September 2019 Newsletter: Bromine Warrier
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Click photo for article in Bloomberg Businessweek Photo: Rachel Bujalski |
I hope you are enjoying the last days of summer. I recently hiked in the mountains of Montana, the lush Columbia River gorge outside of Portland, and Bend Oregon where I presented a keynote talk for the Oregon Clean Water Agencies.
Now I’m looking forward to a snorkeling and diving trip to Raja Ampat Indonesia and a cross country ski holiday in the Methow Valley in Northern Washington State December 20 to 25. This beautiful and remote valley boasts 120 miles of groomed trails and powder snow. Get in touch if you might like to join me for part or all of this ski adventure. I’m planning to stay at the Mazama Country Inn right on the trail system and there is other nearby lodging.
My daughter Annalise recently published a blog Nile River Water Supply Forecasts May Reduce the Chance of Conflict based on her work on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Annalise is living in Washington DC where she just finished her postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins and is now beginning an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship.
Our work at the Green Science Policy Institute continues to receive high profile coverage. In honor of the International Year of the Periodic Table, Bloomberg Businessweek is writing about the chemical elements and interesting people connected to each. To my amazement, they chose me to represent Bromine. I wonder what the producers of brominated flame retardants think about this!
Even more exciting news: On Monday, Denmark became the first country to ban the whole class of PFAS “forever chemicals” in food contact materials. We are honored that our longtime collaborator Malene Teller Blume at Coop Denmark who pushed for the ban wrote to us, “We are very proud to lead the way and this is only possible because of the great support in science you have provided. I am so proud to work with you.”
Another colleague, attorney Rob Bilott has a book coming out October 8 and major Hollywood film, titled Dark Waters, co-starting Mark Ruffalo and Anne Hathaway premiering on November 22. We are working with the film’s social action team to increase the film’s impact and hope it will be a catalyst for reducing the use of PFAS. Stay tuned for a PFAS-Free product list on our PFAS Central website.
Also we will be hosting a book party for Rob Bilott on Sunday afternoon October 6 in North Berkeley. RSVP to Heather@GreenSciencePolicy.org to attend and meet Rob. We’ll send you more information.
Our Institute is currently advertising for a part time science communications consultant. Email me if you are interested, or know someone who might be good for this position.
To end with another high note, my friend Patti Kenner helped produce the celebratory documentary “Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles” which has just opened in a dozen cities. Go see it for great music, story, and inspiration.
Mark your Calendar: DARK WATERS Opens November 22
Please make your calendar to see Dark Waters on the opening weekend November 22-24. A big opening weekend will help the film succeed. The cities where it will open include Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Washington DC, Atlanta, Dallas and Austin.
From Participant Media (‘The Inconvenient Truth‘, ‘RBG‘, ‘Spotlight‘ and ‘The Post‘) and acclaimed filmmaker Todd Haynes comes ‘Dark Waters‘. Inspired by a shocking true story, the film centers around a rising lawyer Rob Bilott (Mark Ruffalo) who uncovers the dark secret that lies beneath the surface of a small town. Launching a heroic one-man crusade to take on a powerful corporation, he risks everything his future, his family and his own life in order to expose the truth. Based on Nathaniel Rich’s New York Times Magazine article, “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare.”
Founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll, Participant Media’s more than 100 films, have collectively earned 73 Academy Award®nominations and 18 Awards.
We hope this film will greatly increase awareness of the harm of the entire class of PFAS chemicals and contribute to a great reduction in their use.
PFAS CENTRAL: Your Source for the Latest PFAS News
Everyone from Congress to scientists is concerned about PFAS or highly fluorinated chemicals these days–and rightly so.
Our Institute recently launched PFAS Central, an informative new website with the latest PFAS news articles, science, policy and opportunities, including jobs, grants, calls for public comments and events. We carefully curate the avalanche of information on PFAS to include only the most interesting and important items. Each scientific article includes an intriguing line about the study’s conclusions.
If you find this website useful, please link to it from your own website or social media and share with your friends.
High Fashion, High Performance, High Exposure
Although PFAS may not get its own runway show in Milan or Paris, it’s a big deal in modern fashion. A recent study found that textile finishing agents used to achieve oil, water, and stain repellency often contain high levels of PFAS. It’s no surprise that PFAS chemicals are behind these performance traits, but the discovery that some clothing contains banned PFAS is concerning.
PFAS To-Go
Take-out food usually comes in compostable food containers these days. Sounds good, since composting reduces waste, right? Unfortunately, food containers advertising natural materials often contain PFAS. The benefits of composting may be diminished by the forever chemicals in the “biodegradable” packaging.
BPA: A High Price to Pay for a Receipt
You probably already know to purchase water bottles that are free of bisphenol A (BPA). But did you also know that this hormone disrupting chemical, and its regrettable substitute BPS, are used in cash register receipts?
The Ecology Center tested 206 store receipts in 2018 and found that 93% contained either BPA or BPS. The chemicals, which give receipts their distinctive powdery texture, are not bound to the paper and can be absorbed through the skin and enter the bloodstream. In fact, one study showed that over 88% of human exposure to BPS was through handling receipts.
While there are detectable levels of BPA and BPS in most humans, cashiers, who handle up to thirty receipts each hour, are the most vulnerable to bisphenol’s adverse health effects. Exposure, which has been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, decreased fertility and endocrine disruption, can be reduced by hand-washing and wearing gloves while handling receipts.
Calendar
Solano Stroll — Sunday, September 8, 2019 — 10:00am to 5:00pm – Berkeley, CA
Please visit us at the Green Science Policy Institute booth this Sunday during the Solano Stroll street festival in North Berkeley and Albany California. We will be located near the top of Solano Avenue in front of Chase Bank, 1870 Solano Avenue, on the south side of the street. Hope to see you there.
RSVP to griffin@hmcw.org or or 202 544-7499 to attend.