Biophysical chemist Arlene Blum talks about the negative consequences of living in a world full of toxic chemicals. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pWjnW0Xwpg .. with comments ..
From page 1 of yours
Peter Molnar
Arlene Blum, who is on a crusade to rid our lives of flame-retardant chemicals, carried her daughter, Annalise, across the Alps in 1987.
and
"Blum discovered this fact six years ago, when, at age 61, she decided to return to science. Looking for a way to put her academic training to use, she attended a symposium on chemical policy in California. There she struck up a conversation with Bob Luedeka, who happens to be the executive director of the Polyurethane Foam Association. He was there, he said, because of worries about chemical flame retardants, which are found in almost all upholstered furniture. One of the most commonly used flame retardants is chlorinated Tris. Blum says she felt like Rip Van Winkle waking up after a 30-year nap." http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/magazine/arlene-blums-crusade-against-household-toxins.html?_r=1
Toxic Chemical Soup - Part 2
.. from page 2 of yours ..
"Her house is small and cozy and crammed with Himalayan pillows, posters and fabrics. The first time we sat down to talk, last spring, she walked around her living room, giving me a short biography of the furnishings, which were all free of flame retardants. “A lot of this furniture used to have toxic cushions, so I threw away all the cushions and got other stuff,” she said. The couch had been custom-made; the chairs were filled with polyester.
The purge happened in 2007, after Blum’s 14-pound cat Midnight began losing weight. The vet diagnosed feline hyperthyroidism, a disease that was unknown until 1979 but is now considered one of the most common endocrine disorders in cats. Blum wondered if there might be a possible link between feline hyperthyroidism and penta, a flame retardant that was withdrawn from the market in 2004, so her vet suggested sending a vial of Midnight’s blood to a researcher in Illinois. Sure enough, Midnight’s blood was 28 parts per million penta. Thinking that flame retardants in her aging sofa might be migrating into her household’s dust, Blum got rid of it. Four years later, the penta levels in her dust had dropped to 3 parts per million from 95 parts per million." http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/magazine/arlene-blums-crusade-against-household-toxins.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1
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Arlene Blum at TED
TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch - Arlene Blum - Plastic Pollution In Our Homes
Uploaded by TEDxTalks on Dec 16, 2010
Scientist Arlene Blum speaks about the connection between plastic pollution and flame retardants. About TEDx, x = independently organized event
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IDlb4N-_u4 .. with comments ..
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See also .. more TED ..
Margaret Wertheim at TED, 2009 .. Hyperbolic geometry, coral and crochet converge...
[...]
The 'chemputer' that could print out any drug .. one bit .. Professor Lee Cronin [ http://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/cronin/ ] [...] A couple of years ago, at a TED conference, he described one goal as the creation of "inorganic life", and went on to detail his efforts to generate "evolutionary algorithms" in inert matter. He still hopes to "create life" in the next year or two. .. http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=77971323
The glass is half empty and half full: TEDGlobal 2012 Day 3 recap [...] Business innovator Rachel Botsman kicked off session 8, the first of the day, representing for Team Glass Full. Speaking on what she calls “collaborative consumption,” Botsman sang the praises of Airbnb (peer-to-peer vacation rentals), Kickstarter (crowd-sourcing of funds for projects) and TaskRabbit (a person-to-person errand service), suggesting that these websites make connections and foster a sense of trust.
“Instead of consuming to keep up with the Joneses, people are consuming to get to know the Joneses,” said Botsman. “Reputation is a currency that will become more powerful than our credit history. It will make the résumé seem like an archaic relic of the past.”
[...]
video game designer Jane McGonigal asked an unusual question — can a video game help physical healing? She tells her own story: McGonigal recalled being bedridden for months after a severe concussion, in pain, depressed and suffering: “I thought, ‘I am either going to kill myself, or I’m going to turn this into a game.’”
McGonigal opted for glass-half-full approach and created the video game SuperBetter, designed with challenges to improve physical, mental, emotional and social resilience. “Within three days of playing the game, that fog of depression and anxiety vanished,” said McGonigal, who took the game public and received a flood of thanks from others, some with cancer and chronic pain. “These people were experiencing what scientists call post-traumatic growth.” .. more: http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=78341316
Arlene Blum, yet another extraordinary woman .. near the top of the world ..
and nearer the middle of society 'led the world in introducing science into advocacy' .. that video is NEAT and warrants many many more views than are indicated on the YT counter .. :)
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