correction: 1930

["Jon Campbell" <jon@cqs.com>]

  Hello again,
  
  There was essentially no dioxin present on earth until
  the '30s, when
  the mass production of organochlorines began.
  
  The idea that dioxin is part of our natural world was
  promoted by
  infamous and disreputed Dow study, "Trace Chemistries
  of Fire",
  published in 1979. It was proven fallacious by studies
  of lake
  sediments (Czuczwa, 1984, 1985, 1986) showing that
  dioxin did
  not appear in any but trivial quantities before 1940
  in sediments.
  
  However, when the Dow study fell into disrepute, we as
  environmentalists
  ignored one important gem (obsidian - the death gem)
  of knowledge
  from the study: it fortold the massive dioxin
  contamination of the planet
  that was to come of MUNICIPAL WASTE INCINERATION of
  common
  organochlorine household products!
  
  Yes, Dr. Bill, we appreciate all the hard work done by
  the scientific teams
  from the Chlorine Chemical Council. We now read
  everything you publish
  from cover to cover, throw away what we think might be
  science bent
  in the corporate interest, and use what we think is
  probably good science
  to find ways to eliminate organochlorine production
  worldwide.
  
  I really do wish the members of that organization
  would consider switching
  to non-chlorine alternatives, and start calling
  themselves the OCC, the
  Oxygen Chemical Council. We'd have a healthier
  planet...
  
  Thanks
  Jon
  
   ----
  From: DrBillC@aol.com
  To: Multiple recipients of list <dioxin-l@essential.org
  >
  Date: Thursday, July 31, 1997 1:02 AM
  Subject: Re: oil inputs to paper?
  
  Jon:
  
  At the risk of having you attempt to set me straight,
  I will point out only
  one recent error.
  
  It is patently not true that burning wood <<produces
  only the dioxin from
  herbicide residue combustion>>.
  
  Please check the postings on this list in the last
  month or so for at least
  two or three references to dioxin generation from
  cellulose and salt,
  including trees soaked in salt water vs. the same
  trees not receiving that
  treatment.  Also, see Valerie Thomas' article re
  combustion of petroleum,
  coal, cellulose, unleaded gas and so on.
  
  I don't want to inconvenience the list with a long
  colloquy.  Some
  statements, however, play too fast and too loose with
  the facts.
  
  Bill Carroll
  Chlorine Chemistry Council