Category Archives: Chemicals

Toxic textiles: the lethal history of Rayon

Posted on October 24, 2018 by

Preface. This is a book review from Science magazine of Paul David Blanc’s 2016 book “Fake Silk The Lethal History of Viscose Rayon”, Yale University Press.  I’ve shortened the review and changed some of the text. This book exposes how … Continue reading →

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Mining: Waste, Pollution, Destruction from Ugo Bardi’s “Extracted”

Posted on November 15, 2017 by

Preface. I’ve reworded/shortened some of the wording at times from this excellent book. Here are 7 other posts from this great book: Mining: Waste, Pollution, Destruction Ugo Bardi predictions of the future Minerals and War Minerals: Natural gas Minerals: Coal … Continue reading →

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Tackling mine wastes

Posted on September 1, 2017 by

Hudson-Edwards, K. April 15, 2016. Tackling mine wastes. Science (352):288-290   Excerpts: Mine wastes are unwanted and uneconomic materials (including rock, sediment, tailings, metallurgical wastes, dusts, ash, and processing chemicals) that are found at or near mine sites in virtually every … Continue reading →

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Chemical industrial farming is unsustainable. Why poison ourselves when pesticides don’t save more of our crops than in the past?

Posted on March 16, 2017 by

Pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides destroy soil, ecosystems, and a third of the crop is still lost to pests, just as in the many millennia of farming before chemicals. Preface. This is a book review of Dyer’s “Chasing the Red Queen”, … Continue reading →

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Toxic chemicals threaten health, reproduction, cause cancer, diabetes

Posted on March 8, 2016 by

September 29, 2015. Diabetes, obesity linked to chemical exposure – Endocrine Society.  www.rt.com Scientific research has increasingly linked common chemicals found in everyday products to diabetes, obesity, cancer, and other major ailments, according to a new policy statement.  Endocrine-disrupting chemicals … Continue reading →

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Chemicals banned in cosmetics

Posted on February 26, 2016 by

The environmental working group has this to say about cosmetics: “American families assume personal care products on the market today have been tested by the federal government. Unfortunately, the personal care products industry remains largely unregulated. The FDA does not … Continue reading →

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External costs of coal: probably over $500 billion per year in USA

Posted on May 4, 2014 by

Paul R. Epstein, et al. 2011. Full cost accounting for the life cycle of coal in “Ecological Economics Reviews.” Robert Costanza, Karin Limburg & Ida Kubiszewski, Eds. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1219: 73–98. This paper tabulates a wide range of … Continue reading →

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Microchips and Fab Plants: a Detailed description

Posted on November 17, 2013 by

I recommend reading my overview of how microchips are made before delving into the details below. Introduction to detailed overview of semiconductor manufacturing The crowning achievement of our civilization is the ability to make microchips.  It is by far the … Continue reading →

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Carcinogenic Flame retardants, PBDE’s, are in your furniture, food, soda

Posted on December 22, 2011 by

Latest news Must read series of articles at the Chicago Tribune: June 2012: These ongoing articles at the Chicago Tribune have given Governor Jerry Brown of California the courage to ask legislators to reduce or eliminate flame retardant requirements.  That’s … Continue reading →

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Chemicals

Posted on December 6, 2011 by

Mercury Nationally most mercury in all of our waterways, restriciting how much fish can be eaten in the lower 48 states, comes from coal power plants. California Gold Mining. California has gotten rid of coal plants and won’t buy electricity … Continue reading →

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