Friday, July 30, 2010

Susan Shaw, Marine Toxicologist

Check out this amazing talk by Dr. Susan Shaw that addresses the dangerous levels of toxicity already in our bloodstreams, as well as the added threat posed by the chemical dispersants being used to 'solve' the oil spill in the gulf.

"We are not regulating chemicals properly in this country. We are hardly regulating them at all," says Shaw. "'Big Chemical' is what we are dealing with here. They're allowed to keep trade secrets so they don't even give the ingredients out, plus they don't give out health and safety data. So consequently they cannot be regulated before they go to market. So it's a case of innocent until guilty. The burden of proof is not on the producer."

It is on us, the consumers.

Partnered with companies that include the Marine Environmental Research Institute, The Wadsworth Center/NY State Department of Health, Mission Blue, CIESIN/Columbia University, the Gulf Restoration Network, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and Google Earth, Dr. Shaw is trying to get information to the public at large and find a solution to the environmental impact of the oil spill. Together, they are launching an independent study that will counter "the kind of crime scene secrecy that is going on in the Gulf now" to assess toxic impacts on our future health.

"My wish for the Gulf project is that we have the truth. Whatever it is, please let us have the truth - and to get there we need to do the assessment."

She is my new hero.

Thank you so much for sharing this with me, Bridget!

1 comment:

  1. Hi Susan, I liked your blog and wanted to see if you were interested in following a colleague of mine who is currently reporting on the Gulf Coast Oilspill [#ioilspill]. Link to @JeffCutler Blog http://bit.ly/ioilspill

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