Review - Poisoned for Profit

Poisoned for Profit: How Toxins are Making Our Children Chronically Ill, Philip and Alice Shabecoff, 2010, ISBN 9781603582568

Have you wondered why there seems to be an epidemic of serious childhood illnesses, like cancer, asthma and birth defects, in America? It has a lot to do with the huge increase, over the past 50 years, of toxic chemicals dumped into the environment. This book gives the details.

There are a number of towns all over the country, ranging from Dickson, Tennessee, to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to Toms River, New Jersey, suffering much higher than normal numbers of severe childhood illnesses. Each town just happens to also contain a large industrial plant that handles lots of toxic chemicals. Are the illnesses all "isolated instances" or "just one of those things?"

The authors say that the CEOs of the major chemical companies are not evil people who deliberately want to poison innocent children, but profit is most important. It is very hard to prove, absolutely, that a particular case of asthma or cancer, for instance, was caused by chemicals from a particular industrial plant, though the circumstantial evidence is pretty strong. The chemical companies use that uncertainty to delay the paying of any fines or cleanup costs.

Scientists-for-pay are willing to say what the chemical companies want them to say. The evidence is not conclusive and more study (read: delay) is needed. Washington is no help. Through lobbyists and campaign contributions, it has been made clear to members of Congress that bills to add new regulations are to be watered down or defeated. Only a few of the thousands of chemicals in the environment have been tested at all. Those tests have been very short-term, and have looked at adult exposure to chemicals. The level of toxicity for children and fetuses is much lower.

What can a parent do? If you plan on having children in the future, adopt a healthy lifestyle. Get proper amounts of vitamins and minerals, starting today (men and women). If you already have children, let them play outside and open the windows in your house for at least a few minutes a day (to let out any built-up toxins). Stay away from pesticides and dry cleaning, buy organic food as much as possible, buy furniture and flooring made from solid wood instead of particleboard, which is treated with formaldehyde. There are also plenty of websites to visit with safer alternatives to everyday items.

This book easily reaches the level of Wow. It is very easy to read, and is quite an eye-opener for all parents and parents-to-be. This is highly recommended.

Paul Lappen is a freelance book reviewer whose blog, http://www.deadtreesreview.blogspot.com/, emphasizes small press and self-published books.

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Poisoned Profits

Poisoned Profits is the newest combined work from authors Philipe and Alice Shabecoff which comes with the sub title, The Toxic Assault on Our Children which sums up this book perfectly.

The couple works to show the deteriorating environmental picture for children in the United States with a focus on the problems that these environmental factors can cause.

As a father to be myself this was truly a disturbing read, I hadn't thought that since our children are so much closer to the floor and ground that they ingest at least three times as many pollutants as adults. This is exacerbated even more by the fact that children drink and eat infinitely more fruits and vegetables than the average adult. Additionally they lay out the ways that both chemical companies and large corporations work to craft scientific studies which are anything but scientific and show results which are more conducive to their aims. This is much the same route that tobacco companies fought against the dangers of second hand smoke for almost forty years before public opinion finally turned against them in the last few decades.

Of course, any parent fears that their child will be negatively affected by their environment either in terms of their mental development or development before being born.

If you're generally interested in the environment, or have ever bough a piece of organic produce, a Prius or even a cleaner without bleach out of concern for your children (and yourself!) this is an interesting read which will take your understanding of environmental issues to the next level. Most importantly the book ends with a specific action plan including both other resources as well as environmentally friendly companies which deserve our support.

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