Green Chemistry

Here is a news story about the history of green chemistry in the US. Paul Anastas, new chief scientist and head of R&D at EPA, coined the term 20 years ago. The idea was to “design chemicals to be non-toxic from the start instead of having to regulate and clean up afterwards.” We need more of this kind of research that looks at the root of the problem rather than trying to fix the consequences…

Via Marketplace: EPA scientist advocates ‘green chemistry’

Company Not Joking when Label Candy as Hazardously Sour & Toxic Waste

A candy company that markets its products as “hazardously sour” and uses names like “Toxic Waste” and “Nuclear Sludge,” issued a product recall on January 13 after discovering it was actually toxic.

Via Toxic Candy: Nuclear Sludge Chew Bars Recalled For Lead

I can’t believe it’s IN butter!

“As part of an ongoing investigation into chemicals in our food supply, scientists found extremely high concentrations of a flame-retardant compound in a supermarket sample of brand-name butter.

It is the first documented case of serious contamination in food in the United States with a class of chemicals known as PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

Commonly used in furniture and electronics, among other products, PBDEs are known to disrupt hormone function and have been associated with a range of health concerns, including cancer as well as reproductive, developmental, and neurological problems.”

Via Discovery News: Flame Retardants Found in Butter

Chemical Companies Block BPA Ban in Food Safety Bill

A compromise agreement that would have banned bisphenol A (BPA) from baby bottles was blocked from being added to the food safety bill being discussed in the Senate. Read more

FDA does an about face on BPA

In a shift of position, the Food and Drug Administration is expressing concerns about possible health risks from bisphenol-A, or BPA, a widely used component of plastic bottles and food packaging that it declared safe in 2008. Bisphenol-a BPA, found in Nalgene brand water bottles, is one of the most widely used synthetic chemicals in industry. The agency said Friday that it had “some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children,” and would join other federal health agencies in studying the chemical in both animals and humans.

via In Reversal, U.S. Expresses Concerned Over Additive to Plastics – NYTimes.com.

Calling Beta Testers for Homebrew Cough Med

From Fake Plastic Fish: “Not only do these two products [Nyquil and Prometh cough syrup with Codeine] come in plastic bottles, but they contain nasty ingredients: alcohol (which I am trying to avoid for personal reasons); artificial dyes; high fructose corn syrup; polyethylene glycol and propylene glycol (petroleum derived products also used in anti-freeze); methylparaben and propylparaben (a class of preservatives called parabens which have been linked to various health problems); saccharine sodium (linked to cancer); and sodium benzoate (also linked to cancer). Holy cow! This is not medicine; it’s toxic soup.”

Read Full Article: Homemade Cough Syrup & Other Meds: Looking for Beta Testers | Fake Plastic Fish.

Millions Drink Tap Water That Is Legal, but Maybe Not Healthy – Series – NYTimes.com

The 35-year-old federal law regulating tap water is so out of date that the water Americans drink can pose what scientists say are serious health risks — and still be legal.

via Millions Drink Tap Water That Is Legal, but Maybe Not Healthy – Series – NYTimes.com.

Also, listen to the author, Charles Duhigg, on NPR’s Fresh Air.

Lining in Canned Food has Measurable Levels of BPA

Consumer Reports’ latest tests of canned foods, including soups, juice, tuna, and green beans, have found that almost all of the 19 name-brand foods tested contain measurable levels of Bisphenol A (BPA). The results are reported in the December 2009 issue and also available online. BPA, which has been used for years in clear plastic bottles and food-can liners, has been restricted in Canada and some U.S. states and municipalities because it has been linked to a wide array of health effects including reproductive abnormalities, heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease. I’ve reported on BPA here, here, and here.

via Civil Eats » Blog Archive » Tests Find Wide Range of Bisphenol A in Canned Soups, Juice, and More.

Scott Burnham’s In Praise of Design Hacking

Design Hacking available for download | SCOTT BURNHAM.

A brief teaser:

• Hacking creates new engagements between the product and the consumer
• Hacking mandates relevance and necessity in design
• Hacking is resourceful
• Hacking creates abundance from limited resources
• Hacking finds the truth in systems

SUPERFLEX/ Open Market

Rearranging the map of global production structures. Creating the open source Mars bar. Workshop in Prato, Italy 2003

About: Small groups of 3 are formed and an object coming from the global circulation of common commodities is chosen by the group. Mars bar, Chicken McNuggets, Colgate toothpaste etc.The groups should in three days be able to establish a production unit that can facilitate a minor copy production. The production methods and organizing structure of the group should be visible during the workshop and made public afterwards.The products are sold on the open market. The surplus from the open market is collected and occasionally there will be free beer in the bonus bar.

via SUPERFLEX/.