05.31.10
Posted in Chemicals, Environment, Gulf Oil Disaster, Oil Pollution, Pollution control, Recycling, eco system, pollution at 3:27 am by Administrator
I haven’t heard anyone chant, “Drill Baby Drill,” lately, have you? In the South at least and around the Gulf Coast, that would be political suicide. The fears, anger, and plain disgust is raging here and grows worse each day.
As the spill continues gushing thousands to millions (according to whose figures you look at, BP’s or other experts/scientists) of barrels of oil each day, an overwhelming feeling of powerlessness also builds. Questions are asked that go unanswered because no one really knows the answers. How long will it keep gushing out into the Gulf, poisoning every living creature in its path? So far the quick fixes have not worked. The BP explosion happened on April 17, 2010. The leak was not discovered until April 24, 2010 - a week later. Then it took them to May 7, 2010 to put the first containment dome in place. After that failed, it took until May 14 to try another approach. When that did not work on May 26, 2010 they tried the next quick fix which also did not work. BP did however start early on May 2, 2010 drilling a relief well. This well BP says will definitely stop the leak, but it will take until August 2010 to complete the relief well. So it seems this oil will be draining into the Gulf all summer, unless BP can come up with another quick fix that works.
The immediate question is how this will affect tourism, the fishing industry and related businesses - the overall economical impact. Knowing that this amount of oil is certain to change lifestyles for years to come, a cultural aspect is also at risk. The questions about how the spill will affect the eco system, the animals in the water and on land can to some degree be answered; it will be devastating for a long time. One news reporter stated it would be “decades” before the region was near back to normal. In the meantime fears mount that some sea life species will not survive the disaster, thus extinction in some cases.
The latest news states that the oil is moving into the Loop Current which is the current that moves out of the Gulf, around Florida, into the Keys, Cuba and on out into the Atlantic. Once hitting the Atlantic currents, it literally could end up anywhere the Atlantic touches. This is the overall summary of the worst case scenario. Our grandchildren’s grandchildren will be still dealing with the effects of this disaster in one way or another.
Then, there is the all important question. Just how will the oil that ends up on beaches, in fresh water ways and other coastal properties affect the health of humans? How far reaching will health hazards go? Will it affect the air we breathe? It is certain to affect our food chain. How will we even know what to look for health wise, as this type of massive disaster is unprecedented? Environmentalists who have been working for years to clean pollutants and litter from rivers, lakes, and everywhere else are now stepping back and trying to size up how much bigger this problem is than anything before it. It is mind boggling. Other things right now almost seem insignificant.
The most important question is what can regular people like me and you do about it? There has got to be something, surely. BP has set up a response page with contacts for whatever way you think you can help. There is even a number listed for, “Do You Have Ideas To Help Us?” So if you cannot actively do anything, but have ideas, sounds like they are ready to listen. Their website address is http://www.BP.com. There are numbers for volunteers to call, an environmental and community information hotline, and a wildlife hotline. There are numbers to register your boat if you can assist with one and to register your professional skills and expertise if you can volunteer in that way.
BP also has website links to the four immediate States involved, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The State websites give more detailed information about local areas and needs. Visit the website and see what fits you as far as helping.
We can use this disaster to improve on what we have already been doing (or not doing) to help the earth. If you have been recycling already, look around and see what you’re missing that you can add to your recycle bin. Begin volunteering at an animal shelter, wildlife rescue program, the Audubon Society, or whatever else interests you and that your efforts will help the earth directly or the animals that live on it. We can all build a more environmental activist attitude or way of thinking and keep our powers that be one step ahead to hopefully prevent such things from happening again. We can write letters to every one of our representatives, local, state and federal and keep writing to remind them that our environment is important to us and to stay with the environmental issues that come up for a vote. Keep reminding them of this disaster. That is the only way we can gain some good out of a very terrible situation; only if we do something.
“All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing.” Edmond Burke
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02.14.10
Posted in Chemicals, Environment, Glad Ware Company, Green Companies, Green Household Products, Green Living, Recycling, Technology, pollution at 4:59 am by Administrator
The last blog post examined some ways that chemicals and particularly those in plastics harm animal life, both on land and in the sea. This post will examine how certain chemicals harm humans. During my reading on this subject in the last week or so, one thing became very clear to me. Human and animal health is directly linked to the health of the environment. That seems like such an obvious statement, but oftentimes humans would like to think of environmental problems as just nature or animal problems. But when chemicals are involved, what affects animals also many times directly or indirectly affects the health of humans as well.
I read several articles on the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” which went into more detail about how the effects of tons of garbage in the Pacific Ocean is poisoning or killing the wildlife. The really sad thing is that there seems to be no quick feasible way to clean it up because it involves several countries, is very far from land and just gets complicated. This will take a lot of concentrated effort on everyone’s part including governments, advocacy groups, scientists and engineers to name a few, not to mention the money involved. But the chemicals leaking into the ocean from this garbage eventually makes its way into some of the fish/seafood we eat which makes its way into our bodies. Some pregnant women have been warned in the past not to eat certain fish because of the levels of certain chemicals. The ole food chain quandary sometimes gets really complicated. You’ll find several articles on this subject on http://www.treehugger.com and http://planetgreen.discovey.com. One program in particular that is taking a proactive stance in research and is taking positive actions to help clean up and prevent future ocean littering is Project Kaisei. Read about their good work at http://www.projectKaisei.org. Their work gives me hope that there is a solution. They are researching how to use this garbage to recycle into fuel of some kind. Through them we all can help with the research and clean up by helping fund the effort.
The websites noted above present much information about the chemicals that make their way into our bodies, not just through the ocean garbage dump but in our own homes, in every day living. Over this last decade, discussions, research and concerns have continued to rise about the harmful affects of certain plastics, or the chemical compounds making up certain plastics. These are the ones we are in contact with the most and which this blog will concentrate.
Questions began to arise about the chemical compounds of some plastics back in the 1980’s and continued into the new decade and century. Finally, recently after many studies, disagreements between agencies, researchers, scientists, industry personnel, advocacy groups, and others that had invested interest on one side or the other, the FDA made an announcement which denounced their previous finding earlier in the decade about bisphenol A (BPA). The FDA agency does now find ‘reason for concern’ about bisphenol A. However, the FDA took no further action. The statement itself was good and encouraging that more research will take place. But even so, bisphenol A or BPA is still in hundreds of products we use in everyday life.
That’s not to say that all plastics are harmful. Some plastics are safe and certainly useful. From my reading, one type of plastic used in many products proves to be non toxic in our daily use of it. It is named polypropylene. It is one of the few plastics that have no harmful occupational or health hazards during the manufacturing process as well (which is rare). Since the packaging of plastic products are not required to name the type of chemical compounds used in the product, how can we know what products we buy are made of this safe plastic? You will not know in the store. But you can either take down the phone number or website and contact the company and ask. Or you can buy the product and call before you unwrap or use the product to find out what it is made of, which is what I did last week. My bowls and tops had gotten so misplaced, borrowed or whatever that I needed to replace them so that I could send my husband to work with lunch that had a sealed top and could be warmed in the microwave. Having read that heating plastics is suspected to be one of the ways that BPA is leaked into our food and bodies, I called before I used. I purchased Glad Ware Containers with their “most interlocking lids ever.” The package said they were microwave, dishwasher and freezer safe. When I called, the Glad representative stated the lids were made from polypropylene and the containers were made from Terephthalate which is another plastic compound that meets the FDA regulations for food containers and storage. (Regulations. U.S. FDA (1998) approved the use of PET as components of polyethylene phthalate polymers intended for use in contact with food in accordance with the conditions prescribed in 21 CFR part 177.1630.) Glad has on its website a declaration of safety and non use of BPA in their products including sandwich bags, plastic wraps, trash bags as well as the food containers.
After reading some of the literature regarding concerns about the leakage of potentially harmful plastic compounds the most widely known one, bisphenol A, there is still reason for everyone to be concerned until it is proven without a doubt non-harmful to animals and humans.
BPA is used in all kinds of everyday products including CD’s, baby bottles, sippy cups, lining in cans containing canned foods, water bottles, medical supplies, literally thousands of products we use everyday. Researchers at the CDC found that BPA was found in 93% of urine samples taken in a study of over 2500 participants. The levels varied somewhat with men showing 2.6 micrograms per liter, women with 2.9 and children between ages six to eleven showing a measurement of 4.5. The debate is ongoing that BPA does or does not accumulate in our bodies. The people that think BPA is not harmful say that the chemical leaves the body through the urine, therefore it doesn’t cause problems. The questions remain: does all the BPA leave the body or does it accumulate somewhere in the body? If so where and what are the lingering affects? Researchers have stated that BPA in low amounts have been harmful to lab animals and assume the same is so with humans.
Other researchers have found through tests with animals that BPA is suspicious or related to heart disease, complications in breast and prostrate cancer treatments, fertility problems and others. The FDA seems to be specifically concerned about how BPA affects infants and young children. Canada has taken the step to ban and remove BPA from baby bottles. Many manufacturers and retailers in the USA have voluntarily taken products off the shelves that contain BPA.
So while the jury is still out and the research still underway on BPA and other harmful plastic compounds, what do we do in every day life to care for our children and ourselves? Below is a list that can get us thinking and started. I will be doing these from now own, wish I’d known about such things when my children were young.
1. When in doubt, don’t use it. If you have a non plastic alternative, use it.
2. Contact the company and get their take on their products, then check the reputation of the company regarding violations of regulations, etc. The internet is a wonderful tool for this.
3. Use as little plastic as possible. Prevention on the front end is always better. Even if it is safe regarding human use, the disposal and recycling efforts of some plastics are not finely tuned. Much ends up in landfills (some say up to 22% or more of landfills are plastics) for millions of years to come – or in our oceans to cause havoc on the wildlife there and eventually making it back to our dinner table. Tons of other plastics just get thrown on roadways, parks, etc. where it stays forever until a good hearted human comes along and cleans it up. At least if it is an aluminum drink can littered in the park, it can be retrieved and easily recycled.
4. Advocate for better labeling of non-food products so we know what we are buying before we buy it.
5. Be on the safe side and buy glass baby bottles. Triple check the type of plastics in your childrens toys, especially teethers, rattles, etc. that will for sure go into their little mouths. Some harmful plastic are even in some childrens books that are bound in plastic. If you don’t know or can’t find out about safety, don’t buy it.
6. Aside from helping yourself and your family, get more involved. Some suggestions:
a. Celebrate Earth Day April 22.
b. Celebrate World Environmental Day June 5,
c. Celebrate World Ocean Day June 8.
d. Adopt a Mile clean up on a road near you.
e. Adopt a Stream, Creek, Lake, River, Bay, Ocean – any body of water will most likely have a clean up program. If not, get your community involved and start one.
d. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Reclaim energy.
e. Save energy and water.
f. Live as green as you can, garden, alternative energy, hybrid vehicles, etc.
g. Give, aside from giving of yourself, give money to valuable and needed earth friendly causes.
h. Teach your children and grandchildren the importance of taking care of the earth. Teach them about animals, nature and recycling to start.
i. Pick at least one of these to do, preferably more.
j. Inform others of risks and needs regarding our earth.
k. Enjoy Your Earth!
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01.24.10
Posted in Chemicals, Environment, Green Household Products, Green Living, pollution at 8:56 pm by Administrator
In the early 1900’s scientists from different backgrounds, labs and companies were experimenting on their various products. One would pick up on the compounds of another and add or take away a chemical or two and by the 1950’s the fantastic product that we know today as plastics had evolved and was on earth to stay. Plastic material was soon found in every type of industry around the globe.
Plastics in one form or another during its evolution have been and are still good for human use regarding the quality and comforts of life that it offers. I would not want medical professionals to still be sterilizing needles or washing syringes to give me a shot or to be examined by a dentist or doctor without gloves. I want new single use sterilized needles and new gloves. There is too much room for error and too many new germs out there. Imagine taking medicine in a hospital setting without those little plastics disposable cups filled with clean water. What would we do without food storage and freezer bags, plastic wrap for covering cooked foods, individualized wrapped foods for protection and freshness on the store shelf? Imagine how much cleaner our garbage disposal systems and communities are due to using those large plastic garbage bags to dispose of household garbage. How many diseases have decreased because of better sanitation methods due to plastics? I doubt anyone will ever be able to determine a statistic measuring the good that plastics brought into our world. We can only relate somewhat to the great impact that plastics have made. Another thing that would be impossible to do is to list all the types of products made from plastics. The number of items is just immeasurable. No doubt about it, plastics have impacted each of our lives in many positive ways. Plastic is not the enemy in this discussion, but one of the most common products we use that unfortunately is frequently made of some questionable chemical compounds.
As my recycling efforts continue, I have been surprised to find that I recycle more plastics than anything else. I thought as I began recycling that cans would be the most recycled item or maybe paper. I also have been noticing how much plastic and other trash, usually food and drink containers, is left on the side of the road, in parks, parking lots, around and in lakes, oceans, just about everywhere. This fact brought about the question how does the chemicals in plastics affect humans and how does it affect wildlife as they run into it in their habitats?
The answer regarding potential harm to humans has become the subject of many research studies and some will be summarized in the next blog. The harm for animals takes several forms and any type of plastic is potentially dangerous to animals. Sadly, harm to animals could be prevented if humans would only properly dispose of plastics and other trash. The majority of plastic related mishaps with animals involve the animal getting its neck legs, wing, head or other body part caught some way with plastic items and cannot get free. Many animals die because their entanglement remains if a human doesn’t come along to help. For example our golden retriever recently had a bottle cap wedged in his gum. It was in the back of his mouth and by the time it was obvious to us that he needed a vet’s care, the cap was imbedded in the gum with a serious infection and had to be cut out. We had no idea it was even there. Another way animals get into trouble regarding plastics is by ingesting some plastic object or bit of plastic that may end up choking them or harming their digestive system. All animals are susceptible. A quote from Wildlife Stewardship on the website http://www.centerforwildlifeinformation.org emphasizes this, “Animals will eat anything with an odor including aluminum foil, plastic and other food wrapping. These can severely damage an animal’s digestive system and may even facilitate death.”
Examples of animals coming into harms way due to human neglect is birds and marine animals getting caught in fishing line or nets that became hung up and left in trees or caught on something under the water. At http://www.News.NationalGeographic.com, it is stated that 44% of all seabirds eat plastic by accident. I’m sure many other wild birds do the same. Little bits of Styrofoam after all to a wild bird will look like a seed. This site also claims that 267 marine species are affected by plastics that are left in lakes and the oceans. It also stated that larger fish will swallow a grocery bag whole as it looks like a jellyfish.
Another way of potential harm to animals is by how the chemicals within the plastic harm the soil or environment around them. The article, Plastic Breaks Down in Oceans After All–And Fast, on the National Geographic website listed above shares information about this new discovery. It states that unlike what was once believed, plastics do not last for years in the ocean, but the chemicals in plastics begin breaking down within months. The chemical that is harmful once the plastic breaks down is styrene trimer, a polystyrene (plastic) by-product (suspected to be a carcinogen) and bisphenol A (interferes with reproductive systems in lab animals) which is found in hard plastics like water bottles, baby bottles, linings of aluminum cans and other containers. The article described our oceans as “Plastic Soup”, a toxic soup at that.
The oceans are not the only place where environmental hazards exist for animals and humans. Toxic wastes dumped wherever always has the potential to be harmful sooner or later, according to how it was disposed. Also gases and toxic fumes are still polluting our air. While these problems are a major concern and government agencies, researchers and scientists work hard every day to rectify what they can, chemicals remain one of the most serious pollutants. Plastic items just happen to be one if not the most common commodity made from some of these potentially harmful chemical compounds. But most people could not imagine living without at least some plastic items and I’m one of them.
Almost everything has a positive and negative side, chemicals certainly do as well. While chemicals are necessary for many of the comforts of life we enjoy, they also present problems for the environment. Let’s just face it; there will continue to be an ongoing task for society to clean up the environment. We’ve just got to keep at it. All these thoughts bring about the question; is there another cleaner and greener alternative perhaps commodity items made of chemicals that are good, not bad, not harmful, maybe?
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