Some of you might remember from the
This moment on Earth book tour, that Teresa Heinz Kerry usually spoke of environmental toxins including phthalates, which are endocrine disruptors. Teresa has hosted annual conferences for medical researchers that deal with environmental toxins, women's health and cancer.
Moran and Kerry introduced legislation to protect people.
The Endocrine Society commends Representative Jim Moran (D-VA) and Senator John Kerry (D-MA) for introducing the Endocrine Disruption Prevention Act of 2009 (H.R. 4190; S. 2828). The bill, endorsed by the Society, amends the Public Health Service Act by authorizing the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to conduct a research program on endocrine disruption aimed at preventing and reducing the production of and the public’s exposure to harmful chemicals.
The legislation reflects the findings and recommendations of The Endocrine Society’s peer-reviewed Scientific Statement (
http://www.endo-society.org/journals/scientificstatemen... /) on endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) released by the Society this past June. The Scientific Statement presents evidence that endocrine disruptors—substances that interfere with hormone biosynthesis, metabolism or action—impact health resulting in adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological and immune effects in both humans and wildlife.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/559294/?sc=rsmnHere is a statement from Representative Moran:
Today, Congressman Jim Moran of Northern Virginia and Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts introduced legislation to explore linkages between hormone disrupting chemicals in the environment and everyday goods and the dramatic increase of autism, hyperactivity, diabetes, obesity, breast cancer, prostate cancer and other hormone related disorders.
For years, scientists have noted strange anomalies in fish and wildlife in locations where endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are found. In the Potomac River, a recent study found an astounding 100 percent of small mouth bass in certain sites of the basin exhibited both male and female organs, a characteristic linked to EDCs.
“These fish are the proverbial ‘canaries in the coal mine,’ a symptom of a larger sickness in our environment. The implications for humans are real and deeply troubling,” said Congressman Moran, who worked with experts for roughly a year to craft the legislation.
“We need facts driven by science, not politics, ideology, or powerful interests, when it comes to understanding the risks associated with chemicals - especially where there's real concern about harmful developmental disorders in children,” Senator Kerry said after introducing the companion bill in the Senate. “The better we understand these chemicals, the better equipped we’ll be to protect kids and the public.”
http://moran.house.gov/apps/list/press/va08_moran/Endocrine.shtml(Thanks to Prosense for the Moran statement)