"Beware 'Eco-Friendly' Christmas Gifts that Are No Such Thing," By Angela Logomasini, Ph.D. If you are looking to find some eco-friendly holiday gifts and decorations this year, be careful what advice you follow. Intentional or not, many suggestions about “eco-friendly” products are faulty because they are driven more by political preferences than scientific realities. In the words of Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises, there’s an “anti-capitalist mentality” among people on the Left, … [Read more...]
Truth about Plastic Straws
August 8, 2019
"The Truth about Plastic Straws," By Angela Logomasini, Ph.D. President Trump’s campaign has raised nearly half a million dollars in a matter of weeks selling plastic straws with “Trump” emblazed on each one. They fetch $15 for a package of 10 plastic straws, as the campaign markets them with the slogan: “Liberal paper straws don’t work.” That’s surely a high price tag for plastic straws, but the message is priceless. For the past couple years, the Left has been pushing plastic straw bans in … [Read more...]
Banning Plastic Bags Will Hurt Businesses, Consumers
February 6, 2019
"Another Voice: Banning Plastic Bags Will Hurt Businesses, Consumers," By Angela Logomasini, Ph.D. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo hopes to gain some green points by passing a statewide plastic shopping bag ban. He seems oblivious to the serious adverse impacts on small businesses and their employees, as well as on consumers and the environment. There are 30 companies in New York State that manufacture plastic bags with 1,500 employees that will suffer if the ban takes effect, a representative for the … [Read more...]
It’s Not Really Green to Ban Plastic Bags
January 20, 2019
"Science Shows that it's Not Really Green to Ban Plastic Bags," By Angela Logomasini, Ph.D. As if grocery shopping weren’t enough of a hassle, it’s about to become even more inconvenient in New York — for no good reason. State lawmakers may soon cave to the anti-plastic craze by passing a statewide plastic bag ban. In its zeal to jump on the anti-plastic bandwagon, the Legislature would force consumers to use alternatives that use up more resources and have been shown to endanger public … [Read more...]
Green Holiday Shopping Advice is Toxic to Your Pocketbook
December 19, 2018
"Green Movement's Holiday Shopping Advice is Toxic to Your Pocketbook," By Angela Logomasini, Ph.D. As the holiday revelry begins, self-proclaimed “consumer advocates” have sounded the alarm about so-called “toxic toys”—toys that supposedly contain dangerous chemicals. But don’t let them get your spirits down, because their findings are simply not credible, and following their advice could burn a hole your pocketbook faster than the Heat Miser. Near the top of the naughty list is the U.S. … [Read more...]
Plastic Bans Won’t Solve Ocean Plastic Problem
May 5, 2018
"Counterpoint: Plastic Bans Won't Solve Ocean Plastic Problem," Angela Logomasini, Ph.D. Proposed “solutions” to mounting plastic waste in the ocean continue to border on the absurd — suggesting that banning straws, bags and other consumer products offers an answer. While these policies might make good political sound bites, they are unlikely to solve anything, and they divert attention away from real solutions. Plastics that are washed out to sea have accumulated in certain areas of the … [Read more...]
Holiday Fear about Toy Safety
December 14, 2017
"Nanny State Activists Spread Holiday Fear about Toy Safety," By Angela Logomasini, Ph.D. Rather than spreading holiday cheer, nanny state activists apparently prefer to spread fear about toy safety. Indeed, activists are using the holiday season as a news hook to advance their big government agendas. But parents should dismiss their Grinch-styled tactics in favor of common sense, which is more helpful and doesn’t require further empowering a federal nanny. A common theme among these scare … [Read more...]
Really Fake News: Chemical Scares
January 10, 2017
"The 'Fake News' Problem: Health and Safety Edition," By Angela Logomasini, Ph.D. The moniker “fake news” may have entered the mainstream lexicon in 2016, but phony and misleading news stories have always been a problem—and it’s a phenomenon that doubtless will continue so long as the news media continues disguising political opinion as objective fact. Consider the myriad alarmist news stories this past year hyping risks about chemicals. Read more. Save Save Save … [Read more...]
Battling Misinformation About Consumer Products
November 30, 2016
"Six Products Battling Misinformation," By The Center for Accountability in Science Team. Earlier this month, Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families warned against Six Products to Avoid Whenever Possible. Despite admonishing “scare-tactic click bait headlines that throw parents into a panic,” the author proceeded to write just that. So, in the interest of setting the record straight, we present: Six Products Battling Misinformation. Read more. Save Save Save … [Read more...]
Plastics Alarmism
May 6, 2016
"Calling TIME Out on Plastic Alarmism," By The Center for Accountability in Science Team. There’s no shortage of news reports and websites with scary messages about chemicals, but two articles this week caught our attention. First, TIME magazine engaged in a bit of click-baiting this week with a health article warning about common plastics: “That Plastic Container You Microwave In Could Be Super-Toxic.” Next, an article at the Philadelphia Inquirer’s website, although written by two Ph.D.’s, … [Read more...]
“Obesogens” and Plastics Myth
September 18, 2015
"Media Ignores New Studies Finding No Link Between Phthalates and Obesity," by Center for Accountability in Science. Despite a robust $20 billion weight-loss industry, Americans can’t seem to lose weight and keep it off. Instead of blaming cuts to recess, increased sedentary lifestyles, and consuming too many calories, researchers have come up with a new theory: chemicals are making us fat. This theory, known as the “obesogen hypothesis” was coined in 2006 and is the basis for millions of … [Read more...]
Flawed Data = Flawed Phthalates Rule
April 13, 2015
"Using Poor Science and Stale Data to Support Flawed Policy," By Nancy Nord. In 2008, after lead-contaminated toys and other products from China wound up on American store shelves and forced product recalls, Congress rushed to pass legislation intended to protect Americans, giving the Consumer Product Safety Commission -- a small and relatively unknown federal agency-- sweeping new regulatory authority. Now, nearly seven years after that scare, it is increasingly clear that the new powers … [Read more...]
CPSC’s Selective Use of Data for Phthalates Study
March 23, 2015
"Data Torturing at the CPSC," By Angela Logomasini. James Mills of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development lamented in an article in the New England Journal of Medicine back in 1993: “‘If you torture your data long enough, they will tell you whatever you want to hear’ has become a popular observation in our office. In plain English, this means that study data, if manipulated in enough different ways can prove whatever the investigator wants to prove.” Government regulators … [Read more...]
CPSC Proposal on Phthalates Likely Harm
March 23, 2015
"CPSC Proposal on Phthalates Likely to Do More Harm than Good," by Angela Logomasini. On Monday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission will close the comment period for a proposed rule related to chemicals used to make soft and pliable plastics. While they claim to do this in the name of children’s health, it’s not clear that the rule will do more good than harm. The process and the “scientific” review that brings us to this proposed rule has been controversial, to say the least. I detail … [Read more...]
Cosmo Magazine “Science”: Plastics Duckies Ruin Your Love Life!
October 24, 2014
"Are Plastic Products Costing You Your Sex Drive?" By Julie Gunlock. Are plastics causing women to lose their sex drive? The Guardian warns, “How household plastics could ruin your sex life.” The Telegraph’s headline suggests, “Rubber ducks can kill your sex drive, research finds.” Cosmopolitan Magazine wonders “Are Chemicals in Plastic Reducing Your Sex Drive?” while the Daily Mail declares that it’s all down to those pesky modern products: Read more. … [Read more...]
California’s Dangerous Plastic Bag Ban
October 2, 2014
"California Bans Single-Use Plastic Bags," by American Council on Science and Health. This past Tuesday, Gov. Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown Jr. signed a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags in grocery and convenience stores, making California the first state to ban plastic bags. The law will take effect in July 2015, when plastic bags will be phased out of stores and supermarkets including Wal-Mart and Target. Retailers are also allowed to charge a 10 cent fee for using paper bags. Plastic bag … [Read more...]
Disrupting Claims about Plastics
August 15, 2014
"Let’s make this simple: Estrogenic Effects Come from Estrogens. (Duh). NOT from Plastics," By American Council on Science and Health. Of all the garbage “science” topics that we routinely cover, among the worst is the concept that miniscule amounts of so-called “endocrine disruptors”—chemicals that supposedly have an adverse impact on human sexual development—do anything whatsoever. The plastic component BPA and plastic softeners, phthalates, are the two poster children of the movement, but … [Read more...]
Green Building Junk Science
July 16, 2014
"Are Healthy Buildings Built On Lies?" By Josh Bloom. The fad du jour (and I defy you to find a non-du jour day) is something that sounds like an absolute win-win. It has all the correct buzzwords—green, sustainable, environmentally friendly, endocrine disruptors, bioaccumulation. And many more. Today it's buildings. This is exactly what we at ACSH deal with every day in different forms. There is more than a passing similarity to the very successful promotion of organic foods, dietary … [Read more...]
Moms Need Not Fear BPA
April 25, 2014
"Despite Scare Stories, Fears about BPA are Unnecessary," By Cherylyn Harley LeBon. As soon as someone mentions BPA (bisphenol A), I recall the glasses and glass containers our family now uses to replace the plastic containers that previously populated our cupboards. Like many moms, my top priority is keeping my kids safe, so I was concerned about BPA in the past. When the media began reporting BPA might be toxic, we replaced the plastic products and other things in our home thought to contain … [Read more...]
What’s More “Dangerous”: Soybeans or Plastics?
March 7, 2014
"Green Hype About Plastics Suggests We Ban Soybeans," Angela Logomasini. Environmental activists are relentless. No matter how bad their science or how weak their claims, they make much ado about nothing using creative spin. The latest attack on bisphenol (BPA) and other chemicals found in plastics offers the perfect example. This attack appeared in Mother Jones magazine as an “exposé” about dangerous chemicals in plastics, titled: “The Scary New Evidence on BPA-Free Plastics.” Supposedly, this … [Read more...]
Scientists Say Food Packaging is Safe
February 20, 2014
"Concerns Over Chemicals in Food Packaging Misplaced, Say Scientists: Journal Article's Warning That Packaging is Significant Source of Chemical Food Contamination is Roundly Rejected," By Sarah Boseley. Concerns about synthetic chemicals in packaging and plastic bottles contaminating food and drink are largely misplaced, scientists have said in response to calls for greater monitoring of the long-term effect on human health. Food packaging is increasingly the subject of suspicion from some … [Read more...]
Phthalate Plasticizers Now Safe
February 7, 2014
"Several Types of Phthalate Plasticizers, Used for Decades but Once Shunned, Now Safe Again!" by American Council on Science and Health. Posted on February 5, 2014 by adminPhthalates — pronounced THAL-ates — are a family of chemicals, many of which are have been added to PVC plastic to make the firm product softer and flexible. Over the course of the past decade-plus, no chemical group in common use has taken such vitriolic attacks on its safety as have phthalates.In recent years, a distinction … [Read more...]
Plastics, Pregnancy & Bad Journalism
November 14, 2013
"Can't Get Pregnant? Blame It On Plastics! Well, Not If Science Matters," Jon Entine. If you’re having trouble getting pregnant, plastics may be the culprit—at least that’s what a credulous reader might conclude based on recent news reports and a slew of website stories with headlines like: “New studies link BPA and phthalates to miscarriage and infertility.” But as is often the case when journalists report on complex science issues, the headlines do not align with the facts. A careful reading … [Read more...]
Backpacks & Other School Supplies–Not “Toxic”
September 16, 2013
"No Case for “Toxic” School Supplies," by American Council on Science and Health. It’s that time of year again. Summer’s over, and school is starting again. And with this new year comes another (predictable) chance for activist groups posing as scientific experts to scare parents about “toxic” chemicals found in children’s school supplies. Some take it further as well, warning consumers about cosmetics, cleaning supplies and furniture. The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ) even … [Read more...]
Plastic Bag Ban Unpopular
June 4, 2013
"Kirkland Poll on Plastic Bags: Strong Opposition to a Ban," by Todd Myers. After other local cities have banned plastic grocery bags, the City of Kirkland commissioned a public opinion survey to see what residents would think about bringing the policy to the community. Not much, apparently. Two results stand out. First, strong majorities opposed charging for plastic bags or banning them altogether. By more than a two-to-one margin, Kirkland residents oppose a plastic bag ban. Similar margins … [Read more...]
Cloth Supermarket Bags Can Transmit Illness
January 31, 2013
"Germs In Reusable Grocery Bags Can Prove Deadly," by Angela Logomasini. Cloth supermarket bags may be fashionable, but they can also prove deadly, according to a recent research paper published by the University of Pennsylvania Law School. The researchers point out that after the city of San Francisco banned plastic bags, the number of emergency room visits for bacterial related diseases increased significantly. Read the full article on OpenMarket.org. … [Read more...]
“Green”Bottles Pose New Risks
January 29, 2013
"Problematic Green Advice On Reusable Bottles," by Angela Logomasini Environmental activists launched a campaign several years ago to demonize and promote bans on bottled water, suggesting that people find more “energy efficient” and “environmentally sound” alternatives, including reusable plastic or metal water bottles. Some even recommended the dangerously breakable reusable glass bottle! CEI pointed out why the greens’ advice was not only unnecessary but also carried drawbacks, including the … [Read more...]
Plastics Chemistry
November 8, 2012
"Plastics Chemists: Don't Be Ashamed," by Enrico Uva There’s irony in having small bits of floatable plastic debris in the Pacific, even if the trash, although worrisome, doesn’t look like anything most of the public imagines. Millions of years ago, many of the hydrogen and carbon atoms within these man-made polymers were part of marine life. Death, deposition and pressure simplified the organic molecules of the dead. Then a species that indirectly evolved from these oceanic ancestors … [Read more...]
