350,000 nasty chemicals sloshing around and we're banning masks? Aug 16 2024

On “Do Not Resuscitate (This System”) this week (ending August 16, 2024), I focus on how our health is affected by environmental factors, which don’t get much attention in our reimbursement-based payments system. The regulatory apparatus is rigged by laws forcing the government to prove harm rather than requiring industries to prove safety. And all the while we're flooded with tendentious propaganda about "environmental zealots" interfering with noble industries. To top it all off, Nassau County in New York has just decided to ban. . . masks! A harmless protective measure is the target while we let all sorts of junk merrily penetrate us through air, water, and food. 

You can get my print digest by writing to tfrasca@yahoo.com, and here are links to all the articles mentioned: 

William Boyd, “How environmental law created a world awash in toxic chemicals,” Law and Political Economy Project, May 28, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WC4f7i

Naomi Oreskes, “Asbestos is finally banned in the U.S. Here’s why it took so long,” Scientific American, May 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/44Zi3g1

Jack Guy, “Microplastics discovered in human penises for the first time,” CNN, Jun 19, 2024 https://cnn.it/3M0zsMF

Kate Aronoff, “Is big oil putting microplastic in your testicles? And if they are—should someone do something about that?” The New Republic, May 22, 2024 https://bit.ly/4cjBD9h

Alex Brown, “States need to keep PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ out of the water. It won’t be cheap,” Stateline, May 21, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Vo3cbO

Micah Toll, “The ‘one simple trick’ Paris used to reduce air pollution 40% ahead of Olympics,” Electrek, Jun 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/3AnXJcZ

They kicked out cars, provided alternative forms of transportation, tripled parking fees for large SUVs. I guess that’s three tricks.

Susan Pulliam, “The EPA cop who became a warrior for ‘forever chemicals,’” Wall Street Journal, May 22, 2024 https://on.wsj.com/3yX58yX

Hannah Norman & Patricia Kime, “Exposed to Agent Orange at US bases, veterans face cancer without VA compensation,” KFF Health News/USA Today, Apr 29, 2024 https://bit.ly/3yyKx3N

Zoey Becker, “With ruling, Pfizer can escape some claims in legal battle over Chantix carcinogen allegations,” FiercePharma, May 29, 2024 https://bit.ly/3SJ4JY4

Andy Miller, “Toxic gas adds to a long history of pollution in southwest Memphis,” KFF Health News/USA Today, May 1, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WLHm15  

Hiroko Tabuchi, “EPA pulls from the market a weedkiller harmful to fetuses,” New York Times, Aug 6, 2024 https://nyti.ms/3X28Gtp

Deborah Mary Sophia, “US agency puts onus on Amazon for sale of hazardous third-party products, Reuters, Jul 30, 2024,” https://reut.rs/3yGo1Xh

Ted Alcorn, “Alcohol industry panics as healthier habits cut sales,” Think Global Health, Jul 24, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WNkGxA

Dietrich Knauth, “Scientist defeats J&J lawsuit over cancer research,” Reuters, Jul 1, 2024 https://reut.rs/3SILaiH

Kiley Bense, “Pennsylvania, Ohio residents affected by East Palestine derailment say needs still not being met,” Inside Climate News/Pennsylvania Capitol-Star, Jun 8, 2024 https://bit.ly/3X0Z5mA

Suzanne Robotti, “The FDA should withdraw approval of more than 400 tainted medicines,” STAT, Aug 12, 2024 https://bit.ly/3X1oWuD

Julie B. Zimmerman et al., “How tobacco companies use chemistry to get around menthol bans,” Scientific American, Jun 3, 2024 https://bit.ly/3WHYchE

Nicholas DeVito, “Ultra-processed foods: the tobacco of the 21st century?” STAT, Aug 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/3M27SyB

Anne N. Thorndike, “Small changes in food ‘choice environments’ in stores can make a healthy difference,” STAT, Aug 9, 2024 https://bit.ly/4fGD8k9

Lambert Strether, “Mask bans slowly spread [cough, cough] in states and localities,” Naked Capitalism, Aug 11, 2024 https://bit.ly/3X2Qosc