I thought I’d share this article about a chemical widely found in plastics that is thought to be toxic (at least by the Canadians). I came across this article for biology because we’ve been learning about hormones and the chemical in the article, bisphenol A or BPA, is thought to act as an endocrine disrupter. But I also thought it related to our class, especially in how different governments have reacted and the role that industry has played.
Just food for thought…
- How large a role should the federal government play in protecting the health of their citizens? (vs. states, health agencies, etc.) “In the United States, about half a dozen states have banned BPA in children’s products. The federal government has taken no action, saying there is no proof of harm in humans. But health and regulatory agencies have concerns about BPA and have commissioned more studies.”
- How is it that Britain and the U.S found it to not be toxic, while Canada, France, and Germany did (based on the same scientific evidence?) What does this show about these countries interests? (Note the line: “Canada’s move, which was strenuously fought by the chemical industry….”)
What makes Canada so different?
- Do you think the American Chemistry Association’s argument, that Canada’s announcement will “unnecessary confuse and alarm the public”, is legitimate?
- Why do some health issues get more media attention than others?
“The compound was formally listed as being toxic to both the environment and human health in an official notice published online by the government without fanfare, a noticeable contrast to the earlier baby bottle announcement, which was made by two cabinet ministers.”
- Does BPA’s high prevalence in products add or take away from an argument against it?
Also, I noticed that even though the federal government has not declared BPA to be a toxic substance, water bottle companies like Nalgene are still now making “BPA free” bottles…..
boy you ask a lot of questions, Zoe! 🙂
A #1. As prescribed by the Constitution, the US government role is oversight, a term being really pushed about by Republicans today, Congress’s role is to have oversight over the White House, the Executive Branch. Congress makes the laws and we, the citizens, can challenge these laws through our judicial system. This is pretty straightforward as to the role of government in securing us from harm, be it foreign, domestic and chemical.
The problem surfaces when we follow the money; that is, who or what enterprise supports what congressperson, even the President of the US. This is when the famed “K Street” comes into play (you guys should take a walk down this street if ever in DC — you might learn something, simply by looking at the proximity of special interests to government; it’s out in the open). Lobbying is lucrative. The challenge to government — and for us, the citizens that want things from our government — is the struggle (there’s that word, writing assignment #3) that pits citizen against citizen, corporate interests vs private, corporate interests vs government’s role.
A #2. I don’t know what makes Canada different, other than to suggest that they’ve placed a higher premium on handling public health in meaningful and creative ways.
In all, whether we’re talking France, the UK, the USA, Canada, whoever, it boils down to something I said early on in the semester: it comes down to the difficult work, the very difficult task of changing perceptions. Following Tuesday’s elections, it’s obvious that the citizenry is not happy; however, this was not a condemnation of Obama’s policies, rather it was a condemnation of the means by which we’re trying to move forward. The American citizen wants work, a suitable living; Congress is in a stalemate that’s governed by special interests. This is a major difference in many of these country’s approaches to governance.
A #3: Yes, we’re stupid and can’t read nor can we critique.
A #4: Follow the money: who is getting what money for research? And does the health problem have research potential that can be garnered by our major R1 universities? I’m cynical: this is part of the equation.
A #5: I believe that the answer to this question is closely related to #’s 1, 2 and 4.
Well done, Zoe!