Organic Bytes
Newsletter #870: Beware: Toxic Black Plastic Take Out Trays, Utensils & Toys

SUBSCRIBE | DONATE

TAKE ACTION

Watch Out for Black Plastic Take Out Trays, Utensils and Toys

Ban cancer-causing black plastic toxic flame retardants!

Cancer-causing, hormone-disrupting flame retardant chemicals have been found in a variety of household products made with black plastic, including food service containers, kitchen utensils, and toys. The highest levels of toxic flame retardants were found in a sushi tray, a spatula and Halloween costume jewelry–all made with black plastic.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Your State Legislators to Ban Black Plastic Toxic Flame Retardants!

A spatula might benefit from being fireproof, but why a sushi tray or a necklace? The group that tested the products, Toxic-Free Future, suspects that the items didn’t have flame retardants added intentionally. Instead, they were probably made with plastic from recycled e-waste. The black styrene-based plastics used in large TVs, computers and other electronics typically have high levels of toxic flame retardants.

Toxic flame retardant chemicals were found in 85 percent of analyzed black plastic products, with total concentrations ranging up to 22,800 ppm. The brominated flame retardant deca-BDE was found at levels ranging from 5 to 1,200 times greater than the European Union’s limit of 10 ppm. In 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency banned deca-BDE because of its carcinogenicity, genotoxicity and developmental toxicity, its neurological and immunological effects, and its impact on the liver. But it made an exception for the recycling of decaBDE-containing plastics as long as no new decaBDE is added. The EPA’s action is at least a step in the right direction, but there are a lot of other organohalogen flame retardants still allowed in electronics that might be just as dangerous, like 2,4,6-tribromophenol, which was recently detected in breast milk.

According to Safer States, Washington and New York have each banned all organohalogen flame retardants in televisions, computers and other plastic enclosures for electronic displays.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Your State Legislators to Ban Black Plastic Toxic Flame Retardants!

Read: Black Plastic Kitchen Utensils, Takeout Containers — Even Toys — Linked to Cancer-Causing Chemicals

REGENERATION INTERNATIONAL

The Fight To Preserve Mezcal’s Tradition

Jeff Bradford, Filmmaker:

“I spent most of 2023 in Mexico, working, and learning about agave spirits, primarily Mezcal. I’ve enjoyed some of the best agave spirits you can only find in the rural areas of Mexico. I remember traveling through Jalisco and looking at the rows of blue Weber agave that could be viewed for as far as my eyes could see.

It got me thinking, is this the way nature intended this land and this plant to be? What If Mother Nature could speak to me directly what would she say?

As I traveled around Mexico I witnessed wild agaves that scattered country sides slowly disappearing. I’ve witnessed Trees being pulled down as armed personnel block traffic to ensure they gather and collect what was being cut down.

My concern for agave spirits is the preservation of its biodiversity, ensuring we can preserve agaves in the wild for its rich flavors that embody terroir, its genetic diversity and look at new sustainability methods to ensure minimal amount of energy and waste is created. But most importantly, for consumers to understand that Habitat Destruction is happening to ensure we have the finest agave spirits globally. What are the second and third order effects of this?

Sure monoculture is an efficient practice that produces high yields but if Mother Nature could speak to us all she might remind us of the importance of biodiversity within nature. She might offer guidance on how we can restore and preserve the Earth’s natural resources and the very ground we walk on. Ultimately, Mother Nature would likely emphasize the interconnectedness of all living things.”  

Watch: The Fight To Preserve Mezcal’s Tradition

Read about the game-changing ecosystem-regeneration strategy Billion Agave Project that is being pioneered at Via Orgánica (a sister organization of both the OCA and Regeneration International), where Jeff Bradford visited to film this beautiful and insightful video

THE TRUTH ABOUT AVOCADOS

Organic Consumers Association Takes Legal Action Against Calavo Growers

Organic Consumers Association, with Richman Law & Policy, Sue Calavo Growers Over Misleading “Better for the Planet” Avocado Marketing Claims.

Press Release: WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ – Organic Consumers Association and Richman Law & Policy filed a complaint against Calavo Growers on October 4, 2024, in the District of Columbia Superior Court. The complaint alleges that Calavo Growers, in violation of the District of Columbia Consumer Protection Procedures Act, deceptively markets its avocados as “sustainable,” responsibly grown, and “better for the planet” when they are in reality driving deforestation.

Calavo Growers, the complaint alleges, misleads consumers by claiming that its “avocado trees contribute to fighting climate change by capturing and storing CO2,” while asserting that its operations “improve soil health,” “promote water efficiency” and “support strong farming communities.”

Mexican government shipping records show that during the years 2022 through the beginning of 2024 Calavo sourced over 800,000 kilograms of avocados (roughly 8 million avocados) from at least fifteen orchards operating on deforested land in Michoacán and Jalisco.

Calavo Growers claims to adhere to a “sustainability framework,” which includes “climate action, social responsibility, sustainable agriculture, and sound governance”.

Despite these assurances, Mexican government shipping records show that during the years 2022 through the beginning of 2024 Calavo sourced over 800,000 kilograms of avocados (roughly 8 million avocados) from at least fifteen orchards operating on deforested land in Michoacán and Jalisco. The complaint contains before-and-after images of the deforested land Calavo Growers is sourcing avocados from, according to Mexican government records.

Learn more

CARE WHAT YOU WEAR

Toxic Chemicals Could Be the Scariest Thing About Your Halloween Costume

Alden Wicker, The Guardian:

“Anti-fast-fashion advocates frequently bemoan that clothing is now designed to be worn just a few times and thrown away. But what about the ultimate ultra-fast fashion: Halloween costumes? These are designed, quite literally, to be worn once. By the following year, the pop-culture reference is stale, and the flimsy polyester is in the landfill.

With no incentive for quality, costume makers can get sloppy. The Center for Environmental Health has found substances such as lead, cadmium and BPA in costume pieces from both Halloween Express and Spirit Halloween at levels that ‘would have exceeded the amount deemed by [California] to require a warning’, says CEH science lead Mihir Vohra.

Exposure to such substances has been linked to harm for humans. For instance, there is no “safe” level of lead exposure. Lead is especially damaging for children, and regular exposure can lead to nervous system damage and intellectual disabilities. Ingestion of cadmium can cause acute gastroenteritis, with permanent damage at high enough levels. BPA is an endocrine disruptor, which harms the hormonal system, and thus the regulation of all the important systems in our bodies, including the cardiovascular system and the brain. Research has found correlations between BPA exposure and brain and behavior disorders in children, and lifelong health effects for babies exposed to it in the womb. It is also linked to infertility, breast cancer, endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).”

Read why if you’re using a plastic Halloween costume, be sure to wash your hands before digging into your Halloween candy

ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

Beautiful, Perfectly Formed, Tasteless Tomatoes

Sara Rubin, Monterey County Now:

“Dave Chapman knows tomatoes. Since 1984, he’s been growing them in Vermont at Long Wind Farm, perfecting his use of greenhouses to extend the season, from as early as March to as late as December. So he’s enthusiastic about taking measures to make tomato-growing as productive as possible, for as long as possible. Even while adhering to old-school principles as a lifelong organic farmer, Chapman is used to pushing boundaries.

But about a decade ago, Chapman saw tomatoes at a regional produce warehouse that confounded him. ‘They were beautiful, perfect-looking, very mediocre-tasting and very inexpensive,’ he remembers. “I thought, who is growing all of these beautiful, perfectly formed, tasteless tomatoes and selling them at such a low price? How can they afford to do that?’

So Chapman did a little research, and learned that hydroponic farming – growing crops in water, rather than soil, and adding fertility to the water – was permissible under organic certification standards of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

‘I was shocked,’ Chapman says. ‘How can this be?’”

SUPPORT OCA & RI

Sowing Seeds of Organic Regeneration

Given the magnitude of the current crisis, we at OCA believe we need to expand our redemptive message of Regeneration to encompass, not only the next stage of organic food and farming and land use, but also our political policies and practices. We must step up our efforts, not only championing organic food and farming, but international peace and economic justice, civil liberties, participatory democracy, and regenerating health, both mental and physical. In the midst of political corruption and opportunism, it’s essential to focus on positive ideas and solutions.

The overwhelming majority of people in the world are not our enemies or adversaries. Our fellow human beings want peace, democracy, justice, meaningful work, healthy food, and a healthy environment for themselves and their families, just like we do. The overwhelming majority of the global body politic do not want giant corporations such as Bayer/Monsanto, Syngenta, and Pfizer, Silicon Valley, dictating our food, farming, technology, and health choices and practices.

By sowing the seeds of peace and Regeneration, we can scale-up the best practices of organic food, natural health, nutrition, and integrative medicine. We can clean up our toxic environment and our toxic politics. We can move from elite domination and technocratic surveillance and control to participatory democracy.

Please help the OCA as well as our sister organization Regeneration International, sow seeds of organic regeneration as we use education, activism, agroecology projects, litigation, and a commitment to continue working on building our network, finding allies, connecting people through food, organic regenerative agriculture and good health.

There are many ways you can support OCA’s work

Estate Planning – FreeWill: As you plan for the future of your family, please consider providing for the future of OCA’s work as well. Including OCA in your will lets you support your commitment to public health and the environment well beyond your lifetime. It’s easy to leave a bequest of any specific dollar amount, or a percentage of your estate, by including the proper language in your will. OCA has partnered with FreeWill, which is the best online service for people to make their own will for free. It takes less than 20 minutes. You can also use this tool to draft your health directive. Make your will or health directive for free!

HEALTHY LIVING

How Poor Gut Health Can Increase Anxiety and Depression Risk & What To Eat To Help

Karla Walsh, Eating Well:

“There is a conversation that takes place between your brain and gut that is bi-directional, meaning that they both talk to each other, according to a 2023 review in Nutrients1. The ‘telephone line’ along which this conversation takes place is called the gut-brain axis. One of the major players in the gut-brain axis is the vagus nerve, which has about 90% of its nerve endings in the gut. The vagus nerve starts in the brain and wanders down the body, touching nearly every major organ. It’s what you want to stimulate when you’re stressed out because it helps calm and slow the heart rate, breathing and gut.

Read on to learn more about the extensive conversation between your gut and your brain, how less-than-stellar gut health can impact your mood, and the best foods to feed your brain and good gut bacteria all at once.”  

Learn more about the speedy interstate connecting the gut and the brain

SYNTHETIC MEDIA

The Pentagon Wants To Use AI To Create Deepfake Internet Users

Sam Biddle writes for The Intercept:

“The United States’ secretive Special Operations Command is looking for companies to help create deepfake internet users so convincing that neither humans nor computers will be able to detect they are fake, according to a procurement document reviewed by The Intercept.

The plan, mentioned in a new 76-page wish list by the Department of Defense’s Joint Special Operations Command, or JSOC, outlines advanced technologies desired for country’s most elite, clandestine military efforts. “Special Operations Forces (SOF) are interested in technologies that can generate convincing online personas for use on social media platforms, social networking sites, and other online content,’ the entry reads.

The document specifies that JSOC wants the ability to create online user profiles that ‘appear to be a unique individual that is recognizable as human but does not exist in the real world,’ with each featuring ‘multiple expressions’ and ‘Government Identification quality photos.’

In addition to still images of faked people, the document notes that ‘the solution should include facial & background imagery, facial & background video, and audio layers’ and JSOC hopes to be able to generate ‘selfie video’ from these fabricated humans. These videos will feature more than fake people: Each deepfake selfie will come with a matching faked background, ‘to create a virtual environment undetectable by social media algorithms.’”

Read more

HEALTH

The Curious Link Between Dementia and Sensory Impairments

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola  

“STORY-AT-A-GLANCE

* Dementia is not a normal part of aging, yet cases are increasing today. By 2060, an estimated 14 million adults over 65 will have dementia, nearly triple the number from a decade ago

* Sensory impairments, particularly hearing and vision loss, are associated with increased dementia risk. Addressing these issues early could help reduce your risk of cognitive decline

* Using hearing aids decreases the risk of cognitive decline by 19% and improves cognitive test scores by 3%, according to recent studies

* Protecting your eye health involves proper nutrition. Carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin, and the antioxidant astaxanthin have significant benefits for both vision and brain health

* Modifiable risk factors for dementia include smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and poor diet. Addressing these factors can prevent up to 45% of dementia cases”  

Read more

ORGANIC FARMING

Fifth-Generation Farmer Finds New Ways to Care for the Land as a Conservation Fellow

By Liz Stewart, Center for Rural Affairs:

“Corinne grew up around crop ground, cattle, pigs, and chickens. She studied agroecology in graduate school and has worked in local foods and organic certification for nearly 20 years.

‘My parents were always great lovers of the outdoors, but much of their concern about the food system came after I became ill at the age of 8 and was diagnosed with an endocrine disorder,’ Corinne said. “My mom eventually went to graduate school and did research on pesticide runoff, and my dad started questioning the use of chemicals in farming.’

Corinne’s passion for local, organic foods and the desire to live in the country played a big part in her decision to begin farming.

In 2018, Corinne and her husband purchased their 80-acre operation, Giving Tree Farm near Beatrice, from retiring farmers who wanted to keep the land in diversified sustainable production.

‘Our farm is so beautiful and very diverse,’ said Corinne. ‘We have a small market garden, orchard, pastures, restored prairie, grass-fed cattle, and laying hens. We also have several hedgerows, windbreaks, ponds, creeks, and solar and wind power.’”