxic component of the vog, the sulfur dioxide, in yellow in the color code warning, just before the orange warning to “sensitive groups.” But of course people with chemical sensitivities like me feel the effects before those concentrations of the orange code.

It’s going to be a rough week.

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Tags: Air, Environment, Featured Post, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Pollution

Out of the mouths of babes

Posted on Dec 18, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Susie Collins

The 13-year-old son of Canary Report member Susan K. made this wonderful poster on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity for his health class.

Proud mom Susan explains:

My son made this poster for his school project in order to help educate people about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. He researched and did this all on his own at age 13…I am so proud of him!

This project was for his health class… he told me that the teacher told them they had to do an educational poster on a disease/illness. They were to raise their hands and when she called on them they were to tell her what subject they chose to do their poster on. He said when she called on him ,he told her that was doing his poster on MCS… she then looked confused and asked him “what is MCS?” And he replied “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity… my mom has it.” And she said, “Oh… o.k….”

He did this whole poster himself and I just absolutely am so, so proud of his work. I did give him constructive criticism when he asked me. And I realize that he has a total understanding of this condition as he lives with it everyday with me. I still have some trouble sometimes myself explaining to folks who question about it. But it is so awesome to see my son be so matter of fact about it! For instance, when the teacher asked him “What is MCS?” I can picture him just looking her in the eye and explaining to her so matter of fact and wondering why on earth she would even question it?!

The posters were hanging in the hallway of his school for a few weeks… I wonder how many teachers and/or students read it and thought, “Hey,I have some of those symptoms.” Sad that there are so many, but happy if this project would help educate them!

Bravo! It’s really quite extraordinary when a young man understands better about a modern illness than most physicians. Hats off to Susan for bringing up this bright and caring son who will always have genuine compassion and kindness not only for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, but for all people who are ill and disabled.

As another member of our community says, “I would like to give him a ‘Canary feather for his cap’ award! Good job!” I couldn’t agree more, here you go!

Poster reprinted with permission.

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Tags: Chemicals, Children's Health, Environment, Healthy Living, Home, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Research