Government Won't Protect You from Environmental Poisons Air pollutants from vehicles… pesticides… radiation… military waste sites… Most people realize these all-too-familiar carcinogens pose a threat to our health. And even though the government knows it, too—these and many other toxins continue to spread throughout the environment due to neglect by the giant government bureaucracies that "protect" us. Continued below. . .
In a May 2010 report titled "Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now", the President's Cancer Panel expressed deep concerns that the threat from environmental contaminants is being "grossly underestimated." The group denounces government rules that place a greater burden on the American public to prove that environmental exposure to various contaminants is harmful! The rules require overwhelming proof of harm to humans before any corrective action begins. Lest you think this is merely a partisan issue, please note the panel was formed by President George W. Bush to serve a three-year term. Their report didn't come out until well into the Obama Administration. You have NO idea what you may be eating, drinking and breathing! Believe it or not, "the entire U.S. population is exposed on a daily basis to numerous agricultural chemicals," the report authors stated. Many of these chemicals are known carcinogens. The report mentioned that "40 chemicals classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as known, probable, or possible human carcinogens" are approved for use as EPA-registered pesticides. When dangerous chemical pesticides and fertilizers find their way into air, soil and groundwater, they can do some serious health damage. Farm workers, crop duster pilots and even pesticide manufacturers have been found to have high rates of prostate cancer, skin cancers, and even cancer of the lip. Exposure to approved pesticide chemicals also has been linked to a variety of cancers affecting body parts including the:
The report cited xylene as an example of an inert ingredient in almost 900 pesticides. This one chemical has been associated with increased risk of brain tumors, leukemia and rectal cancer! But you can be sure pesticides aren't the only cancerous chemicals spewing into the air, soil and water… The high price of modern conveniences… The President's Cancer Panel received expert testimony from members representing industrial and manufacturing interests. Although the list of known or suspect chemicals was too extensive to cover in one report, the panel said numerous chemicals and substances tied to industrial and manufacturing processes are persistent in the environment. The list includes some familiar villains such as:
The report also highlights hazards presented by medical contaminants such as radiation… modern lifestyle toxins such as tobacco smoke and wireless devices… and military hazards such as Agent Orange and nuclear weapons. If you're a regular reader of this newsletter or our books and reports, you already know the dangers of many of the substances I've mentioned. So what's the news? The news is that this is the government pointing the finger at itself. It's one thing when we fringe crazies try to tell people that food, water, workplace environments, detergents, dry cleaned clothes, and cosmetics are loaded with officially-approved poisons. It's something else when a panel appointed by the President announces the same thing. The report leveled sharp criticism at efforts to regulate contaminants in four key areas:
The panel said government regulatory efforts are far more "reactionary rather than precautionary" — the Feds wait until considerable damage is done before taking action. Even more alarming is the panel's assertion that only a few hundred of the 80,000+ chemicals used in the United States have been tested for safety! The regulatory system is flawed and failing… The President's Cancer Panel was headed up by Dr. LaSalle D. Lefall, Jr., a professor of surgery at Howard University and Margaret Kripke, a professor at University of Texas' M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The 2010 report concluded that government agencies are "failing to carry out their responsibilities" and made recommendations for overhauling the nation's flawed chemicals management system. The group identified these five major problems that make regulation of environmental contaminants ineffective:
Lefall and Kripke said these problems cause agency dysfunction and make it difficult to identify and remove hazards. My private view: There's a fatal flaw in the whole concept that the government is somehow more fair, more virtuous, and more honest — that it somehow stands independently above the fray and renders impartial judgments while it's only the private sector that is self-seeking and corrupt. Government is just another player in the game. It's not going to look out for you. You have to educate yourself and look out for yourself. The biggest mistake you can make is to outsource your health and safety to the government and the various entities (like the medical profession and the drug companies) that enjoy official approval. I think the average person walks into a supermarket believing that all the products and all their ingredients have been studied, tested and government-approved. Most people think, "Surely the government wouldn't let companies sell us foods and personal products that are harmful." Oh, yes they would. The public's fatal belief that everything is being taken care of — actually supports bad practices and makes them possible. It's provided cover for a massive proliferation of tens of thousands of chemicals without anyone asking questions. Without this touching, naïve faith in regulation, consumers would be more alert and ask more questions. The day the FDA is abolished (soon, I hope) everyone will realize they have to check out things for themselves, or select health advisors they personally know and trust. In the alternative health field, most of us do that anyway. What's the big deal? Meanwhile, with such a variety of toxins bombarding you every day, you might be wondering… What should be done about environmental carcinogens? The President's panel thinks government regulation can somehow be fixed, if everyone tries real hard. The panel made several recommendations for actions that government entities could take to reduce exposure to environmental contaminants. They recommended first that the President, Congress and responsible agencies such as the EPA adopt a new national cancer prevention strategy focused on primary prevention. Lefall and Kripke said the new approach should set tangible goals for eliminating environmental toxins that can cause cancer. The group made several other recommendations, including adoption of new workplace chemical exposure assessments, stronger cooperation among agencies, and speedier development of measurement and assessment tools. As for what YOU can do to reduce your exposure to environmental toxins—the panel suggested these practical actions:
You'll find a full list of the panel's recommendations for government, industry and private citizens regarding environmental toxins by accessing the report at http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/ |
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