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Dec. 4th, 2008 02:16 pm
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Gore: Crisis of Citizenship Impedes Addressing Environmental Crises


1. US pollutants killing the Inuit in Arctic. The US has released pollutants and toxins into our environment and these poisons were carried north by sea currents and weather patterns, contaminating sea animals eaten by the Inuit and the water they drink. Researchers have documented for the first time that "unacceptable levels" of environmental toxins are in the bodies of some of the Inuit. The level of contamination in the animals and in mothers' breast milk is exponentially higher than that level deemed to be hazardous waste when found in soil.
2. Our bodies are contaminated by chemicals and pesticides that pollute our air, water, food and land. Please meet Patricia, Denis and Deb. They were part of a group from Washington state who volunteered blood, urine and hair samples to be tested for eight classes of chemicals. They are not "walking toxic waste dumps" yet, but the level of pesticides and chemicals in their bodies "were high enough to make both scientists and subjects sit up and take notice."
"Dr. Patricia Dawson, 56, a Seattle surgeon, had the dubious honor of having 38 chemicals detected in her chemical profile. Her PBDE levels were near those found to cause reproductive problems in laboratory animals. Her levels of DDT (banned since 1972) were greater than 90 percent of the U.S. population.
Denis Hayes, president of the Bullitt Foundation and a founder of Earth Day, was found to have mercury above a level deemed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency. Mercury has the potential for causing learning deficits.
Deb Abrahamson, 51, a Native American living on the Spokane Indian Reservation, and the Rev. Ann Holmes Redding, 54, of Seattle, were found to have very high levels of pesticides."
3. In 2005, the World Bank issued a report that linked cancers to environmental conditions.
"For almost all forms of cancer, the risk of contracting this disease can be reduced if physical environments are safe for human habitation and food items are safe for consumption."
Certain illnesses have increased over the past few decades: Autism has increased tenfold, one type of leukemia increased by 62%, male birth defects doubled and childhood brain cancer increased by 40%. And, another study claims to have linked chemical pollutants used to manufacture products as a contributing factor to "soaring rates of breast cancer."
4. Our government does not know what constitutes a "safe" level of pollutant. How many times how we heard our government or a corporation say, "hey, don't worry about this particular pollutant that you are drinking, eating or breathing because it's usage is at a safe level?"
Our government operates under the assumption that any pollutant has a safe level which may be discharged into our environment for ultimate consumption by us. In fact, only 25% of the chemicals used in the US have ever been tested for toxicity. That means 75% of the chemicals are released into our environment and homes without any testing for toxicity.
We are the guinea pigs who ultimately determine what constitutes a safe level of exposure.MORE

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