What's in Margot Wallstrom's blood?
Earlier this year I participlated in a public dialogue with the Vice Commissioner for the European Union, Margot Walltröm on the topic of Governance and Democracy for a Sustainable Europe.
The discussion was lively and gave an insight into the aspirations and political reality of Europe today. One of the things that stuck in my mind was a story Margot told of how today's unsustainable practices have affected her in the most personal of ways - by contaminating her blood.
As the former EU Commissioner on the Environment, Margot is a passionate advocate for sustainability and championed the new chemicals legislation, REACH, which will ensure that all man-made chemicals are tested to ensure they are safe before being released onto the EU market (this is not currently the case). To make the point about the systematic accumulation of toxic substances in society (a violation of Sustainability Principle II) Margot took a blood test. The results indicated that of the 70-odd synthetic substances tested, 30 showed up in her blood, including known carcinogens like DDT and PCB's.
Similar tests have shown the average adult could have hundreds of man-made compounds floating around in our bloodstream, though it is not known if they are all dangerous. But isn't that the exact point - we just don't know. In the case of Ms Wallstrom, it is likely that the chemicals have been passed onto her children through breast-feeding and while they were still the the womb...
Amazing that it takes a politician to highlight something like this!
Footnote: here's a small plug for the sustainability masters programme at Blekinge Institute of Technology which organised the event as part of its public outreach to the community - The Karlskrona Dialogues.
The discussion was lively and gave an insight into the aspirations and political reality of Europe today. One of the things that stuck in my mind was a story Margot told of how today's unsustainable practices have affected her in the most personal of ways - by contaminating her blood.
As the former EU Commissioner on the Environment, Margot is a passionate advocate for sustainability and championed the new chemicals legislation, REACH, which will ensure that all man-made chemicals are tested to ensure they are safe before being released onto the EU market (this is not currently the case). To make the point about the systematic accumulation of toxic substances in society (a violation of Sustainability Principle II) Margot took a blood test. The results indicated that of the 70-odd synthetic substances tested, 30 showed up in her blood, including known carcinogens like DDT and PCB's.
Similar tests have shown the average adult could have hundreds of man-made compounds floating around in our bloodstream, though it is not known if they are all dangerous. But isn't that the exact point - we just don't know. In the case of Ms Wallstrom, it is likely that the chemicals have been passed onto her children through breast-feeding and while they were still the the womb...
Amazing that it takes a politician to highlight something like this!
Footnote: here's a small plug for the sustainability masters programme at Blekinge Institute of Technology which organised the event as part of its public outreach to the community - The Karlskrona Dialogues.
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