Last year I had the pleasure of learning about the work of Dr. Cecilia Martinez and Shalini Gupta, co-founders of Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy (CEED), because of a writing assignment from Minnesota Women’s Press. On April 19, 2016, they participated in a discussion with me at the Earth Day-inspired Fierce Lament event, “The…
Tag Archive for toxins
Toxins
FAQ: What Do We Know About Minneapolis Air Pollution?
An overview of how Minneapolis air pollution is impacted by shifting weather patterns, emissions from buildings and cars, and what we can do about it.After several people reported this week increased asthma issues — one friend ended up in urgent care — I looked into what we know about Minneapolis air pollution. From Minnesota Pollution…
Toxins
How Do We Make the Rape of Land and People Visible?
“Sustainable We” Forum April 19, 2016 The Club Room at Red Stag Sustainable We forum #5 was titled “The Visibility Cloak,” part of the citywide Fierce Lament activities coordinated by art activist Camille Gage. How are we making the rape of our land/air/water and people visible? How do important issues come to light — especially…
Toxins
Do You Know What You Are Breathing?
When microbeads were brought to the public’s attention nationally as an unnecessary environmental toxin, it didn’t take much time for us to get legislation moving and to pressure manufacturers to phase out their use. Those tiny, shiny bits of plastic, used as a kind of exfoliant in personal care products, are visible. My theory is…
Toxins
The Visibility Cloak: Creating Collective Attention
At an April 19 “Sustainable We” forum, the topic was how we make the invisible visible. Discussion leaders included Sarah Super of Break the Silence, who gives voice to rape survivors partly by telling her own story… Kathleen Schuler of Healthy Legacy, who works to reduce dangerous toxins in the home… and Shalini Gupta of…
Toxins
What Gives Us Cancer? A Primer on Indoor Air Toxins
In educating myself about air quality issues in Minneapolis, I’ve become more aware of what most of us don’t realize — how much toxicity we are exposed to in our own homes. Low-income communities in particular tend to be vulnerable because of multiple exposure: 1) they live in areas that have worse outdoor air quality…
Toxins
Creating a Healthy Legacy: Reducing home toxins
On April 19, 2016, the “Sustainable We” forum was about “The Visibility Cloak” – how do we get attention to the very real dangers around us that tend to remain hidden? The discussion featured Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy – which brings attention to the disproportionate air pollution in Minneapolis – and Healthy Legacy,…
Toxins
The Future Is… Toxins
John Warner has been promoting green chemistry since 1990. Here’s why we haven’t seen a revolution in making our products and manufacturing processes safer.As I’ve mentioned, my father was an analytical chemist who went into plastics/polymers partly because of one of the infamous lines in The Graduate. He worked for Archer-Daniels and was a manager…
Toxins
When People Make Toxic Tides Shift
In 2002, the Denver-based insulation company Johns Manville decided that the science (and market) around the dangers of formaldehyde were too strong to ignore, and it stopped using the chemical to make insulation. At the time, the company reported, “While there is no evidence to suggest that the level of formaldehyde released by traditionally bonded…
Toxins
Who Regulates Toxins?
“Policy makers and regulators are regularly called on to make decisions based on the best information/science available at the time, which is often incomplete. That’s where considerations such as risk tolerance and level of protectiveness come into the discussion, and these factors are more about societal values than scientific knowledge.” — Sharon Lotthammer, Minnesota Pollution…