CBS anchor Katie Couric said, "Twenty years ago, one live birth in 20,000 showed signs of Autism; today, one child in 120 births suffers Autism. Scientists are not sure, but feel it has something to do with chemicals in our environment."

Few Americans think about the details of adding 100 million people to this country within 25 years. They think less of the consequences. Anyone speaking about business and success along with stock market-celebrates growth, more growth and endless growth.

The late economist Kenneth Boulding said, "The only people that push for unlimited growth are madmen and economists."

He added, "Economics has been incurably growth-oriented and addicted to everybody growing richer, even at the cost of exhaustion of resources and pollution of the environment."

Who pays in our overpopulated America of 2010? Answer: along with animals, plants and eco systems-our children!

 

"Today at The University of Medicine and Dentistry in Newark, Senator Frank Lautenberg was joined by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and other environmental health experts to examine the impact of toxic chemicals on children's health," reported <http://www.EnvironmentAmerica.org>www.EnvironmentAmerica.org .

 

 

"The hearing comes as the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee deliberates on the 'Safe Chemicals Act', a bill sponsored by Senator Lautenberg that would fix current chemical policy to better protect children and families from harmful chemicals."

 

 

"The risk of doing nothing to better protect our children from dangerous chemicals has become far too great," Senator Lautenberg said.  "The government lacks the basic tools to require adequate testing in the lab.  My legislation seeks to fix America's broken system for regulating industrial chemicals.  The 'Safe Chemicals Act' would provide parents with assurances that the products they buy for their families are safe."

 

 

"It's absurd that everyday products like water bottles and strollers could pose a toxic threat to our health.  We know there's a serious problem when buying a baby bottle for your child is risky business," said Dena Mottola Jaborska, Executive Director of Environment New Jersey.  "This hearing highlights the urgent need to pass comprehensive chemical reform."

 

 

"Under current chemical policy, thousands of chemicals on the market have not been proven safe, and many times have been linked to diseases like obesity, learning disabilities, and cancer," reported EnvironmentAmerica.org.  "Industries are not required to prove their products are safe; instead they are allowed to use these chemicals until they are proven unsafe by the EPA-a standard for which even asbestos does not qualify. Additionally, chemical industries are allowed to use these same chemicals without disclosing them to the general public.

 

 

"Environment New Jersey and Environment America want industries to be required to disclose all chemicals they use and prove that the chemicals they use are safe before they hit the market, while phasing out the use of the most toxic chemicals entirely."

 

 

As of 2010, with over 80,000 chemicals created by humanity, a scant two percent undergo testing to determine safety or non-toxicity. Thus, cancer rates grow, birth defects add up, water purity degrades, air purity drops and soil balance continues to break down.

 

 

"Almost every day we read about a new, toxic threat in our households.  It's time to keep these dangerous chemicals out of our homes in the first place," Mottola Jaborska said.  "We need to pass the 'Safe Chemicals Act' now."

You might be interested in a book by Dr. Sandra Steingraber, Living Downstream, about how companies exhaust their chemicals into rivers, land and the air. She contracted cancer at an early age. That inspired her toward a Ph.D. to investigate how humans inject chemicals into the environment and the ultimate consequences.

 

 

Book reviewer Glenn D'Alesso said, "With her heart and science, Ms. Steingraber gives us the history of how products (including agricultural ones) made of natural chemicals increasingly have been remade with synthetic chemicals since the last two world wars. Restrictions on newly created dangerous chemicals were not considered for fear of causing another post war depression after 1945. Some of the synthetic chemicals find their ways into our cells by being similar enough to natural hormones, yet alien enough, that our bodies' defense mechanisms are fooled, sometimes becoming cannibalized to turn malignantly against us.

 

 

"She gives us a scientifically based (with nearly 300 references) ecological picture of what's going on to needlessly make some people sick and die. There are approximately 7,500 synthetic chemicals in use. Usually these risks are calculated only after exceedingly high percentages of us die.

 

 

"Some chemicals like Benzene (an additive to gasoline) despite being known carcinogens, are still allowed to be used. Instead of using us as guinea pigs, Steingraber explains, the "precautionary principle" should be adopted. This means new chemicals should be tested for what harm they may cause. Absolute proof, usually a body count is not necessary. "Reverse onus," is a similar principle, meaning chemicals should be demonstrated to be safe. For dangerous chemicals that seem indispensable, "least toxic alternatives" should be developed. For example, there are already alternatives to using chlorine for eliminating pathogens in our drinking water."

 

 

"Ms. Steingraber grew up fast after innocently HAVING BEEN GIVEN CANCER at a young age. Perhaps that's why she cherishes children, who are more susceptible to carcinogens than adults. Our government only sets standards for carcinogens based on adults' more sluggish metabolisms -- that is, when "economics" doesn't override human health."

 

 

"Walking along the toxic yet beautiful Illinois River with her sister's children, Ms Steingraber points out the absurdity of the EPA writing reports about keeping children away from that river. Rivers are like The Wind in the Willows to children, even when the wind is poisoned, and willows, most ducks or talking toads don't live there anymore. Instead of letting us continue to ignore these problems she offers this advice, "Maybe we adults need only demonstrate an attitude of passionate attention about where we live."

 

 

Cancers in all forms kill more Americans and more humans around the planet than any other cause except old age. Chemicals cause aberrant cell behavior as well as DNA mutations. Can we even begin to understand the amount of chemicals released into the air, water and land with an added 100 million Americans? Will future generations enjoy a pristine environment? Not a chance!

 

 

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Frosty Wooldridge has bicycled across six continents - from the Arctic to the South Pole - as well as six times across the USA, coast to coast and border to border. In 2005, he bicycled from the Arctic Circle, Norway to Athens, Greece. He presents "The Coming Population Crisis in America: and what you can do about it" to civic clubs, church groups, high schools and colleges. He works to bring about sensible world population balance at www.frostywooldridge.com He is the author of: America on the Brink: The Next Added 100 Million Americans. Copies available: 1 888 280 7715