From
the Editors of E / The Environmental Magazine
THIS
WEEK'S COLUMN
Dear
EarthTalk:It is true that the carcasses
of whales that wash up on shore are considered dangerous
to humans because of the amount of toxins and chemicals
in their blubber?
-- Michael O’Loughlin, Tigard, OR
Whether
wildlife officials in a given region consider a dead beached
whale a biohazard or not is local decision, but nevertheless
experts agree that only trained professionals should go
anywhere near a dead wild animal to prevent the spread
of bacterial infection alone, no matter whether any industrial
pollutants might be oozing out. But regardless, it is
true that some types of whales, given their spot at the
top of the marine food chain, do harbor chemical pollution
in their fatty tissue and organs.
Researchers
have found, for instance, that PCBs, dangerous toxins
notorious for polluting New York’s Hudson River
and long banned in the U.S. are present in the blubber
of beluga and orca whales, among others, in amounts—some
80 parts per million—that could kill a person. DDT,
a pesticide banned in 1972 in the U.S. for wreaking havoc
on bird and other wildlife populations, also still shows
up in measurable amounts in whale blubber around the world.
Beyond
such well-known pollutants, newer ones are starting to
show up in large amounts in the carcasses of beached whales
and other top marine predators. Today biologists are most
worried about the marked increase in flame retardants
(PBDEs) and stain repellents (PFOS) in dead marine mammals.
Flame retardants are particularly troublesome because
they “seem to travel over long distances in the
atmosphere, and some studies have shown that they can
be toxic to the immune system and can affect neurobehavioral
development,” according to a recent report by the
Arctic Council, a multilateral international body in charge
of overseeing Arctic law and development. The report also
noted that PFOS does “not seem to break down under
any circumstances,” meaning it is passed up the
food chain to whales and other top predators, and then
in some cases consumed by humans, especially indigenous
Arctic people still hunting marine animals as part of
their subsistent lifestyles.
According to the Humane
Society of the U.S. (HSUS), whales aren’t the only
wild animals carrying around large amounts of toxic chemicals.
Bottlenose dolphins, manatees, polar bears, seals, sea
lions and other marine wildlife also have PCBs, DDT, PBDEs,
PFOS and the other pollutants in their tissues and bloodstreams.
“The large-scale die-off of bottlenose dolphins
along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States in the
mid-1980s may have been the direct or indirect result
of increasing levels of toxic waste from industrial sources,”
HSUS reports, adding that “such pollutants can depress
the immune system of marine mammals, making the animals
susceptible to diseases they could normally fight off.”
Another example: Polar bears in Norway have been exhibiting
serious congenital abnormalities; HSUS blames exposure
to toxic pollutants in the bears’ otherwise pristine
environment.
Environmental
and health experts worry about such contamination because
many of the chemicals in question are known “endocrine
disruptors,” meaning they can impair reproduction
in both wildlife and humans by mimicking or altering natural
hormonal activity. Such chemicals can also cause neurological
problems and developmental or skeletal abnormalities.
Dear
EarthTalk: I’ve found environmentally
friendly shoes for myself, but have had trouble finding
similar shoes for my kids. Are they out there?
-- Dawn Masterson, Augusta, GA
Kids’
shoes are a quickly expanding market and companies with
a green perspective are now jumping into the race with
mini versions of everything from flip-flops to slippers
to heeled dress shoes. While green kids’ shoes from
makers like Simple, which offers organic cotton EcoSneaks
with car tire soles, might seem expensive at $40 or more,
they are durable enough to get passed around from sibling
to sibling. “It is an investment if you’re
going to do quality,” says Craig Throne, general
manager of footwear at Patagonia.
Patagonia has
been making climbing gear and outdoors wear for over 30
years, and is committed to using sustainable materials—including
recycled polyester and only organic cotton in their clothes.
Using hemp and recycled rubber content, the company has
created kids’ shoes that are rugged and sturdy enough
for hiking or climbing, or for simply running around in
the back yard.
Of course,
packaging plays a big role and in Patagonia’s case
that means 100 percent recycled content boxes with soy-based
inks and fun graphics that encourage kids to reuse the
boxes. “We’re getting kids to participate
and be more aware of the outdoor world,” says Throne.
Timberland
has launched its own line of sustainable kids’ shoes,
too. “Kids today are learning about the environment
at a younger and younger age—in many cases, they’re
even teaching their parents,” says Lisa DeMarkis,
head of Timberland’s kid’s division. “It’s
important to show kids that even small choices can have
a positive impact.”
The company
strives to use the most environmentally friendly materials
when possible—like recycled soda bottles (PET) in
linings or meshes, recycled laces and organic cotton canvas—while
always making sure that the shoes meet performance goals:
“At the end of the day, the shoe has to stand up
to kids and their daily adventures,” DeMarkis says.
Curious customers can read the “nutritional labels,”
which include the amount of renewable energy used in production,
right on Timberland’s 100 percent post consumer
recycled shoeboxes.
Parents looking
to avoid leather in their kids’ shoes, whether for
ethical or environmental reasons, have to do a bit of
hunting online. While many vegetarian and non-leather
clothing sites have yet to add kids’ shoes, KidBean.com
has, including the popular baby shoes called Isabooties,
which are made with soft, synthetic Ultrasuede.
For parents
of budding dancers, a vegan alternative ballet slipper
can be had from the Cynthia King Dance Studio in Brooklyn,
New York. The dance instructor and studio owner approached
a local shoemaker when she couldn’t find an affordable
outlet for vegan slippers, and now provides them to the
world at large.
