President’s Cancer Panel Report Links Chemicals & Non-Organic Food To Cancer.

In the category of “Many of us having been saying this for a while now”, the President’s Cancer Panel recently published a report on risks of cancer from the chemicals in our environment. From the chemical BPA found in plastics to everyday pollution to drugs in our water supply, the report finally admits that we should be reducing our exposure to the 80,000+ chemicals on the market that we have been ignoring the potential effects of. For far too long our EPA and FDA never raised a true concern about some of these products, and I am so very glad to see a report coming directly from the PCP telling us this information. While the report understands that all chemicals will not be removed or discontinued tomorrow, they do provide 12 Principles of Green Chemistry that would drastically reduce the toxicity of said chemicals:

• Prevent waste that requires treatment or clean-up.
• Design chemicals and products to be fully effective but have little or no toxicity.
• Develop less hazardous ways to synthesize chemicals.
• Use renewable raw materials.
• Use catalysts to make chemicals instead of reagents that create more waste.
• Avoid chemical derivatives.
• Reduce wasted atoms.
• Avoid using solvents whenever possible or use innocuous solvents.
• Increase energy efficiency by running chemical reactions at ambient temperatures.
• Design chemicals to break down after use.
• Monitor for by-products in real time.
• Minimize the potential for chemical accidents.

And while genetics certainly play a role in cancer cases, a lot of our cancers are directly related to the food we eat, the water we drink, the pharmaceuticals we ingest, smoking, drinking, and even STD’s, there are things we can do on a daily basis to decrease our risks of ever getting cancer. Time Magazine assembled a list of the 10 Cancer Panel Recommendations, gleaned from the full report (which you can download and read here):

1. Drink filtered tap water.
2. Store food in glass, stainless-steel, or BPA-free plastic.
3. Minimize children’s and pregnant women’s exposure to carcinogens and endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
4. Choose fruits and vegetables grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
5. Choose free-range meat that has not been exposed to antibiotics or growth hormones.
6. Minimize consumption of processed, charred or well-done meats.
7. Turn off lights and electrical devices when not in use.
8. Drive a fuel-efficient car.
9. Check home radon levels.
10. Reduce radiation exposure from cell phones and medical tests; avoid UV overexposure.

I have no idea how much money this report cost the Federal Government, but this one I am sure is worth it. This is very important information that needs support and publicity, and I am so glad to see it come directly from the President’s Office.

You may also like:

1. Who Owns Your Favorite Organic Food Brands?
2. Environmental Implications Of The Food We Throw Away.
3. What Is DEA (diethanolamine) And Why You Should Avoid It.

1. How to Refinish Furniture
2. How can canned tomatoes and water be certified organic when the lining of the can contains BPA? by Jerry Hart

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