Page 48 - DIVA_1_2008_No.32

Toxic!

Book review by Andrew Pickens

My parents have friends who Union, and with phthalates for families, may be standing on the
export to the United States. shoulders of the giant European
date well before my birth. Some
European manufacturers have Union, which now includes 480
are actually making a difference
found far less toxic alternatives million people spreading across
in the next generation's quality
and European kids have as many 27 countries-but people and
of life. One of them is like an plastic animals and other goofy businesses here are more aware
intellectual god-father of sorts.
playthings as their American than in the US of public health
His name is Mark Schapiro and
counterparts." risks/costs triggered by exposu-
he's based in San Francisco. He
re to toxic chemicals. We can
has written a book that will
Mark has opened up this impor- always do more in Switzerland.
make a BIG difference. It's entit-
tant environmental time-bomb--
led: "Exposed: The Toxic
so the question arises: Why is the More good news is that people
Chemistry ofEveryday Products
US lagging so far behind Europe? are opting to act, while the
and What's at Stake for United States, as Mark confides,
American Power" (Chelsea According to Mark, illegal sub- "remains complacent with the
Green, White River Junction,
stances like lead are integrated status quo." So for those parents
VT, 2007, 1SBN978-1-933392-
into toys and shipped to the with second thoughts about rai-
15-8.)
United States from China. He sing kids in America versus
notes that, "they slip into the Europe, can be comforted that
Mark is a muckraker and we are
country past the eviscerated aging European politicians
proud of the fact that he dares to
Consumer Product Safety worry about removing toys with
expose the industries and
Commission (CPSC), whose sole phthalates from babies'
government policies that are
toy inspector spends most of his cribs.. .and ultimately their
allowing toxic toys to be sold
time making sure toys don't break mouths.
and then innocently placed in
in children's hands, rather than
babies' cribs. Less than a decade
assessing the toxic substances So having a long-time friend is a
or two, those toys could have
that enter into their body. In fact, valuable asset. Having a really
been in our cribs, and as the
the CPSC's budget has dropped smart one who is making a diffe-
saying goes--any available
almost in parallel with the rising rence in shaping the next gene-
orifice. Danger!
reliance of U.S. toy manufactu- ration and keeping it a healthier
rers on production in China." and safer world for our kids, is
Mark also has a blog at the the cherry on the cake.
Center for Investigative
Maybe the US presidential
Reporting based in Berkeley.
elections will change the course Mark Schapiro is the editorial
He is editorial director and tells
of events in November 2007. director of Center for
us that we should not worry as
Presidential hopeful Hillary Investigative Reporting (CIR),
much when we buy a "Made in
Clinton is calling for vigilance of and author of Exposed: The
China" toy here in Europe ver-
US imports from China. The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday
sus the US. He writes, "Take
others--like Barack Obama-may Products and What's at Stake for
toys, for example: the
follow as the political debate American Power.
Europeans responded to a gro- heats up.
wing body of evidence sugges-
Andrew Pickens, Grade 11,
ting that aplastic additive called
Mark points out however, "It's Chataigneraie, International
phthalates may contribute to
not just illegal substances like School of Geneva, age 16
decreased production of testos-
lead that are being
terone in infant boys by banning
integrated into an
the substance from use in pro-
array of consumer
ducts aimed at children under products. A host of
the age of three. Much of the evi- substances suspected
dence used by the Europeans to
of causing cancer,
make that decision came from
mutating genes and
American scientists, some of
disrupting the repro-
whom have been supported in
ductive system are
their research by our own
permitted in the
Environmental
Protection
US..
Agency (EPA). But there has
been no one in the US govern-
The good news is that
ment willing to listen.
Europe
(and
Switzerland staying
The result: toys are manufactu-
on guard), are ban-
red in China without phthalates
fling toxins from use.
for export to the European
We, Swiss-based
46 1 2008 Diva
www.dtvainternationat.Ch