I was perfectly content to read and comment on DK now and then, and had no ambition whatsoever to publish any diaries. But today I read an article that I've been waiting for for a very long time, a topic that I'm very passionate about, and couldn't help myself - so here is my very first diary on Daily Kos, after years of mostly lurking. I hope you like and learn something from my "maiden voyage" into the deep, perilous waters of DailyKos.
Nicholas Kristof wrote an op-ed in the NYT on May 5th regarding a report that's just been released by The President's Cancer Panel on the hazards of laxly regulated chemicals
(URL: The President's Cancer Panel, download "Annual Report for 2008-2009, large PDF-File).
Kristof's op-ed: http://www.nytimes.com/...
The President’s Cancer Panel is the Mount Everest of the medical mainstream, so it is astonishing to learn that it is poised to join ranks with the organic food movement and declare: chemicals threaten our bodies.
While this is not news to the more health- and/or environment-conscious amongst us, it is my sincere hope that because the report comes from such a prestigious body, it will be taken very seriously and the broader US public will finally wake up to the potential hazards and risks posed by the myriad of household cleaners, pesticides, herbicides, plastics and all sorts of other (you-name-it)cides so ubiquitous in our lives today. From the perspective of a second culture (expat here), I'm also often struck by the preoccupation with germs many of my compatriots seem to have (I'm thinking of my sister and her family, too), and their penchant for nuking all sorts of micro-critters, whether beneficial or harmful, with chemicals. I've had my own issues with harmful (legal!) substances in the past, like alcohol and tobacco (I neither smoke nor drink alcohol at all now), but I've also been - incongruously - a staunch advocate of organic food and healthy eating/living (I know, I know...) for many many years, thanks to my father's early efforts to educate my sister and me in that direction in the 60s, after he read Rachel Carson's ground-breaking book "Silent Spring". Obviously it didn't work with my sister as well, see above. I think that the main reasons I'm still in pretty good health despite all my previous attempts to mistreat my body are my reasonably healthful eating habits by buying organic where possible, and that I avoid using chemical substances both in the house and the garden, but that doesn't mean it works for everyone, and I'm certainly not going to lecture people on how to live. I'm also not saying that as long as you eat organic food, you can smoke like a chimney and drink alcohol by the bucket, inundate your home and garden with toxic substances, and nothing bad can happen to your health. But consider this: There's a reason some chemicals commonly used in the US are banned elsewhere.
Here comes the part that really jumped out at me. Kristof continues with a snippet that should make everyone, and literally EVERYONE, sit up and pay attention:
In particular, the report warns about exposures to chemicals during pregnancy, when risk of damage seems to be greatest. Noting that 300 contaminants have been detected in umbilical cord blood of newborn babies, the study warns that: “to a disturbing extent, babies are born ‘pre-polluted.’ ”
Now if that doesn't scare the hell out of you, it should. I've often wondered about the exploding number of autism cases, allergies and other health problems in children as well as in the public at large that I read about just here on DKos, and the incredible suffering that accompanies those afflicted and their families. It's heartbreaking. And I've long harbored the suspicion that there could very well be a connection between these numerous health issues and the all-pervading chemicals and nutrition-free, highly-processed foods sold in American supermarkets, as I'm sure many, many of you have, as well, but I'll leave the speculation, studies and statistics to the scientists. I'm strictly a layperson, albeit a fairly well-informed one. But apparently Kristof also shares these suspicions:
One reason for concern is that some cancers are becoming more common, particularly in children. We don’t know why that is, but the proliferation of chemicals in water, foods, air and household products is widely suspected as a factor. I’m hoping the President’s Cancer Panel report will shine a stronger spotlight on environmental causes of health problems — not only cancer, but perhaps also diabetes, obesity and autism.
Kristof goes on to mention that the report may help push the related legislation under consideration in Congress right now, which - surprise, surprise! - is being fought tooth and nail by the food industry: Diane Feinstein's efforts to ban Bisphenol-A, better known as BPA, from food and beverage containers, and the Safe Chemicals Act, which is being promoted by Sen. Lautenberg.
ACTION ALERT: Please call your representatives to support these bills! If someone can find the official names/numbers of the legislation, please post them and I'll add them to the diary.
He closes the piece with some of the recommendations the report gives for things individuals can do to reduce the risk of exposure to potentially harmful chemicals in their day-to-day habits.
Please read the whole thing, you can't afford not to, for the sake of your and your family's health. Send the article to everyone you know, as well, especially to couples expecting a child or planning to have children in the future. It's THAT important.