Happy new year everyone

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We, scientists from a variety of disciplines, declare the following:

1. Parties to the Stockholm Convention have taken action on three brominated flame retardants that have been listed in the treaty for global elimination. These substances include components of commercial penta-bromodiphenyl ether and commercial octa-bromodiphenyl ether, along with hexabromobiphenyl. Another brominated flame retardant, hexabromocyclododecane, is under evaluation.
2. Many commonly used brominated and chlorinated flame retardants 
can undergo long-range environmental transport.
3. Many brominated and chlorinated flame retardants appear to be persistent and bioaccumulative, resulting in food chain contamination, including human milk.
4. Many brominated and chlorinated flame retardants lack adequate toxicity information, but the available data raises concerns.
5. Many different types of brominated and chlorinated flame retardants have been incorporated into products even though comprehensive toxicological information is lacking.
6. Brominated and chlorinated flame retardants present in a variety of products are released to the indoor and outdoor environments.
7. Near-end-of-life and end-of-life electrical and electronic products are a growing concern as a result of dumping in developing countries, which results in the illegal transboundary movement of their hazardous constituents. These include brominated and chlorinated flame retardants.
8. There is a lack of capacity to handle electronic waste in an environ-mentally sound manner in almost all developing countries and countries with economies in transition, leading to the release of hazardous substances that cause harm to human health and the environment. These substances include brominated and chlorinated flame retardants.
9. Brominated and chlorinated flame retardants can increase fire toxicity, but their overall benefit in improving fire safety has not been proven.
10. When brominated and chlorinated flame retardants burn, highly toxic dioxins and furans are formed.

Therefore, these data support the following:

11. Brominated and chlorinated flame retardants as classes of 
substances are a concern for persistence, bioaccumulation, long-range transport, and toxicity.
12. There is a need to improve the availability of and access to information on brominated and chlorinated flame retardants and other chemicals in products in the supply chain and throughout each product’s life cycle.
13. Consumers can play a role in the adoption of alternatives to harmful flame retardants if they are made aware of the presence of the substances, for example, through product labeling.
14. The process of identifying alternatives to flame retardants should include not only alternative chemicals but also innovative changes in the design of products, industrial processes, and other practices that do not require the use of any flame retardant.
15. Efforts should be made to ensure that current and alternative chemical flame retardants do not have hazardous properties, such as mutagenicity and carcinogenicity, or adverse effects on the reproductive, developmental, endocrine, immune, or nervous systems.
16. When seeking exemptions for certain applications of flame retardants, the party requesting the exemption should supply some information indicating why the exemption is technically or scien-tifically necessary and why potential alternatives are not technically or scientifically viable; a description of potential alternative processes, products, materials, or systems that eliminate the need for the chemical; and a list of sources researched.
17. Wastes containing flame retardants with persistent organic pollutant (POP) characteristics, including products and articles, should be disposed of in such a way that the POP content is destroyed or irreversibly transformed so that they do not exhibit the charac-teristics of POPs.
18. Flame retardants with POP characteristics should not be permitted to be subjected to disposal operations that may lead to recovery, recycling, reclamation, direct reuse, or alternative uses of the substances.
19. Wastes containing flame retardants with POP properties should not be transported across international boundaries unless it is for disposal in such a way that the POP content is destroyed or 
irreversibly transformed.
20. It is important to consider product stewardship and extended 
producer responsibility aspects in the life-cycle management of products containing flame retardants with POP properties, including electronic and electrical products.

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Just making sure you all know where I stand on this and what you should vote.

If you need a good reason, click here

AFN Calls for Action to Advance Resolution in Canada

OTTAWA, July 29 /CNW Telbec/ – The Assembly of First Nations welcomes the United Nations General Assembly resolution declaring clean water and sanitation to be a human right. More than 124 Nations voted yesterday for the resolution brought forward by the country of Bolivia. 884 million people around the world still suffer from a lack of access to drinking water.

“This is welcome news for First Nations people and communities who are struggling to access safe drinking water and sanitation,” said National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo. “This resolution establishes new international standards and, in affirming that clean water and sanitation are a basic human right, compels Canada to work with First Nations to ensure our people enjoy the same quality of water and sanitation as the rest of Canada.”

As of June 2010, 114 First Nations communities across the country were under Drinking Water Advisories and 49 First Nations water systems were classified as “high risk”. Some of these communities have been under a Drinking Water Advisory for 10 years or longer.

“The situation facing First Nations would not be tolerated in any other community or city in Canada,” National Chief Atleo stated. “It is shameful that these conditions are allowed to fester in a country as rich as Canada. This is about nothing less than the health and safety of First Nations children. It is time to act to address longstanding inequity in infrastructure and training to enhance and support safe drinking water systems. The current approach of Canada to focus on regulation will not address these inequities and this is why we are calling for a joint effort to address underlying problems as the real solution.”

Canada was one of 41 nations who abstained from the vote on this resolution. The Assembly of First Nations calls on Canada, as a member of the United Nations, to respect the resolution and engage in real action with First Nations to make sure efforts and resources are in place to honour the right to safe drinking water and sanitation. A resolution passed at the AFN’s recent Annual General Assembly in Winnipeg, Manitoba called for advocacy and action to affirm First Nations rights and interests with respect to First Nations water.

AFN Regional Chief for Nova Scotia-Newfoundland Rick Simon stated: “Canada has committed to endorsing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and the UN resolution passed yesterday is consistent with principles in the Declaration that states Indigenous peoples have an equal right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. The AFN has put forward many plans and initiatives on this issue and we look forward to working with Canada to honour and implement this resolution.”

The United Nations resolution calls on “States and international organizations to provide financial resources, build capacity and transfer technology, particularly to developing countries, in scaling up efforts to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all.”

The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nations citizens in Canada.

#1 – Obama for President! Being part of this historical moment was overwhelming enough to make us forget that the road ahead was not going to be as smooth as this charismatic and brilliant elocutionist made us dream. After 8 years of Bush’s era characterized by ignoring the threats caused by the warming of our planet, the over-exploitation of our natural resources, the toxic nature of many industries and the blatantly disregard for human health and the environment Obama’s arrival to the White House was lived like deliverance for most of green and climate activists and professionals. Although energy was at the center of its platform, we knew, based on conversation with its transition team that the environment will also be addressed. Continue Reading »

Updated 4/29:

April, 26th 2010, San Francisco, CA. American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) hosted a premier event featuring Jeffery Hollender. Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Seventh Generation. Jeffrey discussed the role of ASBC in shaping a new just, vibrant and sustainable economy and his new book “The Responsibility Revolution”. He addressed the crossroad facing the Corporate Social Responsibility current model, pointing out that business’s marginal, compartmentalized initiatives are too often nothing more than a PR stunt and lack any meaningful change. Jeffrey Hollender advocates for a more holistic and systemic approach to our current environmental, social and economic challenges, and believes businesses adhering to these principles should support the role ASBC is playing to promote them.

————————— April 27 version below —————-

Continue Reading »

Testifying before the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Finance, which is currently considering legislation to control toxic substances, John R. Quarles, EPA Deputy Administrator said: “Existing Federal laws fail to deal evenly and comprehensively with toxic substances problems. While some authority exists to control the production of certain categories of toxic substances, such as pesticides, drugs, and food additives, most existing Federal authorities are designed to prevent harmful exposure only after the substances have been introduced into production.” Continue Reading »

One of my favorite journalists, Johann Hari, takes mainstream environmental groups to task for selling out their principles, often in exchange for money from the worst polluters.

Read it online at TheNation.com

We’ve compiled the 10 most critical events of 2009 that will shape 2010 and beyond. We’ll be uploading one every other day (or one a day if we can keep up).

No one can argue that 2009 has been a difficult year for everyone, but it also brought significant change in our quest for a more responsible world.

So stay tune and come back for more …

#10: Greenwashing, mother of all green marketing sins.

When Seventh Generation announced Jeffrey Hollender’s stepping down as CEO and the hiring of Chuck Maniscalo to lead the ambitious plans of growing the organization from $150 million in annual sales to $1 billion, I wrote that they should enter the antimicrobial market, one that has been enjoying double figures growth for the last ten years and that a natural partner they should consider was Cleanwell, which has developed a unique non-toxic, pure essential oils antimicrobial technology. Continue Reading »

Can we make it everyday?

It seems 2009 really started yesterday.

Best wishes to all green and sustainability experts and explorers.

In a interview, French President Nicolas Sarkozy told reporters France’s six months presidency of the European Union institutions* will focus on “giving back Europeans a sense of security”, arguing that it is the core precept of the EU that is being questioned by its citizens fearing the effects of globalisation. Climate and environment policies will part of his priorities: He admitted these are the most difficult projects he’ll face noting as the objectives of 20% CO2 emissions reduction and the 20% use of clean energy might be problematic for the countries that have recently joined the EU. He said he’ll also propose an import tax on products manufactured in countries that do not fight climate change to “level off the competitive field with European industries”.

* Each European member states take the helm of the EU for a period of 6 months. Considered very symbolic and often useless by critics, the presidency is often the opportunity to propose institutional change or strengthen them, and to promote a particular project. It is very much a diplomatic exercise as the presidency cannot supersede the European Parliament nor the European Commission.

I’m still learning out how to make this blog functional, the widgets, the plugins, ..

Today is my older brother’s birthday. Not a dad yet but a wonderful uncle. And a very talented photographer.

Joyeux Anniversaire, Henri.