| 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
| |
The
carcasses of whales and other marine mammals, including
dolphins, manatees, polar bears, seals and sea lions
are increasingly being found with dangerous levels
of PCBs, DDT, flame-retardants and stain-repellents
in their tissues and bloodstreams. Pictured: A dead
Humpback whale washed up on Newcomb Hollow Beach in
Wellfleet, Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
© Scott Puls, courtesy Flickr |
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.
CONTACTS:
Arctic
Council; HSUS.
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
| |
Two
eco-friendly options in kids' shoes are: Isabooties,
which are made with soft, synthetic Ultrasuede; and
hemp and recycled rubber sneaks, from Patagonia.
© Isabooties |
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.
CONTACTS:
Cynthia
King Dance Studio; Isabooties;
KidBean;
Patagonia;
Simple;
Timberland.
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