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Thu, Dec 18, 2008
Holiday Health - Chemicals in our Gifts
It's holiday gift-giving time. Remember all
those toy recalls? California and the federal government
both have new laws banning certain chemicals, but they
don't go into effect until the new year. Join Health
Dialogues as we navigate the murky waters of healthy
gift giving this holiday season.
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Host: Scott Shafer
A Sea of Chemicals
Most of us have little idea what chemicals are
in the things that we buy. We think government
safeguards us, regulating things like lead in toys. That
much is true. But what about the more than 80,000
chemicals used in manufacturing today? As it turns out,
almost all of them are completely unstudied and unregulated.
Guests:
- Dr. Mike Wilson, PhD, environmental health scientist with the School of Public Health, UC Berkeley.
The Secrets in Makeup
The Food and Drug Administration was created to
protect Americans from dangers in consumer products. But
lobbyists succeeded in leaving cosmetics explicitly out
of the FDA's reach. Today, no one uses more of those
potentially dangerous products than teenage girls. From
KPBS, Kenny Goldberg reports.
Chemicals and You / The U.S. vs. The European Union
The FDA and EPA are supposed to be protecting
us from potential health and environmental risks. How
good a job are they doing? Host Scott Shafer put that
question to a couple of journalists who cover the issue.
Guests:
- Mark Schapiro, editorial director of the Center for Investigative Reporting, and author of "Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power"
- Sarah Varney, KQED health reporter
Green Chemistry - Government and Industry Weigh In
Here in California, the agency charged with
protecting public health and the environment from toxic
chemicals is the Department of Toxic Substances Control,
part of the California EPA. Host Scott Shafer speaks
with the DTSC and the chemical industry about the Green
Chemistry movement in California.
Guests:
- Maureen Gorsen, director of the Department of Toxic Substances Control at the California EPA
- Tim Shesteck, director of state affairs and grass roots for the American Chemistry Council
What Happens to E-Waste?
We've heard a lot about the things we use and
how they can harm us. But the potential hazard doesn't
end once we throw our products away. In fact, in the
case of e-waste (electronic gadgets like cell phones and
i-Pods), disposal is where the problem often begins.
Join Scott Shafer on a trip to the San Francisco dump.
Green Toys
All these green chemistry initiatives in
California raise the question: what would consumer
products look like in this new world of green chemistry?
KQED health reporter Sarah Varney found one company who
just might have the answer.
