Bio-Tag: e-waste

"E-waste is routinely exported by developed countries to developing ones, often in violation of the international law. This practice is legal because the US has not ratified the Basel Convention." via Greenpeace




"Recycling old electronics keeps toxic components from contaminating the environment. Recycled improperly, however, they could end up polluting not only your area but also other countries." via PC World




"A container of electronic waste (e-waste) from Port of Oakland in the US was intercepted in Hong Kong by Greenpeace activists. After months of research, we determined that the container was destined for Sanshui district in mainland China meaning that - under Chinese law - the import was illegal. Activists boarded the YM Success, pitched a tent on top of the containers and prevented the illegal e-waste from being offloaded." via Greenpeace

Bio-Tag: Fluoride

The Senior Vice President of the EPA Headquarters Union discusses the dangers of fluoride in our drinking water. For more information about fluoride go to: http://www.fluoridealert.org

Here is the site conclusion:

"When it comes to controversies surrounding toxic chemicals, invested interests traditionally do their very best to discount animal studies and quibble with epidemiological findings. In the past, political pressures have led government agencies to drag their feet on regulating asbestos, benzene, DDT, PCBs, tetraethyl lead, tobacco and dioxins. With fluoridation we have had a fifty year delay. Unfortunately, because government officials have put so much of their credibility on the line defending fluoridation, and because of the huge liabilities waiting in the wings if they admit that fluoridation has caused an increase in hip fracture, arthritis, bone cancer, brain disorders or thyroid problems, it will be very difficult for them to speak honestly and openly about the issue. But they must, not only to protect millions of people from unnecessary harm, but to protect the notion that, at its core, public health policy must be based on sound science not political expediency. They have a tool with which to do this: it's called the Precautionary Principle. Simply put, this says: if in doubt leave it out. This is what most European countries have done and their children's teeth have not suffered, while their public's trust has been strengthened.

It is like a question from a Kafka play. Just how much doubt is needed on just one of the health concerns identified above, to override a benefit, which when quantified in the largest survey ever conducted in the US, amounts to less than one tooth surface (out of 128) in a child's mouth?

For those who would call for further studies, I say fine. Take the fluoride out of the water first and then conduct all the studies you want. This folly must end without further delay."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bio-Tag raises awareness of dangerous toxins present in the physical environment through the deployment of searchable word “markers” made from natural materials. Hopefully, these typographic deployments will solicit a curiosity that will draw people into personal research and action. The motivation for these actions is to address the lack of public knowledge and the hopeful elimination of toxins that are present in food, the body, the home, and the environment. The scope of the project includes these toxin categories: Agricultural Toxins, Air Pollutants, Biological Contaminants, Carcinogens, Chemicals, Extremely Hazardous Substances, Microorganisms, Multimedia Pollutants, Ozone, Radiation, Soil Contaminants, Toxic Substances, and Water Pollutants. This is an ongoing project. http://finishing-school.net/biotag.html

Bio-Tag: Radon

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Breathing Easy: What Home Buyers and Sellers Should Know About Radon. EPA 402-C-03-002. The video satisfies a long-standing need for a short visual educational tool on how to best include radon in residential real estate transactions. With a bit of light humor, the video covers the basics, including radon science, the lung cancer risk, home inspection, building a new home radon-resistant, testing and fixing a home, disclosure, state radon offices, hotline and web resources, and key radon numbers, e.g., EPA's action level and the U.S. indoor and outdoor averages. The primary audiences are home buyers and sellers, and real estate sales agents and brokers. Home inspectors, mortgage lenders, other real estate practitioners, and radon services providers will also find the video helpful. Single copies of the video are in VHS, CD, and DVD formats [ask for (EPA 402-V-02-003) (TRT 13.10)]. Producer: Environmental Protection Agency. epa.gov. Creative Commons license: Public Domain.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bio-Tag raises awareness of dangerous toxins present in the physical environment through the deployment of searchable word “markers” made from natural materials. Hopefully, these typographic deployments will solicit a curiosity that will draw people into personal research and action. The motivation for these actions is to address the lack of public knowledge and the hopeful elimination of toxins that are present in food, the body, the home, and the environment. The scope of the project includes these toxin categories: Agricultural Toxins, Air Pollutants, Biological Contaminants, Carcinogens, Chemicals, Extremely Hazardous Substances, Microorganisms, Multimedia Pollutants, Ozone, Radiation, Soil Contaminants, Toxic Substances, and Water Pollutants. This is an ongoing project www.finishing-school.net/biotag.html

Are we really surprised?

www.douglas-mcintyre.com

FOOD, SEX, AND SALMONELLA: David Waltner-Toews explores the global patterns of foodborne disease, from toxins in fish to pandemics of Salmonella, and the changes in climate, culture, agriculture, and trade that have led to the emergence of new diseases and epidemics. It can be a nasty business, but just as sexaul, intimate relationships can be a source of comfort and pleasure when you know what you're getting into, so too can our relationship with healthy, whole foods from a transparent food system.

Shannon Tompkins reported in the Houston Chronicle yesterday about toxin levels increasing in the fish of Galveston Bay.

"The surprising thing is that anyone was surprised when state health officials announced this past week that some fish in the Galveston Bay system contain levels of toxic chemicals that can be potentially harmful to human health."

Why are we soooo paralysed as a culture?