"Last-Ditch Regulatory Mischief," By Paul Driessen. As time ticks down on the Obama administration, its appointees and minions in federal agencies across America are scrambling to deliver last-minute favors to their favorite constituencies — especially environmentalists. ...A perfect example involves the Interior Department's Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which among other things plays a central role in administering the Endangered Species Act. ... in recent years the act has been invoked to … [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...]
Rachel Carson’s Destructive Acts
January 9, 2017
"Rachel Carson's 'Heedless And Destructive Acts,'" By Henry I. Miller. Environmental activists gathered last month in Washington DC to celebrate the legacy of the late author Rachel Carson, who gained fame for her book, 'Silent Spring.' ... They’d have done better to pick up trash at a local park. The book is still revered by many (especially by those who haven’t actually read it), but its legacy is anything but positive. ... As detailed by Roger Meiners and Andy Morriss in their scholarly yet … [Read more...]
Over-regulation is Counter-Productive
January 5, 2017
"Over-Regulating Things Like Asbestos is Counter Productive," By Henry I. Miller. Several years ago I participated in a colloquium whose title was something like “Advancing Technology: Thinking Outside the Box.” The presentations ranged from the ever-more imaginative uses of robots (fascinating) to irrigating the Sahara Desert for growing crops that by mid-century could sustain the planet’s burgeoning population (unconvincing). My lecture was the most mundane: I proposed that smarter and more … [Read more...]
Targeting Unaccountable EPA Programs
December 20, 2016
"Congress Should Target Unaccountable EPA Programs," By Angela Logomasini, Ph.D. The newly elected congressional majority should be ready and willing to help implement President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to tackle onerous regulations. But what about so called “non-regulatory programs” that have significant public policy and marketplace impacts? Congress can address problems associated with such programs by defunding them or by bringing them under the authority of existing environmental laws. … [Read more...]
EWG’s Skin-Deep Pseduoscience
December 20, 2016
"EWG Cries Racial Injustice Over Product Safety," by The Center for Accountability. Last week, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) once again stoked the flames of fear with pseudoscience. The group’s latest update to its Skin Deep Cosmetics Database identified 1 in 12 products marketed to African American women as being “highly hazardous,” with fewer than one fourth receiving a “low hazard” rating. Considering the average woman owns 40 different makeup products – a value that doesn’t even … [Read more...]
Wolves, Puppies and Proposition 65
December 20, 2016
"Wolf in Puppy’s Clothing," By Center for Accountability in Science. Three economists out of Harvard and Vanderbilt recently published a paper on risk management which reflects much of what we believe about warning labels. Current warning systems, such as California’s Proposition 65, fail to differentiate between large and small risks – or, as the authors put it, wolves and puppies. Puppies are common, and although their nip may hurt, a pup doesn’t pose much of a threat. Wolves, on the other … [Read more...]
Pesticide Safety
December 20, 2016
"How Can Pesticides Be Safe?," By Steve Savage. Many people may find it difficult to imagine how a pesticide could ever be safe. To understand how that is possible, it is helpful to make the comparison with something more familiar: electricity. It is hard to envision modern life without electricity. As much as we enjoy and need this source of energy, it involves some hazards. Electricity can, and sometimes does, cause injury or death. Yet overall, we think of using electricity as a reasonably … [Read more...]
Carson’s Dangerous Anti-Chemical Legacy
December 20, 2016
"Activists Celebrate Carson’s Dangerous Anti-Chemical Legacy," By Angela Logomasini. Environmental activists are gathering today to celebrate the legacy of the late author and biologist Rachel Carson at an event hosted by the Environmental Energy and Study Institute. Yet this legacy is nothing to celebrate. Carson’s writings included many inflammatory and misleading claims about chemicals, claims that have long been rebuked by scientists. Yet her rhetoric spawned a radical environmental … [Read more...]
Acrylamide Fear-Mongering
December 20, 2016
"Stupid Spelt Backwards: Acrylamide," By David Zaruk, The Riskmonger. In the early 2000s, when risk issues were popping up like poison mushrooms, the Swedish regulators decided to raise alarm bells about the health risks from acrylamide (with human exposures brought about by cooking starchy foods). While other perceived risks attracted patient calls for further research (EMF, GMOs, EDCs, MMR …), the risk from acrylamide exposure drew howls of laughter and cemented Sweden’s reputation as … [Read more...]
Worst Science Websites
November 30, 2016
"The Worst Websites for Science in 2016,"By Ross Pomeroy. Two weeks ago, we revealed our picks for the top science websites of 2016. Whether you seek quality coverage of the latest discoveries, have questions about the validity of the latest fads or diets, or are simply looking for a place to sate your burning curiosity, you can count on those outlets to deliver solid, evidence-based content. We cannot say the same for the organizations we'll be mentioning today. The Internet is full of … [Read more...]
BPA Exposure During Pregnancy
November 30, 2016
"Should Pregnant Women Be Concerned About BPA?" By Steve Hentges. A recent study from French government researchers reported new results on the exposure of pregnant women to more than 100 substances that might be a concern for the health of a developing fetus. The study examined exposure to various metals (e.g., lead, mercury, arsenic) and many common organic compounds that we might encounter in our daily lives. Included in the study was bisphenol A (BPA), which is used primarily as a building … [Read more...]
Fight Zika with Regulatory Reform
November 30, 2016
"Trump Could Fight Zika with Regulatory Reform" By Angela Logomasini, Ph.D. President-elect Donald Trump has promised that he will focus on reversing an expanding federal regulatory burden. As part of that agenda, he should address regulatory hurdles that undermine efforts to control dangerous mosquito-transmitted diseases, such as the Zika virus. Quick action on Zika is essential as it spreads in Florida with potential serious health effects. Zika can cause microcephaly, a serious and … [Read more...]
Glyphosate Politics
November 30, 2016
"While Unlikely To Be Carcinogenic, The Herbicide Glyphosate Is A Symptom Of A Deep Social Pathology," By Geoffrey Kabat. On both sides of the Atlantic a battle is raging between starkly opposed views of what science tells us about risks to our health emanating from our surroundings, including our food, water, and the wider environment. This battle often pits advocates, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), politicians, and partisan scientists, who have little ability or inclination to evaluate … [Read more...]
No Need to Fear Pesticide Residue
November 30, 2016
"Do You Really Need To Worry About Pesticide Residues On Your Food?" By Steve Savage. Many Americans have concerns about pesticide residues on food – particularly for fruits and vegetables. In contrast with that oft-communicated perception, the safety of our food supply is well documented. One reason for this disconnect is that there are activist groups (non-governmental organizations) that consistently promote the idea that consumers should buy organic versions of certain crops in order to … [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...]
The Color White Classified as “Possible Carcinogen”
November 18, 2016
"New Research Brief: 5 Things to Know About Titanium Dioxide," By Center for Accountability in Science. After hearing that the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (Anses) recently proposed classifying titanium dioxide as a Category 1b carcinogen, we at the Center for Accountability in Science have been busy compiling evidence, and the verdict is in. Titanium dioxide is most widely used white pigment in paints, coatings, plastics, paper, inks, fibers, … [Read more...]
War on Women’s Personal Care Choices
November 1, 2016
"Activists Wage War on Women's Personal Care Choices," By Angela Logomasini, Ph.D. I suspect most women would agree that when you find a skin care product that works, you stick with it. But activist groups are waging war against many key ingredients in our personal care regimens based on highly speculative and questionable science. Both regulators and manufacturers are responding with product bans or “voluntary” product reformulations, leaving women with fewer options. For example, you may soon … [Read more...]
Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals
November 1, 2016
"‘Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals’ Are Not A Global Health Scourge" By Julie Gunlock. Yesterday, the Drudge Report featured an alarming story about endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are in nearly every product we use. Yahoo News’ story “Massive US health tab for hormone-disrupting chemicals“ was just the sort of article that sends people into a panic and will cause many to toss out perfectly harmless and affordable everyday products. In summary: a new study alleges “endocrine-disrupting … [Read more...]
Misleading BPA Warning Labels on Canned Food
October 31, 2016
"WARNING: BPA Warning Labels Threaten Public Health," By Angela Logomasini, Ph.D. The state of California has extended an emergency rule that allows companies to wait until January 2017 before placing a warning on the label of food packaging containing the chemical Bisphenol A. Supposedly, BPA poses a health risk that demands this warning label, under California’s Proposition 65 law. Rather than place the warning label on the packaging, stores must post signs that BPA may pose health risks and … [Read more...]
EPA Delay on Glyphosate
October 31, 2016
Why Did the EPA Delay Its Glyphosate Safety Report? By Julie Kelly. The Environmental Protection Agency is punting a final decision on the safety of the controversial weedkiller glyphosate to the next administration. Since 2009, the agency has been conducting a registration review of glyphosate, one of the world most widely-used herbicides, and evaluating any risk to human and environmental health, an assessment required every 15 years. Read more. Save Save … [Read more...]
Phony Claims about “Endocrine Disrupter” Costs
October 31, 2016
"Are Chemicals Really Costing Us Billions?" By Joseph Perrone, Sc.D. A report recently published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology garnered a lot of attention by claiming that endocrine-disrupting chemicals cost the U.S. $340 billion in healthcare and lost productivity. Certain chemicals are theorized to cause health problems by interfering with the endocrine system, which regulates a number of bodily functions through hormone action. Despite the media attention which may imply … [Read more...]
BPA Safety Standard Confirmed, Again
October 17, 2016
"The European Food Safety Authority has Looked Again… and Confirms: No Need to Change the Safety Threshold for BPA," By BPACoalition.org. “Saying something, is one thing; proving it is another” The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently conducted a review of two studies on BPA, and confirmed that there is no need to change the safety threshold for BPA. The former conclusion remains valid: BPA doesn’t pose any risks for health, at levels we’re incidentally exposed to in our daily lives. … [Read more...]
Misleading BPA-Free Labels
October 17, 2016
"BPA-Free, With Regrets," By Steve Hentges. Not that many years ago, many reusable food and beverage containers on the market worldwide were made from polycarbonate plastic. Polycarbonate, which is made from bisphenol A (BPA), is an almost ideal material for these products since its clarity is comparable to glass, making it easy to see what’s inside, and it’s virtually shatter-proof – an important attribute for consumer products that could be dropped. For years though, BPA has attracted … [Read more...]
‘Advocacy Research’ Discredits Science
October 11, 2016
"'Advocacy Research' Discredits Science And Aids Unprincipled Activism," By Henry I. Miller and Robert Wager. The scientific research enterprise today is in something of a quandary. Various empirical studies show that 80-90% of the claims coming from scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals fail to replicate. (To simplify that statistic, that’s equivalent to only a 10-20% success rate for recipes from a cookbook.) For the most part this is due to flaws in the design of experiments, … [Read more...]
