Re: [greenyes] Environmental Issues and the Unborn

[David Biddle <Dbiddle@no.address>]

Title: Re: [greenyes] Environmental Issues and the Unborn

This piece sets me to wonderin’ about a connection between environmental issues and the right-to-life folks. Is it enough to combat abortion if you aren’t looking at all the potential damage to new and as yet not born babies still in the womb through air and water pollution? How about lead poisoning for kids? All the “down winders” near Hanford, Washington? Perhaps I am missing something. Are birth defects, brain damage, asthma, etc. simply God’s will? How many young children and babies are affected by various forms of pollution (poisoning) vs. the number of abortions every year? (please note that I hope this does not turn into a discussion on abortion).

Just wondering. Has anyone seen anything by those in the Right-to-Life Movement?

DB

on 2/21/05 12:21 PM, Peter Anderson at anderson@no.address wrote:

> Following up on my longer note about realigning our politics, here's an 
> example of where we should do-a-Karl-Rove.  EPA is issuing higher 
> permissible levels for perchorate based upon what's safe for adults, 
> apparently ignoring the far greater sensitivity of the unborn.
>
>                                                                     Peter
>  San Bernardino County Sun
>
>
> EPA rule blasted
> Activists: New perchlorate standard too soft
> By GUY McCARTHY
> Staff Writer
>
> Friday, February 18, 2005 - A new federal safety standard for toxic 
> perchlorate used in rocket fuel and explosives announced Friday in the 
> nation's capital amounts to an irresponsible gamble that could harm children 
> and unborn babies, safe drinking water advocates in California said.
> "The jury is still out on what is a safe standard for perchlorate in 
> drinking water,' said sate Sen. Nell Soto, D-Ontario. "I don't think we 
> should subject our kids to unnecessary risk. There's a 7-mile plume of 
> perchlorate in my district, and we want it cleaned up so the water is safe 
> to drink.'
> Perchlorate levels in Rialto, Colton and Fontana wells have been measured in 
> the past at 4 parts per billion to more than 800 parts per billion. A total 
> of 20 wells have been closed in the region due to perchlorate contamination, 
> said Kurt Berchtold, assistant executive officer for the Santa Ana Regional 
> Water Quality Control Board.
> Treatment facilities that remove all traces of perchlorate have allowed 
> eight of the 20 closed wells to be reopened, Berchtold said.
> Friday in Washington, the Environmental Protection Agency issued its first 
> safety standard for perchlorate, which has been blamed for widespread 
> contamination of drinking water especially near many military sites.
> The EPA's new limit for what it considers a safe exposure level will be used 
> in guiding Superfund cleanups and determining whether the agency should go a 
> step further and regulate perchlorate as a drinking water contaminant.
> The limit, which translates to 24.5 parts per billion in drinking water, is 
> the same level recommended by the National Academy of Sciences in January 
> but higher than what the EPA proposed two years ago.
> Gina Solomon, a San Francisco-based senior scientist with the Natural 
> Resources Defense Council, blasted the EPA's Friday announcement.
> "The level the EPA is proposing will not protect infants and unborn 
> children,' Solomon said. "It doesn't take into account that babies weigh 
> less than grown-ups. The EPA's number is based on a 150-pound adult.
> "...
> "...
> "...
> "...
> "...
> "..."
>
> _________________________
> Peter Anderson, President
> RECYCLEWORLDS CONSULTING
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