blurbs

[ttweed@wildrockies.org (Tony Tweedale)]

"Just One Word: Plastics [Homefront]." New York Times, 22 January 99, W1, W10.
The residential market for high-end houses made from plastics, PVC and
fiber glass is growing. Several building companies, like Royal Group
Technologies, await patents or have already been approved for and are
building synthetic homes. In general, the synthetic houses are modeled
after traditional designs and are economical, versatile and resistant to
"rot, beasts and children with crayons". Termites included.
Environmentalists are concerned, however, about PVC which emits dioxin when
it burns. Gwain Cornish, a senior vice president and chemist at Royal Group
Technologies, retorts that "Even mashed potatoes give off more toxins than
PVC"'.


"Why Are Fewer Boys Being Born? [Letters to the Editor]." Wall Street
Journal, 5 February 99, A15.
Devra Lee Davis, Ph.D., Director, Health, Environment and Development
Program, World Resources Institute, also identified as previously having
served as a scholar in residence at the National Research Council of the
National Academy of Sciences, writes in response to Michael Fumento's Jan.
21 editorial page column "Medical Journals Give New Meaning to Political
Science.'" She begins by explaining why her and her colleagues' April 1998
JAMA study on male reproductive health chose 1970 as the beginning point
for their analysis, then continues by reporting some of their findings. She
describes some of the still unanswered questions about the role of the
environment and other factors, including problems with scientific
methodology and the decisions that are made when conducting studies. She
concludes: "The issues raised by our research and similar studies in other
countries constitute serious matters that can be resolved only by further
scientific research and assessment. The continued health of the species
depends on our ability to produce healthy children, when and if we choose
to do so. Anything that indicates disruption of reproductive function
should be treated as `a matter of grave importance for public health,' as
we wrote in our JAMA article."


"Sailors Hit by Fallout from Plant. U.S. Wants Japan to Close Incinerator."
Washington Times, 28 December 98, A1, A8.
For nearly a decade, U.S. Navy personnel and their families living near the
industrial incinerator on the edge of the naval air base in Atsugi, Japan,
have been exposed to cancer-causing chemicals such as dioxin, as well as
poisons such as lead. The Navy will complete a yearlong assessment of the
problem this spring and hopes to use the findings to convince Japan to
clean up the incinerator or shut it down. Sidebar: "Toxic Waste'' is a map.


"Decline in Otters' Number May Be Sign of Danger to Species." New York
Times, 28 December 98, A17.
The biological resources division of the USGS recently released the second
of its bi-yearly surveys which shows a disturbing rate of decline in
southern sea otters off the central California coast. While the population
drop may be attributable to several factors, Andy Johnson, manager of the
sea otter rescue and conservation program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium,
strongly suspects pollution and disease. Chemical contaminants like PCB's
and DDT, along with parasites or infection, have been found in the tissues
of dead otters. Concern that man may be adversely affecting the near-shore
ecosystem and contaminating the otter's food sources is expressed in the
article.