REPORT SHOWS BUSH IGNORING CHEMICAL SECURITY
Starmail - 19. Aug, 09:58
Umweltvergiftung
19
Aug
2004
16
Aug
2004
Whales threatened by chemical contamination
Starmail - 16. Aug, 21:58
10
Aug
2004
Klage von BAYER gegen englische Umweltschützer gescheitert
Pressemitteilung vom 10. August 2004
(Auszug)
"Schlag gegen Geheimnistuerei der Konzerne"
Klage von BAYER gegen englische Umweltschützer gescheitert
Juristische Drohversuche des BAYER-Konzerns gegenüber dem britischen Umweltverband Friends of the Earth (FOE) sind gescheitert. Das Unternehmen versuchte FOE daran zu hindern, Studienergebnisse über Risiken des Pestizids Glufosinat zu veröffentlichen. Obwohl die Untersuchungen in mehreren Ländern frei zugänglich sind, wollte der Konzern bei Zuwiderhandlung hohe Strafzahlungen erzwingen.
Philipp Mimkes von der Coordination gegen BAYER-Gefahren: "Wir verurteilen die aggressiven Einschüchterungsversuche von BAYER gegenüber Umwelt-Organisationen. Mit der Macht starker Rechtsabteilungen wird immer wieder verhindert, dass Informationen über Gesundheitsrisiken in die Öffentlichkeit gelangen. Friends of the Earth hat einen Erfolg für die gesamte Umweltbewegung errungen." Die Coordination gegen BAYER-Gefahren, die das Unternehmen seit mehr als 25 Jahren überwacht, war selbst mehrfach Opfer juristischer Attacken des BAYER-Konzerns.
Da Glufosinat zu den meistverwendeten Herbiziden in Europa gehört, hatte Friends of the Earth im Jahr 2000 die britische Umweltbehörde Pesticides Safety Directorate aufgefordert, die Studienergebnisse zu veröffentlichen. BAYER ging gerichtlich gegen die Weitergabe der Daten vor. Doch der Umweltverband kontaktierte parallel amerikanische und skandinavische Ministerien. Schweden und Dänemark sandten die Untersuchungsergebnisse umstandslos zu. "Wir wollten zeigen, dass BAYER diese Daten fälschlich als "top secret" bezeichnet und der Öffentlichkeit vorenthält, obwohl sie in anderen Ländern frei zugänglich sind", so Phil Michels von FOE.
Nun holte BAYER die juristische Keule heraus und klagte mit dem Ziel, FOE daran zu hindern, den Besitz der Untersuchungen und ihre Herkunft öffentlich zu machen. Zudem sollte der Umweltverband sich verpflichten, keine weiteren Studien von ausländischen Behörden anzufordern. Selbst die bloße Nennung der Studien-Titel wollte BAYER unter Strafe stellen lassen.
Der Umweltverband bewies Durchhaltevermögen und widersetzte sich den Einschüchterungen – mit Erfolg. BAYER musste sich verpflichten, FOE in vergleichbaren Fällen nicht mehr zu verklagen. "Die Konzernverantwortlichen dachten, dass wir allein wegen der Verfahrenskosten den Schwanz einziehen würden", so Phil Michels. "Dies ist ein wichtiges Signal gegenüber dem "Big Business", dass man uns nicht zum Schweigen bringen kann." Tony Jupiter, Direktor von Friends of the Earth, ergänzt: "Unsere Nahrung wird Tag für Tag mit diesen Substanzen behandelt. Die Öffentlichkeit hat ein Recht zu wissen, welche Risiken von Chemikalien ausgehen, die wir über das Essen, das Wasser und die Luft aufnehmen". Friends of the Earth schaltete eine website frei, über die die "Geheim-Studien" angefordert werden können.
BAYER gehört zu den größten Pestizid-Herstellern der Welt; im Sortiment befinden sich extrem gefährliche Wirkstoffe wie Parathion, Monocrotophos, Fenamiphos und Aldicarb. Der Wirkstoff Glufosinat wird im Obst-, Wein-, Getreide- und Gemüsebau eingesetzt und wird von BAYER auch in Kombination mit gentechnisch verändertem Saatgut (Raps, Mais, Reis, Zuckerrüben) angeboten.
Coordination gegen BAYER-Gefahren
CBGnetwork@aol.com
http://www.CBGnetwork.de
Tel: 0211-333 911
Fax 040 – 3603 741835
(Auszug)
"Schlag gegen Geheimnistuerei der Konzerne"
Klage von BAYER gegen englische Umweltschützer gescheitert
Juristische Drohversuche des BAYER-Konzerns gegenüber dem britischen Umweltverband Friends of the Earth (FOE) sind gescheitert. Das Unternehmen versuchte FOE daran zu hindern, Studienergebnisse über Risiken des Pestizids Glufosinat zu veröffentlichen. Obwohl die Untersuchungen in mehreren Ländern frei zugänglich sind, wollte der Konzern bei Zuwiderhandlung hohe Strafzahlungen erzwingen.
Philipp Mimkes von der Coordination gegen BAYER-Gefahren: "Wir verurteilen die aggressiven Einschüchterungsversuche von BAYER gegenüber Umwelt-Organisationen. Mit der Macht starker Rechtsabteilungen wird immer wieder verhindert, dass Informationen über Gesundheitsrisiken in die Öffentlichkeit gelangen. Friends of the Earth hat einen Erfolg für die gesamte Umweltbewegung errungen." Die Coordination gegen BAYER-Gefahren, die das Unternehmen seit mehr als 25 Jahren überwacht, war selbst mehrfach Opfer juristischer Attacken des BAYER-Konzerns.
Da Glufosinat zu den meistverwendeten Herbiziden in Europa gehört, hatte Friends of the Earth im Jahr 2000 die britische Umweltbehörde Pesticides Safety Directorate aufgefordert, die Studienergebnisse zu veröffentlichen. BAYER ging gerichtlich gegen die Weitergabe der Daten vor. Doch der Umweltverband kontaktierte parallel amerikanische und skandinavische Ministerien. Schweden und Dänemark sandten die Untersuchungsergebnisse umstandslos zu. "Wir wollten zeigen, dass BAYER diese Daten fälschlich als "top secret" bezeichnet und der Öffentlichkeit vorenthält, obwohl sie in anderen Ländern frei zugänglich sind", so Phil Michels von FOE.
Nun holte BAYER die juristische Keule heraus und klagte mit dem Ziel, FOE daran zu hindern, den Besitz der Untersuchungen und ihre Herkunft öffentlich zu machen. Zudem sollte der Umweltverband sich verpflichten, keine weiteren Studien von ausländischen Behörden anzufordern. Selbst die bloße Nennung der Studien-Titel wollte BAYER unter Strafe stellen lassen.
Der Umweltverband bewies Durchhaltevermögen und widersetzte sich den Einschüchterungen – mit Erfolg. BAYER musste sich verpflichten, FOE in vergleichbaren Fällen nicht mehr zu verklagen. "Die Konzernverantwortlichen dachten, dass wir allein wegen der Verfahrenskosten den Schwanz einziehen würden", so Phil Michels. "Dies ist ein wichtiges Signal gegenüber dem "Big Business", dass man uns nicht zum Schweigen bringen kann." Tony Jupiter, Direktor von Friends of the Earth, ergänzt: "Unsere Nahrung wird Tag für Tag mit diesen Substanzen behandelt. Die Öffentlichkeit hat ein Recht zu wissen, welche Risiken von Chemikalien ausgehen, die wir über das Essen, das Wasser und die Luft aufnehmen". Friends of the Earth schaltete eine website frei, über die die "Geheim-Studien" angefordert werden können.
BAYER gehört zu den größten Pestizid-Herstellern der Welt; im Sortiment befinden sich extrem gefährliche Wirkstoffe wie Parathion, Monocrotophos, Fenamiphos und Aldicarb. Der Wirkstoff Glufosinat wird im Obst-, Wein-, Getreide- und Gemüsebau eingesetzt und wird von BAYER auch in Kombination mit gentechnisch verändertem Saatgut (Raps, Mais, Reis, Zuckerrüben) angeboten.
Coordination gegen BAYER-Gefahren
CBGnetwork@aol.com
http://www.CBGnetwork.de
Tel: 0211-333 911
Fax 040 – 3603 741835
Starmail - 10. Aug, 17:53
3
Aug
2004
Human exposure to health-threatening chemicals is not under control
Human exposure to health-threatening chemicals is not under control at 111 Superfund sites. At another 199 Superfund sites, EPA has insufficient data to determine if migration of groundwater pollution is under control...
http://sierraclub.org/toxics/superfund/report04/
Informant: Teresa Binstock
http://sierraclub.org/toxics/superfund/report04/
Informant: Teresa Binstock
Starmail - 3. Aug, 18:00
2
Aug
2004
14
Jul
2004
Danger in the air: Children are the subjects of an uncontrolled industrial emissions experiment, experts fear
Charlie Fidelman
CanWest News Service
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
MONTREAL - An increase in childhood cancers, diseases, birth defects, lower intelligence, and learning and behavioural problems could be linked to industry emissions of thousands of chemicals in North America, according to a draft report by the Commission for Environmental Co-operation.
But the report on these links -- which have been cited for years -- does not say what specifically puts children at higher risk. After tracking annual industry emissions in Canada, Mexico and the United States, the report by the Montreal-based organization is clear about increased risk of disease from pollution in air, water and soil, but warns that such data are only part of the picture.
The report does not draw a direct cause-and-effect link, but the commission was not trying to protect the industry, said pediatrician Lynn Goldman, lead author of the 90-page draft of A Special Report on Toxic Chemicals and Children's Health in North America. "We just put the facts out there," said Dr. Goldman, a professor of environmental health sciences at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
It is next to impossible, for example, to determine whether children living next to a hazardous-waste management plant are being exposed to pollutants from that site or other sources, she said. "We have this great [industry emission] data, but they don't have a way of connecting that with levels of exposure in children's bodies," Dr. Goldman said.
For example, an independent study in the United States found pesticide residues in blood and urine of children who did not live in polluted areas. And experts differ on issues such as cancer trends, she said.
"The public should know that although we know children are at risk, we don't really know what's in the environment and what it's doing to them," she said. "The report raises more questions than answers." Lead, mercury, PCBs and dioxins are known carcinogens, developmental toxins and neurotoxins, said Kathy Cooper, senior researcher for the Canadian Environmental Law Association, which contributed to the report.
Although these are now heavily regulated or banned outright, they are still among the top pollutants. And there are many new chemicals -- about 33,000 substances in commercial use -- of unknown toxicity, she said. "Most have not been evaluated for their effect on children," Ms. Cooper said.
The situation is similar for pesticides. About 70% of pesticides that got government approval decades ago are now slated for retesting by looking at exposure and children, she said.
The most troubling "toxic trespassers" are the persistent chemicals that accumulate in the food chain. Persistent chemicals do not easily break down in the environment.Small amounts at the wrong moment can lead to lifelong disorders. Even low levels of lead and mercury can stunt brain development in a fetus or young infant.
Society is conducting a vast, uncontrolled experiment, experts warn, and children are the experimental subjects.
For example, wood decks, fences and playgrounds are often made with wood treated with arsenic -- a known neurotoxin. According to Canadian Institute of Child Health statistics, cancer in Canadian children under age 15 increased by 25% during the past 25 years. And about 12% of children have asthma -- related to air pollution. A further 29% of children under age 11 have learning or behavioural problems.
The commission's draft report tracked public data on pollutants that are released into air, water and soil -- based on industry-provided information required by governments in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The report suggests the data tends to underestimate the actual load of chemicals in the environment. That is simply the "tip of the iceberg," it warns.
While it only looked at industry sources, children are also exposed to all sorts of things in their own homes. For example, fire-retardant chemicals (which are similar to PCBs) can be found in everything from televisions to baby pyjamas, and are now turning up in breast milk.
Children are particularly sensitive because of their size and activity levels. Their developing kidneys and livers are less capable of breaking down toxins. The report clearly states that exposure to toxic chemicals contributes to increases in such childhood diseases as asthma, leukemia, brain cancer, birth defects and learning, behavioural and developmental disabilities.
The Canadian Chemical Producers' Association -- which represents more than 70 chemical manufacturers accounting for more than 90% of chemical manufacturing operations in Canada -- has said the report is flawed. They did not return calls.
But other groups preparing a response to the draft version are applauding the call for more research, education and better regulatory policies.
The commission is assembling a panel of scientists to polish the report for a year-end release, Vic Shantora, head of the CEC's pollution and health program, said. "We're trying to get best information ... and how it impacts on children's health and bring that to the public's attention," Mr. Shantora said.
(The Gazette)
http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/search/story.html?id=fde73124-c173-47d7-8a43-3991112c0beb&page=2
© National Post 2004
Informant: Deborah Barrie
CanWest News Service
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
MONTREAL - An increase in childhood cancers, diseases, birth defects, lower intelligence, and learning and behavioural problems could be linked to industry emissions of thousands of chemicals in North America, according to a draft report by the Commission for Environmental Co-operation.
But the report on these links -- which have been cited for years -- does not say what specifically puts children at higher risk. After tracking annual industry emissions in Canada, Mexico and the United States, the report by the Montreal-based organization is clear about increased risk of disease from pollution in air, water and soil, but warns that such data are only part of the picture.
The report does not draw a direct cause-and-effect link, but the commission was not trying to protect the industry, said pediatrician Lynn Goldman, lead author of the 90-page draft of A Special Report on Toxic Chemicals and Children's Health in North America. "We just put the facts out there," said Dr. Goldman, a professor of environmental health sciences at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
It is next to impossible, for example, to determine whether children living next to a hazardous-waste management plant are being exposed to pollutants from that site or other sources, she said. "We have this great [industry emission] data, but they don't have a way of connecting that with levels of exposure in children's bodies," Dr. Goldman said.
For example, an independent study in the United States found pesticide residues in blood and urine of children who did not live in polluted areas. And experts differ on issues such as cancer trends, she said.
"The public should know that although we know children are at risk, we don't really know what's in the environment and what it's doing to them," she said. "The report raises more questions than answers." Lead, mercury, PCBs and dioxins are known carcinogens, developmental toxins and neurotoxins, said Kathy Cooper, senior researcher for the Canadian Environmental Law Association, which contributed to the report.
Although these are now heavily regulated or banned outright, they are still among the top pollutants. And there are many new chemicals -- about 33,000 substances in commercial use -- of unknown toxicity, she said. "Most have not been evaluated for their effect on children," Ms. Cooper said.
The situation is similar for pesticides. About 70% of pesticides that got government approval decades ago are now slated for retesting by looking at exposure and children, she said.
The most troubling "toxic trespassers" are the persistent chemicals that accumulate in the food chain. Persistent chemicals do not easily break down in the environment.Small amounts at the wrong moment can lead to lifelong disorders. Even low levels of lead and mercury can stunt brain development in a fetus or young infant.
Society is conducting a vast, uncontrolled experiment, experts warn, and children are the experimental subjects.
For example, wood decks, fences and playgrounds are often made with wood treated with arsenic -- a known neurotoxin. According to Canadian Institute of Child Health statistics, cancer in Canadian children under age 15 increased by 25% during the past 25 years. And about 12% of children have asthma -- related to air pollution. A further 29% of children under age 11 have learning or behavioural problems.
The commission's draft report tracked public data on pollutants that are released into air, water and soil -- based on industry-provided information required by governments in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The report suggests the data tends to underestimate the actual load of chemicals in the environment. That is simply the "tip of the iceberg," it warns.
While it only looked at industry sources, children are also exposed to all sorts of things in their own homes. For example, fire-retardant chemicals (which are similar to PCBs) can be found in everything from televisions to baby pyjamas, and are now turning up in breast milk.
Children are particularly sensitive because of their size and activity levels. Their developing kidneys and livers are less capable of breaking down toxins. The report clearly states that exposure to toxic chemicals contributes to increases in such childhood diseases as asthma, leukemia, brain cancer, birth defects and learning, behavioural and developmental disabilities.
The Canadian Chemical Producers' Association -- which represents more than 70 chemical manufacturers accounting for more than 90% of chemical manufacturing operations in Canada -- has said the report is flawed. They did not return calls.
But other groups preparing a response to the draft version are applauding the call for more research, education and better regulatory policies.
The commission is assembling a panel of scientists to polish the report for a year-end release, Vic Shantora, head of the CEC's pollution and health program, said. "We're trying to get best information ... and how it impacts on children's health and bring that to the public's attention," Mr. Shantora said.
(The Gazette)
http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/search/story.html?id=fde73124-c173-47d7-8a43-3991112c0beb&page=2
© National Post 2004
Informant: Deborah Barrie
Starmail - 14. Jul, 17:00
13
Jul
2004
US pollution may damage UK health
Fumes from traffic and industry harm our health
Polluted air from America could be damaging the health of people in Britain, experts fear.
Airborne chemicals from 5,000 miles are being dumped in the UK and western Europe and may be to blame for a rise in lung disease, say UK scientists.
Dr Alastair Lewis from York University and the Intercontinental Transport of Ozone and Precursors programme is running tests.
His team will track and test the air stream across the Atlantic.
About 50 scientists from seven UK universities are to join hundreds of other researchers in the Azores in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.
Toxic fumes
They will look at how a cocktail of chemicals, emitted from vehicle exhausts and power stations in the US, react together in the air on its way to Europe.
Colleagues in the US will test the air as it leaves the eastern coast of America.
It's perfectly plausible that they are exporting air pollution to us
Professor Malcolm Green, British Lung Foundation
Dr Lewis' team will test the plume of air as it travels over the Atlantic ocean and colleagues in France and Germany will run checks as it arrives in Europe.
The scientists believe pollutants from fossil fuels may react with nitrogen in the air to form ozone and sooty particles.
In the upper atmosphere, ozone protects the Earth from the sun's harmful ultra violet rays.
But when inhaled at ground level it can damage the lungs.
Sooty particles that collect in the lungs are also harmful.
Transatlantic
Dr Lewis said: "It's highly likely that air leaving the States contains a cocktail of nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons, which are emitted from vehicle exhausts and power stations.
"We want to know how these will react together on the way to Europe and notably whether they will form ozone and particles, both of which can be harmful in humans."
During last year's heat wave, during which there were 800 extra deaths across Britain, levels of ozone and particles soared.
Dr Lewis said: "Extreme events like that demonstrate the ozone and particles are quite potent and have a significant impact on health.
"Although we know that some of this pollution was produced locally in the UK, we still don't know what the contribution was from other countries.
"The more you look at ozone the more you understand that it is a global pollutant," he said.
Professor Malcolm Green from the British Lung Foundation said: "Unfortunately we know that pollution is an international problem.
"We know in the US air pollution is a significant problem.
"The US consumes 25% of the world's fossil fuels - mostly oil - and it's predominantly the consumption of fossil fuels that creates pollution.
"It's perfectly plausible that they are exporting air pollution to us. The predominant wind is from the south west.
Dr John Harvey from the British Thoracic Society said: "Ozone is good when it's right up in the atmosphere but down on the ground it can irritate the lungs.
"If you have asthma it can make it worse. It's bad for the lungs.
"We are very concerned about local levels of ozone, particularly in cities where there is a lot of exhaust pollution.
"People with lung disease, particularly asthmatics should keep an eye on ozone forecasts on Ceefax and in the papers so they can double their inhalers if the levels are likely to be high," he said.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/3886275.stm
Published: 2004/07/12 13:10:53 GMT
© BBC MMIV
Informant: Teresa Binstock
Polluted air from America could be damaging the health of people in Britain, experts fear.
Airborne chemicals from 5,000 miles are being dumped in the UK and western Europe and may be to blame for a rise in lung disease, say UK scientists.
Dr Alastair Lewis from York University and the Intercontinental Transport of Ozone and Precursors programme is running tests.
His team will track and test the air stream across the Atlantic.
About 50 scientists from seven UK universities are to join hundreds of other researchers in the Azores in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.
Toxic fumes
They will look at how a cocktail of chemicals, emitted from vehicle exhausts and power stations in the US, react together in the air on its way to Europe.
Colleagues in the US will test the air as it leaves the eastern coast of America.
It's perfectly plausible that they are exporting air pollution to us
Professor Malcolm Green, British Lung Foundation
Dr Lewis' team will test the plume of air as it travels over the Atlantic ocean and colleagues in France and Germany will run checks as it arrives in Europe.
The scientists believe pollutants from fossil fuels may react with nitrogen in the air to form ozone and sooty particles.
In the upper atmosphere, ozone protects the Earth from the sun's harmful ultra violet rays.
But when inhaled at ground level it can damage the lungs.
Sooty particles that collect in the lungs are also harmful.
Transatlantic
Dr Lewis said: "It's highly likely that air leaving the States contains a cocktail of nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons, which are emitted from vehicle exhausts and power stations.
"We want to know how these will react together on the way to Europe and notably whether they will form ozone and particles, both of which can be harmful in humans."
During last year's heat wave, during which there were 800 extra deaths across Britain, levels of ozone and particles soared.
Dr Lewis said: "Extreme events like that demonstrate the ozone and particles are quite potent and have a significant impact on health.
"Although we know that some of this pollution was produced locally in the UK, we still don't know what the contribution was from other countries.
"The more you look at ozone the more you understand that it is a global pollutant," he said.
Professor Malcolm Green from the British Lung Foundation said: "Unfortunately we know that pollution is an international problem.
"We know in the US air pollution is a significant problem.
"The US consumes 25% of the world's fossil fuels - mostly oil - and it's predominantly the consumption of fossil fuels that creates pollution.
"It's perfectly plausible that they are exporting air pollution to us. The predominant wind is from the south west.
Dr John Harvey from the British Thoracic Society said: "Ozone is good when it's right up in the atmosphere but down on the ground it can irritate the lungs.
"If you have asthma it can make it worse. It's bad for the lungs.
"We are very concerned about local levels of ozone, particularly in cities where there is a lot of exhaust pollution.
"People with lung disease, particularly asthmatics should keep an eye on ozone forecasts on Ceefax and in the papers so they can double their inhalers if the levels are likely to be high," he said.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/3886275.stm
Published: 2004/07/12 13:10:53 GMT
© BBC MMIV
Informant: Teresa Binstock
Starmail - 13. Jul, 16:53
10
Jul
2004
ANOTHER CANCEROUS TIDBIT
Government scientists at the National Cancer Institute have announced that at least 80% of cancer cases are due environmental causes, such as diet, tobacco, and alcohol, as well as radiation, infectious agents, and substances in the air, water, and soil.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/cancer070104.cfm
http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/cancer070104.cfm
Starmail - 10. Jul, 00:40
24
Jun
2004
SUCCESS FOR BHOPAL SURVIVORS
In the last mailing we asked you to take action for Bhopal. Over 3000 of you responded and helped turn around the position of the Indian government. It finally bowed to pressure and agreed to allow a US Court to possibly rule that Dow Chemical should clean up the site of the ongoing Bhopal disaster. Thank you!
More info:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/news/details?item_id=504643
More info:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/news/details?item_id=504643
Starmail - 24. Jun, 17:32
