"Over-Reaching California EPA Regulators Promoted A False Breast Cancer Link," by Geoffrey Kabat. In 2005 the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal EPA) issued a voluminous report on the health effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) which attracted attention for its rash claim that ETS was associated with increased risk of breast cancer. Thirteen years earlier the US EPA had published a report showing a weak link between ETS and developing lung cancer. But, of … [Read more...]
BPA Critics Wrong Again
November 11, 2013
"Bumbling BPA Critics Actually Manage to Prove Themselves Wrong. Not Easy," By American Council on Science and Health. We at ACSH are rarely surprised by anything we see published. Since it is our job to debunk bad science, we get a steady diet of it. But we got a special dessert dropped in our laps, and this one takes the cake. Although the study in question is from July, it is so jaw-droppingly awful that we decided to include it today. And when you read it, you may want to discontinue your … [Read more...]
Pesticide Residue Worries
November 7, 2013
"Pesticide Residue Calculator," Julie Gunlock. I was once told by another mother (visiting my house for a playdate) that I was putting my children at risk by letting them eat non-organic apples. She warned me about "those awful pesticides" and got even more nervous when I pulled out the non-organic milk (I write about this incident in more detail in my new book, available here). It took all my strength (and good manners) not to kick her out of my house right then and there but I decided that … [Read more...]
Misguided Safety Concerns About Pesticides on Food
November 6, 2013
"Study Shows Consumers Continue to Have Misguided Safety Concerns About Produce," by SafeFruitsandVeggies.com. A new study from Colorado State University (CSU) shows that consumers continue to have concerns about the safety of conventionally grown produce and the government regulatory processes in place to protect public health. Among other findings, the study showed that: “A distrust in regulatory oversight is a key trigger in the valuation for local and organic.” And, consumers generally … [Read more...]
Chemical Alarmists’ Vocabulary
October 31, 2013
"An Alarmist Vocabulary: Chemical Is 'Linked To,' 'Study Suggests,' 'Consistent With,' by Angela Logomasini Headlines continue to appear to claiming that a recent study has shown that the chemical bisphenol A increases the risk of miscarriage, which I addressed in a Forbes article last week. There are many problems with this research, such as the fact that it is not available in a published, peer-reviewed format. Check out my piece here for more details. This issue raises a bigger concern … [Read more...]
Halloween Fears and Environmentalist Tricks
October 31, 2013
"Ignore the Halloween Alarmist," By Julie Gunlock We've entered scary season. On Halloween, people actually enjoy getting spooked. Yet increasingly, feeling frightened isn't a choice or a once-a-year occurrence. Each day, Americans, particularly moms, are told they should be terrified – not of monsters, goblins and ghosts – but of their spray cleaner, makeup, moisturizer, their children's clothing and the food they eat. Why is every day Halloween for so many American moms? The reason is simple: … [Read more...]
Things to Know About the Environmental Working Group
October 30, 2013
"5 Things You Didn’t Know About the Environmental Working Group," By the Center for Consumer Freedom. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) does not represent mainstream scientific views on the health risks from chemicals. According to a survey conducted for the George Mason University Statistical Assessment Service by pollster Harris International, 79 percent of members of the Society of Toxicology — experts on health risks from chemicals — who expressed an opinion thought EWG overstated … [Read more...]
Corrupted Science
October 30, 2013
"Whatever Happened To Science?" by Michael D. Shaw. For the Baby Boomers, born under the halo of victory in World War II, and into the 1950s, one of the key themes was the promise of Science. Electrical power--courtesy of splitting the atom--would be so plentiful that consumers would simply pay a flat monthly fee, and the discovery of the structure of DNA meant (somehow, although this was never fully explained) that a cure for cancer was just beyond the horizon. The successful rollout of the … [Read more...]
Cosmetics Regulation
October 30, 2013
"Another Non-Problem Distracting the FDA: Cosmetic 'Safety,'" by American Council on Science and Health. Cosmetics funWhat’s up with our Federal government these days? Now that the government has un-shutdown, we find the FDA, our regulator with oversight over about one-third of all the goods and products in our commerce, dealing with many important issues. As if they didn’t have troubles enough assessing drug safety, how to deal with the supplement industry, food safety inspections, medical … [Read more...]
Junk-Science Attacks on Consumer Products
October 30, 2013
"Junk Science Attacks On Important Products And Technologies Diminish Us All," By Dr. Henry Miller. As far back as 1995, renowned American astronomer and science popularizer Carl Sagan expressed concern about the trend in this country toward a society in which, “clutching our crystals and religiously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in steep decline…we slide, almost without noticing, into superstition and darkness.” Almost two decades later, thanks in large part to the actions … [Read more...]
BPA’s Unproven Pregnancy Risk
October 25, 2013
"A Miscarriage Of Science: BPA's Unproven Pregnancy Risk," by Angela Logomasini. The headlines are out: Pregnant woman should fear the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) because a “new study” says it increase the risk of miscarriage. Fortunately, we have lots of good reasons to doubt these headlines. What does the study really say? We don’t completely know since it’s not available in any peer-reviewed publication. All that’s available is an abstract produced for a recent presentation at a conference … [Read more...]
Protect the Kids with Flame Retardants
October 22, 2013
"Does Your Halloween Costume Contain Flame-Retardants? It should!" by American Council on Science and Health. Halloween is right around the corner and we’re sure you’ve been thinking about costumes and candy, pumpkins and haunted houses. However, safety is also something that can be forgotten on Halloween. But here’s one way you can make sure to keep you and your kids safe: Make sure your costumes are made from materials containing flame retardants or use material that will not set on fire … [Read more...]
Rodent Tests Reveal Little About BPA Risk
October 22, 2013
"The Public Demonization Of Bisphenol-A: I Smell A Rat," by Patrick Michaels. I’ve been following the saga of Bisphenol-A, aka BPA, for over three years now, ever since I used it as a case study in my course “Public Science and Public Policy.” BPA is a current rage as a cause of all things evil: cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and probably flatulence. BPA in tiny amounts is in a lot of things that we eat that come out of a can. It’s a popular liner that prevents corrosion and extends … [Read more...]
BPA & Miscarriages
October 21, 2013
"BPA Causes Miscarriages (Or So The Headlines Say)," by Steve Hentges. It was the late astronomer and author Carl Sagan who popularized the phrase “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence,” and originated the closely related concept of scientific skepticism. In the case discussed here, skeptics we should be. Last week we saw a flurry of media articles with headlines suggesting that exposure to the common chemical bisphenol A (BPA) increases the risk of miscarriage. Considering how … [Read more...]
Nick Kristof Flunks Chemistry
October 18, 2013
"Nutty Nick Kristof Flunks Chemistry Again, and Again…Nothing New Here. We’ve Written About this Before," by American Council on Science and Health. Once the esteemed New York Times columnist Nick Kristof gets out of his comfort (and knowledge) zone he goes from a really great commentator to an ignorant scaremonger. Sort of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hydrogen. But even he has outdone himself this time. In an effort to be seen as a superhero against the evil chemical industry he is grabbing for straws … [Read more...]
BPA Scare for Expectant Moms
October 18, 2013
"Another Unnecessary BPA Scare for Expectant Moms," by American Council on Science and Health. If you thought you’d seen all the putative risks to health from the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA), think again. It’s been one of the most frequently cited supposedly dangerous chemicals in fear-mongers’ armamentaria. Their drumbeat of alarmism persists, although study after study has failed to find a valid link between BPA and dangers to human health. In fact, the FDA (among numerous scientific and … [Read more...]
Scary Results of Scaring Would-Be Parents
October 17, 2013
"Want More Babies? Stop Needlessly Terrifying Pregnant Women," by Carrie L. Lukas. Western democracies face a growing problem. No, it's not the ballooning budget deficits, swelling entitlement programs, or expanding ranks of the permanently unemployed. This time the problem is what's not growing: Too few women are having babies to sustain the population. ... Take the recent release from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and American Society for Reproductive Medicine, … [Read more...]
Sense about BPA Science and Miscarriages
October 17, 2013
"Is BPA linked with increased risk of miscarriage?" by Sense About Science. On 14th October 2013 the Independent, Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail reported a study which linked the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) with increased risk of miscarriage, and advised pregnant women to avoid tinned foods. Read more at Sense About Science. … [Read more...]
Green Hype Undermines Breast Cancer Awareness
October 17, 2013
"Enviro Scare Tactics Undermine Breast Cancer Awareness Month," by Angela Logomasini. October is “breast cancer awareness month” thanks to a collaborative campaign arranged by public and private groups united in the mission to fight breast cancer. Their educational efforts can save lives by promoting early detection and healthy lifestyle choices. Yet environmental activists and media are using this campaign as an excuse to scare women about chemicals, and unintentionally, divert their attention … [Read more...]
USA Today Shoddy Reporting on BPA
October 10, 2013
"Women Should Worry about Shoddy Reporting, Not Chemicals," Julie Gunlock. Earlier this week, USA Today ran a story by reporter Liz Szabo who warned women “A growing number of health advocates are raising concerns about possible links between the estrogen-like chemical BPA and breast cancer.” Notice Liz says “health advocates” are concerned, not health professionals, scientists, toxicologists, breast cancer researchers, or oncologists. That’s right; Liz doesn’t actually talk to the experts in … [Read more...]
USA Today’s Alarmist Junk Science on BPA
October 9, 2013
"USA Today Spins Breast Cancer Scare Out Of Retracted Study Claim As New EPA Study Dismisses Risk," by Trevor Butterworth. USA Today reporter Liz Szabo has long rung the alarm bells on bisphenol A (BPA), devoting an entire full page article to promoting the repeatedly discredited claims of University of Missouri researcher Frederick vom Saal. Now, she has turned to vom Saal’s longtime collaborator, University of Tufts researcher Ana Soto to advance the claim BPA increased the risk of mammary … [Read more...]
California Green Chemistry Nightmare Launched
October 7, 2013
"Great For Lawyers; Terrible For California; A Nightmare For Manufacturers: Introducing 'Green Chemistry,'” by Hugh Hewitt. The road to manufacturing Hell is paved with…well Green Chemistry regulations. Lost amid the intense focus on the CR, the debt limit and various other stories of mayhem and strife, the Golden State officially entered its Green Chemistry era on Tuesday. Read the full post at HughHewitt.com. … [Read more...]
Chemicals & Breast-Cancer-Awareness Month
October 4, 2013
"Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Also be Aware of Quackery," by American Council on Science and Health. The recent updated re-revision of the Women’s Health Initiative data on hormone replacement therapy reminds us, as if we needed reminding, that October is breast cancer awareness month. Even without the new information — which didn’t actually say much different from the prior re-revision, i.e. HRT is safe for menopausal symptom control — the awareness of BCA Month is inescapable for sentient … [Read more...]
Tackling BPA Junk Science
October 4, 2013
"Environmental Group Tries to Save Face, but Falls on It," by American Council on Science and Health. We at ACSH have written countless pieces on the absolute garbage science surrounding BPA—a chemical that has been in use for more than 50 years, and is used in the manufacturing process of various plastics. So, it is only natural that we give a huge shout-out to Trevor Butterworth, a journalist and master junk science (especially statistics) debunker, who has an impressive pedigree of editorial … [Read more...]
Politics Behind Proposed BPA Bans
October 3, 2013
"The EU, US Approaches to Endocrine Disruptors Have Been Appropriate Until Now," by Jeff Stier. When it comes to food safety, the European Union and the United States have some of the most effective scientific and regulatory programs in the world. So it came as a surprise when France flouted the studies and assurances of EU and US food safety regulators and sought to ban the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in any food contact item starting in 2015. Read the full article on Euractiv. … [Read more...]
